Jackie Kennedy, Chief Operating Officer at Unicorn, said, "This Accreditation of Service Excellence gives Unicorn external recognition of the quality of its customer service. It is a fantastic accolade to all our employees, who work very hard to ensure that our customers are always our number-one priority."

Businesses applying for accreditation are assessed in five key business areas: leadership and strategy, customer interaction, performance management, communication, and outcomes.

The robust assessment process is underpinned by the FCA’s requirements around Treating Customers Fairly, the National Skills Academy’s Business Health Check question set, and sector-specific research with clients and customers conducted by the National Skills Academy.

Jackie added, "Unicorn is committed to personal development for all employees, and this in turn helps us to continue to provide first-class service to all our existing and future customers.

"Being accredited means we have demonstrated our dedication to the provision of high-quality, professional customer service, and our commitment to consistent improvement in service and staff training. It is something we have always been passionate about, and the new accreditation now adds a recognised quality mark to endorse what we do."

The National Skills Academy for Financial Services is an employer-led charity working with the UK financial-services industry to improve levels of financial education, create alternative employment routes into the sector, and develop the skills of its workforce. The accreditation of Service Excellence is valid for two years.