Keeping People Safe Supporting your mental health Page 8 Building Excellence
Taking Pride in the Job
The Barratt Charity Plan
Our Vision, Priorities and Principles
Our 2018 winners
Using your volunteering day
Pages 6-7
Page 9
Page 15
Issue 23 Summer 2018
Welcome to issue 23 able to find out more about the Board in the Big Interview with Sharon White and hear more about her role.
Welcome to issue 23 of Foundations. I firstly want to thank you all for your hard work and dedication after another strong operational and financial performance in FY18, and I’m glad to see we’re making a strong start to FY19. As always our focus remains on leading the industry by putting the customer at the heart of everything we do. We’ve demonstrated our commitment to quality and customer service by once again being awarded 5 Star in the HBF’s Customer Satisfaction Survey for the ninth year in row – a fantastic achievement for our teams. This year has also been a great opportunity for us to look back as we mark our 60th anniversary and look at how six decades of experience helps us to be the industry-leading business we are today. We’ve built 450,000 homes on developments across England, Scotland and Wales, drive standards in quality and customer service and help to support communities across the country – all of which wouldn’t be possible without your hard work and dedication, so thank you. As a way of recognising this milestone with colleagues, we were very pleased to give all employees an opportunity to share in the success of our company with a special award of 200 shares to all employees outside of the senior leadership. We also hope you have enjoyed reading more about our history in the 60th celebratory book which you received in July and you’ll be able to find out more about the making of the book later in this issue. This edition of Foundations also looks at how our Vision, Priorities and Principles are continuing to drive the business forwards and hears from one of our Pride in the Job Award winners. The projects roundup looks at our Built for Life accredited schemes across the country and how these developments continue to set the standards. You’ll also be
As always, health and safety remains our number one priority and we must remain focused on ensuring the highest standards of safety in everything we do. Part of this is our mental wellbeing and this issue looks at the importance of our mental health and sees how colleagues on site got behind Mental Health Awareness Week. There’s also a piece about the volunteer day with several colleagues around the business sharing their stories and a reminder of how to use yours. As the company continues to work hard on becoming an open and honest business, there’s an update from the Diversity and Inclusion team. Meanwhile our mission to be the nation’s leading sustainable housebuilder relies on us tackling the issues which matter most to our stakeholders and you’ll see how we’re progressing. This Foundations also looks at colleagues who have built their careers with Barratt, brings us news from our latest intake of graduates and the Long Service Celebration Dinner in honour of those who have spent many years at Barratt. Thank you all for your hard work and here’s to a successful FY19.
Chief Executive
Editorial team James Warner Technical, London Rachel Clare Graduate, Mercia Emma Evans Graduate, West Midlands Rob Chilton Design and Technical, GSC Katy Soar Group Communications, Kent House
James Warner
Rachel Clare
Emma Evans
Rob Chilton
Jasmine Sommers Trainee Assistant Site Manager, Bristol Anna Nichols Graduate, Southampton Michaela Corbett Planner, Yorkshire West
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WELCOME
Katy Soar
Jasmine Sommers
Anna Nichols
ett Michaela Corb
FOUNDATIONS
Contents... 2/3
Welcome To Foundations issue 23
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What’s New? News from around the business
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Building Excellence Our Vision, Priorities and Principles
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Keeping People Safe Supporting your mental health
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Taking Pride in the Job Our 2018 winners
10/11
Celebrating our 60th anniversary A look behind the scenes
12/13
The Big Interview Sharon White, Non-Executive Director
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Laying foundations Building a career with Barratt
15
The Barratt Charity Plan Using your volunteering day
16/17
Celebrating Long Service 2018 Long Service Dinner
18
2018 Million Makers Challenge An update on the Graduates' projects
19
The digital revolution Our new websites unveiled
20/21
Projects Roundup Built for Life accredited sites
22
Diversity and Inclusion Building without Barriers
23
Building a sustainable business An update on our progress
24
Our customers And how we’re putting them first
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Leading Construction An update on Modern Methods of Construction
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Out and about We see what colleagues have been up to
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And finally… Wordsearch, caption competition and your building one-liners
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10/11
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12/13
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16/17
20/21
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26/27
CONTENTS
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What's new? Health and safety winners Congratulations to ten of our site managers who won Commendations in the first round of this year’s NHBC Health and Safety Awards. Colin McNeish (West Scotland) was Commended and nine of our site managers were Highly Commended for their Health and Safety on their sites. The nine are: Kirk Raine - Mercia Jo Hopkins - Yorkshire East Colin Graham - East Scotland James Wells - Eastern Counties Allan Barclay - North Scotland Jeff Calder - North Scotland David Blair - West Scotland
Our gender pay gap Back in March we published our gender pay gap which identified our mean pay gap stands at 1.3% and our median pay gap at 1.6%, which is low compared to the gender pay gap across the UK of 17.4%. Our mean bonus gap stands at 39.7% with our median bonus gap is -6.2%. While we’re pleased that our overall gender pay gap falls well below the national average, we recognise that there’s still work to be done. We are committed to improving the male / female ratio across our business through our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, with a number of changes already taking place. We want to ensure that we create an environment where people with different backgrounds, beliefs, lifestyles and skills are comfortable and can thrive and will be improving our policies and taking actions in order to do so. By addressing the distribution of men and women across all levels in our business, we are confident we will further close our gender pay gap.
Sam Yell - East London Henry Patecki - East Midlands And a special mention to Jeff Calder who was also named a National Winner in the Large Builder category for his Ness Castle site. The awards are designed to recognise and reward the very best in health and safety, and are also helping to drive up safety standards in the industry by showcasing and sharing best practice.
GDPR is here It’s one thing to know about the regulation; it’s another to have a ‘GDPR mindset’. Over the next few months, we’ll be continuing to raise everyone’s awareness of GDPR and what we all should be doing to comply with this important legislation. The objective of the GDPR is to give control of our personal data back to us. You’ve probably received several emails from companies you didn’t even realise had your data on their files, asking whether you wished to continue as-is, or have it destroyed. That has all happened due to GDPR. Many of us handle private data on individuals as part of our jobs and we can only ever use this data for the purposes that we stated when employees or customers shared their data. We must be careful not to pass this data to anyone inside or outside of the business who is not authorised to use it. All companies will now face heavy penalties for data breaches that lead to someone’s personal data being misused or lost.
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WHAT'S NEW?
The biggest risk is emailing data to the wrong person. To ensure this doesn’t occur, we must all: • Password-protect customer or employee data • Name files with the prefix PLC#No to ensure they can’t be emailed externally by accident • Double check the recipients before pressing Send There have been several well publicised incidents of data breaches recently, including the case involving Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. If you think a data breach has occurred, you must report it to your Divisional Finance Director or Group Functional Head. You can find out more about our GDPR, including frequently asked questions, in the Group Policies/Data Protection Chapter on Docushare.
FOUNDATIONS
New Northern and Scotland On these pages, we take a look at a variety of topics Regions that have been making the news around the business. Rising Stars
COINS is on its way!
Earlier this year we launched our Rising Stars programme, with up and coming colleagues from around the business becoming part of a leadership scheme to develop them as future leaders. Good luck to our 26 colleagues who have joined the programme and we look forward to hearing much more about you!
