The Gwyn George Partnership
The Gwyn George Partnership is a modern law firm with a progressive and ambitious team of lawyers supported by excellent staff
They are able to provide expertise in a wide range of legal subjects, including: criminal law, family and child care cases, property, wills and probate, accident claims, and welfare services (housing, debt and welfare benefits)
They have a wide geographical spread throughout South Wales with offices at Aberdare, Ystradgynlais, Merthyr Tydfil, and Blackwood. They act for local people, but also for clients from all over the UK.
Reasons for interest in Agile Nation
The Gwyn George Partnership was involved with Chwarae Teg seven years ago when, as part of the SME Equality Project, a freelance business advisor set up equality, diversity and family friendly policies for them.
In 2009, a Senior Project Officer from the Agile Nation project approached them to offer ILM accredited training for their women employees and consultancy around their HR policies, which would give them the opportunity to update and improve their current policies and procedures.
The Gwyn George Partnership has a warm open culture, where each employee is treated as an individual. There is a flexible environment with a low absenteeism rate, a high retention rate, and 100% of women return from their maternity leave. Some policies are in need of updating, however, in order to reinforce the culture and the partnership is aware that continuing professional development of staff is essential to the well being and the futures of their employees.
As a result of Agile Nation’s recent involvement, the firm has given all its women employees the opportunity to take part in the Ascent programme. Five have already taken up this opportunity and word of mouth is proving to be a powerful tool in encouraging other women in the organisation to come forward for the training.
HR Manager, Elaine Lewis, has attended the employer programme Open The Door course and has completed an Organisational Mapping exercise with the Senior Project Officer. As a result, the SPO has drawn up an action plan laying out the following actions for the next six months:
- Review current flexi-time policy
- Set up appropriate flexible working monitoring procedures
- Extend ‘Right to Request’ policy to all employees
- Facilitate access to the Virtual Centre of Excellence
- Review equality and diversity policy
- Meet with ICT Project Manager to discuss remote working solutions
- Review current recruitment and retention policies and procedures
Why Agile Nation?
The partnership’s participation in the Agile Nation project offers them invaluable assistance and support for their objective of encouraging staff to realise their full potential both in and out of the workplace. With knowledge and support, they believe, comes increased confidence and competence.
Agile Nation outcomes for employees and for the business
The Gwyn George Partnership believes that participation in the Agile Nation programme will help it to:
- Provide opportunities for women to improve their skills and abilities, build confidence, and develop their careers
- Enable all employees to benefit from a more flexible working environment, thus contributing to a happier more productive workforce
- Achieve the Chwarae Teg Kite Mark for Best Practice and contribute to the partnership becoming an ‘employer of choice’
Summary
As a small friendly firm, the Gwyn George Partnership’s main challenge is to compete in a highly competitive market – not only for customers but for the best qualified staff.
As an organisation committed to learning and development, they had no hesitation in actively encouraging their women employees to take part in the ILM Leadership and Management programme, and have recently undertaken an Organisational Mapping exercise with their Senior Project Officer in order to review and update their existing policies and procedures.
Unable to compete with some of their larger counterparts when it comes to wages, the Gwyn George Partnership is determined to keep building on its current flexible practices in order to show their employees and prospective employees that it is a great place to work, and that they are an ‘employer of choice’.
