Five minutes with...County Insurance Services Ltd

County Insurance Services Ltd is a family-run broker which has been established in Oxfordshire for over 40 years ago. They specialise in thatch and home, farming and business insurance, and have been protecting clients across the UK and helping to manage risks they face at home, in their business and more since 1984.

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

How long has your firm been Chartered?

Since 2023

Why is Chartered status important to your business?

Chartered status gives us a key differentiator infront of clients. It demonstrates a high standard of work that can be the difference between selecting us and another provider. By explaining to clients the recognition this status gives us, they too are often bought into the whole ethos of professionalism and trust the symbol brings.

For us, it’s the culmination and reward for all the hard work our colleagues do. Everyone from administrators through to directors see Chartered status as a "kitemark" of excellence that we all contribute to and are a part of.

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

We created a staff-run and staff-led charity committee that drives our charitable efforts. The team have chosen to support Daybreak, a local day centre for those suffering with dementia, and latterly Churchill Partners which is part of Cancer Research.

As a farm and rural business specialist provider we also strive to support farming, and this has led to joint events with other stakeholders on sustainability and a focus on our own carbon footprint.

For our thatch/non-standard household policies, we continue to contribute to the conversation on fire prevention and good risk management practices.

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

We actively encourage continuing professional development whether you’re an apprentice through to ACII.

By using the Aviva Dev Zone, external provision from our local CII group, internal subject matter experts and a number of webinar providers, we try and provide a blended learning solution.

We have a Consumer Duty champion picked monthly who exemplifies living the values and demonstrates commitment to their career while maintaining the customer at the forefront of their decisions and actions.

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

We very much make this a guiding principle for us and have embedded this within our culture.

In addition, our company/department and individual bonuses are weighted with a balanced business scorecard inclusive of compliance and CII ethics.

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

You're doing the right thing in working towards Chartered!

Use the application guide as a minimum standard to operate by and demonstrate how you go above and beyond it. We really took the time to measure our points allocation against the application and over the course of 12 months, adjusted things in our business to ensure we had the best possible chance of achieving the status.

It's also not just a "once and done" thing. You need to consistently check you continue to uphold the highest of standards and maintain a focus on delivering for all your stakeholders by becoming Chartered.

If you would like to learn more about Corporate Chartered status, visit our dedicated page.