Fit For Purpose Issue #8

Southeastern Becomes UK’s First Rail Operator to Publish Social Mobility Action Plan

The Future of AI under a Labour Government with Nick Forbes CBE

How Labour’s breaking down barriers mission could deliver the promise of levelling up with Lord Walney

The impacts of poor mental health on aspiration with the Rt Hon Anne Milton

In February, the Purpose Coalition’s new Business Advisory Council met for the first time – it’s a C-suite group of leaders that will work and drive change to improve social mobility across the country.

Business leaders come together in social mobility mission-driven group

The meeting opens a new chapter for businesses who have purpose-led strategy. These business leaders have united behind a shared and clear, collective desire to drive equality of opportunity across sectors and across the country. Perhaps, unlike the sectorspecific groups many might normally attend, the Advisory Council can bring together diverse sectors, with leaders from energy, transport, defence, hospitality, financial services, healthcare, retail, utility services, tech and communications working alongside each other. It demonstrates that whatever the industry, leading businesses now regard social mobility as crucial not only for the success of their companies, getting the talent they need to succeed, but also integral to our country’s success more widely, generating economic growth and ensuring a fair transition to net zero.

Members of the Advisory Council are clear about the aims of the Group – it will be a forum to assess best practice and impact through its focus on social mobility, alongside examining its key challenges, considering what the priorities should be of their businesses and sectors and shaping future solutions in a changing political landscape. The first face to face meeting underlined that many businesses, regardless of sector, are experiencing similar challenges – difficulties in recruiting skilled workers exacerbated by an ageing workforce and a younger demographic often unaware of the opportunities that some sectors can offer; an outdated Apprenticeship Levy system and the benefits of alternative routes into work; mental health and resilience of colleagues and customers including issues like the menopause but extending to financial resilience; and the potential in delivering a fair and just energy transition.

It’s the diversity of the businesses represented by Council members that makes it such a powerful group, even more so given that it can work across wider Purpose Coalition organisations including universities, NHS Trusts and local authorities. The clarity of the group’s purpose gives it a much stronger voice for businesses as we approach a General Election and a likely change of government. It is more important than ever that the ambitions of business on driving social mobility are effectively communicated to government, particularly given all the Advisory Group’s leaders are deploying solutions on the ground, often innovative ones, in breaking down the barriers surrounding poor social mobility.

The key point for them is that whilst government can help them get further, faster on equality of opportunity, for these businesses, it’s not just about waiting for government to act. They believe there is a gap that businesses can fill, taking the lead on social mobility and offering their own solutions to breaking down the barriers to opportunity that prevent people with talent and potential from getting on.

The Advisory Council will steer and feed into the Breaking down Barriers Commission, led by a former member of Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet and current Purpose Coalition Engagement Director, Nick Forbes CBE. The Commission’s work is looking closely at what the challenges are and how businesses are responding, delivering a positive social impact on their colleagues, customers and communities and what that might mean for a new incoming government.

These are challenging times, but they are also exciting times. The Business Advisory Council and the Breaking Down Barriers Commission have a real opportunity to shape the equality of opportunity agenda of the future, guided by ambitious and innovative thinking. The Purpose Coalition has already been working with its members, building up its unique collective insight to be able to develop and assess social impact and social mobility strategies, exploring how they can go even further, with recommendations that will extend that impact and measure their progress. The need for more transparent, straightforward, effective measurement and benchmarking is a key focus for our work going forward, particularly socio-economic reporting and social value tracking, and it will be a focus of the next Advisory Council meeting in the late spring.

The solutions that the Advisory Council business leaders develop together can be key in making sure that opportunities are more open for everyone in this country. By leveraging the collective expertise and influence of our members, we aim to inspire and mobilise a movement of responsible businesses and their leaders who are committed to making a positive impact. They will be critical to driving this change and transforming lives for the better – many already know the solutions that work in their own organisations, so pooling that mutual expertise is surely the most impactful thing they can do.

Attendees included:

Andrew Pace, Director of HR, Legal and Company Secretary - UK Power Networks

Angela Evans, Chief Customer Officer – Ramsay

Chris Norbury, Chief Executive Officer - E.ON U.K

Chris Stanton, Chief Financial Officer – Shoosmiths

Clive Higgins, Chair and CEO - Leonardo UK

Donna Murrell, Managing Director - Reed in Partnership

Hannah Thomson, Chief People OfficerTravelodge

Hisham Hamid, Social Mobility & Skills Partnerships Manager - bp

James Pierson, General Counsel and Chief Purpose Officer - Virgin Money

Jill Shedden MBE - Chief People Officer - Centrica

Sarah Roche, Director of Talent - Royal Mail

Lisa Hannah, Director of Group Communications and Corporate Affairs - Aldermore Bank

Sean Duffy, CEO - Wise Group

Sean Haley, CEO - Sodexo UK&I

Steve White, Managing Director - Southeastern

Sandhya Sabapathy, Skills, Revitalisation & Employment Director - Thames Freeport

Stuart Pilcher, Head of Public Affairs Pennon Group

Lord Walney is an Engagement Director of the Purpose Coalition and a Member of the House of Lords. He was formerly the MP for Barrow and Furness in Cumbria, and Shadow Minister for Young People. Prior to entering Parliament, Lord Walney was Special Adviser to then Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Will Labour’s mission to break down barriers finally deliver the promise of levelling up?

As election day in Britain draws ever closer and Labour’s lead shows no sign yet of weakening, the political forecasting industry is switching from debating whether Labour will win to the size of the incoming Labour government’s majority.

As a natural pessimist, I held on to the idea that there might be a narrow route to victory for the Conservatives for longer than most, wondering if they might be able to snatch at least a draw with a tightly-focused Australianstyle campaign which focused on immigration and dialled up the risk that might be posed from an incoming Labour party that had so recently been in the clutches of the Corbynite far left.

But such a campaign would require resolve and discipline at all levels from the Conservatives in Parliament. Instead, too many Tory MPs are behaving like the election is already lost, or even like they want to lose their governing majority so they can settle a score with their leader after the turmoil and infighting of recent years.

Even if the party suddenly came to its senses and decided to pull together and fight a united campaign, they may well find that the public has already stopped listening.

Thus, attention is turning to how Labour will govern. How will the party seek to change the country in these incredibly trying circumstances, when national finances are under great strain and faith in politics and politicians is at a low ebb? And how might it react in the face of an uncertain geopolitical landscape that impacts our economy and society?

Johnson’s spectacular collapse left it realising it could be a party of government within months – a party of government in dire need of a properly worked up plan.

From conversations with the members of our Coalition, I would say purpose-led businesses tend to be broadly optimistic about the impending new government, with a natural touch of apprehension. Their optimism is driven partly by the growing sense that it is simply time for a change, that the current governing party has turned in on itself and run out of energy, so something new is a necessary and welcome refresh. But also, the drive to connect with businesses shown by Sir Keir Starmer, Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, and Shadow Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, is generating real hope and enthusiasm –particularly as it stands in contrast to a curious reticence to engage from many Conservative ministers over recent years. The Labour leadership’s offer of a partnership with business contributes to the optimism felt by businesses that they can play a real part in the country’s recovery.

The apprehension comes partly from people wondering if the business-friendly instincts that Starmer, Reeves, Reynolds and others are projecting in opposition will hold fast in government. Will the innate suspicion of private enterprise that has always pervaded parts of the wider Labour party colour its approach, particularly if the party ends up with a small governing majority and has the constant threat of rebellion from its already unruly left flank in the House of Commons?

But the greater sense of uncertainty comes from the lack of clarity over what Labour’s programme for government will be and how it will translate its ambition for change into a reality that can genuinely improve people’s lives. There is a mix here of, a) electoral campaign tactics that are making its strategists wary of exposing too much to the glare of a hostile media before the election, capitalising instead on a Tory party that continues to tear itself to pieces in public, and b) the fact that it really is working out what it wants to do at speed as the election approaches. Here, the lasting legacy of the dark Corbyn years should not be under-estimated. Not so much in the sense that it has left an underbelly of extremism in the party – Keir has been genuinely determined and at times ruthless in driving out hard left activists and sympathisers who flocked into the party to make Jeremy Corbyn its leader. Now, a tail of economic leftism does certainly still exist in Labour. Yet it is not a sign of a residual Corbyn threat, rather a strand which has always been there throughout its history – including very much through Tony Blair’s New Labour years.

Rather, the Corbyn legacy manifests as a gap of lost time. When Keir won the leadership after Labour’s seismic defeat in 2019, he inherited a party in shock, a movement which had come close to destruction and was emotionally traumatised and exhausted. Back then, Boris Johnson’s political hegemony appeared to be set in – Labour’s had little hope of winning the next general election after Johnson successfully redrew the political map by smashing the red wall. So, in the minds of a demoralised party, Labour had time to heal, draw breath, rediscover its bearings and moral compass and plan for the long term.

Employers have a crucial role to play in stemming the tide of poor mental health in our workforce

The rising rates of poor mental health in this country are deeply alarming. The impact on people’s personal and working lives is immense.

Poor mental health stifles aspiration and ambition, limits opportunity, increases the likelihood of physical illness and has wider effects on families. Research also suggests that increasingly fewer people are experiencing good mental health, where they feel empowered and able to make positive progress in life and thrive.

One of the most significant aspects of the current mental health crisis is how it is increasingly affecting young people.

The impact of the pandemic on school age children, university students and young people entering the labour market has had far reaching consequences. Disrupted learning, a lack of social interaction, an absence of conventional onboarding in the workplace and isolation have all taken their toll. Added to this are concerns about the cost-of-living, global conflict and climate change which have only added to the anxiety felt by many young people.

Recent research from the Prince’s Trust has found that one in five 16–25-year-olds have missed school or work in the past year due to their poor mental health. Eighteen per cent said a mental health issue had stopped them applying for a job. One in five also said their condition has got worse in the last year. More than a quarter of those questioned said they worried that their current employer would not support them if they

Rt Hon Anne Milton is an Engagement Director of the Purpose Coalition. Anne served in the House of Commons for over 14 years, including as Minister for Skills and Apprenticeships, Minister for Women, Minister for Public Health, and as the first female Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Commons.

experienced a mental health problem and one in ten unemployed young people had left work in the past 12 months because of this. It can become a vicious cycle - poor mental health prevents young people from working, being unemployed affects their wellbeing and the opportunities for work diminish. The research, conducted annually, found that young people’s happiness with work, education, qualifications and money is at its lowest since polling began in 2009.

The economic price is significant. The negative impact of young people unable to play their full part in the workforce at a time when they should be embarking on exciting jobs and career pathways that will enable them to live full, rewarding lives is clear not only for their individual prospects but for the country’s economic prosperity. In the wider workforce, the mental health crisis has been linked to the 500,000 under-35s who are out of work due to long-term illness, a 44% increase since 2019. Overall, 18 million days a year are lost as a result, with an estimated £118bn cost to the UK’s economy every year.

At the sharp end are the NHS Trusts and other health and social care organisations across the country supporting the growing numbers of people affected by poor mental health. They have a dual role to play - to look after the communities they serve, offering the right support and treatment, but also to look after their own staff. This is not easy in the face of current resource and workforce challenges. Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust focuses on specialist mental healthcare provision, including extensive community outreach, but is also an award-winning employer for the health and wellbeing programmes it runs for its staff. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is part of Wellbeing for Warwickshire which offers a one-stopshop where people can go for help with their mental health, either in person or on the phone, online or in the classroom, including peer mentor support services which particularly target young people. This initiative also encourages men to talk about their mental health.

Research showing that 48 per cent of UK employees do not have good mental wellbeing support at work highlights how important it is for employers to play a decisive role. They can ensure an open and empathetic environment in the workplace where staff can discuss mental health issues and where there are measures in place to support them, including helping them to maintain good wellbeing. The Purpose Coalition works with many organisations which have made health and wellbeing a key element of their purpose-led approach to making a positive social impact, enabling staff to reach their full potential. Royal Mail, for example, has a dedicated team of over 1,000 Health and Wellbeing Ambassadors and its Feeling First Class initiative and confidential wellbeing platform, Help@hand, are available to support its staff across the country. Another partner, Southeastern Railway, has signed up to the Mindful Employer Charter which demonstrates its continued commitment to addressing mental health within the workplace and in the wider communities it serves.

Whatever the sector, it is crucial that there are mental health strategies in place which are easy to access and inclusive. Our partners in the Purpose Coalition are constantly reviewing these strategies to ensure they are effective, fit for purpose and respond to the needs of their employees. Recognising this is not always easy, we want to highlight those organisations who have made real progress in addressing some of the health and wellbeing challenges their staff face. Mental health matters on an individual level, but also helps retain and recruit staff. If every organisation can focus on better outcomes and stem the tide of poor mental health that is impacting the economy and productivity, collectively we can give individuals the opportunity to have fulfilling lives, boost productivity and reduce the impact on our health and care system.

University of Salford joins campaign to highlight economic and social impact of universities

The University of Salford is teaming up with the Purpose Coalition to participate in the Raising Standards, Creating Opportunities campaign and to further develop its work on social impact.

The University has been an anchor institution in Salford for over 125 years since it was founded as the Royal Technical Institute. It has always been fully committed to providing a first-class, real-world education for young people in the Salford and Greater Manchester area and plays a key role in boosting social mobility across the region.

Raising Standards, Creating Opportunities is an advocacy and policy campaign which highlights the role of UK universities as engines of social mobility, key to providing the fundamental building blocks of opportunity for communities that need them most. It is focused on sharing best practice, highlighting the practical steps that partner universities across the country are taking to maximise their social and economic impact.

Chair of the Purpose Coalition and former Education Secretary, Rt Hon Justine Greening said:

It is fantastic news that the University of Salford is joining our Raising Standards, Creating Opportunities campaign. Universities play a crucial role in their local areas, above and beyond their primary function of providing degreelevel education for their students. The best, purpose-led universities also improve standards in schools and drive economic growth in their communities. It has always been very clear to me, especially during my time as Education Secretary, that higher education is integral to delivering these two key policy objectives.

