Case Study: Competency framework

(Bield Housing Association)

The following competencies have been identified as key to supporting the continued
success of the organisation in the future.
Service user focus
The recognition that meeting the needs of service users is central to the business.
Commitment to supporting service users, resolving their problems and promoting their
independence.
Achieving results
The ability to get things done efficiently and effectively. This incorporates managing time,
prioritising work, planning, monitoring progress and follow-through.
Initiative and innovation
A focus on continuous improvement as the standard way of working. Always looking for
better ways of doing things and responsive to ever-changing demands and expectations.
Problem solving
The ability to reason logically, assimilate and analyse information and identify solutions.
Teamworking
The ability to contribute effectively to productive teamworking. This can be demonstrated
by team members as well as leaders. It relates to teams that come together to achieve a
particular task as well as regular work teams.
Communication
Ensuring verbal and written communications are clear and understandable. Sharing of
information and building understanding with others.
Personal effectiveness
The ability to responses and emotions to cope well when faced with difficulties. Taking
personal responsibility for dealing with situations and learning from them.
Seeing the bigger picture
Retaining a focus on the longer term and wider context of the work whilst not losing sight
of day-to-day issues.
Leadership
Achieving results with and through others. Providing guidance, direction and support to
get the best from people and develop their potential.
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 Performance management
Linking individual to organisational performance. Supporting continuous improvement
through setting clear goals, providing constructive feedback and supporting further
development.
Working in partnership
Working effectively with others, who may have a different focus or objective. Establishing
common goals and working co-operatively to achieve them. Partners can be external or
internal, e.g. local authorities, other Bield departments.

Service user focus

The recognition that meeting the needs of service users is central to the business.
Commitment to supporting service users, resolving their problems and promoting their
independence.

Positive indicators Negative indicators

• Actively seeks and listens to service
users’ opinions.
• Makes self accessible and approachable for
service users.
• Keeps service users fully informed.
• Treats service users with sensitivity, respect
and consideration.
• Engages service users in planning and
decision-making.
• Empowers service users to maximise their
independence.
• Shows a lack of sensitivity in dealing with
service users.
• Fails to consider service users’ perspective.
• Fails to keep service users fully informed.
• Does not encourage service users’
participation.
• Undermines service users’ self-
determination.
• Gives the impression of doing a favour
rather than providing a service.

Achieving results
The ability to get things done efficiently and effectively. This incorporates managing time,
prioritising work, planning, monitoring progress and follow-through.
Positive indicators Negative indicators
• Prioritises own time and resources • Puts self under pressure.
effectively. • Misses deadlines/expectations in getting
• Aims to get things done ‘right first time’. things done.
• Takes personal responsibility to see • Does only the minimum required.
things through. • Needs to be chased.
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• Follows through on commitments. • Ends up continually fire-fighting.

• Plans and organises work effectively. • Loses sight of what’s important.
• Focuses on the priorities. • Fails to manage time relative to priorities.
• Juggles priorities to meet complex, changing
demands.

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Initiative and innovation
A focus on continuous improvement as the standard way of working. Always looking for better
ways of doing things and responsive to ever-changing demands and expectations.
Positive indicators Negative indicators
• Responds flexibly to changing demands. • Sticks to ‘we’ve always done it this way’
• Looks for better ways of doing things. approach.

• Takes the initiative to move things forward.
• Encourages people to try out new ideas.
• Seeks continuous improvements to services.
• Takes calculated risks to achieve longer term
benefit.
• Focuses on the problem rather than the
solution.
• Sees things as someone else’s responsibility.
• Criticises without recognising the potential in
people’s ideas.
• Continually finds obstacles to change.
• Thinks only in the short term.

Problem solving
The ability to reason logically, assimilate and analyse information and identify solutions.
Positive indicators Negative indicators
• Gathers appropriate information to make a • Ignores evidence that there is a problem.
sound decision. • Responds to symptoms rather than
• Identifies relationships between different identifying causes.
parts of a problem • Goes for quick-fix solutions.
• Weighs up pros and cons of potential • Fire-fights where problems could have been
solutions. anticipated.
• Anticipates potential problems and acts • Fails to follow through to ensure effective
to avoid them. resolution.
• Plans and prioritises effective course of • Doesn’t take other perspectives into account.
action.
• Resolves complex issues taking into account
multiple perspectives.
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 Teamworking
The ability to contribute effectively to productive teamworking. This can be demonstrated
by team members as well as leaders. It relates to teams that come together to achieve a
particular task as well as regular work teams.

