Members of the Arboricultural Association will now be able to assure their customers that their tree care and management will be carried out by high quality contractors approved to Government-endorsed standards.
The Arboricultural Association's has achieved scheme operator status for TrustMark, the Government-backed quality mark for tradesmen who do work inside and outside the home.
This will enable all existing ARB Approved Contractors to apply for TrustMark status so they can be found by homeowners using the TrustMark post code search facility. The TrustMark service has over 500,000 tradesmen's details displayed each month.
All Arboricultural Association's member firms who join TrustMark will now carry the TrustMark badge to give additional protection and reassurance to consumers.
The Arboricultural Association was founded in 1964 and is the largest body in the UK for the amenity tree care professional. Celebrating its 50th year, the Association promotes the sustainable management of trees in areas where people live, work and play and also delivers professional standards and guidance whilst ensuring responsible management of trees.
The Arboricultural Association became a licensed TrustMark scheme operator in April, following a thorough assessment of all its processes for vetting and inspecting contractors as well as its customer service policies, compliance audits, quality management and complaint handling procedures. TrustMark now has 29 scheme operators with over 14,500 inspected and registered firms across the UK for all the key trades that work inside and outside the home.
Paul Smith, Technical Officer Arboricultural Association said: "It is an exciting development for the Association to have been approved as a TrustMark scheme operator, particularly at a time when TrustMark is being relaunched by the Government. The TrustMark certification will complement our existing contractor accreditation which is very much health, safety and environment driven, and includes on-site competence checks, giving a greater customer focus and guarantee.
"Many of our contractors work principally in the domestic sector and regularly have to compete for work against unscrupulous contractors and individuals. The loser here being the poor consumer who is often left with a big "˜hole in their wallets', coupled with stress and worry.
"TrustMark's strap-line 'Government endorsed standards' conveys a very strong and reassuring message for both our members and their customers. We are looking forward to supporting TrustMark and flying the flag for the greater good of the consumer....power to the people."
Ray Ferris, TrustMark's Head of Quality and Regulatory Affairs, said: "The Arboricultural Association put in a first-rate application which the Board was pleased to approve.
"It has demonstrated a willingness to embrace the high standards and responsibilities we expect of all scheme operators, and the opportunity to work and grow with TrustMark. Customers can feel confident in a TrustMark-registered contractor coming to them via the Association."