The University of Salford is already working hard to identify those furthest away from a level playing field to ensure that they have access to the sort of opportunities that will make a difference to their lives. It has also shown that it is particularly adept at promoting stronger technical education routes, including apprenticeships, opening up new opportunity pathways for its students while also servicing the needs of the growth industries of the future in the technology and green economy sectors. The partnerships it has developed with local stakeholders, together with the deep understanding it has of their communities, means that it can successfully engage to extend opportunity where it is needed most. Its approach is key to improving social mobility, especially in our most disadvantaged areas.

Professor Nic Beech, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salford, added: “I am delighted to announce that that we are joining the Raising Standards, Creating Opportunities Campaign.

At Salford, we take pride in delivering an education that not only equips students with academic knowledge but also provides hands-on experiences crucial for a successful life journey.

As a Civic University, we are committed to improving social mobility for people in Salford, Greater Manchester and beyond.

At Salford, we take pride in delivering an education that not only equips students with academic knowledge but also provides hands-on experiences crucial for a successful life journey.

In collaboration with local civic leaders, community groups, businesses, and educational institutions, we are resolute in our commitment to expanding opportunities for people from all walks of life.”

How UWE Bristol uses degree apprenticeships to deliver

the best of both worlds.

At a recent industry event on social mobility, a guest who had recently completed a degree apprenticeship with a major telecommunications company admitted that it was only once he started his course that he understood there was no catch.

He really could study for his degree and get his fees paid, work in an industry setting and gain valuable work experience, all while earning a salary. It’s a perfect mix of both worlds, allowing a student the university experience while also learning the skills that will prepare them for a rewarding - and better paid - career.

More people are recognising the benefits as degree apprenticeships increase in popularity, partly as a result of cost-of-living pressures and the financial impact of going to university but also because many students

leaving school would prefer a more technical higher education experience than the traditional academic one. There are hundreds of subject options, with degree apprenticeships available in a range of industries from engineering to science, law, marketing and digital. The first ever NHS doctor apprenticeship will start from September 2024. A new degree apprenticeship in space systems engineering will also launch next year. A student can get a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree through a civil engineering, nursing or biomedical apprenticeship, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in digital marketing or a Bachelor of Laws (LLB).

As engines of social mobility, many Purpose Universities

Coalition partners offer degree apprenticeships as a key way of widening access and participation in higher education. UWE Bristol, a long-standing member, has just been named among the top 20 best training providers for apprenticeships in the UK, in the national top 50 in the Rate My Apprenticeship Best Apprenticeships

Employers and Training Providers Guide 2023/24. The guide is based on feedback from thousands of young people who completed an apprenticeship last year. The University currently provides over 20 higher and degree apprenticeships in a range of sectors including health, engineering, policing, architecture, business and computer science, working in collaboration with employers from both public and private sectors to develop courses that meet the current needs of employers. Its Apprentices Survey 2022/23 found that 87% of apprentices agree they have developed new or built on existing skills since starting their course.

UWE Bristol’s focused approach to extending opportunity to everyone regardless of background means that it has a diverse intake of students. Its extensive outreach work with local schools and colleges helps those with little knowledge of university or the opportunities that having a degree can open up understand what they need to do to get there. Its #IAmFirstGen initiative brings together businesses, organisations and individuals from across the South West to form a community of students and graduates that are the first in their family to study at degree level, providing them with positive role models so they can learn about the experiences of people like them.

But it’s not just students that benefit from degree apprenticeships. The pipeline of talent that universities produce feeds into local and national economies. Businesses benefit because their collaboration with universities ensures that the courses they offer are relevant and equip graduates with the skills they need. Other businesses are encouraged to invest in the area to take advantage of the supply of well-trained apprentices. The wider economy benefits too, as organisations develop better skilled and productive workforces that helps to ensure they can remain at the cutting edge of green and high tech innovation.

It’s not just students that benefit from degree apprenticeships.

The Purpose Coalition’s comprehensive work with universities and with employers across all sectors has shown consistently that, although there is significant appetite for delivering even more apprenticeships, the current Apprenticeship Levy is far too limited in its scope. By taking advantage of universities’ technical and academic knowledge as well as the sector’s close ties to the local jobs market, there is the potential to extend it. It could be used, for example, to allow employers more freedom to partner with universities to offer upskilling and reskilling courses as well as workplace accreditations. It is an issue that the Coalition and its partners are working hard to highlight, including meeting with the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, in September to discuss how the Levy might be adapted to boost levelling up more effectively and grow the economy in the future.

In the meantime, universities like UWE Bristol are continuing to create opportunities that are transformational for their students and the communities they serve.

Ramsay Health Care UK launches social impact report in the heart of Westminster

Ramsay Health Care UK, one of the leading providers of independent hospital services in England, has launched its Social Impact Report in the heart of Westminster.

The event, attended by cross-party MPs including Employment Minister Jo Churchill, Chair of the Education Select Committee Robin Walker MP, Chair of the Health APPG Dr Lisa Cameron MP and Ministers Guy Opperman MP, John Lamont MP, alongside wider MPs including York Central MP Julian Sturdy, Boston and Skegness MP Matt Warman, Darlington MP Peter Gibson, Sedgefield MP Paul Howell, Amber Valley MP Nigel Mills, Lincoln MP Karl McCartney, Blyth Valley MP Ian Levy, and more.

It was fantastic to be in Westminster with colleagues to showcase our work to Ministers and MPs

The event highlighted the positive impact Ramsay Health Care UK has upon the communities it serves, not only in providing care to patients, but also in employment and learning opportunities, and brought together both Ramsay colleagues, and external partners from the University of Derby and Truro and Penwith College.

Ramsay Health Care UK is widely respected as one of the leading independent healthcare providers, with a strong reputation for delivering safe, high-quality care with positive outcomes for patients. The work of Ramsay goes above and beyond that of just a healthcare provider, but also as a passionate force for good in local communities.

The event marked the launch of Ramsay Health Care UK’s social impact report, produced in conjunction with the Purpose Coalition. The report set out how the organisation is leading the way in breaking down barriers and living up to its responsibilities as an employer.

Key recommendations in the report include:

Prioritising Ramsay Health Care UKs partnerships, championing integrated partnerships with healthcare partners to ensure patients can access the care they need, when they need it.

Developing a talent pipeline, supporting colleagues to develop skills and experience through apprenticeships and further training opportunities, providing clear progression with the organisation for both clinical and non-clinical roles.

Socio-economic tracking, proactively breaking down barriers which could impact individual opportunity for fair career progression, and championing our communities through a grass roots approach.

Ramsay Health Care UK Chief Executive Nick Costa said:

“Since Ramsay Health Care was established by Paul Ramsay in 1964, we have always been built on the mantra of ‘people caring for people’ and the premise of doing what is right by our patients, colleagues, and communities.

That’s why it was fantastic to be in Westminster with colleagues to showcase our work to Ministers and MPs, and demonstrate how Ramsay Health Care UK is a force for good.

As people become more aware of social injustices, our patients, our colleagues, and our partners will demand that we live up to our responsibilities as a leading healthcare provider and employer. We are committed to doing our bit, and with the Purpose Coalition, our bit will be measurable as we deliver safe, quality patient outcomes and operate as a force for good in the UK.”

Purpose Coalition Engagement Director, and former Health and Skills Minister Rt Hon Anne Milton said: “Ramsay Health Care UK is leading the way in delivering best-in-class patient outcomes, and is a force for good in the communities it serves, breaking down barriers to opportunities and providing good jobs, apprenticeships, training opportunities and much more.

It was fantastic to be back in Parliament to launch Ramsay Health Care UK’s Social Impact Report, setting out how Ramsay is innovating, and going further for patients, colleagues and communities.

I look forward to continuing to work with Ramsay in the coming months and years to demonstrate how the organisation is delivering for patients, and wider society.”

Ramsay Health Care UK has also welcomed a number of Senior Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet Ministers to its local hospitals in recent months, including Rt Hon Sir Alan Campbell MP, a member of Sir Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet, Attorney General Rt Hon Victoria Prentis MP, and more. The coming weeks will also see further visits, including from the newly appointed Minister for the Cabinet Office Rt Hon John Glen MP.

Breaking Down Barriers: Labour’s most important mission?

As Britain gears up for a general election later this year, recent polling by YouGov - released this week - shows a dramatic lead for the Labour Party, projecting a victory reminiscent of the 1997 landslide. Should the election be held today, Labour would win 385 seats in Parliament, compared to just 169 for the Conservatives - an almost direct reversal of the 2019 result.

The Labour Party, under the leadership of Keir Starmer, has outlined five pivotal missions that form the bedrock of its agenda for government. These missions encompass a broad range of social, economic, and environmental objectives, reflecting Labour’s comprehensive vision for the future of the UK.

1. Get Britain building again.

2. Put the NHS back on its feet.

3. Switch on Great British Energy.

4. Take back our streets.

5. Break down barriers to opportunity.

Jack Savage

The Labour Party proudly boasts of its ethos of equality and social justice

Jack Savage is a Senior Researcher at the Purpose Coalition and an active member of the Labour Party.

It is, however, the fifth mission - Breaking Down Barriers - that stands out as Labour’s answer to the challenges of inequality and poor social mobility that have long plagued the UK economy and impeded economic growth. To succeed it must address the root causes of disparity in the UK. Labour’s approach must be more holistic than current approaches, aiming not only to bridge the social challenges but also to remove the various barriers that stand in the way of both opportunity and higher economic growth in the UK. Those individual and interlocking barriers are set out here in the Purpose Goals: https://www.purposegoals.org/

This mission has both the potential to unlock the UK’s productivity problem and resonate deeply with the electorate, particularly with those who voted Conservative for the very first time in 2019 and feel the levelling up agenda has not been delivered on.

It is, arguably, Labour’s most important mission. Founded in 1900 and having grown from the trade union and socialist parties of the previous century, the Labour Party proudly boasts of its ethos of equality and social justice, and breaking down barriers to opportunity is its Mission to put its values into action.

As I see from my work with the Purpose Coalition, mobilising businesses, employers, and the third sector will be pivotal in actualising this fifth, and I would argue most important mission.

Recognising that government efforts alone are insufficient to overcome systemic barriers, the Coalition advocates for every organisation to develop their own Breaking Down Barriers plan. These plans – put in place already by leading Purpose Coalition employers - should be tailored to address specific challenges within each organisation, contributing to a broader shift towards inclusion and equality.

Labour MP’s work with the Purpose Coalition underscores a key aspect of its strategy: leveraging partnerships between parliament, the private sector, and civil society to drive change. This collaborative approach is fundamental to creating sustainable and achievable solutions to the entrenched issues of inequality and poor productivity.

As the current polls suggest a favourable outcome for Labour, the party’s focus on Breaking Down Barriers is not just a political strategy, but a promise of a more equitable and economically successful Britain. Labour’s vision extends beyond the corridors of power, influencing organisations across the nations and regions to commit to tangible, impactful changes.

This election could mark a significant shift in the UK’s approach to tackling inequality and boosting growth. For Labour, Breaking Down Barrier’s must be core to that new approach.

University’s social impact in spotlight with national award shortlisting

The University of Chester’s work to create opportunities for all and share its initiatives is being highlighted with a national award shortlisting.

Recognising the significance of its Levelling Up Impact Report, launched earlier this year, the University is a finalist in the Corporate Reporting Awards 2023.

The report has been produced in partnership with the Purpose Coalition, which was established to bring businesses and universities together to work towards improving equality of opportunity and social mobility in the UK.

The University is among seven nominees in the running for the Best Social Impact Report title. The role the University of Chester and its senior academics and lawmakers play in levelling up was celebrated at an event attended by the Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of the Purpose Coalition and former Secretary of State for Education, in the new home of Chester Law School.

Levelling up is focused on creating opportunities for everyone and breathing new life into regions across the UK in ways such as enhancing skills, removing barriers to education and creating and improving jobs.

The Levelling Up Impact Report was formally launched in April to senior academics, policy makers, plus local government officials and business leaders at the Law School’s new base in the Wheeler Building.

The report details how the University, through its Citizen Student strategy, involves and encourages young people from all backgrounds to pursue higher education. Ways in which the University’s outreach work and research is making a difference is also shared in the report.

This includes the work Chester Law School students undertake to support under-represented and vulnerable members across the Cheshire region through initiatives such as the Chester Legal Advice Centre - where student volunteers work with professional mentors to advise local community clients on legal issues - and the Chester Community Law Project. This volunteering initiative includes students working in partnerships with local and national organisations to provide guidance and activities related to legal and rights-based projects such as asylum, education, employment, and families.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Chester, Professor Eunice Simmons said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for this award, recognising the University’s work with the Purpose Coalition and our many partners to promote equality for all to reach their potential.

It is a priority to further enhance the social mobility and inclusivity for our students

“Since 1839 our institutional mission has outlined a commitment to provide our students with the education, skills and support to enable them to develop as confident world citizens and to serve and improve the global communities within which they live and work. It is a priority to further enhance the social mobility and inclusivity for our students to ensure they are ‘worldready’, thereby positively impacting our communities.”

Tackling health inequalities on the frontline - Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust launches its Levelling Up Impact Report

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust (HCT) today launched a Levelling Up Impact Report in partnership with the Purpose Coalition which assesses where it is delivering a positive social impact and identifies where it can go even further.

