1 Is the need for training equally likely across different sectors? Purbeck Ice Cream is a small company employing eight people. It was set up by dairy farmers to make good use of excess milk and is famous for its chilli and cocktail-

flavoured ice creams, supplying the major supermarkets.

Purbeck pursued IiP accreditation because it wanted to be highly team-

focused and saw its people as ‘the most important ingredient in the ice cream’. Purbeck put regular appraisals in place and reviewed its documents and procedures. As a result, staff had a much better understanding of what was going on and where they fitted in.

The company has achieved all its market and financial targets and now has an ethos of mutual reliance. Recently, when new machinery was introduced, staff were somewhat intimidated by its complexity. However, staff approached the necessary learning as a team and not only achieved productivity gains, but also further strengthened group bonds and loyalty.