Corporate responsibility
Our commitment to public services goes to the heart of our business.
Our core belief is that the only way to create long term value in our business is through sustainable, responsible growth. Consequently, we seek to embed responsible practice throughout our activities. The corporate responsibility impacts, achievements and strategy of our business are evaluated through the three pillars of our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Framework:
> Creating Shared Value
> Social Responsibility
> Environmental Impact.
Our ESG Steering Group was established last year to guide implementation. Its outputs are monitored by the Chief Executive, who along with the Executive Board ultimately decides the ESG strategy.
Creating shared value
We strive to maximise the positive impact of our work, dealing honestly and fairly with all stakeholders and, in the process, building mutually beneficial partnerships.
2015-2016:
> In September 2015 we opened a new business hub in partnership with Nottingham City Council that will create 170 new jobs, with 25 apprenticeships. Worth an estimated £50 million to the local economy over seven years, the hub was sited in a low employment area of the city in order to help the long term unemployed get into work.
> In Hartlepool, our Community Fund provided £30,000 to help community organisations improve ICT skills. A further £10,000 is also set aside to support the Gus Robinson Foundation, a local fund set up to support high performing students and young entrepreneurs.
Environmental impact
We support our people and clients in looking for low carbon solutions and environmentally sensitive ways to work.
2015-2016:
> We engaged a specialist provider to help measure and manage energy use within our property portfolio. We estimate our UK offices emitted a total of 1844 tonnes of CO2 in the final two
financial quarters of 2015-2016. We will collect full year figures in 2016-2017 to create a more complete baseline.
> We established a centralised IT recycling policy. By the second half of the year, 96% of our redundant IT equipment was recycled or re-used, with the remainder disposed of according to
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment recycling (WEEE) regulations.
Social responsibility
We consider the positive impact our business can have both through our client partnerships and the active contribution of our people.
2015-2016
> Our staff in India supported the NGO Rescue Foundation which helps women who have been the victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The foundation received support in the form of
donations of much-needed goods such as food and educational supplies.
> Staff in the UK raised money for charities that tackle homelessness through a variety of activities including a coast to coast cycle ride, clothing collections and an overnight sleep out.
> In our UK operations we increased the proportion of female employees by 2% to 43%, compared to the end of the last financial year.
> We employ 40 apprentices, with another dozen set to join in the near future, learning business, IT skills and on the job training.
> Across the company approximately two days were lost due to injury, corresponding to a Lost Time Injury Incidence Rate (LTIIR) of 0.13.
For more information on our corporate responsibility activity, download our latest Annual Review.
