Anyone can say they take security seriously. These are the standards other people have checked us against, what each one actually means, and why it matters to a business choosing an IT provider.
Microsoft Partner
Cyber Essentials
LIVINGWAGEEmployer
Living Wage Employer
ISO 27001
What it is
The international standard for information security management. An independent auditor has assessed how we identify, manage and reduce risk to our own systems and to our clients' data, and re-assesses it on a cycle.
Why it matters to you
It means the processes behind your IT support, access control, incident handling, supplier management and change, are written down, followed and checked by someone who does not work for us. Many of our clients' own customers ask whether their IT provider holds it.
ISO 22301
What it is
The international standard for business continuity management. It covers how we keep our own service running through an outage, a cyber incident or the loss of a site, and how we recover.
Why it matters to you
Your IT provider is a single point of failure for your business. ISO 22301 means ours has been tested: if our systems or our office are out, the helpdesk, monitoring and your data are still looked after.
Cyber Essentials
What it is
The UK government-backed scheme, run by the NCSC, covering the five technical controls that stop the majority of common cyber attacks: firewalls, secure configuration, access control, malware protection and patching.
Why it matters to you
We hold it ourselves and we take clients through it. An IT provider asking you to certify should be able to show its own certificate first.
Microsoft's current partner designation, which replaced the old Gold and Silver competencies. Modern Work covers Microsoft 365, Teams, security and device management, and is earned on certified staff, customer growth and successful deployments, not on paying a fee.
Why it matters to you
It is Microsoft's own verification that we deploy and run Microsoft 365 properly at scale. It also gives us direct access to Microsoft partner support when a problem is on their side.
Accredited by the Living Wage Foundation. Everyone who works for Black Sheep Support, and the contractors who work on our sites regularly, is paid at least the real Living Wage, which is set independently and is higher than the statutory minimum.
Why it matters to you
The person answering your call is paid properly and tends to stay. Staff turnover is the hidden reason helpdesks get worse, and ours is low.
The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025
What it is
Recognition in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list for 2025, which is based on an independent, anonymous survey of our own staff about how they are managed, rewarded and treated.
Why it matters to you
Engineers who like where they work are the ones who pick up the phone on the third ring, remember your set-up and stay long enough to know it.
Want to see the certificates?
Ask. We send copies of our ISO certificates, Cyber Essentials certificate and partner designation as part of any supplier due diligence, and we are happy to fill in your security questionnaire with them. Get in touch or read about us.