We’ve been working hard to improve the COINS system, to help reduce the amount of paperwork for colleagues, streamline processes and bring multiple systems into one place. This key investment in technology will enable teams to work more flexibly by exchanging sheets of paper for an iPad and creating an instant picture of a development’s financial standing. This will enable our surveyors to spend more time checking contractor works and keeping on top of costs, while buyers should benefit from fewer invoice queries and administrative tasks – helping everyone to operate in a more efficient and effective manner. Following the successful testing in Brentford, the initial High Rise pilot in West London starts later this summer. Housebuild testing started in June, which will be followed by pilots in the Mercia and South West divisions later this year. The new system will go live across the business from early 2019, as work starts on new sites. If you go to vimeo.com and search for Barratt COINS, you’ll see videos about what the new system will offer and how we’ve collaborated with COINS on this project. If you have any feedback about the programme, please contact Steve Metcalfe, COINS Change Manager, by emailing pmo-commercialbpr@barrattplc.co.uk.
Our award winning sites A number of our divisions have received recognition in industry awards. The Botanics
Our West Scotland team won Private Development of the Year – Medium award at the Homes for Scotland awards. They won for their flagship development The Botanics. Camden Courtyards, West London's development recently scooped the Greater London Authority Award at the Housing Design Awards. East London’s Landmark Place was recently awarded a Gold Considerate Constructors Award at the National Site Awards. Congratulations to all of the winners and to all our teams around the business who continue to build great places to live!
ds Camden Courtyar
Landmark Place
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Building Excellence
Our Vision, Priorities and P Back in 2014 we launched Building Excellence, which sets out how we’re going to achieve our vision:
TO LEAD THE FUTURE OF HOUSEBUILDING BY PUTTING OUR CUSTOMERS AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING WE DO.
The key to delivering this is in our priorities and principles, which focus our business in several key areas and ensure we remain a sustainable business for years to come. We take a look at how we’ve been delivering on our priorities and principles over the past three years and the actions we’ve taken.
Priorities CUSTOMER FIRST
GREAT PLACES
Our Customer First Employee Recognition Scheme celebrates colleagues who showcase our 5 Customer First behaviours
ur Great Places initiative helps us to apply the O principles of good urban design to our developments – with 49 sites recognised in the 2017 Great Places Awards
e’ve now been awarded 5 Star in the W HBF’s Customer Satisfaction survey for nine years running – meaning 90% of our customers would recommend us
e are making good progress on W strategic land and in FY17 we achieved our mid-term target of delivering 25% of completions from strategic land
I am Co
nsiste
I Comm
nt
unicat
e
I am Po
sitive
I take
on
Owner
ship
I am Pro
active
LEADING CONSTRUCTION
INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE
7% of units completed using off site 1 construction methods. On track to achieve a target of 20% by 2020
ontinuing to invest in future talent with 1,162 C new apprentices, trainees, graduates and undergraduates joining the company in the past five years
e continue to lead the industry in site management – W with 83 of our site managers recognised at the NHBC Pride in the Job Awards this year – more than any other housebuilder for the 14th year in a row
aintained our upper quartile performance M in the engagement survey elivered 4.5 training days per employee in 2017, D above our target of 3 days e continue to invest in our benefits package, with W improvements made to our family friendly policies and our My Barratt Benefits offering regularly reviewed and updated 00 senior managers have now 3 been trained on our Diversity and Inclusion strategy, enhancing our teams understanding of the topic and what they can do to prevent unconscious biases
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BUILDING EXCELLENCE
FOUNDATIONS
Principles Principles KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE e’ve implemented a number of schemes to ensure W the safety of our sites, from removing 5th gear from telehandlers to control speeds and Site Excavation Plans used on site to ensure a safer build sequence Drugs and alcohol testing carried out across the business. Launch of the 5 Steps to Safety Challenge Defibrillators have been installed at all sites and offices. New Health & Wellbeing resources available for employees.
BEING A TRUSTED PARTNER We work with a range of charities including the RSPB, Mates in Mind, Whizz Kidz, St Mungo’s, and St John Ambulance e’ve extended our partnership with the RSPB for W another three years to work towards giving nature a home Partnering with the Supply Chain Sustainability School to ensure the products we receive have a minimal impact on the environment and are responsibly sourced
e’ve enhanced MyLearning system to allow employees W to monitor their SHE training requirements.
BUILDING STRONG COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS
SAFEGUARDING THE ENVIRONMENT
e play a key role in the communities we work in and in W recent years have invested £1.36bn in local contributions and spent £136m on physical works which benefit local communities
Working with the RSPB to create wildlife friendly housing with the introduction of swift bricks, bat boxes and planting to attract wildlife
e’ve built 244 new local facilities including sport, leisure, W health, youth and community centres and provided 11,256 school places
8% reduction in construction waste
736m additional spending in shops and services by £ residents of new homes which supports thousands of retail and service related jobs
ENSURING THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF OUR BUSINESS he new house ranges we introduced T in 2016 will be faster to build, help us reduce costs and are more suitable to modern methods of construction Reported a ROCE of 29.8% in 2017, well above the 25% target of 2014
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Keeping People Safe
A
s an organisation, we are fully committed to achieving high standards of health, safety and welfare, creating a safe working environment at all times. As well as keeping people physically safe, we are committed to the mental health and wellbeing of our people which is why we’ve teamed up with Mates in Mind to highlight this issue in our industry.
Some key facts: • Mental health issues are the UK’s biggest cause of workplace absence • Suicide kills more construction workers than falls • I ncidents of eating disorders and self-harm are increasing •C N’s Mind Matters survey revealed one in four construction workers have considered taking their own life We think it is important to identify mental health issues as soon as possible. Here are some changes in behaviour that can be an indication: • Late/lack of attendance • Loss of sense of humour • Lack of concentration • Problems coping • Withdrawal • Exaggerated humour • Seeking reassurance • Confusion/indecision To help mark Mental Health Awareness Week in May, some of our colleagues on site supported the movement with the hashtag #breakthestigma. As a supporter of Mates in Mind, we want to demonstrate our commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of our employees. Mates in Mind helps us take an important step towards breaking the silence and stigma that can surround mental wellbeing in society and in particular, in the construction industry. If you need help or someone to talk to, Mates in Mind have a lot of resources available online and are specifically trained to support the construction industry.
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lth
supporting your mental hea
KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE
How we can help Our Employee assistance programme provided by Unum Lifeworks is available 24/7, 365 days a year. Visit www.unumlifeworks.co.uk (user id: Unum password: lifeworks) or Tel: 0800 048 2702 Construction Worker Helpline is a free, confidential service for construction workers and their ‘living in household’ dependents. Call in confidence – freephone 0800 801 0372 Construction Industry Helpline, available 24/7 on 0345 605 1956
FOUNDATIONS
Taking Pride in the Job C
ongratulations to our site managers who won 83 NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Awards this year, more than any other housebuilder for the 14th year in a row.
These awards recognise site managers who achieve the highest standards in all aspects of their role, showing consistent quality, technical skills, attention to detail, leadership, customer service and site safety. This is an exceptional achievement from our site managers, which is the highest industry accolade a site manager can receive and sees more than 16,000 sites across the UK being assessed.
Sury Patel One of our winners, Sury Patel, Project Manager from our West London division, spoke to us about the hard work of his team at the West Hendon Regeneration project and what the award means to him. Sury, what did you and the team do to achieve this prestigious award? My team gave this job their full commitment and concentration, giving the upmost attention to every detail, along with good planning, programming and management of the subcontractors out on site. You have to go above and beyond what is expected to achieve this award and my team have excelled, so everyone in the team deserves the award.
