Fit For Purpose Issue #4

46 NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST SETS OUT LEVELLING UP PRIORITIES IN NEW REPORT

47 DEVELOPING TALENT with 4Studio Channel4

48 CREATING OPPORTUNITIES WITH APPRENTICESHIPS with Nicola Drury, UK Apprenticeship Manager at Amazon

50 THE UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING HAS SIGNED UP TO A NEW FRAMEWORK TO MEASURE ITS SOCIAL IMPACT

51 SOUTH WARWICKSHIRE UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST LAUNCHES IMPACT REPORT

52 UNIVERSITIES CAN HELP EVERYONE LEVEL UP University of Greenwich

54 BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS with the Purpose Coalition & bp

56 SUPPORTING STUDENTS, STAFF AND LOCAL COMMUNITY DURING COST OF LIVING CRISIS with University of Northampton

58 HOW SHROPSHIRE, TELFORD AND WREKIN VACCINATION PROGRAMME IS TACKLING HEALTH INEQUALITIES

60 ALIGNING TALENT WITH ASPIRATIONTHE OPPORTUNITY ROADSHOW at the University of Southampton

62 LEVEL UP THE LEVY with Justine Greening and Anne Milton

64 THE NHS’S FUTURE WORKFORCE AND LEVELLING UP with Andrew Attfield, Barts Health NHS Trust

66 SPECIALIST LENDING AND SAVINGS BANK, ALDERMORE LAUNCHED ITS REPORT TO SOCIETY 2022

68 FORMER CABINET MEMBER LAUNCHES LEVELLING UP REPORT at the University of Worcester

70 WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES TO ADVANCE AND SUPPORT HUMAN CAPITAL with Professor Karen Bryan, York St John University

72 UNIVERSITIES CONTINUE TO BE A VITAL PART OF THE SOLUTION IN TACKLING INEQUALITY with Justine Greening

74 SIGNPOSTING POSITIVE DESTINATIONS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IS KEY TO JOB SUCCESS with UK Power Networks

76 REED IN PARTNERSHIP LAUNCHES SOCIAL MOBILITY IMPACT REPORT

78 LEVELLING UP REPORT RECOGNISES SOCIAL IMPACT with Virgin Money

80 LEVELLING UP REPORT HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPACT OF ENERGY SOLUTIONS ON

96 JUSTINE GREENING PRAISES ‘FANTASTIC EDUCATION RESOURCES’ as she visits University of Bolton

98 LEVELLING UP THROUGH COMMUNITY POWER by Rob Powell, Warwickshire Council

100 LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR CHANGE with Shoosmiths

102 IN CONVERSATION with Hannah Thompson, Travelodge

104 SMARTER ENERGY FOR ALL Calisen

106 AMBITION TO DELIVER A POSITIVE SOCIAL IMPACT with Canterbury City Council

108 NHS: LEADERSHIP REPORT with Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

109 HUMBER AND NORTH YORKSHIRE HEALTH & CARE PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES CASE STUDIES TO NHS: LEADERSHIP REPORT

110 STRONG COUNCIL LEADERSHIP CAN PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN DELIVERING SOCIAL MOBILITY:

111 Councillor Louise Mckinlay, Essex County Council

112 Councillor Izzi Seccombe OBE, Warwickshire County Council

113 Councillor Darren Rodwell, Barking & Dagenham Council

114 PURPOSE COALITION BUSINESS AWARDS 2022

116 TRANSLATING TALENT INTO SOCIAL IMPACT: BRINGING YOUR PEOPLE WITH YOU with The Adecco Group

118 AIREDALE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST COMMITS TO LEVELLING UP

119 A GREAT PLACE TO WORK, A GREAT PLACE TO LEARN with Anne Milton

Caribbean Youth Pledge

THE CARIBBEAN YOUTH PLEDGE IS A NEW INITIATIVE COFOUNDED BY ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA PRIME MINISTER, RT HON GASTON BROWNE, AND ENTREPRENEUR, DAVID HARRISON, TO CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES AND ROUTES INTO EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN.

The Pledge is a simple and effective way for organisations to demonstrate commitment to providing opportunities for young people. It builds on the Social Mobility Pledge that has proven to be a great success in the United Kingdom with more than 650 signatory businesses representing over 7 million employees.

The Caribbean Youth Pledge is a partnership between the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the University of the West Indies and the Harrison Centre Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Continuing Education.

Empower our councils, empower our communities

WITH THE STOP-GO STATUS OF THE LEVELLING UP AGENDA GIVEN A DEFINITIVE GREEN LIGHT ONCE AGAIN BY THE NEW PRIME MINISTER, IT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER THAT CENTRAL GOVERNMENT HANDS THE REINS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO DELIVER MEANINGFUL EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY WHERE IT IS MOST NEEDED.

Although much of that agenda’s focus, and many of the headlines, have been on large infrastructure and connectivity projects, it’s issues such as housing, high streets, jobs and skills that resonate most strongly for local people. With responsibility that extends from key areas of the economy and the environment to children, families and health and wellbeing, our councils are in a unique position to impact people’s lives for the better.

The pandemic highlighted the crucial role that local authorities play in times of crisis. In addition to keeping essential services going throughout, they worked with their NHS partners to encourage take-up of the vaccine and facilitated its rollout, providing venues and staff. They helped shield millions of the most vulnerable from the virus, took thousands of homeless people off the streets and paid billions of pounds to businesses in vital grants that kept them afloat. And amid the firefighting, they also embraced the longer term challenge of people living their lives more closely to home and reassessing their priorities for their community as a result. Where people live – and the quality of their lives there – now matters more than ever.

The immense challenges of the current cost of living crisisand its economic and social fallout - will again test the trust that residents invest in their locally elected representatives. They will need to identify where support is most needed and help to coordinate local agencies to provide it in the most effective and sustained way. During more than a decade of austerity, they are used to making difficult choices with constrained budgets. They have always found innovative, clever ways to raise funds and develop new services while protecting the most vulnerable.

They have developed constructive partnerships with the private sector which actively contribute to improved outcomes for their communities. They have encouraged investment while also creating fairer and more equal places for people to live in. Effective system leadership will be critical for the future of local government, and for reducing regional inequality. The lack of social mobility in this country is a complex issue, and a long standing one. The Purpose Coalition is working with some of the most progressive councils in the country, examining what works well in their communities through the lens of 14 Purpose Goals which cover key life stages and the major barriers that prevent people from achieving their potential. They are forging new partnerships which are already demonstrating a positive impact in the areas where they operate, sharing best practice and, crucially, measuring their progress.

It remains to be seen how ambitious the Government’s ambition is and how it will develop the twelve missions outlined in its Levelling Up White Paper. Success is dependent on it capitalising on the strong local leadership of councils who have proven they can deliver solutions that achieve measurable and sustainable change. Give them the tools for the job and they will empower our communities.

AFTER YEARS IN WHICH THE PROBLEM HAS RECEIVED TOO LITTLE FOCUS, IT HAS BEEN IMPORTANT TO SEE BOTH GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION PLEDGE TO INCREASE GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY BY TARGETING THE ALARMING GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE FALLEN OUT OF THE LABOUR FORCE IN RECENT YEARS.

Labour wants business to get people off benefit into jobs, but the state must do more too

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s announcement of a review into the “issues holding back workforce participation” was largely overshadowed by the avalanche of bad news in the Autumn Statement, while Labour Leader, Sir Keir Starmer, turned heads by warning businesses that a future Labour government would not heed the CBI’s call to loosen restrictions on immigration to aid the cripplingly tight labour market. Instead, Sir Keir signalled that Labour will expect firms to shoulder their responsibility to invest more in training workers already here in the UK.

In fact, that approach is exactly what many members of the Purpose Coalition are already successfully delivering, using their community connections and existing partnerships to unlock personal and economic potential. Recruitment specialists, Reed in Partnership, for example, has gone into overdrive through the pandemic - finding ways to make employment work for thousands of people, irrespective of their academic or personal background. Using a localised approach, they offer tailored action plans to help ensure employability as well as career longevity. Also using its understanding of the communities it works in to better meet their needs, food services and facilities company, Sodexo, adapts recruitment policies to meet area-specific skills shortages. It also reaches out to underrepresented groups who often find it difficult to join or re-join the workforce, including a commitment to fill five per cent of its vacancies with prison leavers. UK Power Networks works with local Jobcentres in the three regions it covers to help connect up those with an interest in the industry with opportunity and also runs a range of work experience programmes aimed specifically at young people not in education, employment or training.

Many will share Labour’s analysis that the incentive - for businesses and government alike - to make costly investments in helping British people get job-ready has sometimes been lessened in recent decades when many sectors found it easier to fill positions with recent arrivals from other countries in the EU single market. That is certainly one of my conclusions from my time as an adviser in the Department for Work and Pensions between 2005 and 2007, when we replaced incapacity benefit with more active back-to-work support through the employment and support allowance. We certainly felt a moral imperative to act to stop people being trapped on inactive benefits, but the economic imperative was never as great when foreign workers were always available to slot in and keep the economy growing.

These are obviously very changed times, and all our members realise that more will be needed across the economy to help people access opportunities in future. Businesses, however, can only do so much. They need much more active help from government which is why it was important to see Shadow Work & Pensions Secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, making clear that Labour will prioritise helping people off benefit and back into work alongside the increased expectations on business spelt out by Sir Keir. Mr Ashworth was right to highlight the frightening estimate from the OBR that the increase in spend on health and disability benefits post-Covid could cost £7.5 billion. That figure is so high because of a drop of nine million people in the workforce - that’s one in every five people of working age – and the most recent figures show a rise of 42% of 16–34-year-olds dropping out of the labour market.

Mr Hunt’s announcement of a welfare review comes after the Conservative Government has been relatively quiet on welfare reform for many years. There have been important schemes, such as the introduction and rollout of Universal Credit or the Kickstart Scheme, but little either to capture the public’s imagination or to genuinely transform the lives of sufficient numbers of people, particularly given the scale of the problem. Why so little progress given that the positive impact of employment programmes look like a no-brainer, greatly reducing the long-term cost to taxpayers as well as helping individuals being left behind? Getting people into work does not just cut the benefit bill, it also tends to reduce people’s

Getting people into work does not just cut the benefit bill, it also tends to reduce people’s dependency on the NHSgenerating further savings

dependency on the NHS - generating further savings. There is a clear link between being out of work and deteriorating mental and physical health.

But the key issue holding back the country from the welfare change so obviously needed is that programmes on the scale that really make a difference tend to require a substantial up-front investment, with savings only kicking in after a substantial outlay. So often over the years, the rhetoric from ministers of welfare overhaul and mass support to help people into jobs has not matched the rather modest reality. Take for example the press stories generated by the Autumn Statement announcement that 600,000 people receiving Universal Credit would be subject to a ‘welfare crackdown’ or ‘forced into work’ - headlines suggesting tough action that would probably have pleased the government’s media team. The reality is that those 600,000 are going to be offered an interview with a job coach - very welcome, but unlikely to be transformative on its own.

Labour will need to think boldly in order to avoid falling into the same trap of failing to match their big ambition to boost productivity by helping people off welfare with the reality of a frighteningly tight fiscal climate.

So I hope that Sir Keir, Mr Ashworth and Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, will consider super-charging a radical way of bringing forward future welfare savings which Tony Blair was examining in his final years in office. Back then, we were pushing the Treasury to accept that if particular back-to-work support schemes were proven to save taxpayers money down the track by reducing benefit and health bills, those savings should be directly and immediately ploughed into expanding future programmes. In the technical discussions with the Treasury this was known as switching the Annual Managed Expenditure (AME) pot into which benefit spending falls to programme investment by the Department for Work and Pensions that was part of its Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL). AME-DEL switching was seen as highly unorthodox and, while we eventually got the principle accepted, it was never expanded enough to change lives at scale.

Treasury orthodoxy may now be all the rage after the wildfires caused by Trussonomics, but this is surely the kind of practical, grounded radicalism that a future Labour government could make its own, generating the investment needed to create a vital virtuous circle that can improve the nation’s finances and transform lives.

Either way, Labour or Tory, whichever party genuinely grasps the nettle of meaningful welfare reform at scale will find eager partners in a business community that is desperate to maximise productivity and growth to pull the country out of its current predicament.

Labour will need to think boldly in order to avoid falling into the same trap of failing to match their big ambition to boost productivity by helping people off welfare with the reality of a frighteningly tight fiscal climate.

Either way, Labour or Tory, whichever party genuinely grasps the nettle of meaningful welfare reform at scale will find eager partners in a business community that is desperate to maximise productivity and growth to pull the country out of its current predicament.

The war in Ukraine merits a reassessment of ESG for British business

THE SEISMIC SHOCK OF RUSSIA’S WAR ON UKRAINE IS CHANGING SO MUCH IN THE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL LANDSCAPE, INCLUDING AN IMPACT ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A GOOD BUSINESS AND ACT RESPONSIBLY.

As the crisis hit, it has been heart-warming – and unsurprising - to see so many firms finding ways to show support for the Ukrainian people through donations or visual displays of solidarity. It is sadly increasingly clear that the scale of devastation wrought on civilian areas by Russian troops means that Ukrainians who fled the fighting will need enduring support. As countries like the UK decide what they should offer Ukrainian refugees, our Purpose Coalition Chair Justine Greening, a former Secretary of State for International Development, has encouraged businesses to show leadership by offering training and employment opportunities to those displaced (Jobs for Ukraine Pledge).

But Russia’s flagrant violation of the rules-based international system by invading, and the growing evidence of grotesque war crimes perpetrated on civilians, will surely provoke wider reconsideration of how businesses should approach ESG issues in this new context.

The challenge facing CEOs and boards engaged in Russian markets is an immediate example of this. As the conflict loomed, many feared that increasing sanctions would seem inadequate.

In fact, the rigour of official prohibitions has exceeded expectations. Many companies have had to move swiftly to comply with new restrictions. But crucially, tighter rules have been accompanied by an even greater moral urgency for businesses to do the right thing in the face of this horror. Global firms such as Purpose Coalition members bp and Centrica have moved swiftly to give up Russian investments and partnerships voluntarily – often at considerable short term cost. By contrast, Western firms who have chosen to remain supplying Russian customers in areas not officially covered by sanctions are facing reputational damage that could turn out to have a deeper impact on their long-term success than the considerable immediate financial shock of withdrawing.

Much has been written about the rise in the importance of ESG in recent years, how the expectation on businesses to do good as well as comply with the law and make a profit has moved from being a peripheral to a central concern for companies at all levels and in all sectors. Ukraine has underlined that this commitment is not simply the case of carefully adjusting your strategy over the course of months or even years.

A major crisis challenges those leading purpose-led companies to make major and highly difficult strategic decisions in fluid and fast-moving environments – with the test being what is right, not simply what is lawful or most immediately profitable. More than ever before, leaders must weigh up often complex political and ethical considerations at speed like a head of government. In all but a few exceptions, they are doing so without the depth of political advisers, foreign policy experts and seasoned political allies on whom presidents and prime ministers can call. As well as highlighting the increased complexity of the ethical environment in which firms operate, Russia’s actions are likely to change the nature of what good means within that environment. The patriotic penalty for companies who continue to engage in Russia while they perpetrate atrocities is referenced above. I believe there is also likely to be a new patriot premium for companies who recognise and embrace the reality that the world is increasingly divided between those nations who respect the rules-based order and the right of self-determination, and those who would trample that system to establish a new world order based on the idea that might is right. We know others are carefully watching the world’s reaction to Putin’s violation of his neighbours’ sovereignty. Smart CEOs will now be weighing up the prospect and planning for the dark scenario in which other countries are emboldened to take a similar expansionist course. The boldest leaders may not simply hedge against future aggression but be part of a Western effort to deter it by insisting on fresh commitments to the rule of law and respect for the international order as a condition of doing business in certain markets.

Which leads me to the set of companies I hope will clearly be recognised from a new patriotic premium in what it means to be a good business: namely, the defence industry in the UK. For generations, defence firms have been pilloried by so-called ethical investors. Industry events have been the focus of protests. Pension funds have been urged to avoid

investing in the ‘arms trade’. There have been repeated attempts to question strategic and greatly needed investments in industrial areas with low education attainment like BAE’s funding of schools and further education in Barrow-in-Furness, which I represented in the House of Commons until the last election.

Yet it is no exaggeration to say that President Putin might already have achieved his twisted objectives, and millions more civilians exposed to horrifying crimes against humanity, were it not for Britain’s commitments to supply the Ukrainian army with lethal aid to keep their invaders at bay, like the NLAW anti-tank weaponry and the Starstruck air defence system manufactured by Thales.

The UK’s arms export rules must continue to be tightly regulated and closely scrutinised to ensure we can justify to which governments we supply.

But we should recognise that we cannot keep evil at bay with warm hearts and strong words alone, no matter how forcefully spoken.

In this increasingly dangerous and uncertain global environment, a vibrant, well regulated and growing defence industry is necessary to protect our values from monsters like Putin. We should be proud of the jobs defence companies provide in local economies where other drivers of growth are in scarce supply, and seek to understand and deepen that contribution to areas in need of levelling up across the UK. Often, those companies deserve real credit for the way they have mainstreamed ESG concerns into their business model. I am particularly proud that Leonardo recently joined the Purpose Coalition.

I hope many more will now do more to promote their considerable economic impact with confidence that the world would be an even darker and more dangerous place without the contribution that their workforces make. As they do so, it is the responsibility of those of us focused on environment, social and governance issues to listen with an open mind.

I hope many more will now do more to promote their considerable economic impact with confidence that the world would be an even darker and more dangerous place without the contribution that their workforces make.

The pandemic has brought the world untold suffering and hardship. It has also brought us the chance of change. The chance to make the world a fairer place, where opportunity is available to everyone. We don’t have to go back to how things were before.

Businesses at forefront of driving gender equality

held by women, second only to France in international rankings. There were also increases in the number of board positions held by women in the FTSE 250 and 350. This year there were 700 more women in leadership roles in FTSE 350 companies.

Equality

of opportunity is about people as well as places, providing equal access to opportunity for everyone, everywhere.

The Purpose Coalition has developed a set of Purpose Goals to be the architecture of a truly level playing field, covering different life stages, as well as important elements like infrastructure and digital connectivity. Goal 14 is achieving equality through diversity and inclusion. That’s where gender equality comes in. It’s intrinsic to any comprehensive social mobility strategy but it’s also good for business - more diverse organisations make better decisions, adopting wider and more creative perspectives that reflect the communities they serve.

When I was International Development Secretary, it was clear to me that it was impossible to make a significant difference to the lives of the world’s poorest people if women - half the population - were locked out of those plans. There was also a stark reminder in research published last week in the Lancet that globally COVID has had a greater negative social and economic impact on women and girls than men, exacerbating disparities that already existed. As we look to a world beyond COVID, we need to build a ‘50-50 recovery’, one that implicitly recognises that gender equality is a foundation stone for a successful future Britain. On International Women’s Day, we can learn from what we’ve achieved so far. In 2017 as Minister for Women and Equalities, I took the Gender Pay Gap regulations through Parliament that now provide a transparent, consistent approach for employers to report their progress in the workplace.

Whilst there’s still a long way to go, we should recognise that much of the headway we’ve made on gender equality in the UK has been facilitated by employers who have genuinely challenged themselves to remove the barriers that exist for women at work. Yet it’s not just about getting in but also getting on. Recent figures show that 40% of UK FTSE 100 board positions are now

I’m proud to say that of the four companies which have both a woman CEO and Chair, three – Severn Trent, Pennon Group and Direct Line Insurance Group – have been working with the Purpose Coalition to help drive the levelling up agenda. Many of the companies we have partnered with are already helping to deliver a gender equal world, building workplaces where women can thrive. They work upstream in schools, using role models and real-life experience to widen aspiration, demonstrating to girls that careers in tech or STEM subjects, for example, can be for them. They develop and train them, helping to fill a skills gap that is inevitable if only 50% of the population can be considered for job vacancies in any particular role. These leading employers recognise this must be supported by a range of policies that will attract women, enable them to flourish and retain their talents.

In particular, they have embraced the new ways of working that were anyhow further driven by the pandemic, reviewing their practices to ensure that hybrid working especially benefits their female employees, making it easier to combine work with caring responsibilities or have a better work-life balance. It’s a vital step because one clear message from gender pay gap data is that whilst the pay gap has narrowed dramatically for younger women at work, starting a family still means women’s careers often slow down or stall at that point compared to men’s. Harnessed effectively, routine hybrid working post pandemic could be a real stepchange in removing barriers and enhancing the ability of women to drive on with their careers. Only one in three leadership roles and about 25% of all executive committee roles are currently held by women. There are only eight women CEOs in the FTSE 100, and none from an ethnic minority group. That’s untenable in 21st century Britain. But in the same way that it has been business and employers taking steps to narrow the gender gap at entry level and earlier in careers, it’s now vital they recognise that hybrid working can be a crucial step to reducing it later in careers and at senior levels of their organisations. It sits alongside other important work on mentoring and allyship for women to progress in careers. We need a renewed push for gender equality in Britain. We all have a part to play and, alongside employers, there are lots of fantastic organisations that are part of a wider effort. Levelling up is about everyone, everywhere. It’s about changing the terms of trade for those sections of our society that don’t always operate on a level playing field when it comes to opportunity. Let’s make sure we put gender equality at its heart.

