FOCUS’ Culture,
or…
… what’s it like to work here?
This is not a policy. The purpose of this document is to explain to new members of staff what it is like to
work for FOCUS; what they can expect, in terms of the environment in which they will work; and what
FOCUS expects, in terms of the behaviour and attitude of its employees.
General
As an organisation, FOCUS provides people with personal development opportunities. As an employer
we try to practice what we preach by ensuring that all employees have an opportunity to stretch
themselves, be supported in their work, have fun, feel appreciated, and to influence their environment.
Working in the Voluntary Sector
FOCUS is a registered charity and operates within the voluntary sector. This means that we do not have
any shareholders to answer to, nor do we have a statutory obligation to provide our services.
Essentially, as an organisation, we exist because we believe that we can, and do, have a very positive
impact on the lives of the people we aim to support.
FOCUS’ primary function is to fulfil its charitable objects, which are:

“to provide or assist in the provision of facilities or recreation or other leisure time occupation in
the interests of social welfare with the object of improving conditions of life for the persons for
whom the facilities are primarily intended and who have need of such facilities by reason of their
youth, age, infirmity or disability, poverty or social and economic circumstances; and

to advance the education of children and disabled adults in particular through the organisation
and management of team based projects in the local community.”
Taken from The Memorandum of Association of FOCUS Charity
We therefore have a range of stakeholders, including our participants and their referrers, our volunteers,
trustees and staff, and our funders and other supporters. They all have an expectation that we will
provide our services to a high quality and that we will meet their specific needs.
External Presentation
All people who come into contact with FOCUS, be they referral agencies, young people, volunteers,
funders, the press, or any other individual or organisation, should be presented with a ‘professional’
image. This is achieved through our printed materials, telephone calls, our website, presentations and in
face-to-face meetings
By this we mean that they should be shown that we take very seriously our duty of care for young
people, our need to manage our finances effectively, our duties as an employer, and our responsibilities
to govern our organisation properly.
They should also expect to be treated with respect, politeness and good humour.
Targets
FOCUS is not a solely target-driven organisation. That is to say that individuals will not be judged purely
on their ability to meet targets, but are expected to work towards our charitable aims, to support their
fellow staff and to have a flexible and solution-focused approach to their work.
However, all staff will have targets to achieve that are appropriate to their role and agreed with their line
manager. These targets will be linked to FOCUS’ annual Business Plan and three-year Strategic Plan
and set in order to ensure that we meet the expectations of our funders and other key stakeholders.
Furthermore, we must make the best possible use of our funding and resources and deliver our services
on budget and with the minimum of wastage.
Innovation versus Standardisation
In order to ensure a consistently high quality of service to its stakeholders, and to minimise bureaucracy,
we have created a number of systems and procedures for our day-to-day activities and designed
standard frameworks for our services.
However, we place a high value on creativity, innovation and experimentation. Staff are encouraged to
think of new ways of doing things and to introduce new ideas, activities and ways of working in order to
improve our services. This should not be seen as a ‘free for all’ and a licence to do anything, but as an
invitation to bring forward new ideas and to share them with colleagues.
Dress Code
It is expected that employees will dress in a way that is appropriate for the work they are undertaking.
Although FOCUS does not have a specific dress code, staff should (unless they are carrying out work
that requires protective or ‘old’ clothing) wear clean clothes that are in good repair.
As a general rule of thumb, employees should take their lead from the people they are working with. For
example, when working with young people on a residential project it is acceptable to wear casual
clothes, such as jeans and t-shirts; when meeting with school teachers or interviewing new staff or
volunteers, a shirt and trousers / skirt may be more appropriate; whereas, a meeting with a potential
funding body might require a suit.
Employees should use their discretion and, if in doubt, err on the side of smarter dress, rather than more
casual – it’s always easier to loosen a tie than it is to polish trainers!
Office Environment
At FOCUS we believe that employees have a right to enjoy their work and that they can expect to work
in an environment that enables them to be effective and meet their targets, whilst enjoying the company
of their colleagues and having fun.
Therefore, we aim to provide work environments that are friendly, relaxed and supportive. Employees
should also expect to be able to influence their work environment, by agreement with their colleagues.
For example, the playing of music, or the arrangement of tea-breaks will be at the discretion of the staff
of each office or project, provided their ability to carry out their duties is not affected.
Working Relationships
In order to provide opportunities for staff to achieve their full potential and to feel a sense of on-going
improvement and personal development, we encourage a culture of honesty and openness, in which
feedback, praise and constructive criticism are sought, offered and welcomed.
This does not only apply to line management, but is encouraged from peer-to-peer and up and down the
organisation’s hierarchy.
Working Hours
We recognise that many posts within the organisation require our staff to be flexible about their working
hours, with some staff required to work during weekends and evenings. For that reason, it is expected
that, by agreement with their line manager, staff will manage their own working hours, provided their
ability to carry out their duties is not adversely affected.
In doing so, employees must ensure that their line manager is involved in any decision to flex their usual
hours at as early a stage as possible. They must also accept that, should their request be unjustified or
unduly inconvenient, their line manager may not agree to a specific request.