The Trust is an integral part of the health and care system in Hertfordshire, West Essex, and parts of East England. It delivers community-based healthcare services to more than 1.2 million people in Hertfordshire and beyond, extending also to neighbouring areas of Bedfordshire, Luton, and Milton Keynes. It provides care in people’s homes, care homes, clinics and community hospitals and also runs the Minor Injuries Unit at Herts and Essex hospital in Bishop’s Stortford. It supports people at every stage of their lives, from health visiting, school nursing and specialist dental or speech services to community nursing rehabilitation and palliative care. Its vision of outstanding services, healthier communities is underpinned by core values of innovation, care, and agility.

The Impact Report highlights the areas where Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust is delivering significant social impact against a framework of 14 Purpose Goals, developed by the Purpose Coalition to allow organisations to measure their activities and identify the gaps where they could provide more support where it is needed. They cover key life stages, from early years to positive destinations post-16+ as well as the barriers that can prevent people from accessing opportunity, such as the digital divide and infrastructure.

The report demonstrates that the Trust is already making a difference across many of the Goals, working in local specialist partnerships to deliver tangible results.

HCT is committed to support healthier communities through the services and care we provide

These include its outreach with local schools to promote career pathways in the NHS, as well as its work to support vulnerable children. It has made it a priority to provide personalised healthcare for those communities who have acute needs and are most at risk from the impact of health inequalities, as evidenced in its Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service and its Special Care Dental Service. It also extends its commitment to good health and wellbeing to its staff, including supporting its staff with the cost of living as well as with financial education. Its Green Plan sets out its pathway to net zero, using its local footprint to introduce sustainable changes in a range of areas.

The report also makes a number of recommendations where the Trust can build on its existing achievements, extending its outreach to more deprived areas, expanding its pre-employment support and ensuring that it attracts more underrepresented groups. It can also further embed social value in its work, particularly in areas like procurement.

Chair of the Purpose Health Coalition and former Public Health Minister, Rt Hon Anne Milton, said: “Over the last few years we have seen repeatedly how our most disadvantaged communities are experiencing the impact of worsening health inequality – whether that is in the context of life expectancy, dementia or cancer rates and poor maternal outcomes. The NHS and its staff are in the front line when it comes to addressing the challenges of the current socio-economic and healthcare climate, exacerbated by the pandemic and now by the cost-of-living crisis. Their role has never been more crucial.

“At the heart of its local communities, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust has a pivotal role to play in spreading, equalising, and supporting opportunity for everyone. This report shows how it is already making

a measurable social impact on those communities, as well as on its patients and its staff. Its local partnerships and the way it tailors its work to support those most in need is actively helping to address health inequality in the region. It is also working hard to attract and retain the talent that the NHS needs to meet the recruitment challenges it is currently facing. By extending this work, and targeting it effectively, it can make a valuable contribution to levelling up in the areas it serves.”

Chief Executive for Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, Elliot Howard-Jones said: “As a Trust HCT is committed to support healthier communities through the services and care we provide and the joined-up care we develop in partnership with others to improve outcomes for our patients. The Purpose Goals provide a helpful framework to help us focus our work to understand, benchmark and assess the social impact potential we can make as an anchor institution within the communities we serve and help address wider factors of health and inequality.

“We will build on our current work harnessing new and innovative technologies to deliver our community services to support alternative models of care which where possible allow people to be treated at home. We will continue to target families living in povertywe have already worked with Hertfordshire County Council to provide additional dental services in areas of deprivation and supported sessions for homeless people across Hertfordshire. And through our Green Plan we have identified opportunities across all areas of the Trust to become more environmentally sustainable over the next three years. We are also developing our delivery plan for the next year, to push ourselves and work with our partners to find and include ways in which we can further add social value and impact contributions over the coming year.”

We must make space for applied learning in the curriculum

We have over-balanced education towards academic learning to the detriment of vital skills

This country has always had an academically-driven education system and our political debate continues to centre around that. But in recent years, an increasing focus on skills, apprenticeships and technical education demonstrates a broader truth that applied learning matters, and it matters across the whole of education.

Young people in today’s world are constantly told by employers that a whole range of non-academic capabilities matter – whether teamwork, resilience, creativity, empathy and other skills we all need day to day. They’re told that they need to understand the world of work, of business and how our economy works so that they can prepare themselves to be part of it. Teachers know preparation for work and employability skills matters too – and they also know that right now our education system struggles to deliver that. A staggering 79 per cent of teachers believe that today’s pupils are less prepared for the world of work compared to previous years. That’s bad from a social mobility perspective; if these skills matter, we need an education system that closes important gaps and doesn’t just ignore that they are there.

They design logos, do market research, develop products and hone a sales pitch

It is now up to policymakers to shape an education system that will produce the talent pool our country needs and to make sure everyone regardless of background has access to opportunity. They’ll be doing that against the backdrop of the impact Covid has had on learning but we also know that just focusing on the same narrow academic approach as in the past isn’t going to deliver the outcomes that we want.

The question is how to do that effectively. The good news is that fusing more applied learning across our education system is a key way we can make real progress, and we can learn from schools that already do this well. It’s a way that our education system can also feel more relevant for students and for employers. There’s a chance to introduce more applied learning at an early age in a way that really helps children’s learning through a more stimulating approach that not only makes sense in their wider life but at the same time is also genuinely helping them get prepared for the world they’ll become part of as adults.

An important report published earlier this year by The Entrepreneurs Network (TEN) with Young Enterprise showcased a host of contributions from those already engaged in delivering applied learning. It highlighted the difference it is already making as well as the benefits of doing even more. It has been shown to boost young people’s confidence and engagement levels and contributes to better attendance records and improved academic results.

Those examples include primary schools taking part in the Young Enterprise Fiver Challenge, in which pupils are given a pledge of £5 and have to come up with ideas to make more money from it. They design logos, do market research, develop products and hone a sales pitch, providing opportunities to develop skills and practise making independent financial transactions in a controlled setting, utilising applied learning to embed financial education.

While academic attainment will continue to be crucial, it’s not enough to enable our students to truly thrive once they’re in the workplace and pursuing opportunities. Applied learning can ensure relevance and relatability in young people’s learning at the same time as providing inspiration for potential future careers.

Let’s hope that, whichever party is in government after the next general election, those ministers can take a fresh look at our education system to make the changes we now so badly need. It’s the key to unlocking greater social mobility and equality of opportunity.

Applied learning can ensure relevance and relatability in young people’s learning at the same time as providing inspiration for potential future careers.

Southeastern becomes UK’s first rail operator to publish Social Mobility Action Plan

A new report which highlights the role that the railway sector can play in boosting social mobility was launched this week in Parliament by Southeastern and the Purpose Coalition.

Southeastern is one of the country’s biggest and busiest rail operators, linking south east London, Kent and parts of East Sussex . Its extensive network spans a diverse region, encompassing thriving cities, underserved suburbs and scenic rural landscapes including coastal areas.

With a workforce of over 4,500 people, it provides over 1,700 trains and up to 500,000 passenger journeys per day working closely with Network Rail.

As part of Southeastern’s commitment to exploring how it could extend its social impact, the report features a number of key recommendations for further action:

• Industry leadership and advocacy on mental health, leveraging its position as an anchor institution in the communities it serves;

• Enhance internal progression opportunities, with a specific focus on promoting gender diversity and embracing neurodiversity;

• Amplify community impact by building an early talent pipeline through strategic outreach initiatives with schools, colleges, and further education institutions in areas of deprivation;

• Regional leader on health and wellbeing in collaboration with other local partners.

The Social Mobility Action Plan charts Southeastern’s activities to boost social mobility against the framework of the Purpose Goals which map out 14 barriers to opportunity and includes different life stages as well as wider issues like good health and wellbeing alongside sustainable communities.

Despite the South East having one of the lowest proportions of the country’s social mobility ‘coldspots’ at just eight per cent - it is a region that is also home to areas of severe deprivation. Thanet, for example, is the 52nd worst performing area in the UK for social mobility and most of its key indicators are below the national average.

As a company, Southeastern is deeply committed to the wellbeing of its employees, customers and the communities it serves, and the report showcases the range of work it is already undertaking to support them.

It is building a pipeline of talent, ensuring that its staff have the hi-tech skills the industry needs with work placements, specialised apprenticeship programmes and a train driver pathway that recognises the importance of increased diversity in its organisation. It is also working hard to attract and retain more women into its workforce, including in management, through better career pathways and an improved health and wellbeing offering.

Southeastern is fully committed to building a better, more reliable and sustainable railway which supports the increasing number of customers who want to travel in an environmentally friendly way on an all-electric railway. Over 125 million journeys were made in the last year which is a year on year increase of 9%.

Chair of the Purpose Coalition and former Transport Secretary, Rt Hon Justine Greening, said: “The rail sector is a great connector – of places, of people and of businesses. During my time in the Cabinet, and particularly when I was Transport Secretary, I saw first-hand how vital that connectivity was for economic growth. Southeastern recognises its potential as a force for good and has been very clear as a business that it is keen to extend this as far as possible, willing at every stage to measure and evaluate its progress. Our partnership has allowed us to explore the ways it can do that that will make a positive difference for its colleagues, its customers and its communities.

“It can be too easy to stereotype regions, with parts of the country being depicted as either wealthy or left behind. In fact, in almost all parts of the country, it is a much more complex picture, with areas of great deprivation running closely alongside areas of privilege. This report, and the recommendations for further action it contains, shows how effectively Southeastern has leant into the communities it serves to ensure that it continues to deliver opportunity as widely as possible, closely targeted to those who need it most.”

Steve White, Managing Director at Southeastern Railway said: “We are fiercely committed to supporting the cities, towns and communities that we serve throughout south east London, Kent and East Sussex.

It can be too easy to stereotype regions, with parts of the country being depicted as either wealthy or left behind. In fact, in almost all parts of the country, it is a much more complex picture, with areas of great deprivation running closely alongside areas of privilege.

We know railways are not just a means of travel, they can support economic investment, unlock growth and prosperity, and provide access to employment, education and training opportunities for millions of people.

That is why we are delighted to become the first UK rail operator to publish a Social Mobility Action Plan, clearly setting out our work to date as well as the future opportunities to do more.

This plan sits alongside our Social Value Report, which demonstrates the scale of our investment in the Southeastern region and the opportunities we are proud to provide to those who live and work here.

I would like to thank Justine and everyone at the Purpose Coalition for their help and support in bringing us to this stage and I look forward to working with them, and other like minded organisations, to do much more in the future.”

University of Stirling ranked top 13% in the world for sustainability

The University of Stirling has been ranked in the top 13% by the World University Rankings for Sustainability.

It sees the University move in to the top 200 for the first time.

Operated by global higher education analysts Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the ranking assesses sustainability across three key performance categories: Environmental Impact, Social Impact, and Governance, with 1,402 universities evaluated separately in each of these categories, as well as in an overall ranking.

It means the University is now rated as joint 79th in Europe and 35th in the UK.

Professor Malcolm Macleod, Senior Deputy Principal (Operational Strategy and External Affairs) at the University of Stirling, said: “Our performance in the QS World Sustainability Rankings is a notable achievement, with the University ranking exceptionally well in areas of Equality, and Health and Wellbeing.

“As both an employer and a place of learning, we are committed to playing our role in addressing the climate crisis and this success is testament to our efforts to drive forward sustainable practices.

“We are continuing to take action to lower our institutional carbon footprint and support cleaner, greener ways of working in order to meet our target of achieving net-zero by 2040.”

The University was praised for its strong governance practices including its specific policies relating to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Anti-Harrassment and Bribery, as well as its transparent and democratic decision-making principles.

Other areas scoring highly included the University’s excellent support services for students and staff on campus, including the availability of healthy food choices, access to mental health services and on-site medical facilities.

Nick Forbes explores the future of AI under the next Labour government

Nick Forbes CBE, former Member of Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet has today hosted an ‘AI for Opportunity’ event in Westminster, exploring how the next Labour government can break down barriers to opportunity through artificial intelligence.

Technology brought, and continues to bring huge benefits to Britain - but when it comes to social mobility, artificial intelligence is now a major area of both concern, and opportunity. In 2023, the Labour Party set out a need to license AI, in a similar way to medicines or nuclear power, and there are plans for further detailed announcements from Shadow Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle in the coming months.

The roundtable, attended by Purpose Coalition Leaders, discussed how AI can improve social mobility in education through personalised decision making, the role of technology in improving public services, and how Britain can mitigate against the key risks of AI advancement to ensure it benefits the public good.

Speaking at the event, former Member of Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet, Nick Forbes said: “Labour is thinking about how to radically transform our public services, to ensure they deliver for people - and AI will have a crucial role to play. Today’s discussion was a crucial step in exploring how business and a future Labour government can work in partnership to break down the barriers to opportunity.”

The next report of the Centre for Progressive Purpose, Britain’s leading purpose think tank, led by Nick Forbes, will focus on AI, its potential benefits and risks and provide specific policy areas for the next Labour government to take action. You can find out more about the Centre at progressivepurpose.co.uk.

Nick Forbes CBE is an Engagement Director of the Purpose Coalition. Nick is a former Member of Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet and an expert in Labour politics.

Apprenticeship system skills gap

Any future government will need to listen to what businesses want from the apprenticeship system to plug the skills gap effectively.

On of the things I was most proud of during my time as Education Secretary was introducing a step change in 2017 in our country’s approach and ambition on apprenticeships – stronger standards, built by employers, overseen by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and backed up with an Apprenticeship Levy to drive employer investment. At the same time, employers had more control about which apprenticeships and skills they wanted to invest in for their own organisations.

Several years later of course the reform of the Apprenticeship Levy is long overdue, but we shouldn’t lose sight of just how much positive progress we’ve seen across the country, enabling thousands of people to have the opportunity of a high-quality apprenticeship that can really turbocharge their career.

National Apprenticeship Week is a great time to celebrate apprenticeships and the huge benefits they bring for both employee and employer, not least because they are also a key driver of social mobility - crucial for delivering opportunity and boosting productivity and growth.