Working together we will drive equality of opportunityand measuring socio-economic background can help employers show their progress.

We saw it during the pandemic, when the poorest people and communities in our society experienced higher mortality rates, more long-term illness, and a greater negative impact on their children’s education from school shutdowns. Now, it’s an economic impact as the cost of living crisis grows, with the same communities on the front line, and local economies disproportionately hit by reduced disposable income. That’s the challenge of weak social mobility - advantage accumulates but so does disadvantage, and it’s why where you start in life tends to be where you stay. But the systematic nature of social mobility also means we can all play a role to help break this cycle of inequality of opportunity.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rightly signalled the Government’s continued commitment to its 2019 manifesto promise of levelling up. Hopefully it’ll be clearer over the coming months how a Sunak Government intends to deliver on February’s White Paper with its 12 Levelling Up Missions. But the White Paper also acknowledged that beyond Government, businesses and others should individually and collectively take the reins more firmly on driving levelling up, referencing our work through the Social Mobility Pledge (at the heart of which is the Purpose Coalition). Through our work we’ve seen just what a difference employers can make on driving social mobility - in communities, for their own employees, working through supply chains and procurement and, as the cost of living challenge bites, supporting their customers. Britain invests billions of pounds every year on education and skills, with a focus on closing attainment gaps and huge amounts of data collected to track progress in schools. Yet problematically for a country trying to achieve equality of opportunity, we have no real measures of what then happens to people in the workplace. So, whatever an employer does to drive levelling up, measuring impact is crucial to make sure you’re having a real impact. And the most important levelling up measure for any employer starts with tracking the social mobility power of its own opportunities and the socio-economic background of its recruits and employees.

The good news is that work by the Government’s Cabinet Office, then developed by the Social Mobility Commission working with our Social Mobility Pledge team and others, means we know

how to do this socio-economic measurement and what data to track. It’s more straightforward than you might think, and it’s already been successfully trialled by Government departments in 2019. Now we just need it to be adopted by employers in a wider Britain, and it’s probably the single most important measurement we’ll need to make sure we level up Britain. That’s what the Equality of Opportunity Coalition is aboutbringing together private and public sector organisations which have committed to tracking their employee socio-economic diversity. They’re sharing their experiences, their know-how and ideas and are backed up by a growing number of cross-party MPs in Parliament who are applauding the steps these British employers are taking to track the levelling up impact their opportunities have on communities.

A wide range of organisations, covering over 300,000 employees and rapidly growing, have already joined the Equality of Opportunity Coalition, from the Co-op Group to law firm Shoosmiths, with bp, UK Power Networks, and the BBC all coming on board. Public sector employers such as universities like the University of Derby and Staffordshire University, St George’s University NHS Trust, or local authorities such as Essex County Council and South Kesteven County Council are also now starting to track their socio-economic diversity. Some Coalition organisations, such as the BBC, have challenged themselves with targets for how much they want to improve their numbers over the coming years. With the support of the major accountancy bodies such as ICAEW and CIPFA we are getting the word out and about to employers far and wide.

Many of the early adopter employers are finding out they’re more of an engine of social mobility than they had previously realised. Others are finding they may have further to go, but the fact they are tracking progress demonstrates an authenticity and seriousness to achieving more which drives real respect. For would-be employees, seeing an employer that shares their values is increasingly a precursor to them joining the organisation. And, of course, for a wider country that is determined to see a fairer, levelling up Britain, businesses taking on that responsibility for driving change and actively measuring their social mobility impact is exactly what people want to see and hugely welcomed by them. What gets measured gets done, and we’ll get more done working together. If we can better understand the socio-economic makeup of our workforce, we can tackle inequality and drive social mobility more effectively. If we can see more employers come together through the Equality of Opportunity Coalition then working together, we’ve a real chance to break the cycle of inequality of opportunity. That’s why measurement matters so much.

THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND OUR EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC HAVE DRIVEN HOME THE REALITY THAT THE LEAST PRIVILEGED COMMUNITIES ARE OFTEN THE ONES HIT HARDEST WHEN THINGS TAKE A TURN FOR THE WORSE.

Health Coalition brings NHS leaders together to find solutions

The current rate is at record levels with more than one in five of those of working age inactive, around nine million people. There’s also been a particular rise in the number of economically inactive young people, with a 42% rise in 16-34 year olds withdrawing from the labour market. It’s not hard to see the impact that this will have on the country’s economy: on employers who are facing record numbers of unfilled vacancies, even at a time when unemployment numbers are increasing; and on individuals who will miss out on the opportunities that being in work can bring. Not enough skills within the work force means not

enough growth in the economy and in the current climate, this presents huge challenges. Social Mobility Tsar and former Chief Economist at the Bank of England, Andy Haldane, has raised concerns that the worsening health of British people is holding back economic growth, with the past improvement in the nation’s health and wellbeing seen in the last 100 years, now being in retreat. The seriousness of the situation is demonstrated by the Prime Minister now asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to review the issues holding back workplace participation and to report back by early next year.

Early retirement is one explanation but there are also 2.5 million who are unavailable to work because of long term sickness. ONS figures show that the medical reasons cited include mental illness and nervous disorders, back and shoulder pain and ‘other health problems’ with the assumption that much of this is due to long Covid. There is an inevitability about this circle of disadvantage, with the spectre of health inequality looming large over the least privileged communities who often pay the highest price.

THERE’S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT AND WORRYING RISE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY INACTIVE – PEOPLE LEAVING THE LABOUR FORCE AND NOT SEEKING, OR NOT ABLE, TO REJOIN IT.

The pandemic not only made people ill, it increased financial and social pressures and had a huge impact on people’s mental health. We now have a cost of living crisis which is exacerbating that legacy. People are concerned about their ability to pay their bills, keep warm and feed their families undermining further both their mental and physical health. The poorest people have lower life expectancy, live more of their life in poor health, wait longer for diagnosis and treatment and have poorer outcomes from ill health. For many years there has been a need to reduce health inequalities and this is becoming increasingly urgent. NHS services are acutely aware of this need but are often caught in the crossfire. Higher demand across all its services but with fewer staff to meet it, the NHS is feeling the impact of a shrinking workforce. The Purpose Coalition is working with some of the best purpose-led NHS organisations to address the range of challenges it is currently facing, including not least recruitment, where staff shortages are having an impact on staff, patients and the communities they serve. The Purpose Health Coalition is a group of 15 NHS organisations with over 120,000 NHS employees. Working with local stakeholders, they are developing innovative and creative solutions on issues such as recruitment and retention by working with their local communities encouraging people to apply for jobs, supporting people into lower-banded roles, introducing career development platforms as well as coaching and mentoring. By sharing their best practice, these NHS organisations are demonstrating innovative leadership that will have a positive impact in the areas where they operate, and can inspire others to follow. For the NHS, workplace participation is one of its biggest challenges. It is inextricably linked to the urgent need to reduce health inequalities in this country. Collaboration with like-minded organisations and an ambitious approach to making a difference will turn this into a win-win outcome, for the organisation itself, for the people that they serve and also for the economy more widely.

LEADERS OF THE COALITION INCLUDE:

Rt Hon Jacqui Smith

Chair of Barts Health NHS Trust & Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust

Prof Stephen Eames CBE

Chair of Humber & North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership

Patricia Davies

Chief Executive of Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust

Anne Coyle

Managing Director of South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust

Jacqui Van Rossum

Interim Chief Executive of North East London NHS Foundation Trust

Lyn Simpson

Chief Executive of North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Foluke Ajayi

Chief Executive of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust

Melanie Walker MBE

Chief Executive of Devon Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Siobhan Melia

Chief Executive of Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Brendan Brown

Chief Executive of Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Glen Burley

Chief Executive of George Eliot Hospitals NHS Trust, South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust and Wye Valley NHS Trust

Helen Greatorex

Chief Executive of Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust

We now have a cost of living crisis which is exacerbating that legacy

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Health Awards 2022

NHS ORGANISATIONS PLAYING A LEADING ROLE IN SPREADING OPPORTUNITY ACROSS THE UK HAVE BEEN CELEBRATED AT A NEW SET OF AWARDS.

LEVELLING UP HEALTH

THE PURPOSE HEALTH COALITION AWARDS

RECOGNISE THOSE NHS ORGANISATIONS AND THEIR STAFF THAT ARE COMMITTED TO BOOSTING OPPORTUNITY AND BEING TRULY PURPOSE-LED.

Winners on the night included Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust and Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust.

A range of individuals, teams and projects were highlighted as making a significant impact to their colleagues, patients and communities.

There were also Spotlight Awards for Professor Stephen Eames, Chief Executive of Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, Anne Coyle, Managing Director of South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, and Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, Chair of both Barts Health NHS Trust and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust for their leadership within the health sector. The awards were hosted by the Chair of the Purpose Health

THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS ARE:

Goal 1: Strong foundations in early years

Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership

Goal 2: Successful school years

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Foundation Trust

Goal 3: Positive destinations post 16+ Barts Health NHS Trust

Goal 4: Right advice and experiences

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Goal 5: Open recruitment

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

Goal 6: Fair career progression

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Goal 7: Widening access to savings & credit

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

SPOTLIGHT AWARD WINNERS

Coalition and former Public Health Minister Rt Hon Anne Milton. The Purpose Health Coalition is made up of the UK’s most innovative purpose-led leaders and organisations in the health sector.

The categories for the awards are based around the Purpose Goals launched last year by Rt Hon Justine Greening. The Goals provide a benchmark for activity focused on driving equality of opportunity from early years through to careers, alongside barriers such as the digital divide, health and infrastructure. Rt Hon Anne Milton commented: “As the UK deals with the legacy of Covid-19 and faces new challenges such as the cost of living crisis and its impact on wellbeing, the importance of responsible organisations and the role they play has never been greater. NHS organisations have a vital role to play in supporting their patients and the wider community, and we need their leadership now more than ever before.

“These awards show brilliant examples of organisations thinking differently around employment opportunities, health and wellbeing, equality and diversity, and much much more. A huge congratulations to all our winners and I hope the best practice on show inspires others to go further in spreading opportunity.”

Goal 8: Good health and wellbeing

Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust

Goal 9: Extending enterprise

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Goal 10: Closing the digital divide

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust

Goal 11: Infrastructure for opportunity

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Goal 12: Building homes & sustainable communities

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust

Goal 13: Harness the energy transition

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust

Goal 14: Achieve equality, through diversity & inclusion

North East London NHS Foundation Trust

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Professor Stephen Eames, Chief Executive of Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership

Anne Coyle, Managing Director of South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust

Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, Chair of both Barts Health NHS Trust and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust

A virtuous circle where productivity and profit drive social purpose

THERE IS LITTLE DISPUTE THESE DAYS THAT ENSURING OPPORTUNITY IS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR BACKGROUND, MAKES GOOD BUSINESS SENSE. MORE AND MORE OF OUR LEADING BUSINESSES ARE DEMONSTRATING THAT WIDENING THE TALENT POOL IS KEY TO THEIR CREATIVITY AND THEIR COMPETITIVENESS.

The best are going even further and using the profits that their success brings to invest in their communities, giving back to make them better places to live. That’s exactly the approach that David Harrison, Chair of financial services and technology firm, True Potential, and founder of the Harrison Foundation, has taken. He has spent four decades building successful businesses, supporting local communities and championing education and social mobility, including jointly founding the Social Mobility Pledge with former Education Secretary, Justine Greening, in 2018. This year he was recognised for his services to business and social mobility with a Knighthood.

Generating profit and using it to create long-lasting social impact is an approach shared by another Harrison - Daniel Harrison, True Potential’s Chief Executive and fellow trustee of the Harrison Foundation. He has taken up the mantle from his father, David, and grown both the business and the community impact it has.

True Potential now manages over £22bn of people’s savings and investments. Last year saw the firm achieve record growth with an 80 per cent rise in profits. This was largely as a result of long-term investment in technology and hybrid financial advice models, which attracted smaller savers and investors normally excluded from investing in stocks and shares because of the exorbitant minimum deposit limits set by traditional providers.

A proportion of True Potential’s profits funds the Harrison Foundation, a privately run charity, which nurtures specific projects that make a measurable difference to local areas. This year has seen a significant expansion of its flagship initiative, the Harrison Centre for Social Mobility (HCSM), which first opened in Sunderland in 2017 in partnership with Sunderland Football Club. It works with hundreds of young people in the UK to provide the tuition and training they need to help them grow in confidence and secure a job. It also supports a growing number of charities and organisations that work to tackle low social mobility by working with young people and connecting them up to employment.

A further four Harrison Centres have opened this year, one in partnership with Newcastle United at its new esports arena and one in Darlington with local employability and skills charity, First Stop. It has also opened its first digital learning Centre with the Open University, with a suite of education and development courses available free of charge to members of the public and accessed through the OU’s OpenLearn platform. It aims to give millions of people across the UK the chance to upskill and improve their employability prospects. The first overseas, purpose-built Centre was launched in Antigua with a multi-million dollar grant to establish the Harrison Centre Antigua and Barbuda Institute for Continuing Education, which will provide technical

“

and vocational training in skills that are critical for the economic development of the country.

David Harrison said: “I’ve always been a big believer in the power of a job to improve social mobility and that has also been my personal experience. Education is the building block to achieving that and it’s why I am proud of the work that we are doing through the Harrison Centres with our partners. Businesses themselves are great drivers of social mobility. Many of the digital Harrison Centre courses are aimed at creating an understanding of the commercial world and include courses which support people with household finances, investing and budgeting all of which are particularly relevant at this time in our economy.”

Looking to the future, Daniel Harrison hopes that, through the Harrison Centres, some of those who are furthest away from opportunities will be able to acquire new skills, discover hidden talents and find new routes into employment, including at True Potential.

Speaking at the launch of the Harrison Centre Newcastle, Daniel said: “The Harrison Foundation’s mission is to give a hand up to people who need it most and help them into employment. It’s clear to me that this partnership with the Newcastle United Foundation has every chance of being a

game-changer for our young people. I was particularly keen to establish one of our Harrison Centres for Social Mobility here to support the esports and STEM facilities because they bring together competition, learning and teamwork into an environment that is engaging and fun. It’s a fantastic facility that everyone involved can be proud of. I’m excited to see how it develops over the coming years.”

The Harrison Centre initiative is an inspiring example of how a successful business has generated profits partly as a result of making the financial services sector more accessible, has leaned into its communities to find out what would make opportunity more accessible for people living there and invested in those projects to stimulate aspiration and growth.

I’ve always been a big believer in the power of a job to improve social mobility and that has also been my personal experience.

“

Looking to the future, Daniel Harrison hopes that, through the Harrison Centres, some of those who are furthest away from opportunities will be able to acquire new skills, discover hidden talents and find new routes into employment, including at True Potential.

Centrica CEO, Chris O'Shea, talks to Justine Greening about the energy transition and bringing people with you

JG Centrica is a business people know really well through British Gas. It’s also a company that offers opportunity and one that is playing a central role in the transition to green energy. It’s played a part in my own social mobility journey as it was the last place I worked before becoming an MP so I’m delighted that it has joined our push for better social mobility with the Purpose Coalition. The Levelling Up Impact report that is launching soon will set out some of the work Centrica has been doing. In the meantime, tell us about your own journey.

CO I was brought up in Fife in Scotland. My parents were self-employed and when they ran into difficulty and lost their business we had to move to Glasgow. I was ten and nearing the end of primary school. It was only 60 miles away but it felt like a different world - it was a huge life change. The one beacon of stability at the time was a family friend who was an accountant. Looking back, that had quite an impact on me. We did accountancy at school and I was good at figures so I decided to study it at the University of Glasgow.

I didn’t know anyone else who’d been to university and I’d missed the Institute of Chartered Accountants lecture which told you how to do job applications so I was a bit worried about getting that first job! I eventually started work at a small firm in Glasgow but I was quite ambitious and wanted to work for one of the ‘big six’ firms to get international experience. I joined Ernst & Young in Aberdeen then spent seven years with Shell, working in Aberdeen, London, Houston and Lagos. I worked at British Gas Group for seven years and then was Chief Finance Officer for three different public companies – Vesuvius, Smiths Group and Smiths Instruments. I joined Centrica as CFO and became CEO two and a half years ago. It’s a massive privilege - we’re right in the middle of the energy transition in the UK and Ireland and we have 20,000 amazing colleagues helping with that and with the journey to net zero, as well as levelling up.

JG It’s a time of great change but also of challenge. Paying their energy bill is going to be one of the biggest costs that people will have to face. How is Centrica helping customers get through this difficult period?

CO With 7.5 million residential customers, 500,000 business customers and 500,000 in Ireland we have a huge reach, supplying energy to more than one in four households. The important thing is targeting direct help towards the most vulnerable. We have a partnership with the British Gas Energy Trust which was set up in 2004, funding charities and organisations that help with debt support, and to date we’ve contributed about £100m. Anyone with a problem can get in touch. But we decided that wasn’t enough and in the past nine months we’ve contributed £18m specifically for those in the most need who can apply for grants up to £1,500 to help with their energy bills.

JG In a way, it’s also about working with people before they get into debt?

CO We want to encourage people to seek help and to talk to someone if they’re in trouble and that’s why we launched the Stop the Silence campaign earlier this year, to tackle the shame

that’s attached to debt. We also decided that for the duration of the energy crisis, 10% of the profits from British Gas Energy will provide on-going support, in addition to the £18m already committed. I have great colleagues in the company and in my leadership teams, as well as supportive directors. We all wanted to do the right thing and that meant we were able to make quick decisions to provide prompt help to our most needy customers.

JG And that’s where an organisation’s culture comes in –having everyone on the same page can be really powerful. It’s always the same people on the front line when times are difficultwhere you start tends to shape your life chances and the Purpose Coalition is working towards breaking that cycle. How does Centrica see these levelling up challenges?

CO We’re a significant employer in the UK and Ireland but we’d stopped recruiting and we weren’t training enough people to come into the industry. That has lots of ramifications but fundamentally it meant we weren’t giving people enough

opportunity. We began our apprenticeship programme in the first quarter of 2021 and by the second quarter we’d recruited more apprenticeships than in the previous four years combined. Eighteen months later we have 900 new apprentices. Most start as smart engineers who, after 54 weeks, are earning £29,000. We’ve also trained 150 gas engineers. We have hired 600 engineers who were newly qualified but had no work experience. We have 1500 more colleagues in our industry than 18 months ago. If we get it right, we can change lives with well-paid jobs.

JG How did the company manage that sort of scaling up?

CO Covid taught us about ingenuity and adaptability, and how colleagues could work from home. From day one, all new recruits get the same health and wellbeing plan, including the same healthcare cover. But the issue for big companies like Centrica, and for government departments, is how do you push hard enough to make things happen but not so hard that the system breaks? There are bound to be bumps in the road but as long as you know you’re doing the right thing, you can stay the course. That’s not only the case for the individual but also for the business.

We’re the largest installer of heating in the UK – if we don’t train people, we can’t provide the service that customers expect. We have four academies which train and certify our apprentices so we’re educating our own people. Increasing the number of people we’re employing means we’re growing, and that represents success. We’re also focusing on offering opportunity to former members of the armed forces, with more than 10% of apprentices being ex-armed forces and a commitment to have more than 500 by the end of next year.

JG And widening that pipeline of talent then gives opportunity to people who might not otherwise have got that chance. It gives a positive sense of what the business is about.

CO I’m passionate about diversity and inclusiveness, not just because it’s the right thing to do as an individual but because it’s the right thing to do for business. We’re a customer facing business with more than 10m customers. To understand them we have to look and sound like them, whether that relates to gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or socio economic background. One of our biggest colleague networks is for former service men and women but we also have networks for sexual orientation, gender diversity, fertility, menopause and carers – we offer 10 days paid carers leave. We can all learn from these groups and it’s really important that everyone has the same opportunities. We’ve retained a lot of the flexibility that we fine-tuned during the pandemic because otherwise people are excluded. It means that our workforce is very loyal. I want us to offer something our competitors don’t and make it a more attractive place to work. Our call centre staff, for example, are still working from home if they want to, with just one day per month in the office, and are just as productive.

JG It’s a battle for skills at the moment so it’s incredibly important for businesses to use all the talent that’s available. Your Levelling Up Impact Report shows your focus on mental health and wellbeing. How are you supporting staff?

CO I’ve had experience with mental health issues with family members so I’ve always been very aware of the issue. When I started at Centrica there were already First Aiders in place so it was ahead of the game. We want to encourage people to reach out and ask for help, in the same way as our Stop the Silence

campaign for debt. A thousand people started work with the company in the last 15 weeks. Yesterday I had sessions with some of them where they had the opportunity to find out about life at Centrica but also to ask me questions directly in a live Q & A. It’s taken Covid for us to realise that we need to be adept as managers and check in with people regularly, to know our teams, to realise when something’s not right. To be an effective leader, you must care.

JG We’re currently going through the biggest economic shift and, as an energy company, Centrica is not just steering the business through that but the rest of us too.