How important are Assistant Site Managers to the team? Assistant Site Managers are absolutely key to the overall construction team and fulfil a very important role. Firstly they often come into the role with an open mind, willing to learn new ways and techniques as well as bringing fresh ideas to the team as opposed to having the mentality of ‘I have always done it this way so why change’. They are out on site the most, involved in the QA procedures and checks along with the Site Managers which helps them gain a great understanding of the issues that arise.
What challenges have you faced? The biggest challenge we face in the industry today is the shortage of good skilled labourers and when combined with the challenge of keeping costs down it can lead to having contractors on board who do not have experience in the way Barratt London work. To overcome this we have to educate them on what it is we require, encouraging them to go the extra step to achieve great quality and workmanship. This is often more than what they are used to doing with other contractors and developers.
What do you pride yourself on? I pride myself on good planning and attention to detail but most importantly keeping calm under pressure, especially at year end.
What do you think the Graduate Scheme and Apprentice programmes offer? Our Graduate and Apprentice schemes are very good and I believe they are key to the industry given the shortage in skilled labour I mentioned previously.
These schemes encourage everyone, especially the young, to join the work force and get those skilled labourers and trades people back into the industry to help with the shortfall. My opinion is that all developers should do the same and have a minimum requirement for the number they should be taking on.
Do you wish there was something similar to this when you first started? Yes, these type of schemes would have been ideal for when I started my career 22 years ago!
One final piece of advice for our Assistant Site Managers? Keep working hard and show willingness, you will be recognised and rewarded for it.
Well done to Sury, and our other site managers and their respective teams for their hard work in achieving these awards, it is of great pride to the business!
PRIDE IN THE JOB 2018 This year’s Pride in the Job Quality winners are…
SCOTLAND East Scotland Andy Crichton Peter Lawrie Colin Graham Rooney McMeechan North Scotland Allan Barclay Barry Cooper Jeff Calder John Dawson Martin Rait Scott MacNicol
West Scotland Brendan Saba Murray Grierson Willie Esplin Colin McNeish David Blair
NORTHERN North Midlands Gavin Locker Kevin Mowbray Lee Maydew Liam Pettet Mark Pettet North East Dan Walker
Darren Watt Lee Howard Yorkshire East Jo Hopkins Martyn Thorley Neil Pendlebury Paul Dearnley Yorkshire West Andy Briddock Richard Booth
CENTRAL North West Martin Prendergast Manchester Craig Hancock
Jim Thomson Sean O'Regan Steve Jordan South Wales Chris Davies John Popple Paul Oakley Rebecca Roberts Mercia Adam Breakspear Alex Price Dean Newbold Ian Green Kirk Raine Paul Moore Richard Hilditch
Simon Jones Steve McNally West Midlands Luke Darby Ian Crockford
EAST Eastern Counties James Wells Steve Summers Tommy Luxton Andrew Martin Reuben Linehan Northampton Darren Price Roy Kelly
East Midlands Dane Mumford Dave Dearden Henry Patecki Lee Redfern Steve Curtis Wayne Shooter Zoe Rawlings Lawrence Ryan Matt Gimson South Midlands Barry Farrar Kyle Shelton
Southern Richard Crawford Neil Wyatt
WEST Exeter Andy Tugwell Jason Dugdale Matt Barnett Mike Mitchell Southampton Matt Annalls Nick Street Phil Cripps
Bristol Martin Beard Paul Cromey Stuart Foale South West John Coburn
LONDON & SOUTHERN East London Sam Yell Tony Shopland West London Calum Kidd Sury Patel Southern Counties Andy Jacobs
TAKING PRIDE IN THE JOB
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Celebrating our 60 anniv th
We hope you all enjoyed receiving your copy of the 60th anniversary book looking through Barratt’s incredible history. The business has come a long way from Lawrie Barratt’s first house at Darras Hall to the thousands of houses we now build each year. A lot of work goes into creating a book like this, so we thought we’d give a sneak peek into how the book was made…
L
ooking back through 60 years of our history was a big task and key to building the structure of the book, but thankfully we had the help of Dave Simpson. Having worked as a PR consultant for Barratt from 1983, Dave already had a wealth of knowledge about the business, our history and achievements. To help him, he searched through annual reports as well as Group publications, marketing materials, sales brochures, press cuttings, videos, product launch packs, awards submissions and employee magazines! From all these sources, Dave and graduate Olivia Murphy identified key points in the company’s history and produced an initial structure for the book, which was then developed and refined over the course of the book's creation.
The creative side of the book was carried out by FourZeroOne, a London based branding and design studio, who have previously worked with the likes of Transport for London, Mayor of London and the Royal Institute of British Architects.
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CELEBRATING OUR 60TH ANNIVERSARY
versary s e n e c s e th d in h e b g in k loo
Many of the photos came from old annual reports, internal newspapers and reports. A normal scanner, or even a scanner at a photographic services shop couldn’t digitise these photos to a high enough standard for print. To get around this, some of the materials were taken down to the British Library where they were photographed. While we may think some of these documents are old, this department is used to photographing much older and more delicate pieces of history such as the Magna Carta and Michelangelo’s diary! The printing of the book took place at Kingsbury Press, a family run printers in Doncaster. Plates had to be made for each ‘section’ (a collection of multiple pages printed onto a sheet that is then folded to form each page) with each section printed at a rate of 9,500 pages an hour! You may have noticed that the edges of each page of the hardbacks for sales offices are foiled. Kingsbury Press is the only printers in the country with a machine that can foil the edges of the paper to give them their metallic finish, this is usually painstakingly done by hand – taking a lot longer and costing considerably more. All the pulp used in the paper came from sustainable sources and will be replaced by growing new trees, while the book was printing using vegetable based ink and eco-friendly chemicals.
Our book in numbers
9,500 9,250 pages printed an hour
147.8 total number of miles reached if every page was joined end-to-end
60
books printed
1,248,750 total number of pages printed
years
in the making
You can als o access an electronic version of the b via the his ook tory section of the Barra tt Developm ents website!