An apprenticeship gives someone the opportunity to learn while they earn, and it provides a different education pathway to the more traditional academic route. It means that organisations can develop local talent pipelines with up-to-date skills that match the needs of the twenty-first century. Also, as crucial as they are for young people, apprenticeships are no longer restricted by age. Many employers are using them as a solution to plug the skills gap and develop their existing, more experienced talent by also offering them to mature workers - people who would like to reskill, change career or perhaps who are re-entering the labour market. It underlines how apprenticeships can also be part of how we have lifeline learning for people even as they get well into their careers.

Apprenticeships are available across a wide range of sectors – in technical areas like engineering, manufacturing and IT but also in law and teaching, healthcare and HR. At the Purpose Coalition, we work with many organisations that are flag-carriers for fantastic apprenticeships, running extensive programmes which deliver real opportunity to the individuals that participate and to the communities they serve, often in areas where there have traditionally been fewer high quality opportunities and where young people particularly may feel they have had to move away to find rewarding jobs.

Employers’ engagement with local schools and colleges helps young people to better understand the sort of opportunities that are available and where they might lead them career-wise. There is also a growing focus on ensuring a diverse and inclusive intake that reflects the communities that employers serve, with encouragement for girls to pursue subjects that have traditionally been male dominated.

One other major shift has taken place alongside the steady success of apprenticeships - there is a growing expectation from society, particularly from young people, that the organisations they work for should be a wider force for good and a place where they feel that, collectively and individually, they can make a real difference. That sentiment of values aligning extends to apprentices, and it is an issue which our long-standing Purpose Coalition partner and one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives, the Co-op Group, has chosen to highlight for this year’s National Apprenticeship Week. With an apprenticeship programme that delivers opportunity into many of the country’s most deprived areas, the Co-op has found that an increasing number of young people - 56% this year - say they want to work or volunteer in something that creates genuine social value in communities. They’ve even created an A-Z list of apprenticeships in “jobs with purpose”, from an archivist to a zookeeper, via a firefighter and nursery worker, which you can find here.

The Co-op has also been a leading proponent of reform to the Apprenticeship Levy and recently commissioned a study which found that £96m of apprenticeship levy funds remained untouched in the year 2022/23. That figure is rising and suggests that the rigidity of the current system is contributing to an unwillingness or inability to invest in apprenticeship training. The Co-op highlights that the unspent sum could have supported over 9,000 apprenticeships across private and public sector - a huge waste of talent and a significant loss to the country’s economic growth.

Certainly, when I introduced the Apprenticeship Levy, its design was intended as a starting point and we would rapidly take on board early experiences and have a Levy 2.0 that would work much more efficiently, flexibly and drive social mobility. It’s been frustrating to see only smaller ‘tweaks’ when there’s so much consensus from businesses on how we could make the levy work better.

As one of the UK’s largest aerospace engineering companies, and a Purpose Coalition partner, Leonardo’s extensive

apprenticeship programme offers opportunities across its engineering, manufacturing and business disciplines. It is a business which is also passionate about Levy reform. Its CEO, Clive Higgins, himself a former apprentice, joined me and former Skills Minister, Anne Milton at a meeting with the Chancellor last year to press for reform. It followed a letter signed by a range of Purpose Coalition members which urged the Chancellor to consider a range of potential options for improving the levy, including more transparency and engagement with employers on how the central levy, returned to HMT, is invested. With another budget looming, it is, perhaps, the final chance for this Government to make significant progress on reform measures that would help bridge the skills gap and contribute to regional prosperity. It’s an opportunity that should be taken.

The Labour Party has pledged to change the Apprenticeship Levy to a ‘Growth and Skills Levy’ which would allow it to be used on a greater range of courses. It will also enable firms to use up to 50% of contributions on non-apprenticeship training and allow SMEs who don’t currently pay the levy to continue to receive 95% co-payments. In its revised Mission document on Breaking Down Barriers, just published, it also makes a renewed commitment to high-quality apprenticeships as a route to higher skilled, better-paid jobs.

This week I visited the team at train company, Lumo, a new Coalition member whose London to Edinburgh route is playing an important part in improving regional connectivity. Just as important is its role in delivering opportunities to the region, including through its apprenticeship programme, with 90% of its team undertaking a custom designed apprenticeship. Talking to staff, it was clear just how positively they viewed apprenticeships as an opportunity to develop and progress. Making it easier for more companies to take these crucial steps is vital if we are to level up, break down barriers, or whatever the government of the day want to call achieving equality of opportunity.

Apprenticeships can play a major role in shaping economic growth and in delivering equality of opportunity to those areas of the country most in need of support, but we need to continue to listen to business about what works for them. As we approach a General Election, it’s clear that skills need to be at the centre of that national debate. In the Purpose Coalition, we’ll be doing what we can to make sure that happens.

The inequalities of ageing

How long you live and how well you age are down to a postcode lottery, with the gap in wealth and health between the richest and poorest growing as people get older.

A new report by the Centre for Ageing Better has revealed shocking evidence of the impact of accumulated inequality in many of our communities. It provides a detailed picture of older people, based on a wealth of data including from the 2021 Census, but also reflects what older people themselves have said about their lives.

In the most deprived postcodes, the situation is even worse with life expectancy for men at 73.5 years, almost 10 years less than in the least deprived areas, where it is 83.2 years.

Since the early 1980s the number of people aged 65 and over has increased by almost 50%, and there are almost three times as many people aged 85 and over as there were 40 years ago. Almost 40 per cent of the population is now over 50 and nearly 20 per cent over 65. Older age groups are also becoming more diverse, with the number of people aged 60 and over from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds increasing by 80 per cent since the 2011 Census. With over twice the number in these groups in their 40s as in their 60s, that proportion is set to increase over the coming decades. The report highlights how those from ethnic backgrounds face some of the greatest inequalities.

When people in the most deprived areas of the country reach the age of 65, they have twice as many years of ill-health ahead of them as those in the least deprived areas. Figures show that older people in the north of England die earlier, spend more years in poor health and are more likely to be out of work compared with their contemporaries in the south. The life expectancy difference is most acute between people in the North East and the South East, with men living an average of three years less and women 2.6 years less. In the most deprived postcodes, the situation is even worse with life expectancy for men at 73.5 years, almost 10 years less than in the least deprived areas, where it is 83.2 years. For women the difference is eight years - 78.3 compared to 86.3 years.

The North East has the largest proportion of older people in poor health, with one in three in poor health, compared with one in five in the South East. That gap increases with age with almost half of people aged over 65 in the North East reporting they are not in good health, compared to just over a third in the South East. There are also huge variations within cities. In London, for example, rates of bad or very bad health among people aged 65 and over range from just seven per cent in the City of London to 35 per cent in the neighbouring borough of Tower Hamlets.

The report contains insights into other aspects of older people’s lives, including employment. It highlights the poverty and financial insecurity that can result from older workers being shut out of the labour market. Overall, the number of pensioners living in poverty has increased steadily since 2012, from 13% to 18%, and those aged 60-64 have the highest rates of poverty among adults of any age. There are almost 11 million workers aged 50 and over in the UK - a third of all workers and four million more than 20 years ago - but progress on increasing employment rates for 50-64 year olds has slowed since the pandemic, partly because of an increase in the number of economically inactive as a result of long-term sickness. There is again a regional divide, with employment rates for older people in the North East much lower than for those in the South East - 68% of people, compared with 74.5%.

Without action, the Centre for Ageing Better believes that these inequalities will grow, severely impacting the country’s ability to level up the older population. The report makes a number of recommendations, including calling for a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing to ensure that policymakers plan for an ageing population and consider the needs of the poorest and most disadvantaged older people. Without focused action to tackle inequality and resulting poor health and poverty, the talent, expertise and experience of older people will be lost - to workplaces, to communities and to the economy.

Purpose Coalition member Shoosmiths

crowned ‘UK Law

Firm of the Year – Large sized firm’ at the British Legal Awards

Purpose Coalition member Shoosmiths crowned ‘UK Law Firm of the Year – Large sized firm’ at the British Legal Awards for its stand-out strategy, which is already making an impact in all areas including clients, brand, people and ESG.

Their dedication to excellence in client service, coupled with a clear focus on ESG and people development, sets a commendable standard in the legal sphere.

The strategy - which is centred around excelling in Shoosmiths’ chosen markets, leading the upper-mid-market pack of law firms by 2030, and delivering excellence for its clients across the UK and internationally – stood out to the panel of independent judges who noted its ‘sharp, clear focus’ and progress made so far.

The British Legal Awards, now in its 14th year, was hosted at City Central at the HAC and celebrates ‘the best of the best’ in the legal community. Others shortlisted for the ‘UK Law Firm of the Year’ award included Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Gateley PLC, Gowling WLG, Hill Dickinson, Macfarlanes, Osborne Clarke and Pinsent Masons.

Judges said of Shoosmiths: “In a difficult year for dealmakers, the winning firm has set out a clear strategy that is working and making measurable differences in areas spanning strategy, clients, brand, people development and ESG.”

Shoosmiths’ CEO, David Jackson, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have been recognised by this prestigious accolade. There is a palpable excitement within Shoosmiths, and our people are united and determined in the pursuit of delivering excellence for our incredible clients.We have absolute clarity of where we heading as a firm, and we cannot wait for what’s to come.”

Chair of the Purpose Coalition, Rt Hon Justine Greening said: “Huge congratulations to Shoosmiths on their exceptional achievement as ‘UK Law Firm of the Year – Large sized firm’ at the British Legal Awards. Shoosmiths’ resounding success further highlights their commitment to a purpose-driven strategy. Their dedication to excellence in client service, coupled with a clear focus on ESG and people development, sets a commendable standard in the legal sphere. I look forward to launching the Shoosmiths Social Mobility Impact Report in the New Year which showcases the best practice of the firm through the lens of the 14 Purpose Goals whilst also identifying areas it can go even further, faster, in its impact.”

The UK Law Firm accolade from the British Legal Awards follows hot on the heels of the firm winning Law Firm of the Year at the Legal Business Awards in 2022.

Policy think tank urges socioeconomic tracking for a fairer future

Mandatory socioeconomic tracking and legislation on socioeconomic discrimination are key to making genuine progress on social mobility and ensuring that career opportunities are accessible to everyone.

A new policy paper launched today by the Centre for Progressive Purpose, part of the Purpose Coalition, calls for a Breaking Down Barriers Declaration to be adopted by policymakers, including any new incoming government, to bring purpose and intent to prioritising access to equal career opportunities. It would centralise the work that many leading businesses and key education institutions are already undertaking to provide stronger pathways to successful careers through outreach, work experience and training, particularly for disadvantaged and underrepresented groups. At the moment, too many people encounter barriers at every life stage that prevent them from accessing good quality, rewarding careers.

Measuring progress can be challenging but it is crucial to seeing where the gaps still remain.

Not only do they face challenges getting in but also in getting on, with career progression limited compared to others from more privileged backgrounds.

The Declaration would encourage employers to set public commitments to increase representation at every level, supporting them but also holding them to account. It will be crucial for addressing the stark socioeconomic disparities evident across the country, transforming Britain’s opportunity offering. It will also be critical to economic growth, with estimates suggesting that improving opportunities could boost the UK economy by £52 billion.

Engagement Director at the Purpose Coalition, former Leader of Newcastle Council and member of Sir Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet, Nick Forbes CBE said:

“Britain’s poor social mobility means that too many talented people are not able to access opportunity and don’t realise their potential as a result. Career pathways are significantly restricted for those who do not have the networks or connections to help them get on, or who face other barriers, including things like accent. Breaking those down and allowing talent to flourish will change their lives and their communities. But it is also part of a much wider economic imperative in which the country needs the right talent to match the skilled jobs that will boost productivity and growth.

“At the Purpose Coalition, working with leadership teams from businesses, universities, NHS Trusts and other third sector organisations, it is clear that many employers are already shifting the dial on opening up opportunity to everyone, regardless of background. They have seen how gender and ethnicity reporting has helped them to build more inclusive and diverse workforces that not only better reflect the communities they serve but are also more innovative and engaged. There is also compelling evidence that it makes good business sense. Measuring progress can be challenging but it is crucial to seeing where the gaps still remain.

The paper focuses on three important areasemployment, recruitment and progressionand makes three key recommendations to help drive a more effective opportunity offering:

• Mandatory socioeconomic diversity tracking, through the application of four questions

• Increase the legal protection of socioeconomic discrimination, including accent

• Employers to commit to increase workforce representation of those from disadvantaged backgrounds at all levels

“Some have now also begun to track socioeconomic diversity as part of their efforts on social impact and are already gaining a much clearer picture of how their recruitment, progression and retention practices affect the makeup of their organisation. That data is vital if we are to tackle inequality. With new research from the Social Mobility Foundation showing that a class pay gap costs those from working-class backgrounds over £6,000 a year, it is likely that these trailblazers will be ahead of the curve as the momentum for genuine equality of opportunity gathers pace and the economic case becomes ever more apparent. I hope that this paper will encourage employers – who have such an important part to play in driving greater social mobility –to shape the future of Britain in a fairer, more progressive way.”

Breaking down barriers in law through partnership and collaboration

Times are changing in Britain’s law firms. Once bastions of traditionalism and old school networking, they were seen as elitist and privileged.

And that generally meant they were a closed shop for many looking for a career. Like other business sectors, however, society now has much greater expectations of how they should operate and the impact they should have. Equality of opportunity is becoming an economic and social imperative for everyone, and that includes the legal sector.

Many law firms are responding with ambition and creativity to ensure that a career in the sector is open to anyone with the talent and potential to succeed.

The industry has undergone transformative change over recent years, innovating and expanding the qualification process and routes into the profession. There has undoubtedly been progress, but there are still significant challenges - particularly in the context of outreach, access, recruitment and progression - in the delivery of equal and inclusive opportunities to diverse, under resourced and underrepresented groups. The barriers remain disproportionately biggest for these most disadvantaged groups.

