SARH jumps into top ten of the Best places to work

A Stafford-based housing association has leapt 10 places to number 10 in a prestigious list of the best not-for-profit places to work.

The top ten result for Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH) in latest Sunday Times Top 100 Best Not-for-Profit Organisations to Work marks a remarkable achievement for the social landlord that made its debut on the list at number 20 in 2014.

The new position, announced at a special event in London this week, follows news that the housing association has secured a ‘Three Star, Extraordinary’ accreditation from the Times Top 100 organisers, building on the ‘Two-star, Outstanding’ accreditation that SARH achieved in 2014.

As part of the accreditation process, SARH employees were asked to take part in a survey and responded to questions on a range of topics, including the company’s leadership and their own wellbeing, personal growth, pay and benefits.

Jo Hough, Head of Organisational Development at SARH, explained: “More than 90 per cent of staff said SARH has inspirational leadership, and 97 per cent said they were proud to work for the organisation.

“Across the whole list of areas above, the organisation scored very highly, and we are delighted that this has been reflected in the new, updated list.

“Last year we entered for the first time at number 20. SARH is not an organisation that is complacent and continues to do everything possible to support our staff in their efforts to serve customers and the neighbourhoods in the areas we operate in.”

The prestigious list is published every year and whilst it reflects the views of employees, SARH Chief Executive Karen Armitage believes that an organisation’s commitment to its staff also provides a boost for customers and the wider community.

“Our employees are central to everything we do, not least delivering our Company Vision of ensuring SARH offers a ‘Great place to live, work and grow’. SARH is proud of its investment in services, the Borough of Stafford and most importantly the staff who work for the organisation,” Karen said.

“To deliver exceptional customer service we need an extraordinary team, and that’s why we will always strive to make sure everyone at SARH has the chance to ‘Be the Best they can Be’.”