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Awards and Accreditation

Clare County Council has won a number of awards over the years, most recently including being named Local Authority of the Year in both 2022 and 2018 at the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards.

The Excellence in Local Government Awards are held in conjunction with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and showcase best practice in local government. The awards recognise the skills, hard work, innovation, and enthusiasm within local government that can often go unrecognised.

Excellence Through People

Clare County Council is accredited with gold standard certification in Excellence Through People (ETP) by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI). Clare County Council is one of a number of organisations from the private, public and SME sectors to become certified to world-class standards.

The Excellence Through People standard provides a business improvement model for organisations to "enhance performance and realise strategies through the management and development of their people", according to the National Standards Authority of Ireland NSAI. Clare County Council continues to embrace the concepts outlined in the Excellence Through People Scheme and continues to work consistently at developing it’s HR systems, structures, values and culture towards a people focused environment for its staff.

Clare County Council was initially accredited with the Excellence Through People (ETP) award by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) in December 2002 and assessments to maintain the accreditation take place annually.

In 2023 we maintained the gold standard certification. Clare County Council is one of a number of organisations from the private, public and SME sectors to become certified to world-class standards.
The Excellence Through People standard provides a business improvement model for organisations to "enhance performance and realise strategies through the management and development of their people", according to the National Standards Authority of Ireland NSAI. Clare County Council continues to embrace the concepts outlined in the Excellence Through People Scheme and continues to work consistently at developing it’s HR systems, structures, values and culture towards a people focused environment for its staff.

"This is an independent assessment process with a rigorous evaluation. Achieving this certification speaks volumes and demonstrates Clare County Council’s innovative and progressive culture. It shows by working together staff can achieve success and this collaborative effort has now resulted in this prestigious and sought-after Excellence Through People certificate." Monica Meehan, Senior Executive Officer, HR.

National award for Clare County Council workplace wellbeing

Clare County Council was named winner of the ‘Embedding a culture of workplace wellbeing’ award with CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) in February 2023. The award recognises organisations which place employee wellbeing centre stage and have embedded a strong culture of workplace wellbeing.

People-centred wellbeing initiatives delivered by the Council include health screening, grief and loss support, mindfulness, health and wellness, and a counselling service. Wellbeing is embedded in the staff performance management development system and wellbeing supports are communicated through a range of channels including the staff newsletter, the staff intranet and extranet, email and SMS.

Clare County Council’s commitment to workplace wellbeing has been recognised at the CIPD Ireland HR Awards 2023.

The local authority was named winner of the ‘Embedding a culture of workplace wellbeing’ award in the small/medium category on Friday (24th February) at the Round Room in the Mansion House, Dublin. The award recognises organisations which place employee wellbeing centre stage and have embedded a strong culture of workplace wellbeing.

Clare County Council was shortlisted in the category along with the Department of Defence, the National Treasury Management Agency, Seetec Ireland and William Fry LLP. The judges felt that Clare County Council “came across with the passion and excitement to deliver progressive wellbeing supports from induction to retirement”.

“Aligned to corporate objectives, Clare County Council showed a high level of engagement and input from management, trade unions and staff. A long-term approach delivered consistent improvement, building a climate of inclusion, embracing technology, with access to resources,” the judges said.

The Leas Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Ann Norton, congratulated the Council’s Human Resources staff on winning the award: “I wish to pay tribute to and congratulate the staff and management of the Council on this tremendous achievement. A high-quality work environment supports staff to deliver high-quality services to the people of County Clare. Council staff deliver important public services, and I would like to acknowledge their hard work and adaptability in responding to very challenging circumstances during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Pat Dowling, Chief Executive, Clare County Council, said: “Staff are the engine and heart of this organisation. The level of commitment demonstrated by all our personnel is crucial to being a successful and a responsive organisation. This award is a reflection of the central importance that Clare County Council places on employee wellbeing. We will continue to grow and develop the wellbeing of our staff well into the future.”

People-centred wellbeing initiatives delivered by the Council include health screening, grief and loss support, mindfulness, health and wellness, and a counselling service. Wellbeing is embedded in the staff performance management development system and wellbeing supports are communicated through a range of channels including the staff newsletter, the staff intranet and extranet, email and SMS.

Noeleen Fitzgerald, Director of Finance and Support Services in Clare County Council, said: “A culture of workplace wellbeing is firmly embedded within Clare County Council. We aim to support and empower our staff to keep well through our various initiatives and workshops by providing them with take-home skills and resources to manage their own physical, mental, social and financial wellbeing. Each of our wellbeing initiatives meets a need identified from staff engagement or through welfare support.”

“The wellbeing of our staff is crucial to help them build on their capacity to deliver excellence in our services to customers,” Ms Fitzgerald added.

Clare County Council is accredited with the Excellence Through People (ETP) award by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) gold standard certification.

CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) Ireland is the professional body for HR and people development and career partner to 6,000 members in Ireland. Caption:
Pictured receiving the ‘Embedding a culture of workplace wellbeing’ award in the small/medium category at the CIPD HR Awards in the Mansion House, Dublin, on Friday (24th February, 2023) were (l-r): Monica Meehan, Senior Executive Officer, Clare County Council; Cllr Ann Norton, Leas Cathaoirleach, Clare County Council; Noeleen Fitzgerald, Director of Finance and Support Services, Clare County Council; Biddy O’Neill, Healthy Ireland (judge); Patricia McNamara, Administrative Officer, Clare County Council; and Carol Hands, Employee Welfare Officer, Clare County Council.

Page last reviewed: 23/08/23

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