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THE BIG INTERVIEW
Biography Ofcom (2015-Present) Chief Executive Barratt Developments (2018 – Present) Non-Executive Director HM Treasury (2013-2015) Second Permanent Secretary HM Treasury (2012-2013) Director General for Public Spending Ministry of Justice (2009-2011 Director General Department for International Development (2003-2009) Director of Policy Status: Married with two teenage children Education: Cambridge University (degree in economics) and University College London (MSc in economics) Born: Leyton, East London
Five things
you wouldn't know about Sharon... Favourite TV show? Queer Eye for the Straight Guy on Netflix Least favourite foods? Custard and beetroot Favourite football player Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) What are your hobbies and interests? Running after my kids – and running Guilty secret Hours spent reading interiors magazines and poring over property websites
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THE BIG INTERVIEW
Sharon White
FOUNDATIONS Sharon White joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director on 1 January 2018, joining the Audit, Nomination and Remuneration Committees. As the newest member of our Board, we spoke to Sharon to find out more about her role at Ofcom, the Board and the important role they play in guiding and advising the business. Tell us more about your role at Ofcom and what a typical day looks like? I’m the Chief Executive at Ofcom, the Office of Communications, where we employ about 850 people across the UK with our headquarters in London. We have an amazingly wide remit for a regulator, overseeing broadband and media companies (like BT, Sky and the BBC), postal services (Royal Mail), and look after spectrum - the valuable airwaves that power wireless devices like mobile phones. This means we get involved in a lot of different issues of concern to consumers and the public at large. To give some examples over the last year, we examined whether the proposed takeover of Sky by 21st Century Fox was in the public interest and we ran an auction of spectrum which raised more than £1billion. We have also been working with the radio and TV industry to improve diversity so that their programmes better reflect UK society. We have changed the way we regulate BT to encourage them to invest in faster, more reliable broadband. It is hard to describe a typical day because the job is so varied. Overall, about half my time is spent on external engagements meeting with the Chief Executives of the companies that we regulate or with Government or other stakeholders; making speeches; and sometimes doing media interviews. The other half is internal meeting with my senior team and other colleagues on how we can make Ofcom a better place to work and on upcoming regulatory decisions. You joined the Board earlier this year as a Non-Executive Director, can you tell us a bit more about the Board’s role in the business and what the different members do? The Board’s job is to set the strategy for Barratt and to take the big decisions that help to achieve that strategy, such as a big land purchase or the commercial case for moving towards modern methods of construction. The Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) are there to provide constructive challenge and support for the Executive Members - David, Steven and Jessica. It’s a really friendly and cohesive Board and I have received a warm welcome. Different NEDs bring different skills and experiences. I worked in housing policy for a long time
when I was a civil servant in Government and given how important public policy is to the success of housing in the UK, I hope I can bring a useful perspective. So what do you do in your role as a Non-Executive Director?
great getting to know the business from my visits to Milton Keynes, York, Luton and Aylesbury. I am also very conscious from colleagues who have been with the business for many years just how much I have to learn.
As a NED, I attend and contribute to Board meetings, which are held seven times a year. In between the formal meetings, there are opportunities to get to understand in more depth different parts of the business and I have particularly loved the site visits I have been on where I was able to meet colleagues from our London, South Midlands and Yorkshire East divisions.
We’re dedicated to embracing diversity and inclusion in the business and one of the ways we want to do this is to by getting more women into senior positions in our business. How do you think we can achieve this?
customers. I would hope that I could help Barratt to continue a track record of success, increasing the number of quality homes that we build to address the housing shortage and helping Barratt to adapt effectively to changes in the way people live and what they want from their homes.
For me, success will be that the people who work at Barratt reflect the diversity of the people who buy our homes.
I don’t think there is a magic bullet. My own organisation faces similar challenges in our engineering and technology teams. I think progress will take a number of things. How does your experience at Ofcom First and foremost the leadership of the help with your role at Barratt? organisation has to believe diversity matters and be prepared to drive change I know what it’s like to run an over a number of years, which I feel organisation - it’s a privilege but David and the Board fully support. also has challenges. And I Women coming through the hope I can support David company need to be with those factors in I feel very lucky to be encouraged to apply for mind. I also understand promotion and supported from my job at Ofcom part of a company that when they do, with how quickly customer is so professional and mentoring and flexible demand can change so focused on delivering working likely to be part of and the need for quality homes for the package. But for change to businesses to be agile to customers." happen quickly there needs to adapt. I hope I can bring be some external recruitment, that experience to Barratt, at senior as well as entry level roles. understanding what a cyclical And more generally, Barratt and other business housebuilding is. housebuilders will need to do more with What do you want to achieve during the public and with schools to show that your time at Barratt? construction can be a great career choice for girls as well as boys. Barratt is a great company with a proud history. I feel very lucky to be a part of a And what do you think success company that is so professional and so will look like? focused on delivering quality homes for
You’ve been on the Board for over six months now, what are your first impressions of Barratt? I have loved my first six months. Above all, that has been because of the people. My colleagues on the Board are terrific, very knowledgeable and generous in sharing that knowledge. And it has been
And finally, how do you fit in your role on the Board with your day job? I think it’s a real benefit to running Ofcom to have the experience of the Barratt Board, a successful FTSE 100 company in a very different sector. And my own Board were very positive about me taking on the role. Like all things in life, you make time for what you care about and I work in a pretty efficient way! I am very lucky that modern technology enables me to work when I am out and about, not just when I am in the office.
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Laying foundations
Building a career with Barratt Attracting talented individuals is key to the success of our business. Our apprenticeship programme allows employees to gain essential skills through professional training, whilst working and earning money. We spoke to a former apprentice and someone currently on the scheme to hear why starting as an apprentice can provide the perfect platform for a successful career in the construction industry.
Adam Jones
Apprentice to Site Manager (Malvern View, Redditch)
Q How did the apprenticeship help you to progress to become a site manager? It meant I got to understand what the company required and working on the tools gave me a better understanding of how I could get the best out of people.
Q What skills did the apprenticeship give you which you continue to use in your role today? Organisation, being methodical, people skills, leadership and pride.
Q What do you enjoy the most about your current role? I enjoy the pressure and challenge, as every day I learn something new and achieve something different. I love that every day is a different challenge.
Q What advice would you give to apprentices wanting to progress and become site managers themselves?
Q How has Barratt supported you since you joined in 2006?
Be passionate in what you do and push for success – don’t be complacent, and try to prove yourself.
Q How do you think the industry has changed over the past 12 years and do you think your progression from apprentice to site manager would be the same today? I think the industry has changed a lot in the last 12 years. The skilled workers have disappeared and there is a shortage of materials but the need for houses are increasing each year and the site manager's role is a lot more difficult. I feel that my progression from apprentice to site manager would be a lot more challenging.
Helen Ward-Thorpe
The business has supported me massively since I joined. I have been loyal and feel I’ve been repaid as I was kept in work during the recession and had a lot of money invested into me with all my training and education which has helped me progress to achieve what I have to date.
First year apprentice (Oak Hill Mews, Wednesbury)
Q What attracted you to Barratt? Q How would you like to progress with your career over the next few years Barratt is a well-established company once you’ve completed the which gave me the confidence to apply. apprenticeship programme? To me it seemed like a great way to kick start my career in the I still have another year left of my level 2 construction industry. apprenticeship so once completed I hope to progress to level 3. From there, I could Q What are you enjoying most about go self-employed or go onto becoming the programme? an assistant site manager, I have not The apprenticeship programme is yet decided. amazing. There is so much to learn and so much to do. Q How do you think Barratt can support You never have a dull day you with this? and the people you meet along Barratt’s apprenticeship programme can the way are the icing on the cake. take you far if you are dedicated enough. They recognise your hard work and help you in any way possible.
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LAYING FOUNDATIONS
FOUNDATIONS
The Barratt Charity Plan
Using your volunteering day E BARRA TH
We’ve spoken to a number of colleagues around the business to find out how they’ve used their volunteering days:
Hospice volunteering and maintenance – North Thames Employees have been busy at work at the local adult and children’s hospice, Keech Hospice. Led by Sales Manager Lisa Knighton, the team have been working to help fix up the hospice. Work has included fixing pond edges which were at risk of collapse, replacing rotten posts for architectural features, fixing unsafe paving stones and repairing the pergola. Lisa has also enlisted help from subcontractors to ensure a mix of skilled and unskilled workers completed outstanding jobs at the hospice. The individuals who have taken part have really made a difference to the lives of those living in and visiting the hospice.
