Cirencester Friendly has been awarded "We Invest in People Gold Accreditation" by Investors in People.

The society says this is a significant achievement, which improves on the silver accreditation gained in 2020 during their initial assessment.

This higher level demonstrates the emphasis the society places on nurturing and developing its talent and is a vital part of the growth strategy.

Since Investors in People was founded in 1991, with the mission to make work better, thousands of companies have been assessed around the world with only 16% achieving gold accreditation.

The assessment looks at three key areas - Improving, Leadership and Supporting - each split into three subsections. Cirencester Friendly achieved an advanced status in eight out of the nine criteria, with an overall score of 775 out of a possible 900. This is significantly higher than both the industry average of 738 and the Investor in People average of 728.

The assessment highlights the initiatives that Cirencester Friendly has created to promote employee development, along with additional opportunities for career progression.

By encouraging teamwork and collaboration throughout the whole organisation, the assessment underlines how positively committed employees are to the society's strategic objectives and core values.

Mike Hazell, director of human resources at Cirencester Friendly, said: "This gold accreditation is a fantastic collective achievement for the society and is something that everyone in the organisation should be proud of. It shows that our initiatives to create a true dialogue between employees and senior leaders are more than words and have real substance.

"It is encouraging to see the progression we've made over the last three years and the difference in creating a positive, healthy working environment for our employees, our members and the advisers we work with.

"We are determined to keep up the momentum and will work with Investors in People to make Cirencester Friendly a recognised employer of choice."

Howard Jones, Investors in People practitioner, said: "Based on a rigorous assessment process, involving a confidential online survey issued to all staff, a review of the society's people policies and processes, and interviews with a cross-section of the team, Cirencester Friendly achieved the prestigious Gold We Invest in People Standard.

"The exercise highlighted a number of strengths, including effective communication of the society's vision and purpose, HEART Values which positively influence people's day-to-day behaviours, and a focus on delivering continuous improvement for members and other stakeholders."

Cirencester Friendly was established in 1890. Primarily formed for the benefit of local agricultural workers based in Gloucestershire, today the society caters for the income protection needs of over 44,000 members from all walks of life across the UK.