CO We’re part of a broader coalition with government, energy companies and others working towards net zero. That requires a significant increase in electrification, wind, solar and decarbonised gas, ie hydrogen. The UK has 28m homes – 5.5 million of those can only be decarbonised by heat pumps, 6m by hydrogen and 16.5m in between could be by either. We’ve got to get on top of that. We’re the UK’s largest supplier of both gas and electricity so we have no vested interest. Hydrogen is the only way to ensure we decarbonise properly. If we don’t have hydrogen, the poorest in society won’t be able to decarbonise. Poor quality homes with poor insulation won’t get heat pumps. We can’t leave anyone behind in this transition so we need to have honest conversations in the process and not make inaction our default position. We want to refurbish what was our largest gas storage facility, Roughfield, to make it Europe’s largest hydrogen facility. It will cost £2bn and create around 3,000 jobs and allow us to put hydrogen into our gas network. Our Hydrogen Village trials near Ellesmere Port in the north west and in the north east prove hydrogen works in all homes. If we get it right ,we can easily decarbonise by 2050. It will allow us to ramp up production with the UK well-placed to

become a net energy exporter once again. At the moment the gas flow in Europe is east to west. We can make it go west to east. It will create jobs, ease the pressure on public finance and allow us to invest. We’re creating well-paid jobs so that people can make their own decisions – it’s what levelling up is about. It’s an intergenerational improvement and hopefully we can help to deliver that.

JG It’s a fantastic ambition. In London, we see evidence of the Victorians’ legacy all around us. Centrica is helping the entire country to shift on the energy transition and that will also be an incredible legacy. Two final questions – what is the best piece of advice you were ever given?

CO Be curious. Don’t think you know the answer, ask questions.

And it’s interesting you talk about managing the energy transition as our legacy because as a company we’ve already been involved in a number of transitions. We started off lighting the gas lamps in London and still do around Westminster. When we transitioned from natural gas to town gas in the 70s, every appliance in every home had to be changed. We did all of that so we know how to do it.

JG And what advice would you give to someone at the start of their career?

CO Find something you enjoy, that you’re invested in and that you find fulfilling and then you’ll do it better. Find a working environment you’re comfortable in and an organisation where success is rewarded. If you’re good, opportunity will come. If you’re in the right company, the bright lights shine very brightly - it’s easy to see them and to know where you’re going.

If you’re good, opportunity will come. If you’re in the right company, the bright lights shine very brightly - it’s easy to see them and to know where you’re going.

Centrica puts people at the heart of its levelling up work

ENERGY SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS COMPANY

CENTRICA RECENTLY LAUNCHED A LEVELLING UP IMPACT REPORT WHICH ASSESSES ITS SOCIAL IMPACT AND RECOMMENDS FURTHER STEPS IT CAN TAKE.

With a 200+ year heritage, Centrica provides energy and services to over ten million residential and business customers primarily in the UK and Ireland through brands such as British Gas, Bord Gais, Dyno Rod, Hive and Centrica Business Solutions, supported by over 7,000 engineers. As well as energy supply and boiler maintenance, it works across EV charge point installation, smart meters, heat pumps, solar and battery storage projects, gas production and electricity generation. Its purpose, developed with its employees, is to help people live sustainably, simply and affordably, supported by its values of care, delivery, collaboration, agility and courage.

As part of that work, the Levelling Up Impact Report has been developed with the Purpose Coalition and considers Centrica’s work against a set of 14 Purpose Goals. Launched in 2021, they provide a framework to help organisations identify gaps in access to opportunity, covering key life stages from early years to adulthood as well as the barriers that can prevent people from achieving their potential, for example good health and wellbeing or digital connectivity. They also provide a way of generating benchmarks, targeting social impact more effectively and collaborating through the sharing of best practice.

The report demonstrates Centrica’s strengths in meeting five Goals in particular and highlights a number of initiatives that makes Centrica a successful purpose-led company:

Goal 3 Positive Destinations Post 16+

An extensive apprenticeship programme, with a strong focus on gender equality and diversity, which has welcomed over 900 new apprentices in the last 18 months with a pledge to create one new apprenticeship for every day of the 2020s.

Goal 5 Open Recruitment

Recruitment of a Net Zero Battalion of 500 former service men and women (and their partners), with a tailored programme which will place them in a range of roles to facilitate the transition to Net Zero.

Goal 8 Good Health and Wellbeing

Its internal staff support programme, MyHealth, takes a holistic approach to employee mental health and wellbeing and its approach to workplace mental health has placed it in the top three of 100 of the UK’s largest companies.

Goal 13 Harness the Energy Transition

Its People and Planet Plan sets out its ambition to make customers net zero by 2050 and to achieve net zero business status as an organisation by 2045, developing new, greener skills and technologies that will support opportunities for its customers, colleagues and communities.

Goal 14 Achieve equality through diversity and inclusion

A recognition that its people should reflect the communities in which they work so that it offers an open and inclusive employee journey, including at senior levels, with a commitment to fill 30% of executive board roles and 40% of middle management with women by 2030.

The report also includes recommendations for future action that will strengthen Centrica’s positive social impact, leveraging its position as an industry leader to focus more specifically on targeting support for the most deprived areas and helping to shape the broader levelling up agenda. This could also include the tracking and measurement of the socioeconomic diversity of its workforce to better understand the barriers to career progression.

Chris O’Shea, Group Chief Executive at Centrica, said: “We’re proud to be a purpose-led company that believes in a just transition that doesn’t leave anyone behind. Leading the energy transition is where we can play a key role and the report highlights the steps we are taking to help our customers and the business achieve net zero. Currently we are doing this whilst helping our customers with the current cost of living crisis – our enhanced support of the British Gas Energy Trust, which has seen us make an additional £50 million of voluntary contributions, allows the Trust to provide grants and help for people struggling during this difficult time.

“We are committed to our building the workplace of the future with highly skilled and well paid jobs created through our apprenticeship programme and multiple other schemes that ensure Centrica’s people reflect our communities as we work to achieve net zero by 2045.”

Chair of the Purpose Coalition, Rt Hon Justine Greening, said: “As an energy company, Centrica is in the vanguard of changing how we think about energy. Customers want their homes and businesses to be able to access flexible, connected energy systems

and it is determined to be a key deliverer of that change. It has set bold targets to reach net zero while developing innovative solutions that will create the greener, high tech skills base the economy needs.

“People and planet are two sides of the same coin, and this report demonstrates that Centrica is a truly purpose-led company, putting its people at the heart of everything it does as a business. Through the lens of the Purpose Goals, it has been able to highlight the areas where it is making a difference but, crucially, also identify where there are still barriers which might prevent people from achieving their potential. The energy transition is undoubtedly an opportunity and Centrica is in a prime position to position to drive well-targeted, positive change that will benefit us all.”

Chair of the Purpose Business Coalition, Lord Walney, said: “The best businesses search out the talent that is found in every community, nurture it with the right advice and guidance and provide the opportunity to acquire new skills that will equip people with the tools for job success, no matter what their background. The approach detailed in this report shows that Centrica has understood that this is the way to attract and retain the best talent. It also recognises that ensuring genuine diversity in its workforce is not just the right thing to do but makes good business sense, bringing fresh perspectives and creative thinking to the way it works.

“As part of the Business Purpose Coalition, it is setting the standard for purpose-led companies. Sharing its best practice, targeting its work on equality of opportunity towards the areas that need it most and tracking and measuring its progress will provide insights for others and help shape the levelling up agenda that the country needs.”

Amanda Solloway MP - Lord Commissioner of the Treasury

Cardiff Met University has launched a new report that sets out its social impact on its communities, staff and students

CARDIFF METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES

NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTING SOCIAL IMPACT

CARDIFF MET UNIVERSITY HAS LAUNCHED A NEW REPORT THAT SETS OUT ITS SOCIAL IMPACT ON ITS COMMUNITIES, STAFF AND STUDENTS.

Published by the Purpose Coalition, the Impact Report maps the social impact of the University against a set of goals launched last year by former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening - the Purpose Goals.

The Purpose Goals are a leading framework designed to focus efforts on driving equality of opportunity at key life stages. As part of the launch Greening visited Cardiff Met University, seeing first hand the impact on show in the report and speaking to staff and students.

The report highlights a number of key strengths that put Cardiff Met at the forefront of the purpose agenda. These include:

• Successful School Years - Cardiff Met is the largest provider of teacher training in Wales and has various outreach programmes to help with attainment and raise aspirations. Its largest outreach programme, Open Campus, opens the University’s sporting facilities, coaching, nutrition and wellbeing support to over 11,000 children every year by promoting sport, physical activity, health and wellbeing to schools from some of the most deprived areas of south-east Wales.

• Positive Destinations Post 16+ - the University has a wide range of activities around widening access and inclusion, ensuring that those furthest from opportunity are given a chance to enter higher education.

• Right Advice and Experiences - work experience and placements are an integral part of Cardiff Met University. Through the delivery of ‘Cardiff Met EDGE’, all students develop ethical, digital, global and entrepreneurial skills.

Cardiff Met University is part of a pioneering group of UK universities, businesses and public sector organisationsThe Purpose Coalition - aiming to set a new and higher standard on boosting social mobility in the UK.

President and Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff Met, Professor Cara Aitchison said: “Our students and staff play a critical role in positively shaping society locally, nationally and globally and we are delighted to have launched this new report which clearly demonstrates the strength of our social impact.

“The role of education will be of the utmost importance as we rebuild society in the post-Covid era. Not only will it upskill the workforce and provide the researchers and entrepreneurs to tackle the ‘wicked challenges’, it will build resilient bridges and bonds to establish a world that is more prosperous, greener and, most importantly, fairer for all.”

Justine Greening added: “Cardiff Met’s Impact Report shows the wide range of activities the University is undertaking that are having a positive impact on its students, staff and local communities. Through initiatives such as Open Campus, not only is Cardiff Met raising aspirations for those furthest from opportunity but it is using sport to improve the health and wellbeing of children in local communities.

“Anchor institutions, such as universities, have an absolutely crucial role to play in extending opportunities to those that need most. Cardiff Met University, under the leadership of Professor Cara Aitchison, is committed to this role and spreading opportunity throughout society.”

Our students and staff play a critical role in positively shaping society locally, nationally and globally and we are delighted to have launched this new report which clearly demonstrates the strength of our social impact.

“

Levelling Up Skills: How do we equip the next generation with the skills they need?

During the Conservative Party Conference in October, the University of Derby partnered with the Purpose Coalition on an event focusing on the skills agenda. On the panel was Rt Hon Justine Greening, University of Derby’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Kath Mitchell and Provost, Learning and Teaching, Professor Keith McLay, Education Select Committee Member Anna Firth MP and Steve Layton from Rolls Royce. The panel discussed current skills shortages and how the government is aiming to address them by working with universities and businesses and wider stakeholders. They also discussed the role of universities in addressing these skills shortages and the need for a cultural shift to ensure that the next generation are trained in the skills the country needs.

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust commits to levelling up

SUSSEX

COMMUNITY NHS

FOUNDATION TRUST

HAS PARTNERED WITH FORMER PUBLIC HEALTH MINISTER RT HON ANNE MILTON AND SIGNED UP TO A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR MEASURING SOCIAL IMPACT.

In partnership with Anne Milton and former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust will now produce an Impact Report to measure its social impact using the architecture of the Purpose Goals.

The Trust will benchmark its activities against the architecture, pulling out areas of best practice and identifying where more could be done to level up local communities.

Established last year, the Purpose Goals focus on key life stages - from early years through to adulthood, alongside other barriers such as fair career progression and good health and wellbeing. Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust is the main provider of community NHS health and care across Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, High Weald Lewes and Havens and West Sussex. The Goals are the first major piece of work by the Purpose Coalition, which includes some of the UK’s most purpose-led public sector organisations, businesses and universities.

Justine Greening said: “NHS organisations play a vital role in society by spreading opportunity and tackling health inequalities in their communities. The inequalities that exist in different communities across the UK have been highlighted even more following the coronavirus pandemic. The work of the NHS, in collaboration with others, is crucial in tackling these inequalities.

“The Purpose Goals architecture is a tool for committed organisations, such as Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust,

to measure and articulate their purpose and impact. It’s brilliant to be working with an organisation that wants to go further with its role as an anchor institution within the local community.”

Siobhan Melia, Chief Executive at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, said “As an anchor organisation committed to addressing social inequalities in our community, I am immensely proud that the Trust is the first NHS community provider organisation in the Southeast to join the Purpose Coalition. The pandemic has exacerbated and further embedded inequalities in the region, particularly in terms of health outcomes and employment opportunities. The Purpose Goals framework provides a mechanism for guiding and tracking progress in tackling these inequalities.

I am excited to begin work with Justine, Anne and other partner organisations to help achieve positive change for our communities.”

Visit to Northumbria University highlights social mobility in action

A VISIT TO NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY BY JUSTINE GREENING, CHAIR OF THE PURPOSE COALITION AND FORMER EDUCATION SECRETARY, CONFIRMED ITS POSITION AS A RESEARCH-INTENSIVE UNIVERSITY THAT UNLOCKS POTENTIAL FOR ALL, CHANGING LIVES REGIONALLY, NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.

being a practitioner for as long as Northumbria has been on social mobility, I was delighted to see that work recognised with the THE University of the Year award.”

As the first member of her family to study at university, Ms Greening said the experience for her had been “utterly transformational”. She was given a tour of the world-class facilities at City Campus during her visit and spent time hearing about the student support available from members of the Student Life and Wellbeing team, as well as meeting with representatives of Northumbria Students’ Union.

Justine visited the Newcastle City Campus to congratulate staff and students on the University’s recent Times Higher Education (THE) University of the Year award win for 2022. She also met its leadership team, governors and regional partners to discuss social mobility in the context of the Higher Education sector’s role in levelling up, before leading a talk and Q & A session for members of the extended leadership team. The session was the first in a Seminar Series with external speakers, aimed at helping to inform the ongoing development of the University Strategy 2024-2030.

Justine said: “Breaking the cycle of endemic poor social mobility is, I think, our biggest development challenge in Britain and I know this is something Northumbria has been working on tackling for over 20 years. The work that goes on here really is making a difference by opening up opportunities for young people and,

Northumbria University’s Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor Andy Long, said working with Ms Greening on her Social Mobility Pledge would ensure Northumbria continues to be at the heart of unlocking opportunity to those who need it most. “It was a pleasure to welcome Justine to Northumbria. She has a long and impressive career in politics and at the Department for Education, and her insight can really help inform our future ambitions as we shape our new University Strategy 20242030,” explained Professor Long. “Ensuring our students have access to a high-quality education which equips all of them, irrespective of background, with the skills they need to succeed in their future career is something we are all focused on. We are starting 2023 on a high but we can aim even higher. I think the question we all need to ask ourselves is just how ambitious we want to be?”

The Adecco Group Continues to Lead the way as a Socially Responsible Business

IN RESPONSE TO THE MAJOR HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN UKRAINE, THE ADECCO GROUP ACTEDSETTING THE PRECEDENT FOR THE POTENTIAL DELIVERANCE OF SOCIAL VALUE BY A RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS. ONE MAJOR CONSIDERATION FOR REFUGEES AND THOSE WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN UPENDED IS: HOW DO YOU MAKE A LIVING, AND PERHAPS SUPPORT A FAMILY WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND YOUR CONTROL FORCE YOU TO LEAVE YOUR JOB BEHIND?

Within a matter of days, Adecco created the ‘Jobs for Ukraine’ platform for any company looking to offer opportunities for displaced workers. The wider Group tasked an Adecco expert team of Ukrainian and English speakers with supporting candidates and connecting them with businesses. The service has no cost for companies or participants and the goal of the platform is to facilitate people and companies in contacting one another quickly without a full recruitment process. Having set up the platform, Adecco reached out to interested companies to join the initiative.

Jobs for Ukraine offers training modules, curriculum building, counselling and reskilling, CV advice, and a push towards businesses to provide training and reskilling for workers who, while experienced and competent, may need assistance performing their job in a new environment.

Because the Adecco Group has a presence in most of the countries west of Ukraine, it is exploring ways it can aid humanitarian organisations as they respond to the rapidly evolving situation on that nation’s borders. As a result of this presence, Adecco activated the World Employment Confederation to support the industry federations in countries in the region and have reached out to the directors of the global United Nations agencies most immediately affected to pledge it’s support.

Adecco’s goal is to do its part in creating an environment in which workers can get started on a healthy, productive, fulfilling future.

The response to Jobs for Ukraine has been overwhelmingly positive - more than 1,330 companies from around the world have signed up. In addition, applications have been made for jobs on the platform by more than 4,000 people who fled Ukraine and are starting new lives outside the country. The matching engine has already shared 13,140 CVs with companies offering positions. Nearly 700 refugees, and counting, have found new jobs thanks to the jobs platform. Thus far, more than 85% of applicants are women. Nearly 15% of them have administrative and customer service skills, while nearly 10% have skills in sales and trading.

Over the past year The Adecco Group has planned, in partnership with the Purpose Coalition, to create another platform directed at UK university students and recent graduates - ‘Project FindMyPurpose’. This unique platformwhich will be launching in early 2023 - is a pro-social mobility platform, with access provided to all Coalition members. The Project will bring together employers’ outreach work and bring opportunities directly to students at our member Universities.

In partnership with The Purpose Coalition, The Adecco Group are building a platform that for the first time brings purposedriven recruitment to life. The platform will be created with the

input of students across member Universities alongside public and private sector leaders, that connects students and employers through an easy to use platform, with social purpose and equality of opportunity at its core.

The Adecco Group has longer-term plans in developing talent pools and upskilling young people for the future of work, attempting to address the long-term talent shortage by engaging students and young people from diverse backgrounds. Creating Brighter Futures is The Adecco Group’s UK and Ireland leading initiative in specialised and tailored programming to increase essential, employability and technical skills.

Already delivered to 14,250 students over the past two years it now aims to hit 50,000 skill building opportunities by 2025 with a specific strategic focus on social mobility cold spots. The Adecco Group is setting the standard for a socially responsible and aware purpose-led business.

Taking advantage of its expertise and standing, it is proactively making a difference, strategically supporting students, refugees and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds in improving their circumstances and futureswhile in-turn delivering value for businesses and organisations across the market.

KCOM commits to social impact framework

KCOM, ONE OF THE LONGEST ESTABLISHED PROVIDERS OF COMMUNICATION SERVICES IN THE UK, TODAY ANNOUNCED IT IS PARTNERING WITH THE PURPOSE COALITION TO DEVELOP A LEVELLING UP IMPACT REPORT, ASSESSING ITS CURRENT SOCIAL IMPACT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO HOW IT CAN MAKE AN EVEN GREATER DIFFERENCE IN THE FUTURE.

Since it started life as Hull Municipal Corporation’s Telephone Department in 1904, KCOM has developed as a telecommunications company delivering digital solutions for both business and residential customers. It aims to have a deep understanding of its customers, aligning its products and services to meet their needs, and to develop strong relationships with its partnerships to create a unique brand experience, creating better value for everyone. Its ‘KCOM Way’ values provide a framework for the business to manage its performance, work together and encourage new talent.

KCOM’s current social impact work supports the communities it serves, mainly in Hull, East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. Its programmes are not just about raising and donating money but more about getting involved and encouraging people to volunteer their time and experience. It focuses on four areas – helping young people to achieve their potential, helping people get online, supporting groups that are invested in creating a thriving local community and supporting local businesses and regional economic success.

The work it is already undertaking, and which will feature in the report, will be assessed against an innovative framework of 14 Purpose Goals. These cover life stages from early years through to adulthood as well as the key issues that can prevent people from achieving their potential such as good health, wellbeing and digital connectivity.

KCOM joins a wide range of other organisations including other businesses in the private sector, higher education

institutions, NHS Trusts and local authorities.

Tim Shaw, Chief Executive Officer at KCOM said: “I’m delighted to join the Purpose Coalition as we work together towards providing more opportunities for the people, communities and businesses we serve across our region. We’re acutely aware of the role and responsibilities an established company such as KCOM has in the local area and the difference we can make to people’s lives through our investment in the local economy, skills, connectivity and talent. In this increasingly digital age, we’re determined to make sure that no-one is left behind and everyone benefits.”

Chair of the Purpose Coalition, Rt Hon Justine Greening, said: ”KCOM is a great example of a business which is at the heart of its community. Its history and heritage mean it really understands the people it serves - it takes their priorities and makes them its own. That starts with making sure that its outreach and recruitment processes are accessible to everyone, whatever their background, so it can connect with all the talent that exists in those areas. It clearly also has a huge role to play in digital connectivity for its customers and supply chain as well as maintaining support for more vulnerable customers as cost of living pressures rise.

“KCOM is not just resting on its laurels but is determined to go even further in making a positive impact and I’m really looking forward to working with Tim and his team to develop a plan of action which will maximise the equality of opportunity it delivers.”

North East London NHS Foundation Trust signs up to new levelling up framework

NORTH EAST LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (NELFT) HAS JOINED A GROWING NUMBER OF ORGANISATIONS BY COMMITTING TO A NEW WAY OF MEASURING SOCIAL IMPACT.

In partnership with former Education Secretary, Rt Hon Justine Greening, and former Public Health Minister, Rt Hon Anne Milton, NELFT will now produce a Levelling Up Impact Report to measure its impact using the Purpose Goals. Established last year, the Purpose Goals cover key life stages and provide a clear benchmark for organisations to measure their impact against. The Levelling Up Impact Report will identify NELFT’s strengths and areas where more can be done to help level up local communities.

