ARCA retains Investors in People Gold and moves within touching distance of Platinum

Every three years, the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association submits itself to the most rigorous assessment of how it treats, develops and engages the people who deliver its services to members.

The Investors in People framework is not a tick-box exercise. It is a structured examination of nine indicators covering leadership, values, empowerment, performance management, reward and recognition, the structuring of work, capability building, continuous improvement and long-term sustainability. Organisations are measured against each indicator at four ascending levels: Developed, Established, Advanced and High Performing. The results are then benchmarked against every other accredited organisation, with an industry comparison drawn alongside.

In March 2026, ARCA was reassessed by Investors in People practitioner John Walden. The outcome was a clear retention of Gold accreditation. What that headline does not convey is the distance ARCA has travelled between the 2023 assessment and this one, nor how close the association now sits to the highest tier of the standard.

In 2023, ARCA achieved Gold. The trajectory since then tells its own story. In 2026, six of the nine indicators were assessed as High Performing and three as Advanced. Platinum, the very top level, requires seven indicators at High Performing. ARCA missed Platinum by a single indicator. To put that in context, the association has moved in three years from just clearing the Gold threshold to sitting one indicator below the highest accreditation Investors in People awards.

The benchmarking data is equally telling. ARCA’s overall survey score was 782 out of 900, compared with its industry average of 733 and the all-sector Investors in People average of 729. The 2023 score was 764. The association has improved against itself, against its sector, and against the wider benchmark of every accredited organisation in the country. The response rate was 100 per cent of staff, up from 89 per cent in 2023.

Throughout the report, the practitioner returns repeatedly to the strengths that sit behind the scores. He describes clearly communicated strategic plans, objectives, vision and mission. He identifies a culture in which individuals take responsibility for job decisions, meet deadlines, do what is right and learn from errors. He highlights commitment to working for ARCA, with people motivated to making a difference. He records a well-considered and benchmarked reward and recognition structure, mental health support through Mental Health First Aiders and an Employee Assistance Programme helpline, and a visible commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

The practitioner observes that the culture is driven from the Chief Executive and is built around the values and behaviours, with staff describing a culture of openness, evidence-informed decision-making and outcomes-driven delivery supported by teamwork, looking after members and staff, and building a sustainable organisation. He notes that openness and transparency are demonstrated through communication strategies and processes, and that staff spoke of how open communication and strong leadership generates trust and is motivational.

The survey results contain a number of figures worth reading carefully. One hundred per cent of staff trust the leaders of ARCA. One hundred per cent agree that ARCA is a great place to work. One hundred per cent agree the organisation embraces change. One hundred per cent agree that their behaviour reflects the values and that ARCA has clear values that people share. One hundred per cent have all the information they need to do their job well. One hundred per cent agree their manager helps them improve their performance. One hundred per cent agree they are trusted to make decisions in their role and have the right level of responsibility to do their job effectively.

These are not marginal scores. They are a workforce speaking with one voice about an organisation it is confident in.

The report also records a legacy of ARCA being a good employer that supports and engages staff, caring for their health, welfare, safety and wellbeing, and notes that this is seen as a strength. It describes ARCA as a socially conscious organisation through its support for local communities and charities, offering local employment and engaging with schools, with a positive stance on equality, diversity and inclusion and on environmental, social and governance matters.

The practitioner’s closing observation is worth quoting in full. He wrote that it was a pleasure to conduct this assessment and to hear of all the changes and improvements undertaken since the assessment in 2023.

For members and prospective members, Investors in People assessments offer something that brochures and websites cannot. They are independent, structured and comparative. They test whether an organisation’s stated culture matches the lived experience of the people inside it. In ARCA’s case, the verdict of the staff who answered the survey, the interviewees who spoke to the practitioner, and the benchmarked data against the wider accredited community is consistent.

ARCA enters its next three-year cycle with Gold retained, Platinum within reach, and an independent, externally validated account of a well-led association. The work between now and the next reassessment is already mapped out. The direction of travel is the only question the report leaves open.