How to apply for special leave
CH
B
arratt supports colleagues who wish to carry out volunteer work within the local community or undertake charitable activities – this could include community project work, conservation projects and fundraising for community projects or charities. You can use your skills in a range of ways to help your local community either as an individual or as part of a team, plus volunteering can help you learn new skills, improve team work and benefit your work-life balance.
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Did you know that as an employee you’re entitled to up to one full day of paid leave to undertake a volunteering or charity fundraising day? The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge – South Wales and the 2016 ASPIRE Graduates Both the South Wales team and the 2016 ASPIRE graduates raised money last year by using their day to complete the gruelling 24 mile hike across the Yorkshire Three Peaks, with proceeds going to their chosen charities – the MS Society (South Wales) and The Prince’s Trust (ASPIRE graduates).
Fundraising hike – Eastern Counties
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IT Y P L A N
Jane Hepton, HR business partner for the East region used her volunteer day this year to complete a 10 mile hike with a local school in memory of a student, with all proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Care.
Food collection – North East Danny Wade, a Buyer from the North East division, spent a day last year collecting food outside a Tesco in Gateshead and talking to local people about food banks. Following this Danny was able to work with the North East marketing team to collect food donations from the office employees as well.
Farnham Heath Nature Reserve – West London Colleagues from the sales team volunteered with our partners, RSPB, at their Farnham Heath Nature Reserve. The team spent the day raking and removing thistles, bracken and nettles which will help encourage wildlife back to the area including butterflies. Clearing the area will also support a wider range of flowering plants. Despite the heat, the team got stuck in and were even joined by local residents at the reserve!
Your charity or volunteering day is classified as ‘paid special leave’ and needs to be discussed and agreed to by your line manager. You will then need to fill in the ‘Special Leave Application Form’ which can be found on Docushare. Once your manager has signed the form, it will be passed on to HR and payroll. Employees should not undertake any volunteering activities which will require them to give professional advice. BDW’s public liability insurance has been extended so you are covered when undertaking charitable works or fundraising on the agreed special leave day.
THE BARRATT CHARITY PLAN
15
An experience which I’ll never forget and a grea t gesture from the company."
s and Caroline Williams Matt McLaughlin, Steven Boye
marking 40 years’ service
. . . g n i t a r b e l e C
A group shot of everyon e who was celebrating
their long service on the night
Whole experience e was so much mor y than any of m wildest dreams could ever have imagined."
This year we held our third Long Service Celebration Dinner in honour of those that have committed many years to the business. The annual celebration was held in London in April, and 99 people who celebrated their 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 year anniversaries in the previous twelve months were invited to attend.
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CELEBRATING LONG SERVICE
H
osted by David Thomas, Steven Boyes and the Executive team, guests shared memories of their time in the business, and reflected on the wider social changes that have taken place over the years.
When the longest serving attendees started at Barratt in 1978, James Callaghan was Prime Minister; Hungry Hungry Hippos was first launched; Grease was released and became an instant classic; and Garfield the comic strip was born. At Barratt, the 1970s saw us building on 260 developments stretching from Southampton to Inverness, and the Mayfair one-bedroom house cost ÂŁ7,000. Following the review of our long service awards policy in 2017, greater recognition and reward is given to those who have shown loyalty and commitment to the business. Long service is recognised locally at five-yearly intervals from five years of service onwards. Those achieving 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and above are given a financial gift and an invitation to attend the dinner.
FOUNDATIONS
Marking 35 years’ service
Guests at the celebration dinner mark their 20 yea rs’
This was a great evening and it is fantastic that the company is celebrating the lo ng service in this way . Thank you!"
long service milestone
service Celebrating 30 years’ long Colleagues celebrating 25 years’
service
Roll of Honour
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Nigel Wilton – Manchester Peter Follows – East Midlands
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Gordon Bruce – West Scotland Alexander Coltman – East Midlands Tina Roomes – East London Sara Langford – Southern Counties
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William Christie – North Scotland YE ARS OF SER YE ARS OF SER Mary McIntyre – West Scotland Ian Montgomery – North East Paul Lynas – North East Jeremy Champion – Southern Counties YE R A RS OF SE YE Robert Grafton – Group Support A R S O F S E R Centre 30
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Mark Hutchinson – East Midlands Linda Lane – South Midlands Padraig Pearce – Southampton Carolyn McKee – Southampton YE R A RS OF SE Giuseppe Menichella – East London Alexandra O'Donnell – Group Support Centre James Taylor – Group Support Centre EN
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Robert Martin – North Scotland EARS OF SER Kevin Alexander – North Scotland Andrew Dawson – North East Lisa Morrison – North East YE Samantha Newman – Yorkshire East ARS OF SER Andrew Jackson – Yorkshire West Neil Hartland – Yorkshire West Stephen McGeiver – Manchester Deborah Ward – Manchester Tracey Richardson – Mercia Lee Eyre – North West Andrew Taylor – North West Sharon Maddock – South Wales David Martin – Eastern Counties Jason Lowe – East Midlands Timothy Moore – East Midlands
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In each issue of Foundations, we recognise those who have reached a 20, 25, 30, 35 or 40 years' long service milestone over the last six months. Congratulations and thank you to all who have reached a milestone between January and June 2018.
A RS OF SE
Paul Cook – Yorkshire East Steven Boyes – Group Support Centre
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The 2018
Million Makers Challenge
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he Prince’s Trust Million Makers Challenge has become one of the highlights of the ASPIRE graduate programme in recent years. The challenge puts teams’ ingenuity and teamwork to the test as they create and plan a series of events and projects to turn an initial £1,500 seed funding into a minimum of £10,000 profit for The Prince’s Trust. To receive their seed funding,
team Golden Bricks had to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges in a Dragon’s Den style pitch. Team Golden Bricks were praised for their confidence and professionalism in their pitch and managed to secure their £1,500 seed funding in June, ready to officially launch their Million Makers campaign which will run from July to December.
Events to look out for over the challenge
Graduates go abseiling Thirteen of this year’s graduates tackled their fears, just like the young people supported by The Prince’s Trust, by abseiling down a coastal ledge in Swanage, Dorset to raise funds for the charity. See how they got on and how much they raised on Our Place.
Summit 60 will challenge 60 employees in teams of 4-6 to take on the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge on 22 September 2018. The event will put teams from across the business against one another in a competition to collect as much sponsorship as possible.
Buildability will be a seminar and informal networking event where people can share their experiences of working with a disability in the construction industry. As we continue to embrace diversity and inclusion, we hope that Buildability will provide a platform to increase awareness and education of what we need to do as a company and an industry to promote more inclusive workplaces.
If you’d like to take part in any of these events, look out for more information on Our Place or email goldenbricks@barrattplc.co.uk
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2018 MILLION MAKERS CHALLENGE
FOUNDATIONS
The digital revolution
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Our new websites
ew pages for our developments across Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes and Barratt London will be launching to the public over the summer, marking a major milestone in the launch of our new websites.
To measure success, we have been testing the performance of the new web pages, comparing speed and sales lead generation against the old web pages. This involves a proportion of website visitors seeing our old websites and the rest seeing the new version, to create a fair comparison. This testing has allowed us to closely measure changes to sales lead generation ahead of the full roll out later this year. The new web pages have been carefully designed, incorporating the findings of extensive customer research and website performance tracking. We have investigated which elements of the websites are primarily driving sales lead generation. This has allowed us to create an experience that focuses on those elements which matter most to our customers, such as floor plans and imagery.
