Fairstone: enhancing a culture of people development

A fast growing, national wealth management firm is further developing its workforce in partnership with the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)-backed Sunderland Skills & Inclusion Programme (SSIP), led by the University of Sunderland and a consortium of providers across the city. 

Fairstone employs 1,250 staff and is rated the most trusted wealth management firm in the UK and Ireland on Trustpilot with over 13,000 5-star reviews and a turnover in excesses of £160m. Through the partnership it has been able to put scores of its teams through a range of courses, sessions and seminars covering everything from leadership and coaching to digital marketing and podcasting. The courses have been offered to staff as part of their ongoing personal development, reflecting Fairstone's commitment to investing in its people, and ensuring teams are supported, rewarded and developed throughout their career.

Kevin Waters, Fairstone's Head of Learning & Development, said: "As an organisation, we are dedicated to fostering personal development, encouraging both personal growth and career pathway progression. Investing in training and upskilling staff, is essential to delivering the highest quality service and advice. By working with the Sunderland Skills and Inclusion Programme, companies can ensure their employees are benefitting from expert, research proven practice."

He added : "Fairstone is committed to attracting the best talent through partnerships such as these. With clear career pathways for both new recruits and existing team members, we enhance our advisory capability to ensure clients receive up-to-date, high-quality advice.  Upskilling our staff also promotes personal development, fostering a motivated and engaged workforce."

The SSIP has been allocated more than £2.5m worth of funding to support with upskilling Sunderland residents, employees and businesses.  The project is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.  The SSIP is focused on driving productivity, developing skills and supporting inclusion delivering training in areas spanning leadership, business, coaching and mentoring, electrical, engineering and manufacturing, health, safety and care and digital skills.  SSIP providers are the University of Sunderland, Access Training, TDR, Seta, British Esports, NBSL, Sunderland College, Uplift Training, Media Savvy, Training in Care, Sunderland Software City and MTC Training.

Tim Pain, director of innovation and skills at the University of Sunderland, said: "This is a brilliant programme that will assist businesses of all sizes with skills development, and will not only unlock more opportunities for the individuals who undertake the training, but will ensure businesses in the region are supported to grow.

"We're thrilled with the uptake of SSIP training, and there are more opportunities for businesses to tap into the assistance as part of this particular programme, over the next few months.  It's brilliant to see the impact it has had on Fairstone, a fantastic national business that is among the most ambitious in the region today." 

Those who took part in SSIP training found it to be highly relevant to their roles, citing increased confidence and competence related to the training workshop objectives and - for those who undertook leadership courses - they reported an enhanced ability to take initiative and lead teams effectively. 

Sunderland was allocated £14.9m of UKSPF to invest over three years with a further £1.6m to support the Multiply adult numeracy programme.  The city's Investment Plan identified priority interventions for support to maximise outcomes from this grant funding for its residents, communities, and businesses, with funding to support communities and place; local business and people and skills.

Councillor Kevin Johnston, cabinet member for housing, business and regeneration at Sunderland City Council, said: "UKSPF is being channelled into a range of different programmes, each of which are delivering really tangible benefits for the city, and the SSIP is just one example of this.

"By supporting ambitious businesses like Fairstone, SSIP is helping Sunderland's economy to prosper and grow, creating more opportunities for our residents in the process and we are delighted to learn how this has benefited Fairstone as a company as well as upskilling the team who work there."

To find out more about SSIP, visit https://skillsandinclusion.co.uk/ and to learn more about UKSPF, visit the UK Shared Prosperity Fund webpage.