Five minutes with...Springfield Financial Services Ltd

Established in 1979 and based in Preston, Springfield Financial Services offer independent financial services and advice to individuals and businesses throughout Preston, the Ribble Valley, the Fylde Coast and the Lake District. 

With an experienced and highly qualified team of five financial planners and a host of awards under their belt, they specialise in investment, retirement and trust & estate planning. 

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

How long has your firm been Chartered?  

We achieved Corporate Chartered status on 1 July 2016.

Why is Chartered status important to your business?  

Corporate Chartered status affirms our commitment to putting our clients first. At each Chartered renewal we confirm that we not only have appropriately qualified advisers, but that we invest in the development of all our staff, that we continue to adhere to a high standard of ethics and that we contribute to professional development and corporate social responsibility.   

Corporate Chartered status, in conjunction with our various industry awards, helps to set us apart from other advice firms. 

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

At Springfield Financial Services Ltd, we like to give back to our local community. We do this in various ways; every Christmas we donate to RockFM Cash for Kids - Mission Christmas which provides local underprivileged children with a gift at Christmas.   

As an office, we have volunteered a full day at the local nature reserve, Brockholes, to help with conservation work.  

We also sponsor a team of time-trial cyclists and run cycling events to raise funds for World Bicycle Relief, which empowers people and communities through life-changing bicycles. 

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

Our corporate culture encourages and rewards learning and development for all employees. We recognise that whilst technical and professional qualifications are important, not everyone wants to progress in this way.   

We therefore arrange soft skills sessions, such as vulnerability training and becoming a Dementia Friend. This not only helps with understanding some of the issues our clients may be dealing with but can also help in our personal lives.    

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

We ensure all our staff are aware that a Code of Ethics exists, and they all complete training to develop an understanding of what ‘ethics’ means when working in financial services. We have also established a diversity and inclusion policy. 

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

Corporate Chartered status is not just about meeting the qualification criteria.   

It is likely to require your business to take some additional measures and adopt additional processes/practices.   

For us, this has helped us to create a better, stronger business which importantly results in better client outcomes. We are very proud of our Corporate Chartered status; it is one of the things that differentiates us – your company could be Chartered too.   

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