Positive indicators Negative indicators

• Actively fosters a non-blame culture to
promote continuous learning.
• Encourages co-operative team ethos.
• Contributes to clear direction for team
activity.
• Trusts and empowers others to complete
the task.
• Provides ongoing support, guidance and
constructive feedback.
• Maintains a fair and open-minded stance.
• Passes the buck.
• Looks to blame others when things go
wrong.
• Focuses on own role at the expense of
team effort.
• Reacts to events rather than directing
activity.
• Avoids dealing with difficult issues.
• Is seen as taking sides.

Communication
Ensuring verbal and written communications are clear and understandable. Sharing of
information and building understanding with others.
Positive indicators Negative indicators
• Shares knowledge freely with others. • Holds on to information.
• Makes self accessible and approachable. • Is distant or seen as unapproachable.
• Listens actively, acknowledging the others • May hear, but doesn’t listen.
perspective or feelings. • Fails to acknowledge what the other is trying
• Chooses most effective communication to convey.
route(s) for situation. • Communications lack clarity – too long
• Ensures communications are clear, accurate poorly presented or hard to understand.
and understandable. • Allows misunderstandings to grow.
• Works to achieve understanding.
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Personal effectiveness
The ability to manage responses and emotions to cope well when faced with difficulties. Taking
personal responsibility for dealing with situations and learning from them.
Positive indicators Negative indicators
• Adopts a ‘can-do’, co-operative approach. • Finds reasons for not doing it.
• Responds calmly and constructively under • Is hesitant, avoids confronting situations.
pressure. • Shows irritation or snaps back.
• Shows resilience in persisting, despite • Loses momentum when things become
setbacks. difficult.
• Deals confidently with issues as they arise. • Puts things off.
• Takes responsibility for own learning and • Shows little interest in learning and
development. self- development including developing
professional knowledge and skills.

Seeing the bigger picture

Retaining a focus on the longer term and wider context of the work whilst not losing sight of
day-to-day issues.
Positive indicators
• Takes long-term factors into consideration.
• Incorporates Bield values into all decisions
and actions.
• Considers relationship between Bield and
the wider community.
• Stays ahead of the game.
• Balances individual and organisational
objectives.
• Maintains awareness of best practice.
Negative indicators
• Focuses on short-term solutions.
• Ignores the wider context.
• Makes no effort to keep abreast of relevant
external developments.
• Focuses on individual objectives at the
expense of other considerations.
• Constantly ‘re-invents the wheel’.
• Fails to see linkages between activities.
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 Leadership
Achieving results with and through others. Providing guidance, direction and support to get
the best from people and develop their potential.

Positive indicators Negative indicators

• Leads by example, mucking-in to get things • Adopts ‘do as I say’ approach.
done. • Fails to make full use of team capabilities.
• Delegates appropriately, retaining • Lets people work in isolation without
accountability. co-ordination of effort.
• Co-ordinates work of team effectively to • Avoids tackling underperformance.
achieve objectives.
• Fails to encourage individual development
• Provides clear, strategic direction for team
activities. • Holds too tight control.

• Encourages and supports development • Abdicates responsibility.

of team members
• Involves people appropriately in decisions
that affect them.

Performance management
Linking individual to organisational performance. Supporting continuous improvement
through setting clear goals, providing constructive feedback and supporting further
development.

Positive indicators Negative indicators

• Establishes clear expectations and
performance standards.
• Monitors performance of team members.
• Provides regular, constructive feedback.
• Supports setting of realistic goals.
• Leaves others unclear about what is
expected.
• Shies away from giving negative feedback.
• Regularly fails to complete appraisals or
conduct supervision/support meetings.

• Views appraisal/supervision meetings • Fails to acknowledge achievement.

as important and completes appraisals/
supervision of staff in accordance with set
timescales.
• Tackles issues of underperformance.
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• Ignores development needs.
• Looks for someone to blame when things
don’t go as planned.
• Fails to provide support for development

• Takes action to support others’ activity.

development.

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Working in partnership
Working effectively with others, who may have a different focus or objective. Establishing
common goals and working co-operatively to achieve them. Partners can be external or
internal e.g. local authorities, other Bield departments.

Positive indicators Negative indicators

• Seeks out common ground.
• Establishes trust through openness and
integrity.
• Involves and engages others in achieving
the objective.
• Negotiates effectively to achieve ‘win-win’
outcomes.
• Fosters co-operation and commitment.
• Builds productive network of contacts.
• Works to own agenda.
• Fails to make contacts outside the
immediate requirements of the role.
• Takes too firm, or too soft a line with
others.
• Allows conflicts to block progress.
• Fails to recognise the perspective of others.
• Sees lack of progress as other people’s
problem.

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