News

Kibble has achieved the prestigious Investors in People Gold Accreditation, the most successful framework for business improvement through people in the UK.

This represents a true commitment to employees and demonstrates a solid foundation of good practice which remains challenging and aspirational for many organisations.

Achieving the Gold level of Accreditation puts Kibble in the top 7% of all IIP Accredited clients. Kibble joins an exclusive group of UK employers eligible to use and display the sought after Investors in People logo and plaque, and enjoy its benefits.

Jim Gillespie, Chief Executive of Kibble, said:

“We are proud as an organisation to be honoured in this way. At Kibble, we look after some of the most vulnerable young people in the country and it takes dedicated staff to achieve better outcomes for them.

“By continuing to invest in our staff, we can provide the specialist care services that can give young people a brighter future.”

Peter Russian, Chief Executive of Investors in People Scotland, said:

“This is a fantastic achievement for Kibble. I would like to congratulate the organisation and its people on their commitment to continuous improvement. Investors in People offers a flexible, practical and easy to use business improvement tool designed to help organisations and their people achieve their objectives. I hope that more organisations in the area will be encouraged to sharpen their competitive edge by choosing to work with us.”

Young people at Kibble Education and Care Centre were given the chance to find out first-hand what it takes to live and work in space this week. American astronaut Steve Swanson was visiting The Experience in Hillington Park as part of his ‘Mission Discovery’ tour of Scotland.

Mission Discovery is a summer school programme that aims to inspire young people to learn about science, technology, engineering and maths. The participants get to work with experienced astronauts and rocket scientists to produce science experiments that can be carried out in space.

Steve spoke to the young people about his life as an engineer before being selected to take part in several missions on the International Space Station. In total, he spent over 195 days in space and took part in 5 space walks. He said:

“It wasn’t until I was 25 that I decided that I wanted to become an astronaut. I was always trying to improve myself and to reach my next goal and to go into space seemed like that ultimate target.

“Everyone who works for NASA has a different background and they bring their skills together to help train astronauts for life in a completely different environment. Having zero gravity can make everyday tasks very difficult! But it is also a really fun place to be, almost like a playground.

“That’s what we are speaking to the young people about today. It is to encourage them to think about the different way in which you have to live and work in Space.”

Jim Gillespie, Chief Executive of Kibble Education and Care Centre said:

“To hear Steve talk about his time working for NASA has been a real privilege. I know the young people learnt a lot and posed a few difficult questions themselves about what it takes to be an astronaut.

“At Kibble we place a great deal of emphasis on preparing our young people for fulfilling adult lives. Opportunities to meet people like Steve will hopefully inspire these young people well into the future.”

Kibble Education and Care Centre have been given £5,000 by The Merchants House of Glasgow to help purchase state of the art equipment that will give young people the chance to gain vital new skills.

Once completed, the studio will have a laser cutter, specialist computers, drawing tables and other equipment. The new facilities will be used to encourage the study of technology and design subjects that can open up career paths into the creative industries.

Lord Dean of Guild from The Merchants House of Glasgow, John MacLeod, said:

“I am delighted to be able to back this project on behalf of Merchants House, Glasgow. Our Members have a long and proud tradition of supporting Glasgow’s communities.

“The new design studio will have a significant positive impact on the young people at Kibble.”

Jim Gillespie, Chief Executive of Kibble Education and Care Centre, said:

“At Kibble we care for some of the most vulnerable young people in the country. This support allows us to teach new skills, offer a wider range of subjects, and work towards qualifications that will lead to employment opportunities. We also want to try and encourage more girls to take up design and technology subjects.

“I would like to thank the Members of Merchants House Glasgow for their support. Their contribution will make a massive difference to the opportunities available to the young people in our care.”

Scotland’s only electric go-karting arena is in the running for a prestigious national award for its accessible karting and charitable programmes. Since opening in 2014, the leisure venue has been offering both mainstream and accessible motor sport at its Hillington Park arena.

The Experience has been shortlisted in the ‘Pioneering Project’ for its disabled access karting programme.  The programme allows people with limited mobility, learning difficulties, and others who have traditionally been excluded from motor sports the chance to take part through the use of specially designed karts.