A group of the best legal firms has been working with the Purpose Coalition to focus on breaking down the barriers by shaping a more strategic, countrywide approach to embedding opportunities through the Breaking Down Barriers to Law project. It also included Coalition university partners who were able to contribute the higher education perspective crucial to a fairer and more open legal sector. Led by Purpose Coalition Chair and former Cabinet Minister, Rt Hon Justine Greening, it built on the original Levelling Up Law project in 2021 which worked with City law firms and led to the development of a talent platform.

Working collaboratively and sharing insights and expertise in a series of roundtable workshops on the strategic focus areas of outreach, access, recruitment and progression, the project has culminated in the publication of a report, Breaking Down Barriers to Law. It explores how the sector can do more to attract those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds. It showcases a range of best practice examples from across the country that demonstrate how the participating firms are proactively engaging with them in sustained programmes, extending outreach activities to primary and secondary schools as well as to those who may have been out of the workplace for some time.

Their use of tools like work experience and open days provide valuable insights into legal practice, giving them information and knowledge about the range of opportunities that law firms can offer, including apprenticeships and non-traditional career paths. The report also looks at the ways law firms are developing a more level playing field in the recruitment process, including the adoption of name blind recruitment and contextual recruitment practices. Finally, it considers how those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds can be supported to stay in the sector and thrive, with firms providing examples of career development programmes, inclusion schemes and mentorships that help them get on as well as get in.

Despite the progressive work taking place, challenges remain and those identified by participating firms in the workshops – as well as by partner universities - have helped to inform a series of recommendations for shortterm and long-term action. In the short-term these range from the establishment of outreach links with a network of universities, schools and colleges in social mobility cold spots to collecting, tracking and reporting socio-economic data at every level of seniority to ensure progression is fair. In the longer term, recommendations include the development of a collective multi-channel social media campaign focusing on demystifying the legal sector and additional SQE support courses and resources for apprentices, trainees and paralegals.

Participating firms have committed to applying these recommendations so that there is tangible progress although they have been designed to be applicable to the wider legal sector and so can be used by other law firms which may be at different stages of their social mobility journeys. The next phase of the Taskforce will continue the work of the group to scale up impact and progress, with a focus on the supply chain and community impact.

Rt Hon Justine Greening said: “It has been hugely rewarding to work alongside our partners in this project. They have shown commitment and ambition, and they can be very proud of the fantastic work they are already doing that is featured in this report. But they all recognise that there is still much more to do.

The frank and positive discussions that took place in the workshops have allowed them to share their best practice, identify the challenges that they are facing in tackling poor social mobility and develop a range of demanding - but achievable - solutions. Measuring and evaluating what they are doing is a critical part of making further progress so that they can identify any remaining gaps and develop solutions that will make a difference.

“It is becoming ever clearer that the businesses who can draw from the widest talent pool will have the most diverse and creative workforce, which in turn will drive the most successful companies. More productive companies also drive more prosperous local economies, and national growth. When those businesses work together in partnership to offer thought leadership and shape policy, as these law firms have done, then their impact is going to be all the greater. This project has also seen important cross-sector collaboration and information sharing, with private sector and university partnerships. It’s an approach that is already working. ”

Chair of the Breaking Down Barriers Commission and former Member of Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet, Nick Forbes CBE said: “ If we are going to achieve genuine social mobility in this country, we have to break down the barriers that still prevent people from accessing opportunity. I launched the Breaking Down Barriers Commission to help shape the role businesses and other organisations play as part of a responsible society that is fully committed to removing these barriers for their customers, colleagues and communities. This project is the first significant piece of work the Commission has undertaken and shows the extent to which partnership can achieve real results. It also demonstrates how a place-based approach can be successfully used to target those who need the most support. In a sector that is critical to the economy, I hope the resulting report serves as a constructive and forward-looking blueprint for good practice that will become the sector norm.”

Participating law firms include Fletchers Group, FBC Manby Bowdler, Lester Aldridge LLP, Winckworth Sherwood, Walker Morris, JMW Solicitors, Boyes Turner, Brachers, Stevens & Bolton, Harbottle & Lewis, Wilsons Solicitors LLP, Tees Law, Chadwick Lawrence, Freeths, Brabners LLP, Napthens, and Michelmores

A class pay gap shows why we need socioeconomic reporting

Calls to report the class pay gap have accompanied new research which reveals that people from working-class backgrounds are paid over £6000 less per year than those from professional or managerial backgrounds in the same occupation.

Those from working-class backgrounds are paid £7,575 less per year than those from professional or managerial backgrounds.

A report from the Social Mobility Foundation (SMF), based on Labour Force Surveys from 2014 to 2022, has shown that professionals from poorer backgrounds face a 12 per cent gap in average salary, earning £45,437 compared to £51,728 earned by those from more affluent backgrounds. That 12 per cent gap could be even wider than the median gender pay gap which has been estimated to be 9.4 per cent in 2022-23. The gap was even worse for female professionals from working class backgrounds who faced a 19 per cent pay gap, with a woman from a working-class background earning £36,737 compared to the average professional salary for women of all backgrounds which was £43,779 – a gap of £7042.

Workers in the private sector - which employs 82 per cent of the UK’s workforce - face a larger class pay gap than in other sectors. Those from workingclass backgrounds are paid £7,575 less per year than those from professional or managerial backgrounds. There is still a gap of £4,750 in other sectors but it is less pronounced than in the private sector.

The SMF carried out separate polling of young people aged 16-18 which found that nearly three in four of them, 72 per cent, said that the class pay gap would put them off applying from a job in elite professions such as law and finance. Nearly nine in

ten, 89 per cent, said they would prefer to work for an employer who prioritised tackling social mobility and socioeconomic diversity.

Mandatory measurement of the gender pay gap, and guidance on how to measure the ethnicity pay gap, has helped employers to assess how well they are doing in tackling social mobility challenges in their organisations. It also helps them to identify gaps as well as the barriers that might prevent people getting in and getting on.

The Purpose Coalition has been working with its partners to measure progress, sharing best practice and transformative results so that others will follow suit. Many of the Purpose Coalition’s partners already recognise the benefits of measuring socioeconomic background, introducing it to obtain more information on the make-up of their workforce and to get a clear picture of the progress they are making. Some are going even further. The Co-op Group, for example, has committed to publishing its first socioeconomic pay gap report in 2024 and encouraging its partners and suppliers to do the same.

These purpose-led organisations understand that a more diverse workforce is a more innovative and productive one - socioeconomic and class pay gap reporting make good business sense.

The Wise

Group and Purpose Coalition launch Commission on Breaking Down Barriers to Employment Opportunity.

The Wise Group and Purpose Coalition have partnered to launch a Commission on Breaking Down Barriers to Employment Opportunity, bringing together experts and stakeholders to address key challenges in employment accessibility for vulnerable groups.

The inaugural session of the Commission on Breaking Down Barriers to Employment Opportunity, held on December 12th, brought together Wise Group Relational Mentors, former Secretary of State for Education and Purpose Coalition Chair Rt Hon Justine Greening, Wise Group Chief Executive Sean Duffy and Wise Group’s Director of Engagement and Policy, Victoria Carson.

The event marked the first session of the Commission, which will bring together key Wise Group Stakeholders, policy experts and politcal leaders to explore practical solutions and recommendations in the areas of employablity, skills, energy advice, mentoring support and community justice.

Chair of the Purpose Coalition Rt Hon Justine Greening said: “The Wise Group is an inspirational organisation, working to lift people out of poverty and build bridges to opportunity for the most vulnerable in our society. The launch of the Commission was a landmark moment, and it was fantastic to hear from Wise Group Relational Mentors about the work they do on the ground to support our communities through mentoring support, employment, skills, energy advice and community justice.

The launch of the Commission was a landmark moment

the final report will provide bold and practical recommendations for our political leaders to break down the barriers to opportunity at every stage

“Through the Commission’s upcoming programme of roundtable discussions and evidence sessions, the final report will provide bold and practical recommendations for our political leaders to break down the barriers to opportunity at every stage, and I look forward to continuing to work with Sean and the team to deliver it.”

Upcoming sessions will include Purpose Coalition Engagement Directors Nick Forbes and Lord Walney, alongside policy makers and Wise Group stakeholders, with the Commission’s report to be published in Spring 2024.

Find out more about The Wise Group at www.thewisegroup.co.uk

University of Bolton’s Institute of Medical Sciences smashes social impact targets for the year

Construction of the University of Bolton’s Institute of Medical Sciences has far surpassed its local spend targets, with current figures for expenditure within a 20-mile radius totalling £12.3m, more than doubling its initial target of £6m.

The Institute has emerged as a beacon of positive change in its local community since the ambitious plan was approved in June 2019.

The £40m facility is being constructed by contractors Willmott Dixon and represents the single largest investment into healthcare in the region for decades.

It will provide education to around 3,000 learners annually and revolutionise the training approach for nurses and other clinical care professionals. This also includes doctors, pending the University’s successful application for medical school status.

The project received £20m from the first round of funding from the Levelling Up Fund, making it one of the biggest LUF grants for any skills and employment project in the UK.

It provided Bolton with a golden opportunity to boost its economic prospects. The remaining £20m for the project has been invested by the University. IMS aims to contribute £150m to the local economy over its lifetime.

The multi-million local spend figure largely stems from local employment, with Willmott Dixon creating five jobs onsite and over 20 local jobs in its supply chain, four of which have gone to apprentices from Bolton College, which is part of the University of Bolton Group.

A portion of this local expenditure can be attributed to the site’s engagement with social enterprises throughout its construction. A total of £154k has been spent with

The project received £20m from the first round of funding from the Levelling Up Fund

The Institute of Medical Sciences represents the best of Bolton and its surrounding areas.

local social enterprises, such as We Are Footprint SE, a recruitment agency that identifies people who face significant barriers to employment and supports their transition back into the workforce.

The building site is providing invaluable hands-on experience to aspiring professionals. It has hosted T Level students from Bolton College and a site supervisor apprenticeship has been created, showcasing IMS’ commitment to producing local, skilled leaders to progress into the construction industry.

Ensuring the fabric of the community is woven into the final build, the past 12 months have seen local people and apprentices spend a cumulative 178 weeks onsite. This includes a student from the University of Bolton, who has now completed a three-month internship on the site over summer.

Professor George Holmes DL, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Bolton, says: “The Institute of Medical Sciences represents the best of Bolton and its surrounding areas. IMS is truly delivering on levelling up commitments for Bolton and it’s wonderful to see the local community at the heart of this process.”

Anthony Dillon, Willmott Dixon’s Managing Director in the north, said: “The Institute is being built for the people of Bolton by the people of Bolton, and we’re passionate about working with the University of Bolton and our local supply chain partners to create sustainable employment opportunities and a lasting positive legacy in this community.”

New research highlights why health inequality needs to be at the top of the political agenda

New research has laid bare the huge economic and social inequalities that impact health outcomes across England, with one million people dying prematurely as a result in the decade after 2011.

The findings were featured in a report by The Institute of Health Equity at University College London, led by Sir Michael Marmot, Health Inequalities, Lives Cut Short. In contrast to the traditional focus on the health of the poorest, it considers the life expectancy of the

90% of the general population who do not live in the 10% of wealthiest areas. It found that between 2011 and 2019, 1,062,334 died earlier than they would have done if they lived in the areas where the richest 10% live. Additionally in 2020, during the pandemic, inequality between the least and most disadvantaged 10% of areas contributed a further 28,000 excess deaths, when compared to the previous five years.

The report also found that in 2014 both males and females in the UK had a higher average number of healthy years lived than those in the EU. By 2017, however, the figure had stagnated for men and fallen for women whereas it had increased by more than two years in the EU in the same period. Consequently, 10 EU countries had a higher number of healthy lived years than the UK for males, and 14 had higher than the UK for females.

The Purpose Coalition is working with organisations across the country to tackle inequality and the lack of opportunity it brings.

There have been other stark warnings of the impact that disadvantage is having on health outcomes. In October 2023, analysis by Cancer Research UK estimated that there are an additional 33,000 cases of cancer in the UK each year as a result of deprivation. Later diagnoses and poorer outcomes are a feature not just of cancer but of other serious health issues such as heart disease and diabetes. Women living in the most deprived areas, especially those from ethnic backgrounds, have the highest maternal mortality rates and people living in deprived areas are much more likely to experience poor mental health.

Sir Michael Marmot published a landmark review into health inequalities in the UK in 2010 and the Institute followed it up with a further review in 2020 which found that life expectancy had stalled, with the worst outcomes in the most deprived areas. Following this latest study he has called on political leaders to prioritise not only public health but the social determinants of health - the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. There is no doubt that the issue will be a political football over the coming months as we approach a general election.

The Purpose Coalition is working with organisations across the country to tackle inequality and the lack of opportunity it brings. Our members are delivering a positive social impact in the communities they serve, helping to break down the barriers that can prevent people in the most disadvantaged areas from

improving their lives. Providing more skilled, longterm employment opportunities, building sustainable communities and improving health and wellbeing are all integral to a purpose-led organisation’s mission.

The Coalition is also working with NHS Trusts, highlighting the best practice that many of them are already employing - often tailored to the particular issues their communities face - to address health inequality in their areas, including Kent & Medway Partnership and Social Care Trust, South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, Airedale NHS Foundation Trust and Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust.

It has also been working cross-party with policymakers and politicians to initiate discussions and explore solutions. Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, who launched the Coalition’s advocacy campaign, Your local NHS: Be at the heart of it, has confirmed that if the Labour Party is the next party of government, it will aim to ‘build a fairer Britain where everyone lives well for longer’. He acknowledges that for NHS Trusts it is not just about delivering healthcare but about being anchor institutions in the communities they serve, providing jobs and opportunities to people and working in partnership with other parts of the public sector as well as the business and voluntary sector. In an election year, the Purpose Coalition will continue to work with our partners to tackle inequality in all its forms and shape a fairer future.

