CARE provider, Belong Atherton, has retained its Gold Investors in People accreditation.

The dementia care specialist has increased its overall score from its previous assessment, securing its place as one of the UK’s top employers and earning recognition for the positive impact of the organisation’s culture on outcomes achieved for residents during the pandemic.

The assessor noted that: “Actions taken prior to Covid and the buy-in of employees to deliver the Covid-free Belong which we now see, confirms that high-quality communication and an empowering leadership style are bringing out the best in people.”

Staff across Belong’s care villages and home care service were invited to complete a feedback survey, the results of which were combined with follow-up interviews and reviews of documentation to build a picture of the organisation.

In the final report, Investors in People judged Belong to have achieved the Gold standard, an accolade awarded to around 16 per cent of businesses.

Tracey Stakes, chief executive at Belong, said: “We’re delighted to receive the Gold Investors in People accreditation, and to have our customer-focused culture recognised in the midst of a pandemic is real testament to all our teams and the values that are enabling us to pull through these challenging times.

“We can confidently say that the Belong culture is alive and well. Of course, there is always room for improvement and we will continue to build on our success, supporting colleagues in their work and providing outstanding support for our customers.”

With regard to the handling of Covid-19, the report highlighted how every employee interviewed was ‘full of praise for the way in which the Belong leadership team and their colleagues conducted themselves during the pandemic.’ There are currently no cases of Covid-19 at Belong Atherton, with regular testing of colleagues and residents in place.