Investors in People has awarded East Devon District Council with its 'We invest in people', platinum accreditation.

Platinum is the highest level of accreditation possible to achieve on the 'We invest in people' accreditation and is something only 2% of organisations achieve.

A spokesperson for East Devon District Council said: "It means policies and practices around supporting people are embedded in every corner of East Devon District Council. And in a platinum company, everyone – from the CEO to a customer services apprentice – knows they have a part to play in the company doing well, and is always looking for ways to improve."

Investors in People has praised the way that the council has embraced the Investors in People framework, saying: "You have provided effective people management and development in order to achieve high levels of engagement, which in turn has delivered higher levels of performance overall, enabling you to drive forward your ambition: 'To be an outstanding and well-run council, which provides great services and outstanding opportunities for East Devon – now and for future generations'.

"This is underpinned by the underlying values and principles that identify the kind of organisation you are.

"We believe that the success of your organisation begins and ends with people. If we make work better for everyone, we make work better for every organisation. And if we do that we make society stronger, healthier and happier."

One of the qualities that makes East Devon such' a special local authority' is the passion and commitment its staff show in terms of supporting the community and the genuine desire for the council to succeed, which Investors in People found very inspirational.

The report highlighted other outstanding achievements, including:

-The fact that people love working for East Devon and believe it is a great place to work

-A passionate, caring and inspirational leadership team who motive their staff both personally and professionally.

-A flexible approach to working practices, demonstrating the ability to adapt to the changing needs of staff and the importance the council places on personal quality of life.

-A commitment to continuous improvement, high performance and innovation was also endorsed by the many accolades achieved as a result of outstanding performance, including the best idea award for Alexa recycling, the Blue Flag and Seaside award, Green Flag, Devon Tourism award and the Mindful Employee Status accreditation.

Commenting on the award, councillor Ben Ingham, the Leader of East Devon District Council said: "This is a proud moment for East Devon District Council and I would like to convey my congratulations to all members of staff for contributing to achieving Platinum accreditation against the Investors in People Sixth Generation Framework.

"This is an excellent result and one that everyone can be justifiably proud of. This is great teamwork in action and this formal acknowledgement of the achievements made by our employees who make such a difference daily to the lives of the people they serve is well deserved. I couldn't be more pleased."

Paul Devoy, CEO of 'Investors in People', said: "We'd like to congratulate East Devon District Council. Platinum accreditation on We invest in people is a remarkable effort for any organisation, and places East Devon in fine company with a host of organisations that understand the value of people."

The full 'Investors in people' report can be found on the East Devon website by clicking the red button below.