Our new websites are supported by a new system, Sitecore. Sitecore is operated by Divisional Marketing teams and allows them to update website content for developments and plots. Training is being rolled out throughout August and the system will provide Marketing teams with a quicker and more sophisticated facility to update web pages. Following this initial launch, website development will continue, delivering new homepages and search result listings over the coming months. Improved selling scheme and offer pages will also be introduced, alongside enhanced Customer Care pages to support existing customers with help and support for their home. Let us know your thoughts about the new websites as you begin to see changes take place. Email employee.communication@ barrattplc.co.uk to share your views – we’d love to hear from you!
Why build new websites? nline marketing including our websites accounts for over O 70% of our sales leads – most of these leads come from mobile phones I nvest in technology to be ahead of the competition – on average customers look at four developer websites during a new build property search
Online m arke including ting our websites accounts for over 7 0% of sales lea our ds
ore efficient website Content Management System for Marketing M teams, allowing us to update web pages more regularly rovide website visitors with a consistent experience, P whether they’re using their phone or computer reate modern, streamlined designs which provide C visitors with the right information
t What’s importan when searching * for a new home? ernal I nternal and ext imagery Floor plans ns Room dimensio Site plan
er om HPI Custom * Information fr er 2017 Research, Octob THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION
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Projects roundup W
e’ve caught up with some of our divisions to find out how they are progressing with their Built for Life (BfL) accredited schemes. These awards recognise submitted schemes that have achieved good design responses to the 12 key questions set out by the industry standard, Building for Life 12, which are reflected in our own internal initiative, Great Places. As of July 2018, we have received 63 awards, including 16 Outstanding.
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Scotland
Central
West
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London & Southern
Denotes Geography covered by; North Midlands- Barratt (Northern Region) and East Midlands-DWH (East Region)
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Blakelaw
York
Preston
Basingstoke
Located close to Newcastle city centre, North East’s City Edge development provides a mix of family homes and apartments, ranging from single storey up to four storey units with a varied blend of facing brick and render finishes. 31 affordable homes are provided in addition to the 263 private homes, alongside a 14 unit Supported Housing Unit. Community allotments have also been included. The site now incorporates the 2016 range of house types, which have been used in the remaining phases.
Derwenthorpe is a mixed tenure, exemplar sustainable community of 540 high-quality, energy efficient homes on the periphery of York, in our Yorkshire East division. The first phase, consisting of 64 homes, was completed in March 2013 with the remaining phases under construction. Embodying the ethos and legacy of the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, and following the precedent set by nearby model village New Earswick, Derwenthorpe provides a residential community that meets not only the demands of the current inhabitants but also those in the future.
Nearing completion, Cottam Meadow is a diverse, vibrant and family friendly development that creates 104 new dwellings on the north western fringe of Preston. The site in our Manchester division was developed in conjunction with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and embodies the principles of Building for Life 12 with high quality street environments that are pedestrian friendly with strong spatial design. Bespoke elevations lend the site a distinctive and modern character, whilst the development as a whole has sustainability at its heart.
Located within the grounds of the former Park Prewett Hospital and Farm, Southern’s Outstanding accredited scheme at Gillies Meadow is a HCA site that will offer 300 new homes (40% affordable), with a mix of houses and apartments. The scheme has been categorised into four character typologies that work with the contours of the site, progressing from urban to rural in terms of house type designs, streets and public spaces. A combination of standard and bespoke house types use traditional materials in a contemporary style.
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PROJECTSROUNDUP ROUNDUP PROJECTS
FOUNDATIONS 5
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Aylsham
Coalville
Plympton
Fishponds
A range of homes are available through a three phase development at Bure Meadows, located in the historic town of Aylsham in our Eastern Counties division, 13 miles north of Norwich. 300 new homes are provided, of which 33% are affordable. In addition to the homes, new allotments and parking for the adjacent school will be delivered, along with provision of a future expansion zone for the school. A further 2.5ha of open space, inclusive of three areas of play, have also been created.
Abbots View in our East Midlands division embraces its natural surroundings and incorporates the local architectural style into the design. A country style character has been developed with a strong relationship between the new homes and the surrounding landscape, achieved through retention of existing trees and hedgerows and the addition of further planting. Feature house types stand out through their appearance, which includes some duck-egg blue render which catches the eye and is memorable within the scheme.
Redwood Heights is a BfL Outstanding accredited development of 190 units consisting of a mixture of houses and apartments. Our Exeter division’s partnership with Plymouth City Council and the Creating Excellence Design Review Panel has helped them to design a high quality development that will enhance the lives of the local community for years to come. The development supports local connectivity towards shops, schools and bus stops, encouraging healthy habits for walking and cycling.
A regeneration scheme in Bristol, St Matthias offers 217 new homes situated next to Grade II listed buildings. The design is formed around two key view corridors, which are framed by the main tree lined streets and provide clear desire lines through and around the site and adjacent park. The development in our Bristol division is sustainably linked to local cycle and public transport routes and the public art strategy has created a strong destination space on the northern edge.
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Barnet
Blackfriars
Basingstoke
Canterbury
Hendon Waterside in West London is a regeneration scheme of over 2000 units. It'll deliver a range of community facilities such as a school, community centre, retail units, resident gym, concierge and a large open space that will reconnect the local area with the adjacent Welsh Harp Reservoir. Construction for Phases 3B & 3C (299 units) is nearing completion, which will include the opening of the large central space, with Phase 4 (625 units) due to start soon in order for completion in 2022.
Blackfriars Circus is a residential led, mixed-use scheme for the redevelopment of a pivotal site within central London, which includes a significant amount of high quality public space. East London’s scheme will include 336 private and affordable apartments, provided on a tenure-blind basis. A brick clad, 27 storey tower will add a distinctive identity and positive contribution to the new London skyline. A varied palette of brickwork along with recessed decorative glazed brick spandrels and concrete banding are carefully detailed to ensure rich layered urban facades.
Southern Counties' Chapel Gate is a BfL Outstanding site consisting of 256 houses and 362 apartments, with a 40% affordable housing requirement. The site uses the Barratt brand and is currently selling in Phase 2 of 3 parcels. Streets are structured around an existing art deco office block known as ‘The White Building’, which has been refurbished and converted into 96 modern apartments, which are due to go on sale in October.
Preston Grange in Kent comprises of a mix of houses that are reflective and complementary of the properties that characterise Preston village. Tile cladding, weatherboarding, render and brick have been carefully placed to create different areas of character, supported by sensitive landscaping and boundary treatments. The division has successfully replanned the development during construction to incorporate the new DWH-7 range, without detriment to the overall scheme design. The scheme achieved Outstanding in its Building for Life assessment.
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Diversity and Inclusion Why is it important? Research shows that diversity and inclusion leads to better business performance, with gender diverse companies 15% more likely to outperform their peers. A business is 33% more likely to outperform on profitability if it has Black, Asian or Minority Ethic (BAME) diversity at an executive level. It also supports workplace happiness; a recent study has shown that employees who are a team with people of mixed ages are 10% more engaged than those who aren’t.