A number of NHS and public sector organisations are now measuring their social impact against the Goals, as well as a range of businesses and universities.

A long-term campaigner on levelling up, in 2018 Justine Greening co-founded the Social Mobility Pledge to bring organisations together to improve social mobility. The Purpose Goals are the first major piece of work developed by the most committed of these organisations, thePurpose Coalition.

Justine Greening said: “NHS organisations play a key role in society by boosting opportunity and driving levelling up in their communities. The health inequalities that exist in different communities across the UK have been highlighted even more following the coronavirus pandemic. Nowhere is this more apparent than in London.

“I’m really excited to be working with another purpose driven NHS organisation on our levelling up work. The Purpose Goals give a clear architecture for committed organisations and leaders, such as NELFT and Jacqui Van Rossum, to measure and articulate their purpose and impact.”

Jacqui Van Rossum, Acting Chief Executive at NELFT, said: “Levelling up and tackling inequalities for our local communities across London, Essex and Kent is core to our work here at NELFT and I am delighted to formally be part of the new Levelling Up programme.

“The Levelling Up Impact Report will really support us to identify areas where we can make further improvements for our patients and the communities we serve.”

I’m really excited to be working with another purpose driven NHS organisation on our levelling up work.

“

Levelling up our communities through partnership and participation

PROFESSOR KAREN STANTON, VICE-CHANCELLOR AT SOLENT UNIVERSITY, SOUTHAMPTON

LOOKS AT THE ROLE UNIVERSITIES AND CIVIC PARTNERSHIPS CAN PLAY IN LEVELLING UP OUR COMMUNITIES.

Our culturally rich and diverse communities are the starting point for our students, providing the environment which builds character, provides life experiences and sets the foundations for their aspiration and future working lives. These areas will often have good access to education, employment opportunities and a strong community infrastructure that enables people to achieve their full potential. However, we know this is not the case for all of our communities across the UK, with research highlighting the need to level up the UK and ensure everyone, regardless of their postcode, has access to equal opportunities.

It is important that universities recognise that it is not just access to education and skills that can be viewed as the challenge for some neighbourhoods. There are often multiple challenges at a grass root level which impact upon engagement. It is therefore important that we take a holistic view, working with partners to make a sustained difference.

This is why universities, like Solent, who have developed Civic Agreements, must fulfil their responsibility to be an anchor institution and work with their communities to level up and address local challenges.

Southampton is a culturally diverse, economic, maritime powerhouse on the south coast of England. For us it is a fantastic location to live, work and visit, with significant investment being made into the region’s infrastructure and cultural offering. However, it is important to take stock and acknowledge that not everyone has equal opportunity, with some neighbourhoods being amongst the most deprived nationally. We therefore need a targeted approach to partnership working and levelling up to enable maximum impact. One of our most recent initiatives, delivered by colleagues in our Faculty of Sport, Health and Social Sciences is Health 4 Her. The weight-loss programme is designed to provide an appropriate and safe exercise environment that facilitates an increase in physical activity participation amongst BAME women. The sessions provide an all-female, non-intimidating environment which caters for cultural and religious restrictions and enables women to experience and enjoy a variety of sports and physical activity that they would otherwise not feel comfortable in accessing.

As well as encouraging a healthier lifestyle the programme also boosts confidence and increases social cohesion. The programme, which was delivered and promoted through a multi-agency approach, also encourages healthy eating and weight loss, responding to the high risk of obesity development and comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, more prevalent in the BAME demographic. Not only has this helped in addressing a local challenge but it has also allowed Solent to open dialogue and welcome the local community on campus. Of course, individual activities will only ever achieve so much and on their own are often restricted by time, funding or sustained infrastructure. Ensuring a long-term, strategic approach is therefore critical to levelling up our communities.

It is also important to remember that businesses also have a role to play in this. As a future ready University, that supports students to develop the future skills required by industry, Solent has strong relationships with businesses of all scales and sectors.

Football clubs by their nature are often deep rooted within their local communities and have a unique and powerful way of bringing people together, both on the pitch and through their various outreach activities. With these clear synergies one of Solent’s long standing business relationships has been with local Premier League - Southampton Football Club.

In July 2021 Solent announced a strategic partnership with the club, building upon the strong foundations previously established. The partnership sees Solent and Southampton FC collaborating to attract, retain and develop future learners and sporting talent while growing Southampton’s reputation as a leading destination for sports coaching and development.

The participation of women and girls in sport is a key priority for us and aligns to Southampton FC’s vision to grow the game. This season Southampton FC’s Women’s team was promoted to the FA Women’s Championship, with ambitious plans to build

upon this. Our partnership is enabling us to develop and promote education and career pathways, offering exclusive opportunities and taster experiences that attract and retain leading talent, while inspiring our local communities to participate in the sport. Working at a grass roots level is key to this and in addition to our work with the women’s team our Sports Coaching students undertake a 10-week placement with the Club’s charitable arm, the Saints Foundation. Students work with the Club to undertake a range of projects that tackle issues, including wellbeing, isolation and education. As well as impacting upon the local community, providing vital services and activities, the projects directly benefit our students through gaining practical, real-world experience. Whether it’s growing participation in sport or providing access to services and programmes, Universities with their extensive facilities and knowledge base have a crucial role to play in levelling up our communities.

Devon Partnership NHS Trust provides case studies to NHS: Leadership Report

THE PURPOSE HEALTH COALITION LAUNCHED

THE LEADERSHIP: TACKLING HEALTH INEQUALITIES REPORT IN JULY 2022 TO RECOGNISE THE SOCIAL IMPACT THAT NHS ORGANISATIONS ARE HAVING IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

As part of the report, Devon Partnership NHS Trust included the importance of supported internships.

Supported Internships have become a clear priority for the NHS in recent years. They are study programmes specifically aimed at young people aged 16 to 24, who have a statement of special educational needs, or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), and who want to move into employment, but need extra support to do so.

The interns receive support from a job coach.

As the interns develop their confidence, skills and knowledge, the job coach steps back gradually, as and when is appropriate to each individual.

Devon Partnership NHS Trust has had a Supported Internship programme for three years. However, the impact of the pandemic prevented the Trust from placing interns, who were no longer actively engaged with their educational providers and weren’t able to come safely to sites easily.

By ‘thinking outside the box’ the Trust’s Corporate Affairs team developed a supported internship for an excellent candidate, enabling the placement to happen fully remotely. Working ‘online’ met the needs of both the intern who suffers from

significant anxiety, particularly around travelling, and of the Trust who could not readily support an intern on a Trust clinical site. The success of the internship catalysed the Trust’s ambition to swiftly develop the Supported Intern to ‘Supported’ Apprenticeship pathway, as it was quickly recognised that internships do not have a seamless transition to further development and ultimately substantive employment. We felt uncomfortable to benefit from the skills and contributions of an intern, only to see their journey end after the unpaid placement. Although seemingly a simple and obvious transition, the barriers that have been encountered to make this pathway a reality have been numerous and challenging; both internally and externally to the Trust. This leads us to be significantly concerned about how widespread the disadvantage for young people with additional needs is, preventing them from accessing further education and employment in a fair, equitable and accessible way. Working through each barrier logically, making contact with countless education providers and unpicking a number of Trust procedures and practices, we are hopeful we are about to secure our very first supported intern, into a paid apprenticeship role with us. We want to celebrate the amazing asset she is to our Trust. We are extremely proud of our intern, the skills and capabilities she has demonstrated to us, the patience she has exhibited and most significantly, her courage.

But most of all we want to thank her for just how much she has taught all the members of her team – about care, compassion, inclusivity, tenacity and breaking down barriers. We owe so much to her for opening our eyes, individually and collectively, to a wider world of possibilities.

We are now ambassadors to deliver change and to see our workforce evolve in the coming years with confident, valued and developed staff working throughout our services that have come through a supported internship journey.

Loughborough University commits to social impact framework

THE UNIVERSITY HAS PARTNERED WITH THE PURPOSE COALITION AND FORMER EDUCATION SECRETARY RT HON JUSTINE GREENING BY SIGNING UP TO AN INNOVATIVE FRAMEWORK THAT WILL MEASURE LOUGHBOROUGH’S SOCIAL IMPACT.

The Social Mobility Pledge was co-founded by long-term social mobility campaigner Justine Greening in 2018 to bring organisations together to make improvements in this area. Loughborough’s activities and impact will be mapped against the Purpose Goals, launched in 2021 to provide a framework for organisations to articulate their purpose and focus efforts on overcoming the barriers people face as well as driving equality of opportunity at key life stages.

The 14 goals provide a universal benchmark for organisations to measure their impact against, with themes around sustainable communities, extending enterprise, good health and wellbeing, and positive destinations Post 16+.

Loughborough University joins a wide range of organisations, including a number of UK higher education institutions, NHS Trusts, local authorities and companies in the private sector. Pro Vice-Chancellor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Professor Charlotte Croffie commented: “On behalf of Loughborough University, I am delighted to say that we are members of the Purpose Coalition. The social mobility pledge aligns with the Vibrant and Inclusive Communities theme of our University strategy, Creating Better Futures, Together.

“At Loughborough University, we are very aware that social economic disadvantage can have a detrimental impact on the education and life chances of people and welcome the opportunity to be part of the solution. We look forward to working with the Purpose Coalition and range of partners to move this social justice agenda forward. “We recognise that this work will take some time to deliver, but we are clear that taking action will enable us to make a step change as we work collaboratively to make a tangible difference now and, in the future.”

Justine Greening added: “As anchor institutions in their local communities, universities can spread opportunities to those from different backgrounds. Not only that, but they are huge employers and can have a real impact through their role as a procurer of goods and services.

“Our Purpose Goals give a clear benchmark for universities and other organisations to evaluate their social impact and identify areas where they can go further. This is particularly important given the current cost of living crisis and the need to support students, colleagues and communities through this difficult time. I’m looking forward to working with Loughborough University and exploring ways in which the University can maximise its social impact.”

Dr Annabel Kiernan

PRO VICE-CHANCELLOR-ACADEMIC AT STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY

On the surface it was very welcome news. The Government announced they’d be providing an additional £15 million in hardship funding this financial year to help English universities provide extra support for students. Amidst the cost-of-living crisis they’d also be granting a 2.8% uplift in maintenance loans. However, for students, yet again, it’s a case of just not enough. To put the 2.8% raise into context - the latest figures on the consumer price index rate of inflation stood at 10.7 per cent in November.

As Vivienne Stern, the Universities UK Chief Executive, put it: “Currently the student maintenance package in England is at its lowest value in seven years.”

We know that up and down the country, students are struggling with the impact of rising living costs. A pulse poll by Staffordshire University Students’ Union in October revealed that students are reducing their travel, working more hours in employment, spending less time going out with friends and putting the heating on less. If that wasn’t enough of a worry and call to action, we also know that financial reasons for withdrawing from university disproportionately impact students from underrepresented groups. In addition, 63% of our undergraduate student population at Staffordshire are commuting students and about 30% of undergraduate students are from the 20% most deprived areas in England.

At Staffordshire University, we were an early signatory to the Social Mobility Pledge and are committed to working with This Is Purpose on a mission to break down the potential barriers to aspiration – something universities have been doing since before ‘levelling up’ become popular political lexicon. To help negate the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on our students, we partnered with Staffordshire University Students’ Union to implement a series on decisive actions that would have immediate impact of the ground.

The University committed an additional £500,000 to support students as part of Staffordshire Action on Cost. Most of this funding will be used to provide direct financial support to students in need and will provide subsidised food options at catering outlets; increase the number of paid placement opportunities; and support students who are experiencing digital poverty. In addition, the University has given students extended access to safe and warm study spaces.

Equality of opportunity sits at the very heart of our University’s activities. Many of our students are among the first in their families to go to university.

It’s vitally important that we don’t let financial concerns negatively impact their ability to study and succeed. The financial support is on top of practical support solutions in the form of money management workshops, action on hygiene poverty, free cereal and toast from the Students’ Union, as well as subsidised access to clubs and societies. Free period products have also been made available in Students’ Union venues.

The University’s flagship Catalyst building is now open to students 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are also extending our paid work placement scheme, allowing more students the opportunity to access part-time paid work experience and earn while they learn. On an everyday practical level, a scheme to offer washing vouchers as well as subsided oatcakes will be in operation soon. Digital poverty remains a concern and through our Discover Digital project, a Community Renewal Funded project, the University has recently supported 28 students with grants to support their digital access as well as a package of support to enhance their digital and employability skills.

We are committed to doing all we can while also continuing to highlight the need for more support from Government.

In a recent open letter to the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, our Vice-Chancellor Professor Martin Jones wrote:

“Contrary to the widespread belief that most university students are 18-year-olds and supported by their parents, many of our students work alongside their study to lessen their financial burden. However, the worry is that they will now have to work additional hours or take on other jobs just to make to make ends meet. This could impact on their ability to complete their course or achieve their true potential.”

Levelling up means firstly developing talent wherever it is in our country, and providing places and access for people with potential, irrespective of the challenges they face. While we work daily to narrow the opportunity gap and harness the many talents of our diverse communities, it is critical that Government pays more attention to what can be done right now to help the people who are sacrificing and studying to shape the future of tomorrow.

Contrary to the widespread belief that most university students are 18-year-olds and supported by their parents, many of our students work alongside their study to lessen their financial burden

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust sets out levelling up priorities in new report

NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST HAS LAUNCHED A NEW REPORT THAT OUTLINES ITS SOCIAL IMPACT AGAINST AN INNOVATIVE SET OF LEVELLING UP MEASURES.

The Levelling Up Impact Report measures North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust’s activity against the Purpose Goals - a framework designed to focus efforts on driving equality of opportunity at key life stages.

The report highlights a number of key strengths which see the Trust leading the way on the levelling up agenda and spreading opportunity. These include:

Strong Foundations in Early Years - Improving maternity services has been a priority for the Trust, following the publication of the Ockenden report in 2020. A great deal of work is going into implementing and meeting the milestones of both the Ockenden report and Better Births policy, to ensure everyone in its area is given the best possible start in life.

Fair career progression - A 12-month preceptorship programme is open to all newly qualified nurses and has recently expanded to accommodate international nurses.

Good health and wellbeing - The Trust has an established wellbeing service in place for its own staff and recently obtained Gold Standard in the Better Health at Work Award.

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust plays a vital role in the Purpose Health Coalition alongside other NHS Trusts aiming to set a new and higher standard on boosting social mobility in the UK.

Lyn Simpson, Chief Executive at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust said: ““Alongside caring for our patients

across north Cumbria, we also have a commitment to the health of our community as one of the largest employers in the area. Our region is a contrast of wealth sitting alongside deprivation and a real mix of urban and rural life. We are delighted to commit to the Purpose Goals and we see this as an important first step.

“One of the aspects we have put a lot of work into is offering recruitment opportunities to local people who would like to pursue a career in the NHS but do not have the qualifications they might need for the role. One of our programmes is called ‘Step into Work’ which is a pre-employment programme designed to help people gain real work experience to pursue a career in health. We are currently open to applications for the next programme which starts in January 2023.

“We welcome the Purpose Health Coalition’s recommendations which will now help us to identify areas where we can make even more of an impact on the lives of people in north Cumbria.”

Rt Hon Anne Milton, Former Minister for Skills and Apprenticeships and Chair of Purpose Health Coalition added: “As the country faces increasing cost of living pressures, the role of a responsible organisation has never been more important. During the pandemic, NHS organisations demonstrated very clearly the crucial part they play in the health and wellbeing of their staff, their patients and their communities. Many are now developing imaginative schemes to make sure that local people can take up the wide range of on the ground employment opportunities that NHS organisations offer.

“North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust is already actively looking at how it can improve the health of those in its community in its widest sense, against a backdrop of increasing health inequality. I’m delighted to share this Levelling Up Impact Report which looks at what they are doing at the moment and how that might be extended even further to level up its communities.”

Developing talent with 4Studio

CHANNEL 4’S DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCTION STUDIO IN LEEDS, 4STUDIO, LAUNCHED IN DECEMBER 2019.

Through 4Studio, which delivers trusted content to younger audiences on social platforms, Channel 4 experienced 11.3bn global views.

4Studio also regularly reaches more young people than other commercial broadcasters on Facebook and YouTube, with 11.5 billion total views in 2021. To date, it has commissioned 20 regional indies to make digital content, helping to foster regional economic growth and grow regional creative ecosystems. The team is heavily weighted towards young people and has grown from 2 to more than 150, and is anticipated to expand to 200 roles by 2024, with additional roles in Bristol, Glasgow and Manchester.

Three people on the Apprenticeship and Trainee scheme have already moved into full time roles in 4Studio, with many others going to work in other companies in the sector.

A new talent development role has been created within 4Studio to help create new opportunities for young people, by building recruitment partnerships and a talent pipeline for employees.

CASE STUDY Michael Sheridan - Assistant Producer

Growing up on a council estate in a working-class town in the North, the idea of getting to work in TV seemed like a pipe dream. I always thought that, due to a highly London-centric media industry, the only way I could get my big break would be if I somehow won a load of money to enable me to move to the capital. But, thanks to the shift of broadcasters to the regions (even if an albeit slow one), with the MediaCity development and Channel 4’s move to Leeds, I have been able to achieve many of my ambitions that seemed unfeasible and to work for all the major broadcasters.

To continue the move away from an overwhelmingly centralised industry sends out a vital message… the message that, no matter where you are from or how much money your family has, your voice is heard, and it matters. And this is essential to Channel 4’s vision and purpose; how can we champion unheard voices, if all the voices are coming from the same place? And how can we make change and be truly and authentically inclusive if anyone outside the M25 is left out of the conversation?

Three people on the Apprenticeship and Trainee scheme have already moved into full time roles in 4Studio

“

IN CONVERSATION WITH NICOLA DRURY

UK Apprenticeship Manager at Amazon

IN NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK (6TH - 12TH FEBRUARY 2023), CHAIR OF THE PURPOSE COALITION, RT HON JUSTINE GREENING, DISCUSSES HOW APPRENTICESHIPS DELIVER OPPORTUNITY WITH NICOLA DRURY, UK APPRENTICESHIP MANAGER AT AMAZON

JG Tell us about your current role at Amazon and how the apprenticeship programme has developed at the company?

ND I think I’ve got one of the best jobs ever and I’m definitely living my best life! I joined Amazon just over ten years ago and in 2013, as Learning Development Manager for operations across the UK, I was given the opportunity to launch our first apprenticeship scheme with just six engineers. That was before we had the Apprenticeship Levy and since then we’ve seen a lot more people wanting to join the programme, from a much broader range of backgrounds. It creates opportunity for people –for those who have just left full-time education or for those at a later stage in their lives. There’s a huge diversity of roles that are on offer for people to retrain or upskill.

JG Amazon is now one of the largest private sector employers of apprentices so give us a sense of how you’ve scaled the programme up?

ND When we started our programme in 2013 it was very focused on trade roles. It still is, and we now offer over 130 engineer roles a year. But we also offer a wide range of other roles – software development, safety, HR, project management or data – across all our business areas. People don’t always realise there’s more to us than our delivery services. There are over 40 schemes going from Level 2 to Level 7, each of them offering opportunity and with an entry point for everyone. There’s a programme for existing employees too that enables them to upskill within the role and we have a real range of ages participating in that.

JG How has Amazon had to change in order to develop the apprenticeship programme?

ND It’s very much about the environment you create as an employer. Amazon is very invested in skills so I don’t think apprenticeships are a challenge for us. We recognise that everyone has different learning curves, depending on their

background and experience, and time is automatically built in to take account of that. But in a big company that is still quite new to apprenticeships, I think the biggest challenge has been to educate people about what an apprentice is, and to help managers understand what to expect and what they’ll need. That won’t be the same as other new employees but there’s no doubt that apprentices bring something different to the workplace as well as new ideas.

JG Amazon has now been recognised as one of the UK’s top 100 apprenticeship employers so what is it about its culture that allows the company to host opportunities at this scale?

ND It’s our 25th anniversary this year and in that time we’ve built up a large UK footprint. We have the operations side which is the biggest part of the business but also the Amazon Web Services (AWS) and corporate sides. We also have a huge number of brands that people recognise. Having a diverse portfolio attracts a diverse range of people. We have people doing apprenticeships right now aged 18 to 60. Five per cent are over 50. In that specific cohort, many of them have had careers before – teaching, IT, even entertainers on cruise ships for example – but they want to keep learning. They tend to take part in shorter schemes as they often already have the transferable skills and behaviour that younger apprentices have to learn.

JG We know that people are retiring later and living longer so the Amazon experience allows people to try something different, not just as a way of reskilling but as a way of trying something new? Perhaps the timing was never right for them earlier in their lives, or they just didn’t really know what they wanted to do when they were younger. They may always have wanted to do a degree or had a particular interest which they weren’t able to pursue. We look for potential and passion in a person rather than whether they’ve got any qualifications or what they’ve done before. Taking on something new can be challenging but it can also be

really rewarding. Apprenticeships give them that opportunity. We also want to keep calling them apprenticeships but we need to dispel the myths around them – that they are only for school leavers or they are only for careers in trade. 400 completed their apprenticeships last year and most will stay with Amazon. Sixty five per cent of all our apprentices are still with us. Some will move on of course but the measure is that they have completed the programme and they have achieved three key goals – they’ve received a funded qualification, earned a salary and got work experience. Whatever they decide to do, they can move on to new opportunities.