A blueprint for progress on social mobility – law firm

Shoosmiths blazes a trail

Shoosmiths has today published a report in partnership with the Purpose Coalition, which highlights the extensive progress the law firm has made in the area of social mobility.

In October 2020, the firm became the first signatory to the Social Mobility Pledge and agreed to develop a Social Mobility Action Plan in partnership with the Purpose Coalition.

The second Social Mobility Impact Report was launched this week at an event in the Houses of Parliament, bringing together senior MPs including Shadow Secretary of State Jo Stevens MP, former Shadow Legal Aid Minister Afzal Khan MP, Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, Stephen McPartland MP, Mark Fletcher MP, Rupa Huq MP,and more.

Education, career pathways and mentorship with the transformation of its recruitment processes and recognition of the value of alternative career pathways beyond traditional academic routes;

Community engagement including the Shoosmiths Foundation which provides grants to UK-registered charities like EveryYouth, Street League, and Jericho, complementing its wider community investment strategy by supporting the most vulnerable people and families;

Championing wellbeing by offering flexible working arrangements and family-first policies, including remote work and part-time roles, to meet the diverse needs of its workforce, enabling them to balance work and personal responsibilities;

Diversity and inclusion through the collection and evaluation of socioeconomic data of its staff , the depth, detail and breadth of which has helped facilitate a constructive dialogue with employees about the challenges they face.

The report also makes recommendations where Shoosmiths can develop its work further.

Chair of the Purpose Coalition and former Education Secretary, Rt Hon Justine Greening, said: “It’s a privilege to work with Shoosmiths, our very first signatory to the Social Mobility Pledge. The firm has always had a very clear sense of its potential to make a positive social impact, especially for those with the talent, but not necessarily the opportunity, to fulfill their potential. This Social Mobility Impact Report features fantastic examples of how the firm is making a difference through its collaboration with local partners, demonstrating the firm’s understanding of the communities it operates in and the ways in which they can be supported most effectively.

“The recommendations the report contains show how a purpose-led organisation can develop its social impact pathway, based on its own experience and expertise, to ever greater effect. I hope Shoosmiths will serve as a blueprint for other law firms, and indeed other professional services businesses, who are at earlier stages of their social mobility journeys.

“With its geographic reach and proven social mobility track record, Shoosmiths can play an important part in making a career in the legal sector accessible to anyone with the potential to work in it. It can also undoubtedly play a broader role in shaping a place-based approach to social mobility opportunity.”

CEO at Shoosmiths, David Jackson, said: “At Shoosmiths we believe that talent can come from anywhere and in equality of opportunity. As a major law firm, we are very well placed to lead Diversity, Equity and Inclusion progress in the sector and our overall ESG approach is an important component of our ambitious strategy.

“While we have made excellent progress so far, this report and our partnership with the Purpose Coalition is a reflection of our continued firm-wide commitment to driving social mobility through a transparent reflection of current best practice. It is an acknowledgement of where we could go even further to deliver for our colleagues and the communities we serve enabling us to make an even bigger impact.”

Widening access to higher education will lead to greater opportunity

Given how critical the issue of widening access and participation in higher education is to boosting social mobility, there has been surprisingly little reference to it in the growing pre-election hum.

Higher education is key to opening up opportunity, especially for those from less advantaged backgrounds, yet new evidence reveals that it is those young people particularly who are losing out on the chance to go to university.

In an apparent postcode lottery, there is great geographical variation between regions and local authorities, with those from a Free School Meals (FSM) background five times more likely to go on to higher education in some areas than others.

The report, Universities not for everyone: levelling up and who is missing out on higher education in England, has been published by the National Education Opportunities Network (NEON), based at the University of West London. It looks at progression to higher education for young people from FSM backgrounds from 2005-6 to 2021-22 and highlights some stark disparities. Less than 10 per cent of state-funded pupils from an FSM background progressed to higher education by the age of 19 in 2021-22. That rate had slowed from the 2005-6 to 2011-12 rate of 1.22 per cent per year to 0.89 per cent from 2011-12 to 2021-22.

The regional differences are significant. The gap in participation, for example, between London and the South West in 2021-22 was 30 per cent. In 63 per cent of local authorities, the gap between FSM pupils’ and non-FSM pupils’ progression had increased in the latter period. Although there was an increase of 44 per cent across England in FSM learners’ participation in higher education, there were some areas where progress is much slower. Fifteen areas saw an increase of less than 25 per cent over the period and in two areas – Leicester and Blackpool – the progression rate had actually declined. In 69 per cent of local authority areas, it was below the national average of 29.2 per cent.

Accessing higher education and benefiting from the opportunities a university degree offers –extending learning beyond the school curriculum, developing new skills, connecting with employers and enjoying the social aspects – can have a lifelong impact on a student. Universities also benefit local economies, invigorating their towns and cities. As anchor institutions, they can provide a skilled workforce that connects up with their world-class research and development capabilities. They also play an important part in the wider economy, boosting growth. Building a talent pipeline in the region and helping people reach their potential are key enablers of social mobility, as are introducing less conventional routes into higher education, including degree apprenticeships, and expanding options for those who prefer a more technical approach.

The Purpose Universities Coalition works with university partners who recognise the value of increased participation. The outreach work they undertake with local schools and colleges helps to inspire and inform young people who have little knowledge about going to university about how to get there and what sort of opportunities it can bring. The University of West London itself has a strong tradition of social inclusion, focusing not only on attracting underrepresented groups to the University but on supporting them throughout their degree to enable them to reach their full potential. There is also a sharp emphasis on measurement and evaluation to ensure improved outcomes.

The Purpose Universities Coalition works with university partners who recognise the value of increased participation.

Outreach activities at Durham University, another Coalition partner, include a focus on STEM subjects and aim to stimulate an interest in science with a better understanding of its applications in real life. They feature interactive workshops, an annual science festival which has attracted over 66,000 children and their families since it started in 2010 and participation in the Ogden Trust North East schools’ partnership –the Ogden Trust was founded by a Durham University physics alumnus and entrepreneur - which covers many areas facing multiple indices of deprivation.

Another partner, the University of Chester, ran a project which designed interactive activities for primary and secondary schools to develop digital skills with a fully equipped van allowing them to try the tasks themselves. More than 95 schools have engaged with the project and more than 3400 students taken part.

The path that a disadvantaged person takes from getting to university to finding a rewarding, well-paid graduate job can be transformational. Employers value the resilience and wider strengths that these students have developed as a result of the challenges they have had to overcome to get there. Whatever the colour of the next government, there needs to be an urgent focus on ensuring that many more young people can enjoy the benefits of a university education by targeting those from lower socioeconomic groups, including those with a FSM background, in social mobility coldspots in every region of the country.

Southampton given millions to drive UK’s semiconductor plans Southampton will drive the future of new semiconductor technology after receiving millions of pounds of investment.

Plans to launch two new centres to boost the UK’s research and production of the microchips has been announced as part of a £26.8million government package.

Semiconductors power electrical items worldwide, from mobiles and computers to healthcare equipment, transportation systems, and clean energy technology.

Just nine months into delivering on the National Semiconductor Strategy, we’re already making rapid progress towards our goals.

The Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at Southampton has been chosen to lead on one of the two new Innovation and Knowledge Centres (IKC), under the name CORNERSTONE, alongside another located at the University of Bristol.

The IKCs will deliver on the ambitions of the government’s national semiconductor strategy, a 20-year plan to boost the UK’s strengths and skills in design, research and innovation in the microchips.

Professor Graham Reed, Director of the ORC, said: “The CORNERSTONE centre will unite leading UK entrepreneurs and researchers, together with a network of support to improve the commercialisation of semiconductors and deliver a step-change in the silicon photonics industry.”

The ORC is a world renowned Photonics research centre that has been pioneering all aspects of photonics for many years, from novel optical fibre development, to photonics within semiconductor and other integrated photonics chips.

Funding for the Innovation and Knowledge Centres has come from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Innovate UK, both part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Southampton’s £11million centre will work to improve the development and commercialisation of silicon photonics technologies. Silicon is the most commonly used material in semiconductors for electronics, and silicon photonics

is an emerging technology with the potential to transform every aspect of our lives.

It is already integral to photonics devices including communications systems in data centres that underpin the internet, and other emerging applications that offer the UK significant commercialisation opportunities, ranging from healthcare and environmental sensing, to imaging and AI as well as many more.

The centre will bring together industry and research expertise to translate silicon photonics technologies from research labs into industry and support the creation of new companies and jobs.

Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy Saqib Bhatti said: “This investment marks a crucial step in advancing our ambitions for the semiconductor industry, with these centres helping bring new technologies to market in areas like net zero and AI, rooting them right here in the UK.

“Just nine months into delivering on the National Semiconductor Strategy, we’re already making rapid progress towards our goals.

“This isn’t just about fostering growth and creating highskilled jobs, it’s about positioning the UK as a hub of global innovation, setting the stage for breakthroughs that have worldwide impact.”

Read more about the pioneering work of the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton.

Lumo and Hull Trains sign up to new Purpose Coalition partnership to boost social impact

A new partnership was announced today as Open Access train companies Lumo and Hull Trains joined forces with the Purpose Coalition to focus on their social impact.

As part of their work, the companies will develop an Impact Report to assess their current social impact and explore how they can go even further in delivering opportunity for their colleagues, their customers and the communities they serve.

Lumo and Hull Trains are open access train operatorsprivately financed companies set up to offer passengers a better deal on their railway journeys. Lumo was launched in 2021 on the London to Edinburgh route, pledging to reimagine rail with affordable ticket options, greener trains and an all-inclusive approach with customer satisfaction at its heart. In the same year, Hull Trains, the first open access rail train operator in the UK, celebrated its 21st anniversary. It is a well-established and respected company which has a new fleet of trains running services between London and Hull and has not only returned to pre-pandemic passenger levels much faster than many other operators, but has led the way on growth as a long distance operator. Both companies aim to deliver environmental, economic, employment and social benefits to the areas in which they operate.

Lumo and Hull Trains join a growing number of purposeled businesses that are members of the Purpose Business Coalition, and part of the wider Purpose Coalition. They work with many leading businesses including Leonardo, Sodexo, UK Power Networks and bp as well as universities, NHS Trusts, local authorities and third sector organisations across the country to improve social mobility in their organisations.

Their work is guided by a framework of 14 Purpose Goals which cover key life stages as well as the barriers that can prevent people from getting on in life, such as health and wellbeing and digital connectivity. The Impact Report for Lumo and Hull Trains will be mapped against these Goals.

Martjin Gilbert, Managing Director at Lumo and Hull Trains said: “The 14 Purpose Goals align well with our aims and objectives to deliver affordable rail services that improve social mobility, air quality and economic benefits in the areas we serve. Our services help better connect communities, create new jobs including apprenticeships, and help drive many wider benefits.

We’re passionate about playing our part in wider society, including with our supply chain and supporting events and organisations that are important to our customers and colleagues. We look forward to working with the Purpose Coalition to take our work in this important area even further.”

Chair of the Purpose Coalition, Rt Hon Justine Greening, said: “When I was Secretary of State for Transport I saw first-hand how critical the transport sector is in driving economic growth as well as the important part it can play in tackling regional inequality. As we focus our efforts on net zero, the rail industry in particular is also central to delivering sustainable options for travel. It can provide the shift we need away from air travel for long distance journeys while also offering choice and value to its customers. More widely, it can make a significant contribution to the good infrastructure and connectivity that the country needs if there is to be genuine levelling up and fairer access to opportunity.

“I am looking forward to working with Lumo and Hull Trains to find out how they are already delivering a positive social impact in the regions where they operate and exploring how that support can be extended even further to help attract the inward investment, employment and opportunities they need.”

How the NHS is playing a crucial part in breaking down barriers to opportunity

A recent report has highlighted the stark divide in health and wealth in the UK, with people living in the most deprived parts of the country more than twice as likely to be in poor health as those living in the most affluent.

Shorter life expectancy, more of life lived in poor health, the incidence of serious disease, obesity and addiction, higher maternal mortality rates and increasing mental illness are the consequences of disadvantage. Opportunities are scarce, holding back not only individuals but entire communities. In a vicious circle of underprivilege, they are all too often the communities least able to cope.

This isn’t new, of course – we’ve known how social inequalities (income, education, housing, diet, employment, conditions of work etc) have increased health inequalities around the UK since the attempted suppression of the Black Report in 1980.

Despite decades of alarm signals, many parts of the country have seen the cumulative impact of these factors in terms of a general lack of opportunity, with bad health blackspots coinciding with areas of high economic inactivity. This latest research highlights that one in every four people who are economically inactive live in just 50 local authorities. That is not a result of a lack of talent or ability in those places; instead, it is a scandalous reflection of the many barriers that still exist preventing people from getting on and making their lives, and that of their communities, more prosperous. Poverty, a lack of financial resilience, high unemployment, poor quality housing and social isolation all contribute to health inequalities. And we cannot accept this any longer.

The NHS plays a crucial part in breaking down the barriers that prevent people from accessing opportunity. As one of the few genuinely remaining universal services founded as part of the original welfare state, It has a critical role in addressing the nation’s health needs, especially those of the most vulnerable. The Purpose Coalition works with over 20 health organisations around the country, covering 135,000 employees. Together we are developing solutions to help address the challenges the NHS is facing – the health inequalities that were exacerbated first by the pandemic and, more recently, a cost-of-living crisis, an increasingly ageing population and recruitment and retention issues which threaten to undermine its ability to deliver the service we expect.

