SOCIAL enterprise company Eaga has been named as one of the best companies to work for in the UK.

The Newcastle group was listed at number 38 in the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For index. It is the second year in succession that Eaga has been in the top 50 and is the highest ranking North-East company.

Law firms Eversheds and Dickinson Dees came 63rd and 77th respect- ively.

Eaga, which is employee-owned, manages programmes on behalf of the Government, utilities sector and social housing providers. It has 350 staff in the region.

Programmes include benefit entitlement checks for the Government and the Warm Front winter fuel grants scheme.

Eaga chief executive John Clough and director of group services Dave Routledge were joined by employees from across the company at an awards ceremony in London.

Mr Routledge said: "We are an employee-owned company and we put service excellence at the heart of everything we do.

"That means we employ passionate people who exceed our customers' expectations."

The 2005 index was compiled by asking staff working at a range of UK companies what they really thought of their employers.

A random selection of Eaga employees were asked, confidentially, to rate the company on a series of key issues, such as leadership, well-being and personal growth.