Only law firm among its fee-share competitors to achieve the We Invest in People accreditation
One of just four law firms in the entire UK legal sector to achieve both accreditations
Top 100 law firm Setfords has been awarded silver Investors in People and Investors in Wellbeing accreditations in its first-ever assessment for the industry standard that recognises a commitment to people in the workplace.
As a result of the awards, Setfords has become the only law firm among its fee-share competitors to be recognised with a We Invest in People accreditation, and is one of just four law firms in the entire UK legal sector to achieve both We Invest in People and We Invest in Wellbeing accreditations.
Achieving dual silver awards on a first assessment is considered rare in any industry sector, but the firm says it is particularly proud to have scored well ahead of averages for the legal industry in every one of the categories that were assessed.
According to Investors in People statistics, 119 law firms in the UK have successfully achieved the We Invest in People accreditation, with most (42 per cent) achieving the standard level of accreditation. Silver accreditation is held by 26 per cent of firms, while only seven per cent have achieved the highest platinum level.
Four firms – Setfords, Womble Bond Dickenson (UK) LLP, CFG Law and another law firm that requested anonymity – hold both the We Invest in People and We Invest in Wellbeing accreditations.
A commitment to investing in people and their wellbeing was a founding principle at Setfords and it has contributed to the firm’s organic growth strategy in recent years, with lawyer numbers and turnover more than doubling since 2020.
Guy Setford, Co-CEO of Setfords said:
“When my Co-CEO Chris Setford and I first set out our vision for the business we wanted to take our personal experiences as lawyers and reinvent the traditional law firm.
“As the first full-service nationwide law firm to launch a consultancy model, we knew we needed to build a strong and motivated support team that enabled consultant lawyers to focus on clients and be able to do their best work.
“For us both, these Investors in People accreditations mean a great deal to us personally as well as to our employees and consultants who took part in a rigorous assessment process.”
Chris Setford, Co-CEO of Setfords added:
“As a leader and pioneer in the platform law firm segment of the UK legal industry, Setfords has a responsibility to maintain the highest standards and set a benchmark others aspire to.
“We are particularly proud to be raising the bar in the fee-share law firm sector and the wider legal industry when it comes to investing in our people and their wellbeing.”
Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People, said:
“We’d like to congratulate Setfords. Silver accreditation on We Invest in People and We Invest in Wellbeing is a remarkable double effort for any organisation and places Setfords in fine company with a host of organisations that understand the value of people.”
Some of the highlights from the Investors in People accreditation include 86.7 per cent of people are focused on creating sustainable success, and 84.5 per cent believe that high performance is encouraged. Setfords’ overall benchmark score was 767, compared to an average of 731 for the legal industry.
Highlights from the Investors in Wellbeing accreditation include 90 per cent of survey respondents believing that Setfords is committed to creating an environment that supports health and wellbeing, and over 85 per cent fully agree that it is a supportive and safe place to work.
Wellbeing is promoted within the organisation through a number of measures, including flexible working practices, designated and trained Mental Health First Aiders, access to a free in-house gym and personal training sessions, a fully-funded restaurant at the firm’s Guildford headquarters, support for charitable activities and the local community, and employee development and recognition.
The results were gathered in numerous ways, including surveys and focus groups both with internal support staff and Setfords’ consultant lawyers.
Investors in People has a presence in 75 countries, covering more than a third of the globe, making Setfords’ new accreditations globally recognised.
