Radstock Co-operative Society, an independent, Co-operative retailer serving communities in the West of England, has been awarded Silver accreditation against the Investors in People Standard, demonstrating their commitment to high performance through good people management.

The Radstock Co-operative Society was established in 1868, and has been growing its retail estate steadily in recent years, hoping to open its twentieth store this year.

It is a significant employer, and has over 400 colleagues within its workforce.

Investors in People is the international standard for people management, defining what it takes to lead, support and manage people effectively to achieve sustainable results.

Underpinning the Standard is the Investors in People framework, reflecting the latest workplace trends, essential skills and effective structures required to outperform in any industry.

Investors in People enables organisations to benchmark against the best in the business on an international scale.

Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, said: “We would like to congratulate Radstock Co-operative Society. Investors in People accreditation is the sign of a great employer, an outperforming place to work and a clear commitment to success. Radstock Co-op should be extremely proud of their achievement.”

Jeanette Howells, IIP practioner, commented: “Radstock Co-operative Society is at the heart of the local community, employing local people who understand the needs of the community. Both leaders and staff share the same values; always putting the customer first.

“It has been a real pleasure to assess this organisation against the Investors in People Sixth Generation Framework and in meeting so many wonderful people in the process. This Accreditation is well deserved, and I look forward to learning of further developments in the future.”

Commenting on the award, Don Morris, Chief Executive of Radstock Co-operative Society, said: “This is a great achievement for us as we celebrate 150 years of our existence. We have worked extremely hard over the last few years, growing the business to ensure that it has a sustainable future for the next generation. We have used the Investors in People framework to benchmark our people management processes against best practice; and we believe that the revised standard has focussed our people strategy, leading to business improvements.

“Attaining the Silver level of accreditation within the sixth generation framework is a great achievement, and what is encouraging is that we are well on our way to reaching the Gold standard.”