We want our business to be place where people from all backgrounds and walks of life are welcomed and supported. Plus it is no secret that the industry is facing a skills shortage and it’s essential that as a business we explore different ways to attract and develop new talent.
What are we doing? Training and eLearning
Ex-Offenders programmes
Armed Forces programme
Since September 2017 we have run our Building without Barriers training sessions with divisional board and GSC leaders, agreeing local action plans to ensure we continue to create a great place to work. We have now held 31 sessions and trained more than 250 people with positive feedback from those who attended and many people who attended felt we should extend the training to their teams. As a result, we are planning to deliver a similar session to all middle managers later this year. Our eLearning module is live on MyLearning, providing an overview of what D&I is, why it matters and has examples of non-inclusive behaviour and unconscious bias. The module has formed part of the online induction for all new starters since April.
We have been working with a social enterprise organisation and a subcontractor to provide employment opportunities for ex-offenders at Brixton Prison, who are within 12 months of release.
Our Trainee Assistant Site Manager programme for former members of the Armed Forces is still going strong and over the last three years we have recruited 52 Armed Forces personnel. In 2018 we have recruited for 39 new vacancies.
Through the social enterprise organisation, training is offered on site in prisons, in areas such as dry lining, painting and decorating and scaffolding, and we’ve found a number of full-time employment roles for individuals following their release. We have also provided interviewing skills and CV writing workshops at Brixton to those nearing the end of their sentence We are currently trialling an ex-offenders initiative with HMP Winchester. This particular initiative sees ex-offenders gain two weeks of work experience in the local division. Two ex-offenders are now employed on our sites.
Danny Foley, who joined Barratt’s Armed Forces Programme after serving in the Royal Navy, chats with Shadow Housing Ministers Melanie Onn MP and Sarah Jones MP
What has already been achieved? Many initiatives are already underway with great success.
60
%
returners
Since we introduced our new family friendly policies last year, the maternity leave returners rate has increased to 60%, up from 46% in 2014-2015.
99% of the leaders that have attended our Building without Barriers workshop say they would recommend it to a colleague.
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DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
The programme teaches the trainees essential construction skills, people management and self-development while also drawing on the skills gained during their time in the armed forces.
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recommend
FOUNDATIONS
Building a sustainable business We aim to be Britain’s leading national sustainable housebuilder. To achieve this we’re focusing on six issues that matter most:
Keeping people safe Health and Safety remains a key priority for the business. We have engaged 50 of our principal groundworks contractors to find ways in which we can improve plant safety and overall control for their work activities.
Sustainable places to live We carried out insight work looking at what our stakeholders thought of our Great Places design principles at Montague Park, with 67% agreeing that they would improve a development, and the majority thought all developers should use the same design principles. We’ve also created technical guidance on installing Electrical Vehicle Charging points, following increased demand from customers and Local Authorities – the guidance is now available on Docushare.
Responsible and sustainable sourcing
Operating efficiency By ordering ‘rightsized’ plasterboard we have reduced waste plasterboard by 621 tonnes in the past financial year. We are reducing timber waste on site and making sites safer by using reusable stairwell protection system ‘Wellsafe’. We have asked our timber truss suppliers to remove plastic packaging wrapping during summer months to reduce plastic packaging. And we’re reducing waste in our offices too – four of our divisions have moved to using glass milk bottles saving 14,200 plastic milk bottles a year and office energy efficiency audits have taken place at Eastern Counties and Yorkshire East.
Attracting, inspiring and investing in people Our 11 campus teams are promoting construction careers for graduates across the country and going to key universities. As of 30 June 2018, we had 538 graduates, apprentices and trainees on development programmes.
146 of our construction materials suppliers are now signed up to the Supply Chain Sustainability School as ‘Bronze’ level members. We have assessed 350 higher-risk sub-contractors for modern slavery risk. We extended our modern slavery training to contracts managers, as they have greater familiarity with the subcontractor teams across our developments. We have supported the Supply Chain Sustainability School to run nine breakfast briefings across the UK to encourage our subcontractors to sign up to the school. So far 27% of our top 500 contractors are members or above with SCSS.
Barclays Green Mortgage Product Barclays have launched a set of mortgage products that reward customers for buying an energy efficient property, with an EPC of B or above, by offering a discount on their normal rate. The product is the first to acknowledge in a meaningful way the financial benefits of buying an energy efficient home. By supporting innovative new products for our customers we can demonstrate our commitment as the leading national sustainable housebuilder. We also hope to attract other lenders to participate in similar schemes. The schemes are initially restricted to five homebuilders including Barratt, and will be available on any qualifying home in the future.
Investing in innovation and development Between 2015 and 2018 we completed 4860 timber frame homes and we continue trials with large format concrete blocks and light gauge steel frame. We’re future proofing our homes against climate change by investigating the impact of overheating in standard housetypes.
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93
%
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of our developments are within 1km of public transport
Did you know?
31
%
of our homes have some form of cycle storage area
of our developments have initiatives to encourage low carbon alternatives to car use, such as electric vehicle charging points, car clubs, and low carbon travel including electric vehicle charging points
BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS
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Our customers
A
And how we’re putting them first
ll around the group, people are going the extra mile to provide excellent service both to our customers and to other teams around the business.
I am Cons
istent
I Commun
icate
To recognise this and show just how much our customers and colleagues appreciate what we do for them, we’d like to share some of their recent comments and thank you notes.
I am Posit
ive
I take Ow
nership
I am Proa
ctive
I never write reviews or talk about companies and experiences, but with Barratt London, this is the first time I can say that I was really blown away,” says Christian. “They were with us every step of the way and making the whole process so much easier when it could have been quite stressful. Christian and Flossie moved into their Christian and Flossie d ratt London’s Catfor Bar at flat two-bedroom ent Green developm
To: Wepre Green Site Team From: Laura
shire West Andrews View, York To: Sales Team at St From: Sam staff t to one of your sales y a complimen th Hi. I just wanted to pa sterday and dealt wi We visited the site ye the all us ve at St Andrews View. ga d an tic. Incredibly helpful Joy. She was fantas we wanted. We look ed about the house ed information we ne th her again. forward to dealing wi
r ey with you uperb journ rt to s a d a h "We have w from sta ’ve ets Meado urprise we team at Po my huge s eila to h d S n d A n !! a h finis is week th y rl o o p w y o ll been reall bunch of ye ’s all h a lovely arrived wit et well!!! Who says it yg week ago! roses to sa moved in a e w le a s team are about the your sales r ie nt p p a h ff are brillia Can’t be ground sta rs r e u g a yo n g a n m zi ama ur site yo d n a ving o te li m o s after and very p ‘tiny’ issue e y th u b h it u w yo dealing his is why en fab!!! T in have be on!" David Wils
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OUR CUSTOMERS
Just wanted to say how pleased I am with the se yourselves. Gem rvice from ma and Albi fro m the Wepre Gr Connah's Quay een site in have been amaz ing. I've been in years now and lo my house three ve it, I've had a fe w problems but been very quick Gemma has in her response to get these fixed Albi has been th straight away. is morning and fixed them, and he was, service what a lovely m was amazing. an
David Wilson Homes has been really supportive and helped us with all the aspects of the purchase. We were made to feel at ease right from finding a solicitor and a mortgage advisor to actually moving in. The guarantee and support that comes with a new build was another factor for our choice. Roshni, Ashish and Aadya
Roshni, Ashish and thei r daughter Aadya now live in their new hom e in The Paddocks in our North Midlands divi sion
FOUNDATIONS
Leading Construction
An update on Modern Methods of Construction
W
ith more houses needed across the country and issues we face as a result of the materials and skills shortages, we continue to look at modern methods of construction (MMC) so we can lead the housebuilding industry for years to come. This update looks at how we can learn from other countries facing similar issues and our recent MMC trial for garages.
