Five minutes with... Access Insurance Services

Formed in Surrey in early 2000, Access Insurance Services provide bespoke broking and professional advice services to organisations across several specialist areas including umbrella groups, member bodies, charities, churches, and community groups.

Grab a cuppa and read on to see how they have been living the Chartered Ethos.

How long has your firm been Chartered?

In 2013, we were awarded Chartered Insurance Broker status.

Why is Chartered status important to your business?

It demonstrates to our clients that we are serious about delivering quality advice and excellent customer service. It also helps to embed our internal culture of being positive, reliable, and honourable which promotes personal development and professionalism.

What initiative has the organisation been involved in which has had a social impact/corporate social responsibility focus on?

We feel we go beyond CSR initiatives that may be tick-box exercises in other firms. We have a corporate vision of being passionate about insuring every charity and living generously. This has driven many initiatives over the years and the partnerships we have formed.

Our goal in living generously is a target of donating £500,000 to charitable causes annually by 2025. We partner with several charity umbrella bodies to help their members and the ultimate beneficiaries. We joined the Living Wage Foundation in 2017. These were led as part of our corporate strategy, but in 2020 we formalised our company culture to reinforce the concept of social impact within our team. A culture team drives communication of CSR objectives internally as well as to wider stakeholders. For example, we encourage our staff to take up to 6 volunteering days and support fundraising events and initiatives for charities that our staff are involved in and passionate about.

How do you ensure your employees remain at the forefront of their profession?

We invest in our staff by sponsoring their CII (Chartered Insurance Institute) qualifications and training them in the specific needs of the markets we serve. This support also extends to other areas of the business, such as accountancy, marketing and technology in professional qualifications and personal development.

How have you implemented the CII Code of Ethics into your business?

The CII Code of Ethics is reinforced annually and embedded in our cultural values. We have also recently been putting together a Customer Charter to further integrate high standards and demonstrate our commitment to customers.

What advice would you give a firm who is considering applying to become Chartered?

It is not to be taken lightly. It is a real investment in your people, helping drive learning and CPD (Continuing Professional Development) achievement in the business. It is beneficial in showcasing professionalism and provides a benchmark for maintaining high-quality service and standards.

If you would like to learn more about Corporate Chartered status, visit our dedicated page. You can learn more about Access Insurance Services here.