Yorkshire Building Society partnership with Citizens Advice wins gold in customer service awards

An innovative partnership between Yorkshire Building Society and Citizens Advice has been crowned the Gold Winner of the Customer Service Improvement Award at the Collaboration Network Awards 2024.

According to the organisers, the award recognised the organisation that has done the most to improve customer service in their operation, whether that be a specific initiative that has benefitted a specific set of customers, a broad initiative that has had improvements across the board, or a series of multiple initiatives as part of a comprehensive plan that has delivered differently for different customers and collectively led to overall improvement.

The partnership, which began as a pilot scheme in 2021, sees Citizens Advice advisers hold free, confidential appointments in selected high street branches of the Society one or two days a week to support people with a range of issues, including financial wellbeing.  It’s available to all members of the public, not just the Society’s customers.

Samantha Monk, Citizens Advice Lead at Yorkshire Building Society said: “The Society has been part of the Collaboration Network for many years, so to be recognised at their awards is something we’re hugely proud of.

“We’re so happy that the partnership continues to be held in high regard, and ultimately that’s because it’s making a difference to so many people who need it. We really are offering real help with real life by offering the service.”

The partnership with Citizens Advice initially started with just six Yorkshire Building Society branches, but due to demand the number of locations offering the service trebled in the first 18 months. The partnership is now available in over 40 percent of the Society’s branches across Scotland, Yorkshire and the North West, East Anglia and the South West of the country. Since it began in 2021, the partnership has helped over 8,000 people with a range of different problems, including accessing welfare benefits, debt, housing and legal difficulties.   

Thomas Monaghan, Corporate Partnerships Lead - Finance at Citizens Advice said: “We're delighted that this partnership has been recognised by the Collaboration Network. Working alongside Yorkshire Building Society has really helped us to reach even more people who need support in communities up and down the UK.”

For more information on this innovative partnership and details of participating branches please visit www.ybs.co.uk/citizens-advice