The Labour Party has already committed to getting the NHS back on its feet, one of its five missions for a fairer future. As a former member of Sir Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet, I have seen firsthand how well my colleagues understand the need to support the NHS but equally recognise the urgent need for change. Labour’s Shadow Health and Social Care Minister, Wes Streeting MP, has acknowledged that reform is vital if the institution is to survive but also that a wide range of solutions should be considered, including the use of the additional private healthcare capacity to reduce waiting lists. Refusing to do so, as some in Labour insist even when such capacity exists and is underused, condemns those in pain and in need of treatment to an even longer wait. This is cruelty inflicted on the most vulnerable through rigid ideology and dogma; Wes is absolutely right to tackle such internal critics head on.

The Labour Party has already committed to getting the NHS back on its feet, one of its five missions for a fairer future.

Cross party engagement is central to the Purpose Coalition’s ethos. Identifying common ground across traditional political divides, we seek to build evidence-based consensus for change which improves outcomes for patients and communities. Alongside former Social Care Minister, Rt Hon Dame Caroline Dinenage, Wes launched the Purpose Health Coalition’s advocacy and policy campaign, Your local NHS : Be at the heart of it. It highlights the best practice that our partner Trusts, as anchor institutions, are undertaking to maximise their economic and social impact in the communities they serve, as well as the opportunities that the NHS offers to those who work in it.

Reflecting the nationwide challenges facing the NHS, our work is also countrywide. Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust, for example, provides a wide range of adult mental health and learning disability services, tailored to its community’s needs. As a rural hospital, Airedale NHS Foundation Trust operates with a high degree of community engagement to deliver the quality of care that will lead to healthier communities.

All our NHS Trust partners recognise how important it is to lean into their communities to enable them to provide the support they need, whether that is more diagnostic hubs in town centres or better career paths into the NHS for local people. It’s not just about building healthier communities. Ultimately, the NHS –as one of our country’s greatest institutions – should be a wider force for good, breaking down the barriers to opportunity that currently hold us back from having a more productive economy and a fairer society.

Solent University boosts training for nurses with new health lab

With capital funding from the Office for Students, Solent University, Southampton has opened a state-of-the-art Human Health Lab, doubling its teaching capacity and supporting the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan.

Solent’s nursing and social care provision has a decadeslong reputation for providing high-quality teaching in an accessible environment, with 600 apprentices currently thriving in the University’s Department of Social Sciences and Nursing.

In 2023, Solent added 121 registered nurses to the Nursing and Midwifery Council Register, highlighting the essential role of higher education in training the next generation of healthcare professionals. Through higher and degree apprenticeships, students at Solent –from mature learners through to college leavers – are receiving practical teaching that translates to workready skills.

Solent will play a key role in ensuring that the National Health Service continues to benefit from talented individuals who want to contribute to its success. Our new Human Health Lab enables us to deliver the highest-quality education for nurses and healthcare professionals.

The Human Health Lab - which sits alongside a nursing suite featuring a GP surgery and community care rooms - includes a cutting-edge Anatomage table which offers students 3D insight into the physiology and anatomy of patients.

Built to equip students with a breadth of knowledge that underpins their learning and work experience, Solent’s Human Health Lab is a facility that demonstrates how universities are helping to deliver on the Government’s NHS Long Term Plan. Professor James Knowles, Solent’s Vice-Chancellor, says:

“Solent will play a key role in ensuring that the National Health Service continues to benefit from talented individuals who want to contribute to its success. Our new Human Health Lab enables us to deliver the highestquality education for nurses and healthcare professionals.”

As the NHS looks ahead to a continually developing future, so does Solent University as they explore investment in new courses and innovative ways of teaching that ensure students are ready to embrace a meaningful future in the healthcare sector.

Justine Greening visits Durham University

Justine met with senior university members and delivered a speech to students on social mobility within the higher education sector.

Justine also took a tour of the campus and visited the University’s Sports & Wellbeing Complex, as well as Durham Castle and the Palatine Centre.

The Purpose Coalition is working with Durham University on an Impact Report to shine a light on

the wider social impact it has on students, colleagues and the community.

The University’s student enrichment work and ongoing community engagement are some of the reasons why it has such an impact on the local area.

Mitigating cost-of-living pressures in the workplace

New research has found that three quarters of HR leaders believe that cost-ofliving pressures are affecting employee performance.

The survey also found that 34% reported a fall in productivity as a result of employees being distracted by other things. Two in five HR leaders believe that employees are increasingly forced to navigate personal affairs during working hours. When asked what changes they had noticed in their workforce, 40 per cent said they believed employees were doing life admin such as looking for cheaper energy tariffs or talking to mortgage lenders. Almost one in five respondents of the survey reported that employees had taken annual leave to manage their bills as a direct result of increased financial strain on households.

The findings come as data released by the ONS this month saw inflation rise to 4% and core inflation remain stagnant at 4.2%, with around four in ten energy bill payers struggling to afford payments and a third finding it difficult to pay their rent or mortgage.

Employers can play a critical role in supporting their workforce during these challenging times and many have chosen to offer employees additional time off, counselling services, financial programmes and oneoff payments. The Purpose Coalition works with many organisations who understand that offering the right support to their staff in the workplace makes good business sense. Clear signposting of the help available not only gives the access to practical information and advice but also provides reassurance and stability.

Purpose Coalition partner and challenger bank, Virgin Money, recognised that cost-of-living pressures meant that its staff needed more support if they were going to be able to help customers manage their money effectively. Its purpose - ‘Making you happier about money’- promotes financial stability, acknowledging that financial wellbeing contributes to overall wellbeing. One-off payments, permanent salary increases, financial advice and an employee benefits programme have been instrumental in supporting colleagues, backed by a broader approach to their wellbeing. A Life More Virgin offers a wide-ranging, flexible working strategy that includes remote working, wellbeing days and paid family leave. They are measures which have seen better engagement at work and rising retention rates as staff are given the space to deal with the complex problems that the economic situation has brought for so many.

Co-op, also a partner, has a long history of supporting colleagues’ financial wellbeing. It has offered generous pension schemes for over 100 years and was the first major retailer to offer colleagues the chance to access their pay early, allowing them to deal with unexpected expenses or fluctuations in their cashflow. The majority of the money is used to pay bills or buy groceries and the scheme gives them certainty over the cost and repayment. The business also recognises the importance of staff maintaining a certain level of savings to promote

The company is recognised as a Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation, voluntarily paying all staff at least a living wage, rather than minimum wage.

financial resilience. It has been trialling a scheme where they are automatically enrolled into a savings account with a £40 savings contribution and, with many participants saving for the first time in their lives, its success provides a roadmap for future strategy.

Water company Pennon, also a partner, focuses on financial wellbeing alongside mental, physical and community wellbeing. It has stepped up its employee support programmes to ensure staff are able to continue in their careers despite the wider challenges faced, reporting lower-than-average levels of absenteeism. The company is recognised as a Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation, voluntarily paying all staff at least a living wage, rather than minimum wage. It also uses income protection and employee assistance programmes to support staff.

The economic situation will continue to pose challenges for many people, especially the most vulnerable. A new report by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) calculates that the living standards of the 12 million households in the lowest half of the income distribution in Britain will be between seven and 20% lower in 2024/25, relative to 2019/20, and won’t return to pre-pandemic levels until the end of 2027. That is a sobering outlook, and one which underlines why it is crucial that organisations continue to respond to the needs of their staff in an open dialogue, supporting them with measures that are effective and inclusive.

North East MP Peter Gibson visits Tees Valley Hospital to see the work of Ramsay Health Care UK in action

Peter Gibson, MP for Darlington, has visited Tees Valley Hospital to see how Ramsay Health Care UK is delivering high quality healthcare for patients across Teesside, South Durham and North Yorkshire

It was brilliant to welcome Peter Gibson to Tees Valley Hospital, and show him the work we are doing as part of the health community to deliver high quality healthcare for patients across Teesside, South Durham, North Yorkshire and further afield.

Mr Gibson toured the facilities of the hospital with Tees Valley Hospital Director Donna Thornton to learn more about the services on offer at the hospital, which includes orthopaedics, general surgery, plastic surgery, urology, gynaecology, oral surgery, endoscopy and diagnostics.

Tees Valley Hospital opened in 2018, and is part of 35 Ramsay Health Care UK Hospitals across the country, situated in the grounds of Acklam Hall in Middlesbrough. As Teesside’s newest hospital, Tees Valley works in partnership with North East and North Cumbria ICB and North Yorkshire ICB for services, as as part of the wider health community to deliver the care patients need, when they need it.

In Parliament, the Darlington MP also serves as Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero. Harnessing the Energy Transition is a key priority for Ramsay Health Care UK, and the organisation has committed to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.

The visit follows the launch of Ramsay Health Care UK’s Social Impact Report in the House of Commons, which sets out how the organisation is breaking down barriers to opportunity, and providing safe, quality patients outcomes across the UK.

Tees Valley Hospital Director, Donna Thornton said: “It was brilliant to welcome Peter Gibson to Tees Valley Hospital, and show him the work we are doing as part of the health community to deliver high quality healthcare for patients across Teesside, South Durham, North Yorkshire and further afield.

The visit was an opportunity to showcase the work of our amazing doctors, nurses and the wider team to provide care to local patients, and ensure people can get the care they need, when they need it.”

Peter Gibson, MP for Darlington said: “I was delighted to visit the Tees Valley Hospital and see the amazing facility that Ramsay Healthcare have developed.

To learn that 93% of the work they do is for NHS patients who have exercised patient choice to get a scan, outpatient care and elective surgery was hugely informative.

Patients all want to be seen as quickly as possible and know that their care is free at the point of delivery, and charged to the NHS at exactly the same rates will encourage more people to expose patient choice I am sure.”

The Wise Group launches new Relational Mentoring report in the House of Commons

Social Enterprise The Wise Group has launched a new Relational Mentoring report at a major event in the House of Commons, hosted by Shadow Minister Chi Onwurah MP and attended by dozens of cross-party MPs including Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms, Employment Minister Jo Churchill and SNP Shadow Spokespersons.

The newest report, ‘A Way to Work: Relational Mentoring and the Future of Employability’ was launched with Wise Group Colleagues, some of whom had the opportunity to talk about their own experiences mentoring individuals, in a panel discussion with Crossbench Peer and former Advisor to Gordon Brown John Woodcock. Mentors talked about their own experiences, identifying key areas where people need support with the most.

Many Wise Group mentors have lived experiences of the same issues they are helping others overcome, and provided an eye-opening view of the impact familiarity in mentoring can have.

The event was attended by dozens of cross-party MPs, and hosted by Chi Onwurah, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology. Other attendees included Employment Minister Jo Churchill, Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Scotland John Lamont, SNP Home Affairs Spokesperson and more.

Labour candidates become first to sign Breaking Down Barriers Pledge

Labour candidates have become the first to back the Breaking Down Barriers Commission’s new Breaking Down Barriers Pledge.

The Pledge has been backed by Rt Hon Sir George Howarth MP, Labour MP for Knowsley; Cllr Shaun Davies, Leader of the Local Government Association Labour Group and Candidate for Telford, and Michelle Scrogham, Labour’s candidate for Barrow and Furness in Cumbria, and many more.

The Pledge has been established by Nick Forbes, a former Labour Council Leader who attended Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet from 2020 to 2022 as part of the Breaking Down Barriers Commission.

The Commission is asking all candidates to make their pledge to do all they can do break down the barriers to opportunity in their local communities in three ways:

1) Supporting local schools, colleges and universities to deliver quality careers advice and mentoring.

2) Working with local businesses and employers to partner with schools and colleges to provide work experience and apprenticeship opportunities.

3) Providing young people from disadvantaged background with work experience or apprenticeship opportunities in their constituency or Westminster office, should they be elected.

The Commission works to shape the role that businesses and organisations can play as responsible parts of society for their customers, colleagues and in local communities, and works with organisations such as the BBC, UK Power Networks, bp, Virgin Money, Co-op Group, Travelodge, Centrica, Leonardo, Sodexo, Pennon Group, Channel 4, Reed, Hitachi, Reed, Royal Mail, E.ON, NHS Trusts, Councils and Universities amongst others.

Harnessing the power of business for positive change –a new report explores solutions to meet the challenges of a future workforce

Businesses can use their own experiences to drive positive change. That’s the message from a new report published today by the Purpose Coalition and leading recruitment company, Pertemps Network Group.

The Workforce of the Future report presents solutions to the economic challenges that organisations across the UK are currently facing, based on a series of roundtable discussions hosted by Pertemps and attended by major private sector employers and public bodies.

The roundtables focused on how businesses can better connect their opportunities with talent, find and develop the right skills for these roles and increase engagement of colleagues while building for the future.

The report explores the four key themes that emerged from the sessions, considers the evidence and recommends actions for policymakers on how the power of business can be harnessed for positive change:

Promoting resilience and a proactive response to economic shocks through the diversification of sectoral strategies, fostering of public-private partnerships, implementation of early warning systems and strengthening of supply chain resilience;

Our commitment to breaking down barriers to work extends beyond mere words.

Adapting to the post-pandemic workplace shift through tailored flexible working, clear business practice and government-sponsored flexible working toolkits;

Investing in the workforce of the future through flexible training and apprenticeship programmes, personalised career counselling, youth-focused entrepreneurship programmes, encouragement of volunteering and community engagement and improved pathways in key sectors, all developed in close collaboration with business; and

Fostering long-term economic resilience through the expansion of capital grants, investment in upskilling and career programmes, facilitation of public-private partnerships, support of research and innovation and incentivisation of sustainability.

Chair of the Purpose Business Coalition, crossbench peer and former Labour MP, Lord Walney said: In the aftermath of the pandemic, businesses and employers have been forced to adjust to changes in work patterns, economic uncertainties and an increasingly tight labour market. At a point when our economy is on the brink of extraordinary technological change, these drag factors have the potential to entrench stagnant productivity and become barriers to the more stable and prosperous future the country needs.