Learning from abroad to improve our working performance Members of the Barratt Executive Team, NHBC and industry partners Stewart Milne and Tarmac recently went on a research trip to Germany and the Netherlands to study offsite manufacturing techniques and new housebuilding technologies. The intensive three day trip took in a range of offsite manufacturing facility visits, show villages, demonstration houses and live construction sites. The trip aimed to understand new technologies and techniques in two European countries that have similar housing demand profiles and many similarities with the UK in terms of traditional construction skills shortages. Steven Boyes, Chief Operating Officer, said, “We are absolutely committed to offsite and MMC (modern methods of construction) technologies. Such research trips are beneficial in that they help us to think differently. This trip has been inspirational, giving us new ideas which we can take away to make our approach to offsite even better.” Host companies on the trip: STREIF, Germany – Closed panel timber frame systems FertighausWelt Show Village, Germany - showcasing fully furnished homes from different offsite manufacturers, to the public Ursem Modular Building Systems, Netherlands – Volumetric systems and bathroom/kitchen pods Xella, Netherlands - Large format concrete elements De RuwBouw Group (dRBG), Netherlands – Advanced concrete panels with integrated electrical services, windows and door frames
Improving build efficiency with Offsite Garages This year, the Group standard garage designs have been rationalised, resulting in a move away from separate designs for Barratt and David Wilson, towards a new dual-branded range, with working drawings being produced for masonry construction. An offsite version has also been trialled – using pre-cast concrete wall panels and a modular roof, while retaining the appearance of a traditionally built garage. These NHBC approved, offsite garages will improve the build speed – taking just a day to build two double/twin garages or three single garages, without the need for scaffolding when using modular roofs. The concrete panels eliminate the need for bricks, meaning increased bricklayer capacity to work on houses and they allow for a better quality internal finish to the benefit of our customers. Requests are being sent out to divisions to put forward sites that can include the offsite garages, with the objective of growing volume and becoming a long term solution for our future developments.
LEADING CONSTRUCTION
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Out and about
We see what colleagues have bee Marking our 60th anniversary The Board celebrated our 60th anniversary by inviting former Barratt Chief Executives and Chairmen, the Founder of David Wilson Homes as well as members from industry bodies and financial institutions. Our divisions have also been marking our 60th with a range of different activities, from testing out the new Barratt helicopter to celebrating with local charities.
BBQ and iversary in style with a celebrated our 60th ann The team in Bristol also el! hot on Hilt ble Tree presentations at the Dou
staff
The team fro m West Midlan ds visited Acor Children’s Ho ns spice to see ho w their £24,0 donation is go 00 ing to good us e as celebrates th the charity eir 30th year!
Paul Crisp in our Southe and Craig Hodge from rn bring the ic division are looking to on back and ha ic Barratt helicopte r ve been te sting the ve latest tech . ry Clare (left) and ief Executives Mark Former Barratt Ch and as om Th vid Da ht) join John Swanson (rig the dinner. at an All n Joh n Chairma
Other guests at the dinner included Fo under of David Wi David Wilson and lson Homes, former Barratt Ch airman, Bob Laws on.
Raising money for causes that matter most for The team at BD Living have been busy fundraising al death. Sands, a charity supporting stillbirth and neonat
to mark the est2East event m held their W tea s from the ue on ag nd lle Lo tt 50 co The Barra London office. st Ea walked or ran w d, ne cle eir cy r opening of th enge, and eithe all ch e th g homeless in un rt yo pa for divisions took Point, a charity re nt Ce for ey on – all to raise m on. people in Lond
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OUT AND ABOUT
Colleagues from our N orthampton Milton Keyne division have s Dragon B taken part oat Festival for MacInty in the race and ra re, a charity ised more supporting than £1,000 people with learning di fficulties.
FOUNDATIONS
en up to Celebrating at end of year parties As we mark the end of another successful financial year, divisions let off some steam at their end of year parties!
ouse at Kent H in The team ith a picnic w ed at br cele ark. Regents P
Colleagues from South Wales rece Customer iving their First certifi cates.
Our South Wales division dressed up for an evening at St. David’s Hotel, Cardiff Bay, with colleag ues also receiving their Customer First Awards .
Colleagues from North West enjoy ing the end of yea r BBQ.
ardi Gras! Mercia’s M in style with d en ar ye Celebrating
rk year end. n enjoyed a BBQ to ma Our North West divisio
The team at North West making the most of the ice cream van.
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Builders' one-liners
And finally... Caption competition
Thanks to colleagues who submitted their building one liners to the employee communications team, here’s a pick of some of the best…
They never need an excuse for fancy dress in Mercia, and we wondered what Mrs Potato Head might be saying to Woody and Buzz – can you come up with a witty caption?
"I watched a documentary about how they fix steelwork together last night. It was Riveting!" Graeme Smith, Eastern Counties
Email us at employee.communication@ barrattplc.co.uk by Friday 28 September to be in with a chance of winning a gift card. We’ll print the best suggestion in the next issue. "What’s the problem, you all jumped at the chance to meet me at the Barre!"
"How do construction workers party? They raise the roof." Laura Green, Northampton "I saw an argument between a joiner and a hairdresser. They were going at it hammer and tongs." Julian Digby, North West
And the winner is...
"I never wanted to believe that my Dad was stealing from his job as a road worker. But when I got home, all the signs were there!" Kevin Scott, West Midlands
Thanks to all the readers who sent in captions for our last competition, which shows the site team at South Midlands getting behind Wear it Pink Day.
Submit your building one liners to employee.communication@barrattplc.co.uk
The winning caption came from Karen Scott, Sales Office Manager in West Scotland who has won a Marks & Spencer gift card worth £50.
Congratulations!
Prize word search
We have two winners for the last wordsearch competition because of a glitch with the wordsearch. The winners are Paul Templeman, Assistant Accountant, South Wales and Alun Potter, Project Manager, Exeter who have both received a Marks & Spencer gift card worth £50.
Words 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
FIVE STAR LONG SERVICE PRIDE IN THE JOB MILLION MAKERS VOLUNTEERING
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
SHARON NEDS VISION PRIORITIES PRINCIPLES
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
MATES IN MIND MENTAL HEALTH GDPR COINS APPRENTICES
16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
SITE MANAGER WEBSITE CHARITY PLAN GREAT PLACES BUILT FOR LIFE
Word search competition Return your word search to us and we’ll name the £50 gift card winner in the next issue.
Name Address
Job title Location Fill in this form and post it back along with the word search to: Katy Soar Barratt Developments PLC 1st Floor, Kent House 14-17 Market Place London, W1W 8AJ Closing date: 28 September.
28
AND FINALLY...
Have you got news for us?
We’re always on the lookout for stories. If you have any suggestions or com ments about what you’d like to see in futu re editions of Foundations, or on the Our Plac e intranet – we’d love to hear from you. Ema il us at: employee.communication@b arrattplc.co.uk