ALMOND Villas, a Blackburn-based registered care home and housing scheme, has become the latest organisation to be awarded Investors In People status.

Staff and management worked with ELTEC to achieve the award which recognises commitment to staff training and development.

Manager Mrs Marilyn Clarke said: "As a result of the Investors In People initiative we have a more effective training programme with better evaluation procedures which are already reaping benefits.

"Staff feel more involved and motivated and customer service levels have improved significantly."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.