JG Are apprenticeships helping young people reach the next steps?

Level 2 is our biggest scheme and is offered to our supply chain across the UK. It attracts people of all ages from lots of different backgrounds, giving them the confidence to start learning again and perhaps go on to a higher level where they have even more options. Thirty per cent of those who took Level 2 went on to take Level 3, the A-Level equivalent. Not only have they continued to work and completed two apprenticeships, they’ve gone on from the supply chain to areas like software development, accountancy, project management and corporate social responsibility. That is social mobility in action.

JG As the Education Secretary who introduced the Apprenticeship Levy and allowed businesses to transfer some of their funding to their supply chains, I’m interested to hear about Amazon’s Apprenticeship Fund and how it supports small businesses?

It’s easy to forget that lots of small businesses operate through the Amazon platform. We work with 80,000 British SMEs who sell over 50% of our products so we have a huge audience there. In the last year we’ve committed £2.5m through the Apprenticeship Fund to help small businesses, creative industry partners and AWS customers upskill their workforces by taking on apprentices across a wide range of careers. We also work with combined authorities across the country and can see the different skill needs in their regions. We’d like to encourage more employers to work with us, we want to do more.

JG What are the challenges to doing that?

Combined authorities have lots of SMEs who are interested but haven’t always got the funding. We do need to look at flexing the levy more to support those SMEs better. Recruiting apprentices is different from a normal industry hire – it’s not as straightforward. They need more things, like a laptop for example, which all

cost money and may be difficult for SMEs to fund. Combined authorities are doing a fantastic job of supporting SMEs in that recruitment process but it takes time and it would be good to get more support for them. Amazon receives a really high volume of applications for our apprenticeship programme and not all will get through. We’re looking at whether we could divert those who don’t to SMEs. Not everyone wants to work for a large employer or in a big team so a small business might suit them better.

JG Perhaps in the next budget it would be good to take stock of the Apprenticeship Levy since it was launched five years ago and use that learning to plan for the next five years, to use the levy more creatively and flexibly. You’re clearly passionate about what you do and it’s all about having some sense of purpose, whether you’re an individual or a business. Is there a piece of advice that someone’s given you when you were younger that you’ve hung on to?

ND When you’re feeling uncomfortable or overwhelmed that’s a positive thing – it means you’re doing something new and you’re learning. I’ve passed that on to apprentices and I’ve carried it with me throughout my career.

JG And any other advice that you’d pass on to help to steer others in the right direction?

ND Go for it! If you’re presented with an opportunity then take the risk. What’s the worst that can happen? If someone believes in you enough to offer you that opportunity, then you can probably do it.

JG And finally, how do people find out about apprenticeships and career information at Amazon?

ND Our Apprenticeship Job Page has all our vacancies which are now live. Any other job opportunities with Amazon across the UK can be found at www.jobsatamazon.co.uk/#/.

University of Stirling commits to social impact framework

In partnership with former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening, the University will produce an impact report that will map its activities against the Purpose Goals framework. Launched in 2021, the Purpose Goals provide a framework to focus efforts on driving equality of opportunity at key life stages, as well as overcoming barriers people face. The 14 Goals provide a universal benchmark for organisations to measure their impact against.

The University of Stirling joins a growing number of higher education institutions that are committed to measuring their impact, including Glasgow Caledonian University, Northumbria University and Staffordshire University. Other organisations including the Co-op, Channel 4 and Amazon are also committed to the pledge, as well as a number of NHS Trusts and local authorities.

A long-term campaigner on social mobility and levelling up both inside and now outside of Parliament, in 2018 Justine Greening co-founded the Social Mobility Pledge to bring organisations together to improve social mobility. The Purpose Goals are the first major piece of work launched by the most committed of these organisations, the Purpose Coalition.

Justine Greening said: “Universities have a key role to play in spreading opportunities to those that need it most. As anchor institutions in their local areas, universities can ensure that more people, no matter their background, can get to higher education and improve their career opportunities.

“Our Purpose Goals give a clear benchmark for universities and other public sector organisations to measure and evaluate their social impact and identify areas where they can go further. This is particularly important given today’s cost of living crisis and the need to support students, colleagues and communities through this difficult time.

“I’m delighted that the University of Stirling has committed to this work and I’m looking forward to working with Sir Gerry McCormac and his team.”

Professor Sir Gerry McCormac, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Stirling, said: “Since its foundation, the University of Stirling has prided itself on being an institution that provides education with a purpose. Our mission is not just to educate the next generation of professionals, but to help to make society a better place through the groundbreaking research that we pioneer through to our invaluable collaborations and partnerships with industry, charities, and public bodies, on our doorstep and around the world. We look forward to working with the Purpose Coalition to gain greater insights into our existing social footprint, and to enrich our understanding of how we can build on this critical work.”

THE UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING HAS SIGNED UP TO A NEW FRAMEWORK TO MEASURE ITS SOCIAL IMPACT.

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust launches Impact Report

SOUTH WARWICKSHIRE UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST HAS BECOME THE FIRST NHS ORGANISATION TO LAUNCH AN IMPACT REPORT OUTLINING ITS SOCIAL IMPACT AGAINST AN INNOVATIVE SET OF LEVELLING UP MEASURES.

The Purpose Goals, launched last year by former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening, are the UK’s first levelling up framework designed to focus efforts on driving equality of opportunity at key life stages.

The report highlights a number of key strengths that put South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust at the forefront of the levelling up agenda. These include:

• Right advice and experiences - the Trust offers numerous volunteering opportunities to members of local communities, which often serve as a launchpad into paid careers.

• Open recruitment - SWFT uses blind shortlisting recruitment process and works closely with organisations such as The Veterans Alliance and Armed Forces Covenant to spread opportunity.

• Good health and wellbeing - the Trust has a wide range of programmes that proactively support good health and wellbeing in the communities it serves, including stop smoking pregnancy, infant feeding service and nutrition programmes.

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is a key member of the Purpose Health Coalition joining a pioneering group of UK universities, businesses and public sector organisations forming The Purpose Coalition - aiming to set a new and higher standard on boosting social mobility in the UK.

Anne Coyle, Managing Director of South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust said: “I am delighted to launch our Impact

Report, which will be a key driver for reducing inequalities and implementing innovation across health and social care.

I am excited to work closely with all of our staff and partners to support levelling up and embedding it within our practices. Being the first NHS organisation to launch an impact report highlights our commitment to making positive change.”

Rt Hon Anne Milton, Chair of the Purpose Health Coalition, added: “Levelling up Britain in a post-pandemic world is urgently needed to avoid undoing years of progress towards making Britain a fairer place where opportunities are accessible to all.

“NHS organisations, and their extensive networks of facilities, teams, suppliers, staff and partners, are huge contributors to the levelling up agenda. Trusts like South Warwickshire are showing the impact that a Trust can have when it is committed to acting as an anchor institution.

“SWFT and its leadership team has shown a commitment to resolving inequalities with a focus on population health management. This report shows some amazing examples of levelling up in practice and, importantly, the Trust is determined to go even further.”

Universities can help everyone level up

THE UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH IS A MULTI-CAMPUS UNIVERSITY WITH BASES IN GREENWICH, AVERY HILL AND MEDWAY. WHILE EACH CAMPUS HAS A UNIQUE IDENTITY, EVERYONE ON OUR CAMPUSES HAS A SHARED PURPOSE: TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHANGE LIVES FOR THE BETTER.

We know that university can be a catalyst for great things and at Greenwich our students are at the heart of everything we do. This is particularly important to us because our vibrant, diverse student body reflects the diversity found across London and Kent, where many of our students come from and live.

A high proportion of our new, full-time undergraduates are the first in their family to come to university (56%), with almost two-thirds identifying as Black, Asian and Minority ethnic. Also, over half of our students come from the 40% most deprived areas in the country, and we feel strongly that opportunity should be available to everyone.

And this starts with removing potential barriers before our students even join us. We work closely with schools and colleges in our region and beyond to provide support and advice to prospective students. We’ve also just announced a new partnership with The Adecco Group that will provide targeted support to young people from low social mobility backgrounds. This partnership will deliver apprenticeships and traineeships, employability programmes, and a school and colleges outreach project to help ensure Higher Education is an option for everyone.

While our students are studying with us they can expect this support to continue. Our project with Greenwich Students Union providing peer-led check-in calls for specific student groups has just been shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Award in the Outstanding Support for Students category. And

97% of students who completed the check-in call continued their studies in the next academic year.

Our outstanding Student Wellbeing Service helps our students with specific learning difficulties, mental health conditions and long-term medical conditions. And academic support is complemented by STAART (Support Through Accessibility Retention and Transition), an award-winning disability and diversity focused initiative which provides information and guidance to disabled and diverse students – both future and current – who have concerns about going to university or completing their studies.

As well as removing barriers and providing support to our students (and staff) where and when it is needed, we are also focused on opportunities for successful employment, including the best training, placement and support opportunities to ensure our graduates are able to flourish in their new careers.

Our employability fairs maximise our location and access to the City and Canary Wharf, giving students a chance to connect with major companies such as Bloomberg, IBM UK and the NHS. They also enjoy work placements which help them learn the skills needed for the workplace and we are proud to provide access to cutting edge equipment to develop their skills. Our state-of-the-art Clinical Skills Labs at Avery Hill make use of Augmented Reality and fidelity mannikins, which can blink, breathe, and even give birth. Our university also has an important role to play within the region and within our immediate communities in south east London and Medway. In the last two years, we have worked to further develop our relationships with businesses and organisations, especially those whose values align with our own.

We work closely with our neighbouring football club, Charlton Athletic, which, together with the Charlton Athletic Charitable Trust, allows for the sharing of expertise, research and facilities. In addition to developing internships, employment and other opportunities for students, they can also be found working and filming events at each match day.

Levelling up is also about flexing and responding to a job market which we know may present more challenges than in previous years. We can make a difference here too, and we have adjusted our courses and support to meet changing demands. Our new Elevate degrees provide flexible learning to those with busy lives. Students are on campus one day a week, with remaining study taking place online. This helps with commuting costs and is ideal for those who live further away, as well as saving on childcare for those with families.

And the support we offer to students doesn’t end when our students graduate. They then become part of our thriving Alumni community. Ask Alumni+ helps graduates broaden their networks, offers career advice and the chance to become a mentor, creating a circular support plan for all our students.

Universities have a vital role to play in helping people achieve their potential. This is done in numerous innovative and continuously developing ways and it has the ultimate result of being beneficial to our communities, our society and to us all.

And the support we offer to students doesn’t end when our students graduate. They then become part of our thriving Alumni community.

“

Purpose Coalition and bp break down barriers to equal opportunities

THE PURPOSE COALITION, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BP, LAUNCHED AN IMPACT REPORT REVIEWING BP’S IMPACT ON SOCIAL MOBILITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. BP ALSO FURTHER EXAMINES ITS PLANS AND ACTIVITIES TO WIDEN OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORKFORCE.

The report – Social Mobility at bp: A Case Study on Breaking Down Barriers – provides an overview of the impact the company is creating in communities across the UK, including those in Teesside and Aberdeen.

Chair of the Purpose Coalition, Rt Hon Justine Greening, said: “I was delighted to launch this Levelling Up report with bp. The company is spearheading the vital work of reimagining energy for people and planet but bp is about much more than delivering the energy transition. Its ambition to make a positive economic contribution and create opportunities and jobs means it can play a pivotal role in helping to level up the country.”

The Purpose Coalition launched 14 Purpose Goals in 2021. These Goals provide a framework to measure organisations such as bp’s impact, whilst helping bp and other organisations identify gaps in access to opportunity and the barriers that prevent people from achieving their potential.

bp is championing ‘Goal 13 - Harnessing the energy transition’, led by its Executive Vice President for People and Culture and Levelling Up Commissioner for Goal 13, Kerry Dryburgh. bp’s work also support eight additional Purpose Goals.*

Kerry Dryburgh said: “We’re backing Britain and are fully committed to the UK’s energy transition – providing reliable home-grown energy and, at the same time, focusing on the drive to net zero. As we look to the future, it’s vital that investments we make unlock new opportunities, empower communities and break down barriers to social mobility.

“The energy transition will only succeed if it also delivers decent work, quality jobs and supports the livelihoods of local communities.”

The report sees bp plan to:

• Increase the number of apprenticeships globally up to 2,000 by 2030, more than doubling existing apprentice numbers while offering an increasing range of opportunities across the breadth of its strategy;

• Provide up to 500 work experience placements each year globally, with outreach focused on students who meet social mobility criteria;

• Gather data on the socioeconomic background of its workforce in 2023 and then agree a subsequent 2030 ambition aspiring to increase the representation of employees from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in the UK.

We believe that everyone should feel that they matter and are empowered to succeed. A person’s talent should determine their success, not their background.

Kerry continued: “We believe that everyone should feel that they matter and are empowered to succeed. A person’s talent should determine their success, not their background. We are proud to be taking action to create more opportunities that can change lives.”

bp will be focused on delivering social mobility initiatives that regenerate and renew communities. It will also look to inspire the next generation of talent through education and outreach, employing people fairly and providing decent work and opportunities.

Justine Greening added: “bp has shown that it is willing to lead in measuring and evaluating its performance, including assessing its own socioeconomic profile and setting goals for improvement. That will provide real leverage for change. I am looking forward to continuing our partnership with bp, and with Kerry Dryburgh, to maintain the momentum on levelling up and help shape a fairer and more equal society in the future.”

The full report is available online - https://www.purpose-coalition. org/impact-reports/social-mobility-at-bp

University of Northampton commits to supporting students, staff and local community during cost-of-living crisis

AS BECKY BRADSHAW, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ESTATES & CAMPUS SERVICES, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHAMPTON DISCUSSES HERE, THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHAMPTON HAS INTRODUCED A NUMBER OF MEASURES TO COMBAT THE CURRENT COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS.

In September 2022 the University of Northampton (UON) Cost of Living Taskforce was formed to respond to the cost-of-living crisis and support our students, staff and local community during this time of increased stress and financial pressure.

Personal reflections highlighted that whilst university age dependants of staff were looking forward to starting or returning to their university experience, they were also dreading trying to make ends meet given the rise in the cost of living.

Further analysis showed that 60% of UON students surveyed said they were most concerned with being able to pay for basic things that they need, 51% said that worrying about budgeting or having money for basic needs was having a significant impact on their personal wellbeing and 92% of prospective students surveyed raised concerns about the rising cost of living, leaving them feeling anxious or stressed, and questioning whether they can afford to go to university in the next couple of years.

The University of Northampton has responded to this crisis in a manner expected of any similar emergency or disaster forming a taskforce, uniting colleagues, Students Union and Trade Union Representatives, and the University Leadership Team in a common purpose to help our community through this challenging period.

As the UK’s first Ashoka U Changemaker Campus the University of Northampton has consistently demonstrated it can develop positive social impact throughout society, particularly during periods of adversity, demonstrated further through the wide-reaching suggestions of support and offers of multi-disciplinary skills and resources. During the first wave over 200 suggestions of assistance were received, and were broadly categorised into workstreams focusing on academic costs, food & living support, on-campus facilities, financial education and support, health & wellbeing, housing support, international student support, jobs and financial support, social experience, sustainability and travel. Initiatives range from tactical reactive measures that prevent hunger and create warmth, to strategic proactive measures that address barriers to entering higher education, such as the 2.3% increase to students’ maintenance loans despite inflation rising to over 10%.

Workstreams have defined a clear suite of deliverables, with appropriately linked KPI’s, designed to allow social impact measurement as time progresses, examples include a costof-living knowledge bank for the University community, a free health, wellbeing and physical activity offer, a freeze to the inflationary increase normally applied to student accommodation, financial support for students in financial crisis and a bespoke travel cost bursary aimed at students with dependants. Working with our community partners the taskforce response extends to a wide ranging package of food support that includes free breakfasts, discounted meals and community kitchens, ensuring no-one in the University community goes hungry, whilst connecting students with community groups to enable communities to support each other through the cost of living crisis this winter.

Surviving the cost-of-living crisis this winter should not be confused with living through it. Providing the fundamentals

of warmth and sustenance is not enough to ward against the negative mental health impact of the crisis, and as such this support must be matched with opportunities for communities to socialise, collaborate and entertain.

The lives of UON’s community are enriched through a free and low-cost programme of social activities and volunteering opportunities that make the difference between surviving and thriving.

The Changemaker Hub is unique to UON, with specialist teams providing students, staff, and the local community the support needed to fulfil their ambitions, and to help other communities through this crisis, changing the world as they do so. This includes support to spark a global movement, raise awareness of social injustice, start a social enterprise or business, develop employability skills, or expand an existing business, equipping the community of Northampton with the tools to navigate this storm, and leaving them with the skills to rise tall as the crisis subsides. Finally, recognising our role as an anchor institution in the town, there was very much a focus on the support that we can provide to the community of Northampton, with partnerships formed to input meaningfully into the local Anti-Poverty strategy, ensuring the specific needs of students and staff were appropriately reflected in local policy. The University continues to offer emergency sleeping accommodation for the rough-sleeping community of Northampton throughout the winter period, affirming our commitment to a project started in collaboration with the local authority during the pandemic, designed to support the most vulnerable in our society.

The rising cost of living is a crisis, and just as the University of Northampton responded during the pandemic, it must again respond swiftly, empathetically and with clear policies that provide support to our communities in need.

The rising cost of living is a crisis, and just as the University of Northampton responded during the pandemic, it must again respond swiftly, empathetically and with clear policies that provide support to our communities in need.

“

How Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin vaccination programme is tackling health inequalities

SHROPSHIRE COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST IS THE LEAD PROVIDER FOR THE SHROPSHIRE, TELFORD AND WREKIN VACCINATION SERVICE AND WORKS IN PARTNERSHIP ACROSS ALL HEALTH PARTNERS AND WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO DELIVER A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL COVID VACCINATION PROGRAMME ACROSS ITS CONURBATION, WHICH IS BOTH RURAL AND URBAN.

Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Vaccination Team has come up with a novel and highly effective solution to help address low vaccination uptake in some of its most vulnerable communities, tackling health inequalities with three Vaccination Buses – Bob, Betty and Basil and targeted community engagement. Working in close collaboration with a range of partners including both Local Authorities and the military, the Vaccination Team utilised three vaccination buses to help them to respond to the fast- spreading omicron variant during the Booster Sprint in December 2021.

The vehicles were sourced and repurposed into mobile vaccination units with changes such as privacy screens, power connections and heating added to allow NHS teams to set up the clinics wherever they parked. The buses, affectionately named Bob,

Betty and Basil, have been run by a variety of staff including the Council, the military, NHS staff and volunteers. All staff members have gone above and beyond, working weekends and holiday periods to ensure its efficient running and as part of the effort to get the vaccine to as many people as possible by the New Year. Using a combination of data and insight – backed up by a comprehensive and imaginative communications campaign that included tailored text messages to unvaccinated patients, and calls to residents encouraging them to get their jab – the Vaccination Buses have improved access to vaccination. This was particularly effective in the county’s most disadvantaged, diverse and rural communities, significantly increasing the number of vaccinations delivered to these groups of people.

All staff members have gone above and beyond, working weekends and holiday periods to ensure its efficient running and as part of the effort to get the vaccine to as many people as possible by the New Year.

“

How it worked

This intelligence-led approach allowed locations to be selected where Covid vaccine uptake was lowest, through community engagement either via direct contact, communityfocused communications or both. Areas targeted were amongst the most deprived and ethnically diverse communities in the county.

Residents were targeted in Telford and Wrekingby:

• Sending texts to residents in target areas to make them aware of when the vaccine bus was coming.

• Outbound calling to residents in the lowest uptake areas.

• Targeted social media messages to residents in low uptake areas.

• Requests to Town and Parish Councils, ward members etc. in low uptake areas to promote via their channels.

Residents were targeted in Shropshire by:

• Outbound calling to vulnerable residents flagging vaccinations and other available support.

• Targeted social media messages to residents in low uptake areas.

• Community Outreach Team in areas of lower uptake and most vulnerable communities including minority populations.

• Farming communities, and targeting working places, alongside specialist Gypsy and Traveller Team and Business support teams.

• Targeting large employers of our Eastern European populations by taking the bus to them and translating materials.

Impact

This initiative has clearly narrowed the vaccine-related inequalities in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, particularly with respect to an increase in first doses, as well as reduced the number of unvaccinated people in the most disadvantaged areas and among ethnic groups where uptake was lowest. An impressive 85% (+49.5%) of over 18-year-olds had come forward for their booster vaccination. There was also an increased uptake of first (+1.8%) and second doses (+5.2%) of COVID-19 vaccination since the booster sprint, with 81.6% of the eligible population receiving both doses. The ethnicity gap narrowed by 0.4% for 1st dose, 1.5% for 2nd dose and 2.9% for boosters (white v all BAME groups). 1st dose deprivation gap narrowed by +0.14% (most deprived v most affluent).