All karts are driven by a dedicated Crew member, and enhanced toilet facilities, changing rooms and hoist help support and maximise the opportunities for people to enjoy the sport.

Lynsey McLean, General Manager at The Experience, said:

“It is a great privilege to be shortlisted for this national award. Now we need people to show their support and vote for us online.

“We work really hard as a team to make sure our visitors get the best service possible. Whether they are here to enjoy the electric go-karting, get something to eat at in the Academy Restaurant or attending a conference, our staff are the key to our success.”

The winners will be announced at a glamour awards ceremony in the EICC, Edinburgh on Thursday 22 June.

Kibble Education and Care Centre has been named “Best Service Provider” in the UK for its care and education services. They were given the accolade at the recent National Government Opportunities (GO) Excellence in Public Procurement Awards 2017/18, which were held in Manchester last month.

Public, private and third sector organisations from across the UK gathered to recognise excellence in public procurement and service delivery. Kibble was the only social enterprise to be named as a winner with judges impressed by the partnership working with public sector colleagues.

Neil Govan, Executive Director at Kibble Education and Care Centre, said:

“It is great that the hard work of our staff is being recognised across the UK. We work with some of the most vulnerable young people in the country and the quality of care we provide is down to the team’s dedication.

“Our award also shows that charities like Kibble are well equipped to provide good quality public services where no other organisation can. All our resources go into making a difference to the lives of the young people in our care.”

Grahame Steed, Chair of the National GO Awards Judging Panel, said:

“This was an absolutely huge night for public sector procurement and demonstrated once again the ground-breaking initiatives that procurement teams across the UK are producing on a regular basis.

“At a time when public sector budgets are being slashed and performances are under continued scrutiny, it’s a testament to the teams involved that their initiatives continue to save money and, in many cases, change people’s lives for the better.

“Well done to all involved!”

Kibble Education and Care Centre have been named one of Scotland’s Most Family Friendly Employers by leading organisation Family Friendly Working Scotland (FFWS) earlier this month (9^th March). Kibble was shortlisted for the award of Best Third Sector Employer after impressing judges with their attitude towards promoting a family friendly culture.

The awards celebrate progressive organisations that recognise that family friendly and flexible working brings benefits to employees, while also delivering high performance and successful businesses.

Through family friendly working practices employers have found that they can achieve increased productivity and performance, reduced absenteeism, better morale and well-being, as well as improving staff retention and recruitment.

Jim Gillespie, Chief Executive Designate at Kibble, said:

“At Kibble we recognise the social and economic benefits of creating a family friendly workplace culture. We are committed to supporting family friendly policies and flexible working.

“This award is great recognition of our way of helping create a work life balance as well as delivering an important service to some of society’s most vulnerable young people.”

Sarah Jackson OBE, CEO Working Families, who chaired The Scottish Top Employers for Working Families judging panel, said:

“The quality of entries was exceptional this year and it is apparent that organisations of all sizes and sectors across Scotland are wholeheartedly embracing family friendly flexible working. There is a clear understanding of the benefits this brings to business, family life, society and the economy.

“Finalists demonstrate success and impact as a result of implementing a family friendly approach and there was also a deep understanding of the link between flexibility and high performance.”

Excited young lad from Kibble celebrated his birthday in style with a VIP tour of Rangers Football Ground.

The young rising star from our children’s residential care home celebrated his 10th birthday in true style, taking in the match from the director’s box, full stadium tour complete with Personal Assistant, met the players, and even took in the post-match press conference!

All the players spent time with the young person before the match and he got the opportunity of being flag bearer ahead of the game.

It was an unforgettable birthday and a memory that he will cherish for a long time. Big thanks to Rangers Football Team for making one young boy very happy!

Pupils and staff at Garnock Lodge Primary School have been celebrating being made a Silver ‘Eco-School.’ The school had previously been awarded Bronze but having impressed the judges, their efforts have been given greater recognition.