As a leading purpose-led business, Pertemps has used its expertise and professional networks to deep dive into the problems that employers are facing, listen to their individual perspectives and draw up effective solutions that are based on real-world experience.

Chair of Pertemps Network Group, Carmen Watson said: At Pertemps, we’re all about using the influence of business to make a positive impact. Our commitment to breaking down barriers to work extends beyond mere words.

Through collaboration with organisations, sharing best practices and actively driving change, we’re using the combined strength of businesses to open doors for everyone.

The new report, inspired by our original Impact Report, is a big step forward in our ongoing mission to break down barriers to ensure everyone has access to work.

Our collaboration with the Purpose Coalition has played a pivotal role in bringing this project to fruition, empowering us to shed light on critical issues and drive positive change in our community.

Members of Parliament in attendance included Employment Minister Jo Churchill MP, Social Mobility Minister Mims Davies MP, Transport Minister Guy Opperman MP, Shadow Justice Minister Janet Daby MP, Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Dame Nia Griffith MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Wendy Chamberlain MP, Ian Levy MP, Paul Howell MP, Tim Loughton MP, Sir Conor Burns MP and more.

Rainy day savings scheme will boost financial resilience

Financial resilience came under the spotlight again recently as new research found that one in three working households in Britain - more than 11 million people - have less than £1,000 in savings.

As many as half live in the poorest third of households. Around five per cent of working-age adults in Britain, approximately 1.8 million individuals, live in families with no savings at all.

A report by the Resolution Foundation and the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust has concluded that the poorest households are struggling to build up financial resilience in the face of the cost-of-living crisis. Many are facing a savings challenge on three fronts - insufficient savings for small shocks, an inability to cope financially with large and unexpected life events such as family breakdowns or unemployment and inadequate retirement incomes. It estimated that UK households had a £74bn shortfall of funds saved for emergencies and retirement, compared to a country where every working age family has at least three months’ income in precautionary savings. Fewer than half of working-age households in the UK had savings worth at least three months of income. Those with lower levels of savings were more than twice as likely to use credit cards, overdrafts or borrowed money than those with more than £1,000 saved.

The report urges the Government to build on the success of the pensions auto-enrolment scheme where employers are obliged to enrol eligible workers with contributions of eight per cent - at least three per cent from employers and the remaining five per cent from the employee. It calls for an expansion in contributions by employers and workers to boost levels of financial resilience, suggesting a rise to 12%. Other countries alleviate the tension between precautionary and pension saving by allowing early access to pension savings under a variety of conditions so that they can also be used as precautionary savings. It shows how the UK’s savings policy could evolve to help boost retirement saving while making families more financially resilient in the short term.

The thinktank’s call for an expansion in auto-enrolment contributions reflects research conducted by the Purpose Coalition last year. The Coalition’s Cost-ofLiving Taskforce developed an Action Plan to bring fresh thinking to the issue of financial resilience amid the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis. It also called for a

rainy-day savings scheme, adapted from the workplace pension scheme, which would allow workers to access cash at crisis points during their working lives, rather than their savings being locked up until they retire. It is clear that a year on, and despite a fall in the inflation rate, that the situation has got worse for many households, with energy bills remaining high and mortgage costs spiralling. The geopolitical situation, energy insecurity, economic instability and climate change all have the ability to impact people’s financial situation and propel them into sudden hardship, forcing them into spending on credit cards, using loan sharks or going into debt.

The rainy-day savings scheme was one of five recommendations in the report that were aimed at moving from a crisis support approach to building up long-term resilience. Two of the key recommendations have already been adopted by the Government when it pledged to introduce 30 hours free childcare as well as an end to additional payments for those using prepayment energy. The Action Plan also called for the transformation of access to cost-of-living support by overhauling the government’s inadequate information systems and tackling the mental health pressures that the cost-of-living crisis has inflicted on students.

The proposals support Purpose Goal 7 Widening access to savings and credit, one of 14 Goals developed by the Purpose Coalition which set out the core barriers to opportunity in the UK and which encompass a broad range of societal and economic issues. They can be used as a framework against which organisations can map their social impact.

The feedback from our work with Purpose Coalition partners is that financial resilience remains a critical issue, especially for the most vulnerable in society. It is key to breaking down the barriers to opportunity that exist for so many. Our partners are already taking practical steps themselves to support their colleagues and their customers, but it is time for the government to move away from precautionary saving involving fiscal incentives, often disproportionately benefitting the wealthiest, and towards behavioural changes which will revolutionise the way people save, in the same way as pension auto-enrolment has done.

Breaking down the barriers to law – a blueprint for collaborative action

A strategic, countrywide approach to embedding social mobility in the legal sector is the focus of a new report whose first phase launched in Parliament today.

The Breaking Down Barriers to Law: Phase 1 report is the result of a collaborative project by the Purpose Coalition and a group of leading law firms and marks the first phase of an action plan to boost social mobility in the sector. It focuses on the four key areas of outreach, access, recruitment and progression where those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds face the greatest barriers. A number of Purpose Coalition university partners also took part in the project to contribute a vital higher education perspective.

A series of roundtable workshops considered each of the four focus areas and participating firms looked in depth at the challenges they face in each area and at the variety of measures they have introduced to tackle them. It showcases best practice examples from across the country which include :

Outreach activities to primary and secondary schools, as well as to those who may have been out of the workplace for some time;

Work experience and open days provide valuable insights into legal practice, providing information and knowledge about the range of opportunities that law firms can offer, including apprenticeships and non-traditional career paths;

The adoption of name blind recruitment and contextual recruitment practices to encourage a more level playing field in recruitment practices;

Career development programmes, inclusion schemes and mentorships to support those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds to stay in the sector and thrive.

The discussions helped develop a series of recommendations for short and long-term action. In the short-term, these range from the establishment of outreach links with a network of universities, schools and colleges in social mobility cold spots to collecting, tracking and reporting socio-economic data at every level of seniority to ensure progression is fair. In the longer term, recommendations include the development of a collective multi-channel social media campaign focusing on demystifying the legal sector and additional SQE support courses and resources for apprentices, trainees and paralegals.

Rt Hon Justine Greening said:

“I am incredibly proud of the work that this Breaking Down Barriers to Law Taskforce has undertaken. By pooling their resources, sharing insights and demonstrating sector-leading best practice, the participating firms have demonstrated real commitment to delivering social impact in the areas they serve.

The frank discussions on the challenges facing the legal sector as they seek to address the issue of poor social mobility were wide-ranging and constructive and have helped inform the recommendations for future action in the report which are demanding but achievable. The project has shown how collaboration and partnership can make a significant impact on the development of positive solutions.

“The legal sector has long been seen as a closed shop for many who might aspire to work in it. There has been undoubted progress – and the best practice featured in the report shows the difference that tailored action can make - but there is still much more to do.

It’s clear that there is an appetite for change, and it is increasingly the case that those who demonstrate the most effective social impact in the legal sector and in the wider business world will attract the largest talent pool. I am looking forward to continuing to work with the Taskforce as they implement the recommendations and as we move on to the next phases of our work.”

Chair of the Breaking Down Barriers Commission and former member of Sir Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet, Nick Forbes CBE said:

“The Breaking Down Barriers to Law project, and this Action Plan, demonstrate the positive impact that working in partnership can bring. In a sector that is critical to the economy, this collaboration has seen a laser-like focus on the elements that are essential to creating career pathways beyond the traditional networks of the right family, school or university, if it is to open up opportunities to those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds.

I hope that it will inspire others in the legal sector, and in professional services more widely, who may be at different stages in their social mobility journey, to consider how they might also take the steps that will deliver equality of opportunity in their businesses.”

Further phases of the project will scale up impact and progress, with a focus on the supply chain and community impact. These are expected to be particularly relevant ahead of a potential Labour government which has breaking down barriers to opportunity as one of its five missions.

The Harrison Foundation continues to build on its community impact, donating £1 million in 2023 to charity projects

Targeting the charities and projects that have a direct social impact on local communities remains top of the agenda for the Harrison Foundation and leading financial services company, True Potential.

The partnership aims to build on its achievements in 2023when over £1 million was donated to charities and good causes. A continued commitment to social mobility saw six established Harrison Centres for Social Mobility receive donations, including Sunderland’s Foundation of Light and the Newcastle United Foundation. These partnerships have worked together since 2017, helping hundreds of young people aged 13-17 to get the qualifications and confidence that are essential for successful employment.

Another beneficiary was First Stop in Darlington, home of one of the Harrison Centres, which works with local people of all ages to help them navigate life’s challenges, including acquiring the skills they need to find employment. The donation will boost their work to break down barriers and deliver opportunities.

Last year also saw the official opening of the first overseas Harrison Centre in Antigua and Barbuda which will be a hub for academic, technical and vocational training that will aid the development of critical skills. The multi-million-poundfacility, opened in November by Sir David Harrison, founder of the Harrison Foundation and joint founder of the Social Mobility Pledge with former Cabinet Minister, Rt Hon Justine Greening, aims to maintain the same ethos as the UK Centres,connecting young people up to opportunity.

For the fifth consecutive year, True Potential was main sponsor of the Sunshine Fund Great North Run Team for TheChronicle Sunshine Fund, helping to raise over £20,000 for children aged 0-19 living with disabilities, additional needs, chronic and terminal illness. Supporting young people and their families will give them a much better chance of reaching their potential.

St Oswald’s Hospice, which cares for people across the North East with incurable conditions, was also a beneficiary with the Harrison Foundation’s donation, enabling the charity to purchase vital new equipment for its patients and enhancing the quality of its care for local people.

Mowden Hall School in Northumberland received a £220,000 donation to create ‘The Harrison Theatre’, a project that will provide students and the local community with a versatile space for artistic expression and skills

development. There will be a complete facelift for the theatre, with the installation of flexible seating and new lighting, to provide a space that will encourage skills development, artistic expression and confidence.

In addition to financial donations, True Potential has invested in other resources to improve financial literacy around the country that will help bridge the gap for young people. Its ‘On the Money campaign’ has so far seen 115 of its financial advisers volunteer to teach personal finance to 30,000 school children over the course of this academic year. At a time when the spotlight has been on the importance of financial education and resilience, it is an initiative which has been welcomed by headteachers across the country.

True Potential CEO, Daniel Harrison, who is also trustee of the Harrison Foundation, said: “ Our aim has always been to support specific charities and projects that will make a measurable and ongoing difference to people’s lives. Whether that is connecting young people up to employment opportunities in our six Harrison Centres or supporting families and communities at difficult times, we remain committed to fostering positive change in our local communities.

“ In the face of a cost-of-living crisis, it is more important than ever that we reach out to those who need the most support. I am very proud of the £1 million we donated last year and in 2024 we will continue to work with existing and new partners and initiatives to boost social mobility and create opportunity.”

Why Labour’s mission on Breaking Down Barriers needs to be more than Levelling Up

In January last year Labour Leader

Sir Keir Starmer set out his missions for a Labour Government.

The fifth mission – breaking down barriers to opportunity – appears to emulate what the Conservatives call ‘levelling up’, only under a new strapline. Both parties understand the power of social mobility and aspiration at the ballot box.

But to truly break down barriers to opportunity, Labour must not repeat the mistakes the Conservatives made in developing the levelling up agenda.

When former Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to ‘level up the country’ in 2019, hope was high for a future where opportunity was spread evenly and reached talent wherever it was. In the words of government at the time: the mission was to ‘end the geographical inequality which is such a striking feature of the UK’.

However, nearly five years on, the levelling up agenda has failed on virtually every measure. The country remains one of the lowest-performing in the OECD in terms of social mobility, and recent data produced by the Centre for Cities think tank shows the UK as a whole has ‘levelled down’ because of a lack of growth. Despite increased state investment in the Northeast of England, and particularly Teesside – up and down the country we are facing greater interregional inequalities than ever before.

What lies behind this underperformance? There are many factors, including the rising cost of living versus wages post-pandemic and amidst global trade tensions. These macroeconomic causes are largely out of the government’s control.

However, there have been some significant missed opportunities that Labour should be learning from in its mission to break down barriers. The greatest of them all: strategic engagement with businesses and the private sector.

The case for using the private sector as a vehicle for levelling up/breaking down barriers is clear. With the private sector representing over 82% of the UK workforce, it is impossible to have a serious plan for equality of opportunity without involving them as delivery partner.

Another critical missed opportunity is the relegation of ‘levelling up’ to a single government department - the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities. To be truly effective, the brief needs to run through every single department as a key priority, and accountability needs to sit at the highest levels of government.

Today, Labour is in danger of making that same mistake by limiting the agenda to educational attainment. They need to go further. Only a holistic approach that

addresses social barriers people face in all aspects of their lives – education, health, income, justice, housing, culture – will have a chance of tackling this stubbornly worsening trend.

These are all linked. How can we hope to break down barriers to opportunity for as long as there’s a 27-year difference in life expectancy between a postcode in Blackpool and a postcode in Kensington? Nor can we make progress when the most deprived are further punished by paying more for essential goods and services – this is called the ‘poverty premium’, which is currently estimated at £490 for low-income households across the UK.

At the Purpose Coalition, we have begun work to identify these barriers. Our framework of 14 Purpose Goals each represent one of a range of social challenges - including tackling the digital divide, widening access to savings, improving health & wellbeing, and opening up job opportunities post-16. Crucially, each of these goals is backed by business and by organisations with both the means and the access to direct their investments to the right places.

Keir Starmer has the chance to turn his mission on breaking down barriers into a truly transformational strategy for the country. By pulling it out of its narrow remit and running it through every single department of government, he could end the trend of ‘levelling down’ and create a fairer society from the ground up – where opportunity reaches talent everywhere.

Callum is Joint Managing Director at This is Purpose, working with businesses to develop their social impact and break down barriers to opportunity.

The Purpose Coalition is pleased to partner with Southeastern