1st dose uptake of people with COPD (97.1%) Also of note is uptake of vaccine amongst people who are immunosuppressed (3rd in the country), pregnant women (best in region) and people with learning disabilities and autism, with bespoke clinics being provided for these groups.

An impressive 85% (+49.5%) of over 18-year-olds had come forward for their booster vaccination.

Aligning talent with aspiration –the Opportunity Roadshow comes to Southampton

IS THIS ORGANISATION AN INCLUSIVE ONE AND WILL I FIT IN? HOW WILL IT SUPPORT MY MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING? WHAT EFFORTS

IS IT MAKING TO REACH NET ZERO, AND HOW SOON?

WHAT IS IT DOING TO DELIVER SOCIAL GOOD FOR ITS STAFF, ITS CUSTOMERS, THE COMMUNITIES IT WORKS IN? AS AN EMPLOYEE, HOW CAN I CONTRIBUTE?

These are just some of the questions that Generation Z will ask their prospective employers. More than one third of the world’s population count themselves as Generation Z, the most diverse generation ever. Right now, they’re at university or just about to enter higher education. They have very strong ideas about

what they want from their jobs and careers once they’ve graduated, and from the organisations they work for. So those organisations need to be clear and authentic about the impact they want to have on their colleagues, customers, supply chains and the communities they serve, as well as on a much broader set of societal challenges, if they want to attract and retain the best talent.

Bringing employers and potential employees together to improve experiences and outcomes for both parties is the aim behind a series of Opportunity Roadshows taking place at universities across the country over the coming months. Powered by the Adecco Group, one of the world’s largest recruitment companies, the events will help build a unique online platform, FindMyPurpose, connecting students at Purpose Coalition universities in some of the least advantaged places in the country with placement and recruitment opportunities at Purpose Coalition organisations.

The University of Southampton hosted a Roadshow during Freshers Week. Students had a chance to hear speakers from the University and Adecco talk about the importance of purpose in an organisation and how that translated into real action. They also had the opportunity to hear from employers about what they could offer over and above a job. Breakout sessions focused on the barriers that can exist when applying to some employers and on solutions on how those could be overcome, on the kind of outreach and access that will help to ensure that the recruitment process, and working practices, are fair and inclusive and a look at the platforms that students currently use to job hunt and how their universities can support them in finding a job and organisation that is right for them.

Chair of the Purpose Coalition and former Education Secretary, Rt Hon Justine Greening, who spoke at the event and led a breakout session, said: “ I was delighted to host our Opportunity Roadshow at the University of Southampton. It’s where I was a student and it’s where I learnt that despite being the first person in my family to go to university, working hard and getting a degree would open up more opportunities for me. I want other young people, especially those from under-represented communities, to have that same chance. Universities have a crucial role to play, linking their students to employers who can offer stimulating and rewarding careers.

“At the Purpose Coalition, we’re committed to helping our

partners drive the levelling up agenda across the country, not just through warm words but through real, measurable action. We worked closely with Adecco last year to launch its Social Value Action Plan and these Roadshows, together with the development of the FindMyPurpose platform, are the next steps in extending its positive social impact.

“The young people who came along to the event at the University of Southampton were very clear about what they wanted to see from potential employers. They want a value system that is aligned with theirs so that, as a team, they feel they are empowered to have a positive impact on the world. They want their views and expectations – on diversity, inclusion, fairness and sustainability for example - to be represented in an organisation’s policies and its branding. Employers who attended have already commented that it was a useful way of learning more about what motivates this generation of students so that an organisation’s strategies reflect their aspirations and commitment and make the most of all the unique talent that is available.”

You can find out more by listening to an Opportunities Roadshow special edition on the University of Southampton’s The Class Ceiling podcast: https://open.spotify.com/ show/1VhFRsR1rKoJZx0dASdxqw?si=695e60db560f4edd

‘Level up the levy’

WITH JUSTINE GREENING AND ANNE MILTON FORMER EDUCATION AND SKILLS MINISTERS

CALL ON CHANCELLOR FOR AN ‘APPRENTICESHIP LEVY 2.0’

Former Education Secretary Justine Greening and former Skills Minister Anne Milton are calling on the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, to review and update the Apprenticeship Levy as part of the Government’s national mission to level up Britain. In a letter co-signed by employers and key stakeholders from across the UK, the former ministers, who oversaw introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017, call on the Chancellor to commission a formal review into the operation of the levy as part of next week’s Spring Budget.

TO LEVEL UP BRITAIN

Speaking about the need for reform, former Education Secretary Justine Greening said:

“When I introduced the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017 its overriding objectives were driving improved social mobility through better quality skills education and tackling Britain’s skills shortages, which were acute even then. The introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017 was a hugely positive step which has enabled many apprenticeship opportunities nationwide but five years

on and with billions of levy going unspent by employers, there’s a risk that without serious reform the levy doesn’t level up Britain in the way we intended. We know there are solutions that could make a dramatic difference to apprenticeships and skills opportunities for people around the country. That is why we are calling on the Chancellor to commission a review and reform the Apprenticeship Levy so that it is as effective as possible in supporting levelling up.”

Former Skills Minister Anne Milton said:

“Five years on from the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, now is the right time to review how it is structured and make sure the operation of the levy is properly aligned with the drive to level up our country. We need, in effect, an Apprenticeship 2.0, and I hope the Chancellor will take the opportunity presented by next week’s Budget to fire the starting gun on this process.”

Shirine Khoury-Haq, Chief Executive Officer at the Co-Operative Group, said:

“Apprenticeships are one of the best tools we have to promote social mobility, but the levy as currently designed holds us back. A structured review by Government could empower more employers to offer apprenticeships to those who would most benefit. At the Co-op we’re already working to create apprenticeship opportunities for disadvantaged individuals and communities – we do this by working with other employers to pool and redistribute unspent levy funds. If the cap on redistribution of unspent levy funds were to be increased from 25% to 40% with increased flexibility on how the levy can be used, we could deliver even more of these opportunities.”

Steven Cooper, CEO of Aldermore Bank, said:

“Apprenticeships play a crucial role in helping to improve social mobility across the country, but they also present companies with a great opportunity to tap into a pool of talented people that they may otherwise have missed out on. Our business has benefited enormously from the fresh perspectives and new ideas that our apprentices have brought, but it’s clear that many companies are not taking advantage of apprenticeship schemes in their own organisation. Now is the time to look at this area again with a fresh pair of eyes and figure out how we can make apprenticeship schemes work better for apprentices and companies.”

In the letter the former ministers and co-signatories propose that a review of the Apprenticeship Levy could look at ‘pro-levelling up steps and removing some of the barriers, for example on prior educational attainment, particularly with regard to maths. It could consider how employers can work together to pool funds on collective skills challenges that are also a chance to extend opportunities to underserved people and communities. A modular approach alongside the ability to invest in wider employability skills alongside apprenticeship training would represent a welcome change.’

For the Government, a review could also provide a chance to align with its Lifelong Learning Entitlement policy as it further develops, ‘whilst also enabling a holistic approach to looking at different requests for more flexibility on what can constitute levy spend.’

Co-signatories to the letter to the Chancellor include Aldermore Group, Leonardo UK Ltd, Pertemps Network Group, Sodexo, Tarmac, The Adecco Group, The Co-operative Group, Travelodge and Virgin Money. Find

Apprenticeships are one of the best tools we have to promote social mobility, but the levy as currently designed holds us back.

“

The NHS’s future workforce and Levelling up

AS STEVIE WONDER FAMOUSLY SUNG, “THE CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE”, AND IT IS HARD TO ARGUE WITH THAT. BUT FOR THE NHS ADDRESSING THIS IT IS MORE THAN A PLATITUDE BUT A NECESSITY

NHS Providers are reporting 110,000 vacancies at the moment which are a major impediment to tackling the backlog of appointments and procedures. The NHS workforce shortage has a serious and detrimental impact on services and NHS Providers. At the same time, the ONS are reporting how public sector pay is lagging significantly behind private sector pay. (Average weekly earnings in Great Britain - Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk).

At Barts Health we noticed the difficulties of attracting young people into the community employment programmes we run in partnership with the Prince’s Trust. Young people were telling us they wanted to work for us but could get a better paid job at Westfield in Stratford without the rigmarole of applications forms and onboarding. If they got through to interview stage, they were up against adults with more experience who met the recruitment criteria more closely that a young person with very little on their CV. At the same time, we were acutely aware of the need to connect with more excluded groups of young people to ensure

BY ANDREW ATTFIELD

that we were fulfilling our anchor mission to address inequalities in our East London communities. With NEET numbers still rising (see Labour Market Trends 2022 | NHS Employers) there is an overlap between labour market and community needs.

We needed to build a bridge. To address these issues, we enlisted the help of the emerging leaders programme at JP Morgan, whose UK base is at Canary Wharf, which is in our patch. The JPM team provided a refreshingly commercial take on our issues with a SWOT analysis that showed we needed to be more joined up and focussed on this section of the labour market. Through a series of meetings with the volunteers on the programme, who were all based in East Asia or Australia we thrashed out a series of recommendations and set up a Youth Opportunities Forum to progress these.

We already were doing a lot. We had strong links with 37 schools in East London as part of our widening participation scheme – Healthcare Horizons – which is successfully providing awareness of health careers and providing practical help with careers advice and work experience and we had entered into a partnership with Newham College to set up the Barts Health Futures hub to provide an access route into jobs and careers. We had a good relationship with the Prince’s Trust, Local Authorities and community partners so were well place to access young people and support, and indeed had established a talent pool of young people.

However this still didn’t provide the stepping stones we needed for young people. So with the support of the Forum we established a Prince’s Trust Youth programme whereby each hospital in the Barts group was asked to set aside vacancies that could be filled from the Healthcare Horizons’ talent pool. Targets were set for each hospital and a challenge process set up at Vacancy Control level to secure ringfenced vacancies. Similar targets were set up for direct entry apprenticeship positions and New to Care training schemes set up using the Futures Hub to specifically recruit to Healthcare Assistant roles. As a result 77 young people have secured jobs and apprenticeships at the Trust and the programme is well on course to deliver its target of 100 by next March. There is still a lot to do, particularly in opening up apprentice pathways but shows what can be done.

Key lessons learned

1. Great leadership from the top matters – Group People Director Daniel Waldron chairs the Youth Opportunities Forum and ensures progress.

2. Working away at every level is important and having an internal focus can patiently get results.

3. Jobs are currency when it comes to partnership and provide leverage when gathering external support and resource.

4. Having an anchor vision means that business needs can be supplemented with social purpose. And in health terms these are not either/or but plus/plus.

A lot of the other work we do in provider public health is based on health equity and in a sense this work forms part of this. Ensuring that all sections of the community have access to positive life choices such as good quality work and careers is a health outcome and one that contributes to the NHS’s levelling up vision.

How banks are playing their part in levelling-up the UK

SPECIALIST LENDING AND SAVINGS BANK, ALDERMORE, LAUNCHED ITS FIRST EVER REPORT TO SOCIETY AT THE END OF 2022. IT WAS DESIGNED TO SHOW THE PART IT CAN PLAY IN MAKING A POSITIVE SOCIETAL IMPACT, BEYOND ITS USUAL FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL GOALS. AND IT INCLUDED A ROADMAP FOR HOW IT CAN BUILD AN EVEN GREATER ROLE IN LEVELLING UP AND CREATING A FAIRER SOCIETY MORE WIDELY.

Founded in 2009 during another economically challenging period, the bank is now well established and last year alone lent £14.7bn to the UK economy. Aldermore’s ambition has always been to be a responsible business that makes a positive difference. It aims to open up banking to people and businesses who find it difficult to get finance and advice from the traditional financial sector while providing genuine value to all its stakeholders.

The bank’s Report to Society was supported by the Purpose Coalition. While the publication was the first of its kind at Aldermore, it is one which will be repeated annually, as it refines its work and processes to better measure the bank’s impact. The publication considers Aldermore’s work against an innovative set of 14 Purpose Goals, known in the UK as ‘Levelling Up Goals’, which provide a way of generating benchmarks, targeting social impact more effectively and collaborating through the sharing of best practice.

These goals are set out below with a commentary on the work that Aldermore has done to bring them all to life and make a positive impact.

Goal 7: Access to savings and credit With its CEO, Steven Cooper, as Commissioner for Goal 7, Aldermore brings its expertise, ambition and personal touch to help shape what levelling up really means for this issue. As the current cost of living pressures increase, it is focusing on financial resilience and on supporting first-time buyers in the housing market. It also advocates financial education from an early age, better support from employers for their workforce’s financial wellbeing, especially those in their first jobs, and better access to and communication about financial products;

Goal 14: Achieve equality, through diversity and inclusion

In a traditionally male-dominated industry, Aldermore is taking steps to drive gender and ethnic diversity, supporting its managers to develop more inclusive teams. Its active work on the Equality of Opportunity Commission has seen the beginning of a comprehensive campaign of socioeconomic and diversity measurement.

The report also includes recommendations for future action to strengthen Aldermore’s positive social impact, leveraging its position as an industry leader. They include contextualising its customer needs using more effective data to tailor its products, fully building its external talent pipeline to link in existing community and outreach work and to link to more social mobility cold spots. In future, the bank will be joining other Purpose Coalition members in the Open Door project, linking students with employment opportunities at organisations whose values align with theirs, including its own SME customer base.

Speaking about the Report to Society, Steven Cooper, CEO of Aldermore, Steven Cooper, said: “With the country facing a particularly challenging economic period, it’s more important than ever that we embrace our responsibility to society. We’re well placed to do this as we were founded in 2009 during tough economic circumstances, with the purpose of supporting those who had been overlooked by the high street banks. 13 years later and that ambition is still fundamentally at the centre of everything we do; with our purpose to back more people to go for it, in life and business, while playing our part to build a sustainable future.”

The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of the Purpose Coalition, said:

Goal 5: Open recruitment

The bank is adopting a strategic hiring and fair recruitment process, which actively seeks out diverse and disadvantaged people who may have thought the financial services sector was not for them. It is also partnering with local schools and has an extensive apprenticeship scheme to facilitate diverse talent pathways into the bank;

Goal 9: Extending enterprise Aldermore through its lending to SMEs enables people to create their own jobs, often in communities where other opportunities are limited, and which prioritises strategic assistance for SMEs;

Goal 12: Building homes and sustainable communities

Aldermore offers financial support in areas which need it most to build safe communities with a good quality of life and are environmentally friendly.

“Aldermore’s report highlighted the huge impact that the financial services sector can have on equality of opportunity. Their very active focus on financial inclusion is more relevant than ever. The pandemic and now the economic and environmental pressures the country is facing have both clearly highlighted how those without financial security, or access to savings and credit, get left behind. Providing financial inclusivity brings equality of opportunity to those who would otherwise have missed out, giving individuals the chance to aspire to a better life and communities the chance to generate business and jobs.

“As a leading member of the Purpose Coalition and Equality of Opportunity Commission, Aldermore is playing a key role in shaping how this country ensures that equality of opportunity is a reality for everyone. Many organisations are now thinking much more creatively about how they do that and are delivering a range of innovative solutions with more diverse workforces as a result. That not only produces better results for the business but for society more broadly. This report demonstrates how Aldermore is not only successfully changing things for the better but is prepared to do the hard yards in assessing its progress so that it can achieve even more in the future.”

Former Cabinet Minister Launches University of Worcester Levelling Up Report

FORMER CABINET MINISTER, THE RT. HON. JUSTINE GREENING, HAS FORMALLY LAUNCHED THE UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER’S NEW LEVELLING UP REPORT DURING A SPECIAL VISIT TO THE CITY.

Ms Greening delivered a talk at The Hive as part of the HiveAt10 celebrations. Her talk, titled ‘Universities as engines of social mobility’ focussed on how the country’s higher education institutions like Worcester are at the centre of levelling up communities.

As part of the talk, Ms Greening, who served as Secretary of State for Education 2016-18, Secretary of State for International Development 2012-16, Secretary of State for Transport 2011-12

and Economic Secretary to HM Treasury 2010-11, formally launched the University’s Levelling Up report, which sets out how the University is working in partnership to provide opportunities and increase social mobility.

Justine Greening said: “The University of Worcester, under the leadership of Professor David Green, has demonstrated a commitment to being an anchor institution and spreading equality of opportunity. With the current cost of living crisis, there has never been a more important time for universities to articulate their purpose and make sure they are having a wider social impact.

“The University of Worcester has positioned itself at the heart of the city by creatively opening up its facilities for public benefit. Having visited The Hive as part of its 10 year celebrations, I saw and heard first-hand the incredibly positive

impact it has on both students and local communities. It is a shining example of social mobility and how universities can make a real difference.”

One of Britain’s most influential campaigners for improved opportunities, social mobility and levelling up both inside Government and outside, in 2018 Ms Greening co-founded the Social Mobility Pledge to bring organisations together to improve social mobility.

She then went on to launch the Purpose Goals, which provide a framework to focus efforts on driving equality of opportunity at key life stages.

Professor David Green CBE, DL Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Worcester, which is one of the UK’s top universities for inclusion and social mobility said: “We have been honoured to work with Justine and her team on producing our Levelling Up report and were delighted to welcome her to The Hive, as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, to formally launch the report.

“Colleagues across the University are very committed to providing an outstanding high quality education for individuals, that is driven by an inclusive ethos, as well as engaging in practical partnerships that create opportunity for people and their communities.”

Ms Greening is also a notable campaigner for women and girls and played a key role in ensuring that the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal for Gender Equality was included in the Goals (SDG 5).

When Times Higher Education (THE) first reported on University Impact in 2019, it found that the University of Worcester was number one in the UK and number four in the world for Gender Equality. Worcester has been the top University in the UK for fair gender pay for all 5 years since the UK Gender Pay Gap reporting was launched.

The multi award-winning Hive, which was opened by HM The Queen during her Diamond Jubilee year in 2012, is Britain’s first university and public library and has regularly been among the most visited libraries in the UK.

The HiveAt10 is a celebration of the successful 10-year partnership between the University of Worcester and Worcestershire County Council to create this facility. Over the next few months there will be a series of events and exhibitions that showcase what The Hive has to offer, past, present and future.

Professor Karen Bryan VICE-CHANCELLOR OF YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY

Working with communities to advance and support human capital

When York St John University became a member of The Purpose Coalition in 2021 it gave us the opportunity to reflect on our role within the wider Levelling Up agenda. Using the Purpose Goals as a framework, we produced our Levelling Up Impact Report, highlighting and measuring our work in building skills and spreading opportunity.

‘Levelling Up’ has long been the business of higher education institutions, although the term ‘Levelling Up’ is a relatively new label. Indeed, the sector as a whole has an extensive trackrecord of investing in the capital of their respective cities and regions. For example: York St John University was founded in 1841 as a teacher training college to help resolve a national shortage of educators so that local children could access

education. Since then, the needs of our society have evolved and we have evolved along with them. What has remained consistent however, is a commitment to investing skills back into our region. Recent developments have seen York St John University expand its academic portfolio into areas such as nursing, working with the local NHS trusts to meet key skills shortages in the region. With 70% of our students choosing to remain in Yorkshire following graduation, we are in a strong position to build and maintain a direct pipeline of talent into sectors with crucial needs for graduate level skills.

Alongside discipline specific developments, we work with our students to develop their transferable skills, equipping them for the rapidly-evolving world of work. This is underpinned by opportunities for real-world application including impactful placements such as our Prison Partnership Project.

The project enables students to experience the impact of theatre within a criminal justice setting, working alongside female prisoners and staff to deliver creative programmes which in turn develops student’s facilitation skills as professional practitioners.

At our London Campus, the Venture Creation Lab provides an alternative to the traditional placement year model for entrepreneurial students. Working alongside industry experts, students design and develop their own technology businesses building on their leadership skills and business acumen.

The skills we foster amongst our student body provide a unique chance for social change. With over 80% of our students joining us from one or more underrepresented group in Higher Education, we can make a real difference in raising the skills profile of underrepresented communities and providing access to opportunities. We work closely with schools and colleges in the region to break down the barriers associated with admission to Higher Education in order to promote social mobility. Our data shows us that students are no less likely to achieve based on their backgrounds. By harnessing the skills they gain through university study, our graduates go on to represent their communities and challenge inequalities as the next generation adding diversity to the workforce. But universities are not just about building human capital within their own four walls. Through our co-designed suite of degree apprenticeships (including our Police Constable and Data Scientist apprenticeships) and tailored short course packages, we are supporting local businesses to upskill their workforces for the future. Our Enterprise Centre, located within our city centre campus, provides a business start-up space and incubation facility for local SMEs with access to training, mentoring and coaching. Delivered as a collaboration with business support organisations within the city including the University of York, City of York Council, the Chamber of Commerce and the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub, the centre equips fledgling businesses with the skills they need to flourish.

Human capital also extends beyond the workforce, it is engrained in the day-to-day experiences of communities we live and work in. Like many universities who are anchored in their regions, we work with our community to understand and address the challenges they face. Our efforts are multi-faceted and stretch across our academic practices. From our academic research, driven by the Institute

for Social Justice, to facilitate collaborative research and partnerships which expose and tackle some of the inequalities and injustices facing society today. To services delivered by our staff and students which bridge key gaps in regional provision for disadvantaged communities. Our Communities Centre provides free or low-cost counselling services to members of the local community and partners with the NHS to accept referrals for individuals leaving NHS services who require a little more support. Our Law Clinic, facilitated by final year law students and staff, enables access to legal advice and assistance for those who cannot afford help and who otherwise would be unable to access justice. These are just some of the ways we are utilising our human capital for the benefit of others, building community resilience and supporting pride in place.

