ONE of Haslemere’s largest employers – Holy Cross Hospital – has been commended for its approach to supporting staff members and awarded Investors in People accreditation for the sixth consecutive time.

Holy Cross chief executive Chris Hinton said: “As a hospital providing specialist care to patients with complex and very serious medical conditions, attracting and retaining a motivated and skilled workforce is essential.

“Looking after our employees is about more than the business case, it’s also highly rewarding for the management team to see staff progress, enjoy their jobs and share our passion for what Holy Cross does for its patients.

“We have put in place a career path for our care staff and clinicians so that everyone who works here has the chance to develop a career.

“We take training very seriously indeed, enabling staff to gain professional qualifications and keep their skills and knowledge up to date.

“We encourage staff to develop themselves in areas of their jobs that they are particularly interested and have introduced a mentoring scheme which is now widely used in the hospital.

“I expect staff training to be an area that continues to improve as we have a new learning and development co-ordinator in place and, having invested in e-learning tools, we are finding them a popular way to learn.”

During its visit to Holy Cross, Investors in People (IiP) interviewed staff, observed employees and managers at work, as well as rigorously examining the hospital’s management structure, policies and practices.

It commended Holy Cross Hospital for the training and development opportunities it provides to staff, particularly how it has supported staff to develop mentoring skills.

Holy Cross employs a team of clinical and care staff as well as support staff to ensure the smooth running of the hospital.

The hospital provides a number of complementary health services, such as physiotherapy and hydrotherapy, through its out-patient physiotherapy centre.