Our membership structure has changed. Since yesterday, 30th September 2018, we have discontinued our associate membership and now we only have one category of membership, that of FCSA Accredited Member.
We believe that having one standard of membership will support recruitment business in making informed decisions regarding their preferred suppliers. FCSA membership is perceived to denote that firms have been tested against FCSA compliance standards, so it makes sense to ensure that all members are meeting the same minimum standard.
Every Accredited Member is rigorously tested by truly independent assessors who are professionally regulated accountants and solicitors. They test FCSA Accredited Members annually against the Code of Compliance which has been drafted with input from HMRC.
Commenting on the change to its membership structure, FCSA’s chief executive Julia Kermode said: “The decision to only represent fully accredited members has not been made lightly and has come about because of confusion within the sector regarding our two types of membership. Having just one category should provide clarity for everyone and FCSA Accreditation is open to any firm that can demonstrate compliance with our code and be independently tested to prove the case.
“Today, an increasing number of recruitment agencies look for FCSA’s compliance standard as a prerequisite for their preferred supplier lists (PSLs) and, in an unregulated industry, companies want to feel confident that they are working with suppliers they can trust. FCSA accreditation provides reassurance and recruiters tell me that FCSA accreditation is a clear commercial differentiator when they are assessing their suppliers. By choosing a PSL consisting of FCSA Accredited Members, recruiters know that they are minimising their risk and working with companies that will provide a professional and compliant service to the flexible workforce they support.”
For a fully compliant and transparent PSL, check your service providers are FCSA Accredited. Our directory of members is here.
