THE Department of Health and Department of Economic Development has announced that the Isle of Man Ambulance Service has successfully completed its three yearly assessment against the Investors in People standard.
As a result, the Ambulance Service retains its hard-earned status as an Investor in People, one of a select number of bodies in the Isle of Man to receive the accolade.
The news comes at the same time as the Ambulance Service again achieved recognition for adhering to the equally coveted ISO 9001:2008 standard – the third year in a row. This demonstrates that the Island’s Ambulance Service’s administration system meets stringent quality standards.
Confirmation of having met the Investors in People standard, which is designed to improve business performance and staff morale was confirmed by the Department of Economic Development through its accrediting body IDG.
Mrs Claire Christian MLC, Member for the Department of Economic Development visited Ambulance Headquarters to present the award to Chief Ambulance Officer Steve Sieling and his team, where Member for Health Services, Mr Dudley Butt MLC, Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Health, David Killip and Director of Health Strategy and Performance, Norman McGregor Edwards were in attendance.
Minister for Health, Mr David Anderson MHK said, “I’m delighted with the news and offer my congratulations to the Ambulance team. I recall presenting the Ambulance Service with their very first Investors in People certificate in 2003 in my role as Member for Health Services.
“Having again met both the ISO 9001:2008 and Investors in People standards is no mean feat and ensuring that you maintain and adhere to the standards takes constant and considerable work – but it is clearly worth it for the benefits it brings. A well managed and motivated team can only enhance the service we provide to the people of the Isle of Man.
“I think it’s clear that the principles and practice of the Investors in People standard and quality management and administration are engrained within the Island’s Ambulance Service, and this clean bill of health is testament to the hard work of Steve and his team.”
Member for Economic Development, Mrs Claire Christian MLC said: “Much work goes into reaching the required standard to retain the Investor in People Award and the Ambulance Service are to be congratulated on their success.
“The time-limited nature of the Award means that it must constantly be worked for and it reflects highly on the Service that they have achieved it again. This award recognises that the organisation gives its staff the opportunity to train to a high standard which, of course, is reflected in the quality of service they provide to our community. That they have also achieved ISO 9001:2008 is doubly commendable.”
Steve Sieling, Chief Ambulance Officer said, “The Investors in People Award serves as a good external audit that ensures that the investment in our staff is measured against a national standard; it’s not all about certificates or badges on letterheads, it tells us we are involving and looking after our staff and if there is an area identified for improvement, it ensures that action is taken to address it.
“As for ISO 9001:2008 standard, I believe that the Isle of Man Ambulance Service is only the second such service that has sought and achieved this, as we now enter our third year of accreditation. We find that this registration serves as an excellent tool to ensure that our administration systems are given a yearly health check against a nationally recognised standard. It also ensures that areas for improvement that have been identified during our service planning process or through feedback from our users are acted upon and progress closely monitored and recorded.”