It is clear that there is still a significant role for higher education to play in levelling up the UK. Universities are enablers of societal progression, helping to release potential and advance knowledge for the benefit of all. Regardless of individual strategy, we are, at our core, advancers and supporters of human capital.

Universities continue to be a vital part of the solution in tackling inequality

IN A YEAR OF POLITICAL TURMOIL AND ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY, OUR HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR HAS CONTINUED TO PLAY ITS PART IN FINDING THE POTENTIAL IN EVERY COMMUNITY, NURTURING IT TO PRODUCE GRADUATES WHO HAVE THE SKILLS THAT EMPLOYERS NEED AND FORGING LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS TO ENCOURAGE INVESTMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACROSS THEIR REGIONS.

Universities have continued to address the fallout from the pandemic and its impact on lost learning and mental wellbeing. That is now being inestimably exacerbated by a cost of living crisis, with the latest ONS figures showing that half of students in England are struggling with financial difficulties, a quarter have taken on additional debt and three in ten are skipping lectures and tutorials to save money. It’s no surprise that experts believe that many students will have a poorer overall university experience as a direct result of how much money they have. Into this challenging mix comes a suggestion from the Government that it may crackdown on the number of foreign students coming to this country unless they get a place at an elite university, a move that the Chief Executive of Universities UK, Vivienne Stern, has warned will cause ‘significant damage’ and hinder genuine levelling up. In the meantime, our partners in the Purpose Universities Coalition continue to work hard as anchor institutions in their communities, spreading opportunity and widening access to higher education and providing a better chance of more highly skilled, highly paid employment. Their best practice is invaluable in demonstrating the difference that purpose-led universities can make, from their outreach work downstream with schools and colleges to their collaboration with employers to their outstanding contributions to research and development.

The University of the West of England, for example, has a focus on targeted outreach to those young people who have little knowledge and no experience amongst their friends and family of going to university. Its Future Quest programme is based in

the Bristol area and is an effective collaboration between higher education providers, schools, colleges, employers and local authorities who know their local communities well and work to advise and inform young people to consider university as an option. UWE’s #IAmFirstGen campaign shares their personal stories as a way of assuring them that others who look and sound like them, and come from similar backgrounds, have been successful in achieving that before them.

The Careers & Employability Service at the University of Chester made a similar decision to move away from the conventional covering letter and CV application recruitment process towards an anonymised recruitment scheme for Workplace Experiences, its collective of placements, internships and project scholarships. It allows students to convey what they can do and how they can develop rather than who they are and what they have done and this has resulted in a huge increase in under-represented students applying and being successful on the scheme. With a strong focus on ensuring that their graduates are job ready

and attractive to employers, the University of West London has created an innovative new programme, Fresh Minds for Business, where students have the opportunity to work in partnership with business on specific problems. The students gain experience and confidence - and there has been a huge impact on their aspiration and achievement, particularly for those from a BAME background. Businesses, often local to UWL, gain new ideas that help improve their growth and competitiveness. The initiative also serves to build strong and lasting bonds between the education institution and local business community.

These institutions are part of the solution when it comes to ensuring that opportunity exists for everyone across the country. They’re particularly important in areas where there has historically been little chance of getting on for a lot of the people who live there. Their role will be even more important over the coming months as cost of living pressures increase and the Purpose Coalition is looking forward to continuing our work with them, shaping the levelling up agenda and supporting communities.

Raising Standards, Extending Opportunity is a bespoke advocacy and policy campaign designed to highlight to MPs, Ministers and Shadow Ministers the impact that universities have in their local areas in terms of school standards and economic growth, and campaigning on key policy objectives.

The ‘Raising Standards, Extending Opportunity’ campaign comes in response to the role universities can play in raising standards in their local area and their work pre sixth-form.

The second part of the campaign will focus on the vital role our universities play in driving local economic growth as anchor institutions, highlighting why they are a key part of communities across the UK. Our university members are doing great work in this area and Justine will be leading the campaign to raise awareness of this. The campaign will start with a kick off event in Parliament, and meetings with the OfS, sessions with MPs and a ‘Best in Class’ report are all planned over the coming months.

Signposting positive destinations for young people is key to job success

FOLLOWING THAT POINT IN THE SUMMER WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE RECEIVED THEIR EXAM RESULTS AND ARE MAKING IMPORTANT DECISIONS ABOUT THE DIRECTION THEIR FUTURES WILL TAKE. SOME WILL HAVE A VERY CLEAR VIEW ON THE ROUTE THEY WILL TAKE TO GET THERE, OTHERS, WHO PERHAPS DID NOT GET THE GRADES THEY HOPED FOR OR WHO FEEL THAT FURTHER TIME IN AN ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT IS NOT FOR THEM, MAY BE LESS SURE.

Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of the Purpose Coalition & Basil Scarsella, CEO of UK Power Networks

However they performed at GCSE and A Level, young people need the right advice and guidance on the destinations available to them. But unlocking their potential is about so much more than filling a job vacancy or a university place. It’s about educating, informing and advising them about their employment options, some of which will not have existed in the labour market before. It’s about providing hands-on experience of being in the workplace and of individual jobs and departments. It’s also about equipping them with the updated skills that will not only meet a particular job specification but also make those skills transferable to meet the demands of a greener, high tech labour market. The best employers can connect talent with opportunity by delivering positive destinations for young people. Many businesses are deeply rooted in the communities they serve and are therefore wellplaced to fulfil that role. It often starts with the outreach work they do upstream with local schools. It’s particularly important to reach those young people from families with little experience of the world of work who will not have the personal contacts to get advice or placements. That relationship can start as early as primary school, providing information but also inspiration. It develops as they move up the school and start making decisions about which subjects to take, whether to take an academic route to university or to follow a more vocational route that will allow them to earn as they learn. Real-life experience in a workplace is crucial to making the right choices. As the first distribution network operator to partner with the Purpose Coalition, UK Power Networks published an impact report to assess the work that it was already doing to drive social mobility, demonstrating impact in at least five of the key areas covered by the Purpose Goals framework. The report proposed a number of ways that the company could go even further. Much of that focus was on improving its community impact through school, youth and adult programmes with clear outcomes. It continues to leverage its best practice to extend its work in delivering social impact towards specific opportunity gaps that the Purpose Coalition identified in the communities it serves.

The provision of a range of realistic work placements is a vital element of that. Its Powering Potential programme is specifically aimed at Year 12 students who come from backgrounds where they may not have had contact or exposure to professional working environments. The two-week placement focuses on a set project with clear objectives which helps participants to develop their employability skills and broaden their understanding of the world of work.

UK Power Networks was recently rated “Good” with two areas of “Outstanding” by OFSTED and deliverers over 100 apprenticeships at any one time enabling access to traditional and emerging careers. It offers three levels of apprenticeships, achieving very high standards alongside great satisfaction results. Its recruitment team works hard to make them as accessible as possible, targeting schools in the most deprived areas and looking at harder to reach groups such as NEETS and those from underrepresented groups. It has a real ambition to introduce a culture change in its apprenticeship offering to include digital and technology, helping the company to enable the transition to Net Zero. That ambition also extends to getting more girls interested in the STEM subjects that are the foundation of many of the new employment options available to young people. Historically less informed and less attracted to these careers, businesses like UK Power Networks recognises that it makes good business sense to tap into all the talent that is available. This year for International Women’s Day, UK Power Networks welcomed 65 local year 10 female students to a STEM careers event in London, showcasing the careers available in the industry and giving them the opportunity to meet and network with a broad range of female employees. The world is an uncertain place at the moment with domestic and global issues that will challenge everyone. With the pressures of the pandemic and the growing cost of living crisis impacting young people in particular, there has never been a more important time to work towards a more positive future, equipped with up-to-date skills and practical knowledge that will prove an asset in today’s labour market. Purpose-led businesses like UK Power Networks can lead the way in creating the opportunities that will help them get there.

The best employers can connect talent with opportunity by delivering positive destinations for young people. Many businesses are deeply rooted in the communities they serve and are therefore well-placed to fulfil that role.

“

Reed in Partnership launches social mobility impact report

REED IN PARTNERSHIP, ONE OF THE FIRST EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE UK, TODAY LAUNCHED A LEVELLING UP IMPACT REPORT WHICH ASSESSES HOW IT IS CURRENTLY BOOSTING OPPORTUNITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND RECOMMENDS FURTHER STEPS TO EXTEND ITS IMPACT.

Reed in Partnership was launched in 1998. It is part of the Reed Group, the UK’s largest family-owned recruitment company, which also contains Reed.co.uk, the UK’s leading job board attracting more than 150 million visits every year. It now delivers employment services across the UK and has diversified its business across a range of sectors, growing from about 600 staff to almost 3000 over the last three years. Its mission is to positively transform people and their communities, supporting individuals, their families and the places they live to prosper, often under challenging circumstances.

The Levelling Up Impact Report has been developed with the Purpose Coalition and benchmarks Reed in Partnership’s work against an innovative set of 14 Purpose Goals. Launched in 2021, the Goals provide a framework to help organisations identify gaps in access to opportunity, covering key life stages from early years to adulthood as well as the main areas where barriers can exist that prevent people from achieving their potential, for example good health and wellbeing and digital connectivity. They also provide a way of measuring impact and sharing best practice.

The report highlights the key strengths that Reed in Partnership demonstrates in delivering equality of opportunity in the UK, focusing particularly on the following:

Goal 3: Positive Destinations Post 16+

Goal 4: Right Advice and Experiences

Goal 5: Open Recruitment

Goal 6: Fair Career Progression

Goal 8: Good Health and Wellbeing

Goal 10: Closing the Digital Divide

in every programme it runs; the assurance of digital connectivity, including the purchase of devices and internet packages for those who require them.

The report also includes recommendations for future action to strengthen Reed in Partnership’s contribution to improving social mobility. It can leverage its position as a key business to lead the way on enterprise-led social value generation, including the strategic use of data to specifically target those individuals and communities who need the most support and the measurement and tracking of the socioeconomic diversity of its workforce to better understand the barriers to career progression.

Rhodri Thomas, Managing Director at Reed in Partnership said: “The Purpose Coalition’s Purpose Goals are a really effective way of measuring the impact we are making as an organisation and how we can go further.

“Reading the report fills me with huge pride at the work our teams do across the country every day. This work will be even more important against the backdrop of the cost of living issues, and the report’s recommendations provide a really good challenge for us as a business moving forward.

“We would like to thank Justine and the team and look forward to continuing to contribute to this vitally important agenda for the country.”

Some of the great examples of Reed in Partnership’s best practice include its partnerships with the LEAN service and Young Careers Initiative to help young people build the skills and experiences they need; its recruitment service that bridges the gap between what businesses want and participants’ applications, including a Plan of Action framework to ensure they have the right advice and experience opening recruitment pathways for those who need more support; a wellbeing programme that is not just accessible to staff but to participants and the wider communities the business serves and is embedded

Chair of the Purpose Coalition, Rt Hon Justine Greening, added: “Following the pandemic and now with a mounting cost of living crisis, it has never been more important for businesses to play their part in delivering opportunity into the heart of the communities they serve. Using their local knowledge and their partnerships with organisations who have the expertise to understand the kind of support people need, they are well placed to make a real difference.

“Reed in Partnership can play a leading role in boosting opportunity - that is its core business and, with offices across the country, it has a huge geographic reach. It recognises that talent can be found anywhere, regardless of place or background, and offers targeted support for those groups who face particular barriers to getting a job and getting on.

It also understands what employers need from their potential employees. As a business, it provides the crucial link between both parties, developing the skills and matching people with opportunities that will lead to well-paid jobs and rewarding careers in a high tech, green economy. That is illustrated by the way in which it gives its own staff the chance to learn, grow and advance their own careers, with a flexibility that suits them.”

Reading the report fills me with huge pride at the work our teams do across the country every day.

“

Levelling up Report Recognises Virgin Money’s Social Impact

VIRGIN MONEY AND THE PURPOSE COALITION LAUNCHED A REPORT ASSESSING ITS CURRENT IMPACT ON LEVELLING UP ACROSS THE COUNTRY EARLIER THIS YEAR.

The Levelling Up Impact Report, developed in partnership with the Purpose Coalition, benchmarks Virgin Money’s work against an innovative set of 14 Purpose Goals. It identifies the areas where Virgin Money is already making a positive impact and makes recommendations on the areas in which it can do even more.

Launched in 2021, the Goals provide a framework for organisations to identify gaps in access to opportunity, covering key life stages from early years to adulthood, as well as the main areas where barriers may exist that prevent people from achieving their potential, for example good health and wellbeing or digital connectivity. They also provide the means to benchmark progress going forward.

Last year Virgin Money launched its purpose-driven employment package ‘A Life More Virgin’ which offers location-less and flexible working as well as equal family leave, five extra wellbeing days a year on top of 30 days holiday and up to 13% pension contributions.

The Purpose Coalition’s report highlights Virgin Money’s key strengths which underline its commitment to delivering opportunity country-wide. It focuses on its achievements on meeting three Goals in particular, although its work also has impact on several others.

Goal 7 Widening access to savings and credit: Virgin Money introduced the M account, a basic bank account which, through innovative product design and delivery, provides the tools to help customers manage their money better. It also has a range of initiatives which help tackle the poverty premium, currently paid by about one fifth of the population.

Goal 8 Good health and wellbeing: Virgin Money sees the health and wellbeing of its staff as intrinsic to its business offering, with the support of their financial wellbeing a key part of that. Flexible working is seen as a critical element in ensuring that opportunities are accessible to everyone and its principal initiative, A Life More Virgin, has introduced a purpose-led approach to flexible working which is helping to build a more inclusive workforce.

Goal 14 Achieve equality through diversity and inclusion: Virgin Money acknowledges that not everyone has the same opportunities or starts their career from the same starting point and so addresses the systemic barriers to access. Closely aligned to its approach to flexible working, its equality, diversity and inclusion strategy provides a range of key support mechanisms, such as gender-neutral parental leave and statutory sick pay, to ensure that its workforce can be as diverse as possible. As well as highlighting these key strengths, the report outlines recommendations for further action so that Virgin Money can work with policy makers, as well as its staff and customers, to provide solutions that will encourage financial inclusion in the short term against the backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis. It can also extend its role in political and public debate to shape the levelling up agenda in the longer term.

James Peirson, Virgin Money’s General Counsel and Purpose Officer, said:

“Purpose is and must remain our north star and by acting on the good challenges made by the Purpose Coalition in their report, we’ll continue to make our customers, colleagues and communities happier about money while building a truly great place to work.”

Chair of the Purpose Coalition, Rt Hon Justine Greening, said: “I’m delighted to be launching Virgin Money’s Levelling Up Impact Report with its General Counsel and Purpose Officer, James Peirson. If a person can’t access capital or credit, then it’s likely that they also can’t access opportunity. Sound personal and household finances are fundamental to getting on in life. For too long in the financial services landscape, it was significantly easier to get into debt than it was to set money aside. Many of the financial products on offer were too complex to be of use to most people. These are the key challenges that Virgin Money is helping to address, making financial stability more achievable for more customers in the process.

“Financial inclusion is fundamental to the levelling up agenda and Virgin Money is showing what is possible in the financial services sector to make a positive and tangible difference. Using its unique and creative approach, it has sewn a levelling up thread into every aspect of its business, not as an add-on but as an intrinsic element that is essential to its success. With its brand recognition and geographic reach, there is huge potential for it to make an even greater contribution. As the country faces an increasing cost of living crisis that will bring even greater financial pressures, its determination to bear down on costs for those struggling alongside its plans to embrace further organisational change, the company can embed and accelerate the mission it has set itself - to make people happier about money.”

Chair of the Purpose Business Coalition, Lord Walney said:

“I’m proud to have worked with Virgin Money to develop the Levelling Up Impact Report which we launched in Westminster. It clearly demonstrates how a purpose-led business leads by its actions and, as a result, makes a significant positive impact on its customers, its employees and the communities it serves.

“Society now expects higher standards from the organisations they work for or do business with. With its focus on the health and wellbeing of its staff so they can operate at their best and the comprehensive approach that is A Life More Virgin, Virgin Money has shown that it understands that these things also make it a better business. It is more attractive to potential recruits and more inclusive for its staff. That will pay off in terms not just of motivation and loyalty but of profitability. It makes good business sense.

“Other businesses can learn from Virgin Money’s work and the best practice that is encapsulated in this report. I hope that the recommendations for future action will see it exploring even more options for the social good it can achieve and the positive examples that it can set.”

SMS’s levelling up report highlights the impact of energy solutions on social mobility

SMART ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE COMPANY, SMS PLC, HAS UNVEILED ITS LEVELLING UP REPORT IN WESTMINSTER, WHICH ASSESSES HOW ITS BUSINESS – AND THE ENERGY SOLUTIONS SECTOR MORE WIDELY –IS MAKING A POSITIVE SOCIAL IMPACT AMID THE ONGOING COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS.

The report, which has been developed with the Purpose Coalition and benchmarks SMS’s progress against five of the 14 Purpose Goals, was unveiled at UK Parliament by SMS Chief Executive Officer, Tim Mortlock, and Purpose Goals founder and former Education Secretary, Justine Greening.

The report, highlights SMS’s commitment to delivering opportunity in the UK through implementing responsible environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies alongside the delivery of energy solutions. The Glasgow-headquartered company – which funds, installs, and operates energy and carbon reduction technologies (including smart meters, energy storage, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure) – is contributing across five of the following Goals:

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Goal 3: Positive Destinations Post 16+ (ensuring young people have the choice of a high-quality route in education, employment, or training)

Goal 5: Open Recruitment (ensuring professions are open to people of all backgrounds through transparent, accessible, and open recruitment practices)

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Goal 6: Fair Career Progression (ensuring opportunities for career advancement for all based on ability and potential, not connections)

Goal 8: Good Health and Wellbeing (ensuring improved mental and physical health at all ages to boost overall wellbeing that allows people to fulfil their potential)

Goal 13: Harnessing the Energy Transition (ensuring that the energy transition is fair and creates opportunities across the UK)

Rt Hon Justine Greening, Tim Morlock with SMS plc Apprentices

The report provides examples of good practice carried out by SMS in these areas, including: an apprenticeship programme, training academy, and test laboratory in Bolton (one of the UK’s most deprived areas) which delivers technical training and skills; various partnerships which help it to provide mentoring and job opportunities for those furthest away from a level playing field, including the disadvantaged, those from ethnic minorities, the disabled, and military veterans; a commitment to ensuring that individuals with potential can progress within the company regardless of background, including ensuring more gender diversity at board level; a wide range of company initiatives to support employees and communities with maintaining and improving their physical and mental wellbeing; a successful business model to deliver the future of smart energy by funding, owning, installing, and operating energy infrastructure that drives carbon reduction in line with the UK’s Net Zero 2050 target.

As well as highlighting these key strengths, the report makes a number of recommendations where SMS can go even further in extending its social impact. For instance: targeting its community efforts more closely to focus on the most deprived areas around its key sites; measuring and reporting its socio-economic diversity to provide a more accurate picture of how well social mobility is working; and using its position in the energy sector and through relationships with its own key stakeholders and supply chains to be an advocate for responsible business.

Tim Mortlock, Chief Executive Officer of SMS plc, said:

“Climate change is not merely an environmental challenge, it also presents a distinct socio-economic problem, with the least welloff in society set to be the worst affected by environmental and energy-related issues. The ongoing cost-of-living crisis in the UK, punctuated by rising energy costs, offers stark evidence of this. Our purpose as a business – ‘to serve our customers and protect the environment’ – could therefore not be more pertinent considering these climate and economic pressures we are currently all facing.

“This clear commitment to sustainability – manifested through our target to become a carbon neutral business by 2030 –proudly upholds everything we do at SMS. That means not just doing what we can to help our environment, it means contributing to the prosperity of people and society in general. We’re extremely proud to be part of this movement through our membership of the Purpose Coalition, and hope that this report – which sets out our progress towards achieving the Purpose Goals –helps to gauge our continuing contribution, as well as inspire other like-minded organisations to follow suit.”

Chair of the Purpose Coalition, Rt Hon Justine Greening, said:

“The environmental challenges posed by climate change and a growing cost of living crisis, largely driven by rising energy prices, will undoubtedly hit our most disadvantaged communities the hardest. We therefore need businesses to demonstrate genuine leadership and ambition to help their employees, their customers and the communities they serve to thrive, with short term measures as well as longer term solutions.

“That is what SMS is already doing, defining what it means to be truly purpose-led in an industry which is in the eye of the storm. Its operations are underpinned by a focus on decarbonisation and providing more sustainable energy choices and it strives to maximise its positive impact on the UK homes and communities it services and supports, directly and indirectly. Its innovation is steering it towards a more balanced energy mix which in turn will mean more sustainable and affordable choices for consumers. That approach also supports communities by delivering opportunity, creating the skilled jobs and rewarding careers that are needed for a greener, hi-tech economy.

