Our people are at the heart of our organisation, with shared values, a commitment to the work we do and a wide range of skills and life experiences. We work together as a strong and collaborative team to deliver the best service we can across all areas of our work.
We continued to grow our organisation, alongside a strong focus on efficiency, to enable us to manage effectively the ongoing increases in the number of complaints coming to us and other key aspects of our work. In our recruitment we maintained a strong focus on skills and continued to reach out to diverse candidates as part of our wider equality, diversity, and inclusion work.
Our Staff Liaison Committee again met regularly through the year. It continues to be a valuable forum for listening to and sharing information with team representatives.
“As a member of the Casework Support Team, I am often a first point of contact for students, some of whom have experienced or are experiencing difficult circumstances. A key part of my role is listening with empathy, and signposting to further support when needed. This year all case-handlers received additional training on how to respond to students in distress and how to identify and help students who may be vulnerable. My role can be challenging, but I’m proud to be part of an organisation where I can make a difference, and where kindness and wellbeing are seen as important.”
Penny, Casework Administrator
“The only constant in the technology industry is change. Like many organisations right now, we have had to adapt to the changing climate, with our focus to stay ahead of the security threats which are developing at an incredible pace. We can’t afford to be complacent, and I’m proud to say that my colleagues are aware and engaged and our IT department is working hard to support them, whether that is in the office or working remotely.”
Christopher, IT Infrastructure & Security Manager
“I have enjoyed thinking out loud about the service we provide and how to take it to the next level. One of the ways we have been doing this in the Adjudication Team is through cross-team working. For me, this has meant more meetings, collaborative work, and friendships. Through this and taking initiative to seek out ways to learn, I have gained a deeper appreciation and value of my colleagues’ work. As well as a more-rounded perspective of our process and ways to improve it. So, I am particularly looking forward to seeing how our ideas and various projects can further improve the experience of students and providers.”
Oyin, Assistant Adjudicator
“I joined the OIA in 2020 to manage provider memberships and subscriptions. With increasing membership numbers, it is important to ensure that I’m working efficiently while continuing to meet the needs of our stakeholders. I was part of the system development group who introduced our new secure online portal MyOIA in January 2023. Among many enhanced functions, MyOIA enables providers to independently view and manage more of their membership information at the click of a button.”
Rachel, Membership & Data Integrity Co-ordinator
Learning and development
We continued to offer learning and development opportunities in 2023, to build knowledge and skills as part of our commitment to continually improving what we do. This included internal knowledge-sharing sessions on a range of case-handling topics, and externally led sessions on having effective telephone and video calls, and on responding empathetically and effectively to students who are distressed. We also rolled out access to an online learning platform, to give colleagues access to a wide range of training relevant to their roles.
The Rebecca Marsland Award
The Rebecca Marsland Award was created in 2019 in memory of our friend and colleague who sadly passed away. It is awarded each year as a celebration of an outstanding contribution to our work, an exceptional personal achievement or an act of kindness. We invite colleagues to make nominations and our Chief Executive and our Independent Adjudicator, together with a previous year’s winner of the award, decide on a worthy winner. This year, the award was given to Laura, one of our Casework Administrators, who received nominations from colleagues across several teams. Laura’s approachable, efficient and calm approach makes her an invaluable member of our Casework Support Team. Colleagues across the organisation were keen to recognise her, for always having the time to not only help but to go the extra mile.