The Eco-Schools Awards is designed to encourage pupil-led, whole school action for the environment.  It is a recognised award scheme that accredits schools who make a commitment to continuously improve their environmental performance.

As part of the Silver Award, pupils formed an Eco Committee that looks at every aspect of how the school works. They are also responsible for coming up with ideas to help a school become more environmentally friendly.

Fiona Holmes, Service Manager at Garnock Lodge, said:

“The children have been working very hard and deserve huge credit for achieving this award. As part of the curriculum we have been learning about electricity, energy and sustainability.

“The kids have carried out an environmental review and as part of the action plan hey are helping the environment by reducing, reusing and recycling. This has made a real difference to the way in which we think about our local environment and how we can make it better.”

The Eco-Schools programme is managed in Scotland by Keep Scotland Beautiful. Keep Scotland Beautiful is the leading provider of sustainable development education initiatives in schools, encouraging action and behavioural change by young people which will leave an enduring legacy for Scotland; it is part of its work to help make Scotland clean and green, today and tomorrow.

Over 180 young people who have care experience or caring responsibilities took part in a Christmas artistic extravaganza in Paisley Town Hall this week (Tuesday, 13th December).  The creative youngsters were taking part in Care2Create, a showcase including an art exhibition, live music, jewellery making, Christmas decoration workshops, and even a chance to try “Free Running” also known as Parkour.

Care2Create was organised jointly by Kibble, Who Cares? Scotland and Renfrewshire Carers Centre with funding support from Creative Scotland’s CashBack for Creativity programme. Many of the young people had spent the previous few months at weekly workshops to prepare arts and crafts for display as well as rehearsing performances for the evening.

These workshops have given more than 70 young people the opportunity to learn new skills, improve their confidence and engage in the arts. Speaking after the event, Chief Executive of Kibble Education and Care Centre Graham Bell said:

“At Kibble, we know the importance of using expressive arts to help with the rehabilitation and educational opportunities of the young people that we care for. Whether it is the live performance of the Kibble Band, the amazing watercolours from our art class or the skill of the free runners, the ability and standards of our students never ceases to impress me.

“I have watched our young performer’s confidence flourish and they have relished the opportunity to perform in front of so many of their peers. I would like to thank Creative Scotland for their support for such an important project.”

Duncan Dunlop, Chief Executive of Who Cares? Scotland said;

“Care experienced young people have so much to offer. Care2Create shows us just how talented and passionate young people in care.

“We know that too often, young people in care feel judged and don’t have a voice. Society misunderstands their lives and labels them as bad. In reality, they have all the potential in the world and just need support to unlock it.

“When everyone gets behind care experienced people and celebrates their success, events like this happen. We’re looking forward to seeing how else Paisley, and the rest of Scotland, starts to champion our care experienced people.”

Laura Black, Arts Officer – Cashback for Creativity, Creative Scotland:

“The achievements of all the young people who have taken part in Care2Create, witnessed through the creative feast they provided at the Christmas Showcase event last night, highlights the power of arts and creativity in raising a young person’s aspirations and helping them realise their full potential.

“Taking part in artistic and creative experiences fosters a whole range of life skills, building communication, confidence and self-esteem. It’s inspiring to watch these young people, from often challenging and traumatic life experiences, learn and grow through creative experiences. Well done to all those who took part, and to all those who facilitated their creative learning.”

Staff and young people from across Kibble donned their white beards and red suits to take part in the annual Santa Dash Glasgow last week, Sunday 11th December. This is the fourth year in a row that Kibble has taken part in the event, raising money for a different good cause each year. The team raised £180 for The Beatson with members of Arran Villa, Maintenance, Health, Training, Education and Care braving the wet weather along with 7500 others.

The 5km course takes in the sites of Glasgow City Centre but all eyes were firmly fixed on the visually spectacular site of so many people running dressed as Santa Claus.

Claire Spence from Kibble’s Safe Centre said:

“It was great to see so many people from across the service come together for a great morning. The young people have worked hard on fundraising for such a worthwhile cause. But they also love their new Santa suits!

“Even the cold and wet weather couldn’t stop the smiles on their faces at the finish line.”