“SMS is committed to an ambitious agenda for change. Its aim to deliver the future of smart energy will not only benefit its employees, its customers, its communities but will also contribute to the increased security of our energy supply and a step-change in energy efficiency. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them to make a difference in the communities which need it most.”

Leonardo is propelling the levelling up solution

AEROSPACE COMPANY LEONARDO, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PURPOSE COALITION, LAUNCHED A LEVELLING UP IMPACT REPORT AT FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW 2022 EARLIER THIS YEAR. IT REVIEWS THE BUSINESS’S CURRENT CONTRIBUTION TO THE LEVELLING UP AGENDA ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND RECOMMENDS WHERE IT COULD MAKE AN EVEN WIDER IMPACT.

Leonardo is a top ten aerospace, defence and security company and is also one of the UK’s biggest onshore suppliers of hightech equipment to the MOD. It has seven sites across the country, in Basildon, Bristol, Edinburgh, Lincoln, Luton, Southampton and Yeovil, employing over 7500 people. For every 100 jobs within the company, it supports 355 jobs across the UK. Its engineeringdriven activities include the development of digital fighter jet technologies and the production of military helicopters. It is also

one of the founding partners of Tempest, the project to create a next generation combat air system for the UK and its allies by 2035.

The report identifies Leonardo’s social impact against an innovative framework of 14 Purpose Goals. With a strong tradition of delivering social impact in the communities it services, the report highlights the 50% increase in Leonardo’s UK-wide early careers intake in 2023.

The report further highlights the work it is doing which meet four of the Goals in particular:

Goal 3 Positive destinations post-16+

Its apprenticeship and graduate programmes, the work placements it offers and its academies in London and Yeovil see it providing positive destinations through a range of education routes which contribute to a high wage, high skill economy.

Goal 6 Fair career progression

It runs a variety of initiatives that help to ensure that it retains its talent, targeting particularly women and those returning to work through its Springboard programme, runs leadership programmes that mentor and advise and ensures a work/life balance that still enables progression through its Navigator programme.

Goal 13 Harness the energy transition

It incorporates sustainability into every part of its business and every project, with a positive environmental impact for the company, its key stakeholders, its customers and the communities where it operates.

Goal 14 Achieve equality through diversity and inclusion

Its Inclusion & Diversity Strategy and Action Plan 2021 focuses on a series of robust ambitions which are committed to equality of opportunity.

The report also includes recommendations which challenge Leonardo to go even further to extend the impact it has on levelling up. These are principally focused on its position as a leading global company which can deliver skills and jobs into communities that need them most – scaling up its best practice on gender representation to social mobility and ethnicity; focusing its community impact on the most deprived areas; and using its expertise to help shape the wider levelling up agenda with thought leadership and advocacy.

Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of the Purpose Coalition, said:

“Leonardo has always been purposeful in delivering social impact in the communities where it operates. Its commitment to making a difference is shown by the work detailed in this report and by its willingness to continue to challenge itself to go even further.

“The war in Ukraine has raised the profile of the defence sector and the important role it plays in our domestic and national security. That is likely to continue as diplomatic alliances shift in the face of aggression from hostile regimes. This report clearly demonstrates that defence companies can be part of the solution in improving social mobility in this country. Not only do they make a significant contribution to the economy and provide highly skilled jobs, they can also create opportunity in areas where they have traditionally been scarce.

“I’m proud of the Purpose Coalition’s partnership with Leonardo in assessing how its activities are improving social mobility in this country and evaluating how it can increase its impact in the communities where it is most needed. At the cutting edge of technology, it can harness the opportunities afforded by the aerospace sector in particular to develop new career paths for the future. I hope that it will set the standard for other purposeled aerospace, aviation and defence companies to follow and help shape the levelling up agenda in that sector.”

Widening horizons in cutting edge industries

DEMONSTRATING THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE. THAT’S THE CHALLENGE FOR COMPANIES OPERATING IN DIGITAL AND HIGH-TECH SECTORS WHO NEED TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN THE SKILLED WORKFORCES WHICH WILL ALLOW THEM TO FLOURISH.

The labour market has undergone a fundamental change in recent years. Many of the jobs on offer now didn’t exist ten or even five years ago. So it’s increasingly important that employers consider how best they can join the dots - between their businesses which are spearheading advances in science and technology and people who may have the curiosity and potential that can contribute to that progress but are unable or unaware to take advantage of the opportunities they offer.

Leonardo is one of the UK’s leading engineering companies and a global player in the aerospace, defence and security sector, a sector which has increased in importance as the country seeks to recover from the economic impact of the pandemic, as well as to address the challenges of the current international situation. With a presence across the UK, including in some of its most deprived communities, the business has always been intent on delivering social value.

Integral to that is building a pipeline of talent from those communities into the company, bringing benefits to both.

Leonardo’s Early Careers Programme helps to ensure that young people are equipped with the information and advice that will provide a positive pathway to rewarding and well-paid jobs. Placements, internships and work experience allow students to get a better understanding of a career in STEM, apprenticeships enable participants to develop in-depth skills in specialist areas and its graduate programme supports them to become engineers and business professionals.

Chair of the Purpose Coalition, Rt Hon Justine Greening said: ”The independent analysis contained in our recent impact report assesses how Leonardo is contributing to the levelling up agenda across the country, particularly in some of our most deprived communities. It showed that it is successfully meeting a number

of Purpose Goals, including those relating to positive destinations post-16, open recruitment and fair career progression, all within a working environment which promotes diversity and inclusion. It has also committed to tracking its progress and measuring not just the gender and ethnic diversity of its employees but also their socioeconomic background to ensure that the opportunities it offers are accessible to everyone. Its engineering expertise is underpinned by the skills of its employees and its success as a business contributes to the high-wage, high-skills economy that the country desperately needs.“

Chair of the Purpose Business Coalition, Lord Walney added: ”As a leading member of the Purpose Coalition, Leonardo’s best practice can provide valuable insights into its systematic approach to delivering positive social and economic impact. The business aims to reflect the communities it works in and its commitment to draw on a full range of talent, regardless of background, means it can deliver creative solutions that also make it a more competitive business. As the defence sector – and our national and international security –take centre stage, it’s crucial that they have the resources they need to continue to extend technological horizons. Fundamental to that is attracting and retaining people with the potential to learn and develop the skills and expertise they need to remain at the cutting edge of engineering.”

The Co-op Group launches social mobility impact report

THE CO-OP GROUP, THE UK’S LARGEST CONSUMER CO-OPERATIVE, RECENTLY LAUNCHED A LEVELLING UP IMPACT REPORT WITH THE PURPOSE COALITION, ASSESSING ITS CURRENT IMPACT ON LEVELLING UP ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND RECOMMENDING FURTHER ACTION FOR THE FUTURE.

Founded in 1844, the Co-op is one of the oldest of three million cooperative organisations worldwide. With more than 4.2 million active members, it has a presence in every postal area in the country. Its operations span food, retail and wholesale, funeral provision, regulated consumer legal services, life planning and insurance products. Built on a set of values which include self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity, its core mission is to be a business which is fairer for its colleagues, fairer for its members and fairer for the planet. It champions a better way of doing business for individuals and communities across the country through its products and services which aim to create value in its broadest sense. The Levelling Up Impact Report has been developed in partnership with the Purpose Coalition and benchmarks the Co-op’s work against an innovative set of 14 Purpose Goals. It identifies the areas where it is already making a positive impact and recommends further steps which would create further impact. Launched in 2021, the Goals provide a framework for organisations to identify gaps in access to opportunity, covering key life stages from early years to adulthood as well as the main areas where barriers exist that prevent people from achieving their potential, for example good health and wellbeing or digital connectivity. They also provide the means to monitor progress and share best practice.

Rt Hon Justine Greening, Shirine Khoury-Haq & Jim McMahon MP

The report highlights the Co-op’s key strengths which illustrate its commitment to delivering opportunity countrywide. It delivers across the full levelling up agenda but is making a significant impact across the following Goals:

Goal 2 Successful school years

Goal 3 Positive destinations post-16+

Goal 4 Right advice and experiences

Goal 8 Good health and wellbeing

Goal 10 Closing the digital divide

Goal 11 Infrastructure for opportunity

Shirine Khoury-Haq, Co-op Group CEO said: It is vital that business and government work in partnership to unlock the talent that exists everywhere. We must ensure everyone, whatever their background, has the opportunity to succeed in a way that is right for them. I’m delighted that the impact the Co-op is already having in communities has been recognised in this report but we also know there is much more the Co-op, and other businesses, should do.

“I want the Co-op to be part of a movement for change and a catalyst for that change. That’s why we’re delighted to be working with This is Purpose, to lead by example and show how purpose-led businesses can pave the way. I’m pleased to announce that the Co-op will join the new ‘Equality of Opportunity Coalition’ and we’ve already started work to explore what we can do to promote socio-economic diversity within the Co-op. We commit to share our insight and next steps in early 2023.”

Jim McMahon MP, Chair of the Co-operative Party and Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said:

Examples of best practice include the schools in the Co-op’s multi-academy trust which are all guided by the same set of principles but are tailored to the needs of pupils in specific areas. Its Local Community Fund supports projects across the UK which its members believe will have the most impact in their community. Its extensive apprenticeship programme, linked into its supply chain, has facilitated over 700 opportunities worth an estimated £7m which have been matched with employers such as Royal Mail, Nationwide and Pertemps.

As well as highlighting these key strengths, the report makes a number of recommendations for further action where the Coop can extend its work, building on its existing reputation and countrywide reach. It can use its position as a leading purposeled company to set higher standards – on diversity and socioeconomic reporting which could also be extended to its supply chain, on enabling a more effective transition from education to work, on the support of schools in social mobility cold spots and on the promotion of positive mental health and wellbeing and better physical health through healthier and sustainable diets.

“As Chair of the Co-operative Party, I know the huge role the Co-op plays in tackling inequality, supporting aspiration and promoting opportunity across the country. I am delighted to welcome this report from the Purpose Coalition, measuring the Co-op’s activity against the 14 Purpose Goals and setting out how it can go even further to boost social mobility and improve equality of opportunity.”

Chair of the APPG on the Future of Retail and MP for Stockton South, Matt Vickers said:

“As a former retail worker myself, I know huge role organisations like the Co-op - with a presence in almost every local community - can have on levelling up. Everybody should have access to opportunity, regardless of their background or which part of the country they are from, and today’s report sets out how the Co-op is achieving that - and how it can go even further.”

Chair of the Purpose Coalition, Rt Hon Justine Greening, said: “I’m proud to launch this Levelling Up Impact Report with the Co-op Group. Making a positive impact and creating a fairer society is in its DNA and its sense of purpose shines clearly and brightly in everything it does. As the report shows, it is already doing outstanding work across the country but its extensive reach and brand recognition means that it has the potential to do even more and, crucially, set a gold standard for what it means to be a purpose-led business.

“The economic and social challenges that the country is currently facing – our recovery from the pandemic and the growing pressures of the cost of living crisis – means that the role it can play on delivering social good has never been more important. The Co-op gets to the heart of what matters most in a community. Its deep knowledge of those it serves enables it to understand what they really need to thrive and their local partnerships help to deliver it. The synergy between business and community is mutually beneficial - the Co-op can focus its efforts on those who need the most help and, in return, communities receive well-targeted and tailored support that is better placed to make a difference.

“Measuring an organisation’s progress on how it is levelling up is key. It’s how things get done. As a leading member of the Equality of Opportunity Coalition, the Co-op has committed to measuring and reporting the socio-economic background of their employees as part of its wider efforts to ensure that everyone has access to opportunity, regardless of background or where they are from. It is setting an example that I hope other businesses will follow and I am looking forward to working with its leadership team to help shape the levelling up agenda.”

The full report is available here:

www.purpose-coalition.org/impact-reports/co-op

Measuring an organisation’s progress on how it is levelling up is key. It’s how things get done.

Ambassadeurs Group commits to levelling up framework

GAMING,

HOSPITALITY AND TRAVEL COMPANY AMBASSADEURS GROUP (AG) HAS PARTNERED

WITH THE PURPOSE COALITION TO MEASURE AND ENHANCE ITS SOCIAL IMPACT.

The partnership will see AG develop a Levelling Up Impact Report to map its activity against the 14 Purpose Goals.

The report will build on AG’s community engagement work which is focused on four areas; mental health and wellbeing, education, safer gambling and community. AG joins a number of UK businesses, universities and public sector organisations in assessing their best practice and measuring their impact against the goals.

The Purpose Coalition, chaired by former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening, is made up of the UK’s most innovative purpose-led leaders and organisations. Justine Greening is a long-term campaigner on social mobility and levelling up both inside and now outside of Parliament.

In 2018 Justine co-founded the Social Mobility Pledge to bring businesses and universities together to improve social mobility. The Purpose Goals are the first major piece of work launched by the most committed of these organisations. Justine Greening said: “The Purpose Goals provide a clear benchmark for organisations to measure their impact against. Only through working in partnership can progress truly be made and I’m excited to welcome another organisation to the Purpose Coalition that is committed to making a difference.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the AG team on its levelling up work and helping the organisation

to have maximum impact on its community and colleagues. The organisation has already shown its commitment to spreading opportunities through its community engagement and its Ambassadeurs Academy, and crucially it wants to go further.”

Tracy Damestani, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at AG, said: ‘This is an important moment for our Group. It underlines our commitment to a strategy that is centered around our core purpose of raising standards and giving back.

‘We help people achieve their potential through education and learning and we support organisations and good causes that need help. All our efforts begin with our employees –our WorkFamily – and we have already made tangible commitments to levelling up by helping our heart-of-house staff through the rising cost of living. We have recently taken basic pay from £9.50-an-hour to a guaranteed £15-an-hour for all employees – this is known as the Living Wage PLUS. ‘We are building better futures for our people, planet, members and communities.’

We help people achieve their potential through education and learning and we support organisations and good causes that need help.

Ambassadeurs Group is a member of the Responsible Gaming Coalition - a sector specific coalition that is part of the wider Purpose Coalition. Organisations within the Responsible Gaming Coalition are committed to being both responsible providers and providing jobs, investment and opportunity across the UK.

Investing in people, investing in the planet – how a purpose-led utility company spreads opportunity

PEOPLE AND PLANET ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN. INCREASING SOCIAL VALUE FOR COLLEAGUES, CUSTOMERS AND THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE WHILE ALSO DELIVERING A STEP CHANGE ON THE ENVIRONMENT IS A GOAL TO WHICH EVERY ORGANISATION SHOULD ASPIRE.

That ethos is particularly important for utility companies who are rooted in the areas they serve and whose fundamental business of environmental infrastructure is so closely connected with its landscape. As the cost of living crisis bites ever more keenly into people’s quality of life as well as their pockets, businesses have an increasingly important part to play in helping them navigate the pressures of higher energy and food costs. Utility companies are on the front line. Many have already put support in place. The businesses best equipped to respond effectively are those who already have a deep sense of purpose embedded in everything they do, taking steps that will help at a time of crisis in the shortterm but which are firmly set within the context of a longer-term strategy, aimed at creating a fairer, more equal society where barriers to opportunity are dismantled.

The Pennon Group is a FTSE 250 listed company and one of the leading businesses in the UK water sector, providing clean water and wastewater services across nine counties in the South West. With 3000 employees, it serves about 3.5 million people and approximately 80,000 business customers across the UK. It’s investing in places and structure so that it can provide a resilient and sustainable service which is so crucial in the journey to Net Zero but also continues to prioritise investment in people and customers so that they reap the rewards too.

The most urgent need now is to support its customers, especially the most vulnerable as cost of living challenges mount, and over 100,000 are already benefiting from one or more of its affordability initiatives. More broadly, it is delivering over £78 million of benefits to customers at a time when it is needed most. That includes a commitment to share the benefits of financial performance with customers through a second issuance of its unique Watershare

plus scheme, with £40 million funded so far to give customers the option of a stake as well as a say in their water company, or money off their bill.

Pennon has also recently announced plans to invest in future talent by doubling its apprenticeship and graduate schemes to 2030 and by offering 5000 placements to school children over the same period. That will ensure that local people not only have access to advice and information that will help them choose a job that’s right for them but will also provide skilled employment opportunities that will improve their lives, and the prospects of their communities. That’s in addition to its participation in the Government’s Kickstart scheme - one of the first water companies, and the first in the south west, to sign up - offering 16-24 year olds at risk of long-term unemployment, six-month paid work placements. It has exceeded its original offer of 50 placements and is now offering 56, with many taking up employment at the end of their training and work placements.

Committed to playing its part in the country’s efforts to reach Net Zero, it plans to reduce its operational carbon emissions and hit its own Net Zero target by 2030. Recently, it has gone even further with a Race to Zero commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emission across its entire value chain by 2045.

Adele Barker, Chief People Officer at Pennon Group said: Chair of the Purpose Coalition, Rt Hon Justine Greening said: “As a member of the Purpose Coalition, Pennon is already playing its part in shaping a levelling up agenda that spreads opportunity and is focused on reducing the obstacles that can prevent people from getting on, whether that is because of financial insecurity or a lack of access to positive career destinations. With other leading businesses, universities, NHS Trusts and third sector organisations, it is demonstrating its commitment to developing and sharing new ideas and projects that will inform and inspire others. In areas of the country which often suffer from being left behind, it has shown how a purpose-led organisation can reflect the priorities of the people who live there, delivering valuable opportunities and making a real difference. It can improve social mobility in the region at the same time as helping the country to be ready for Net Zero, a win-win outcome.”

With 3000 employees, it serves about 3.5 million people and approximately 80,000 business customers across the UK

Appetite for Action

SODEXO’S ‘APPETITE FOR ACTION’ CAMPAIGN IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE ROLE A BUSINESS CAN PLAY IN ACKNOWLEDGING ITS RESPONSIBILITY IN CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS NET-ZERO THROUGH REDUCING FOOD WASTE, AND CHAMPIONING THIS TO AFFECT CHANGE ACROSS ITS SUPPLY CHAIN.

Initially, the campaign focused on limiting food waste with the aim to take advantage of the company’s scale and food industry expertise to convene, and work alongside, political and industry stakeholders to drive meaningful change in food service and procurement to help cut food waste.

Sodexo carried out research and hosted a roundtable of industry experts including WWF, WRAP and DEFRA.

The second phase of the campaign is aimed to deliver more strategic social value considering the tough times so many businesses and individuals are facing - through a focus on supply chain resilience.

Given the pressure that supply chains are under due to Brexit, the pandemic, the Ukraine conflict, combined with rising fuel costs and labour shortages - Sodexo undertook research into the impact on sustainability initiatives and at what 275 supply chain heads are doing to build resilience in their food supply chains.

This research garnered concerning but expected data regarding the consequences of recent economic turmoil:

• 85% of food supply chain heads say the pandemic has caused long-term damage to their supply chain, from which they are yet to recover.

• 32% believe their supply chain will not return to optimum efficiency for a full year.

• 44% are impacted by labour shortages and 38% by freight challenges in their supply chain.

• 35% have also said they will be forced to continue increasing their prices due to the difficulties in managing their supply chain.

However, the research also showed that to increase their resilience, UK food supply chain heads are increasingly diversifying their supplier base by working with smaller suppliers, with 38% doing so, and 35% are looking to source more food domestically.

SMEs form the backbone of this data, with 81% of respondents stating the current supply chain crisis has emphasised the need to source more from SMEs. Some suppliers are eager to collaborate further, with 38% agreeing that the sharing of best practice with SME partners in the supply chain to improve efficiencies will best help address the UK’s supply chain challenges.

These findings come as Sodexo continues its work with SMEs. These account for three-quarters of its supply chain and for 57% of its spend, enhancing its resilience to continue delivering meals to customers, despite the external market shocks the industry is facing, through deepening and extending internal domestic partnerships.

In terms of a long-term limitation of food waste, Sodexo has found unprecedented pressure on supply chains has led to food buyers in the UK’s biggest organisations reporting a 60% increase in food waste. This surge casts doubt on the food industry’s ability to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030, and hampers progress to net zero.

Sodexo, which has pledged to cut its own food waste by 50% by 2025 and achieve net zero by 2040 – found that achieving net zero emissions has become the most important priority for 80% of respondents. Sodexo reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 33%, since its baseline year of 2017, across scopes 1, 2 and 3, which includes emissions from the supply chain. The research also found 40% of food supply chain heads are calling on businesses to adopt net zero policies.

Sodexo partnered with WRAP to support its Food Waste Action Week campaign to tackle food waste and help save the planet. Sodexo is also a signatory of The Courtauld Commitment 2030, a voluntary agreement that enables collaborative action across the entire UK food chain to deliver farm-to-fork reductions in food waste.

In terms of a long-term limitation of food waste, Sodexo has found unprecedented pressure on supply chains has led to food buyers in the UK’s biggest organisations reporting a 60% increase in food waste.

Sodexo uses WasteWatch technology to track food waste.

Essex County Council publishes countywide strategy for levelling up

IN JANUARY 2022, ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

PUBLISHED A NEW WHITE PAPER, SETTING OUT ITS COUNTYWIDE STRATEGY FOR LEVELLING UP IN ESSEX.

As one of the first Councils across the UK to map out its ambitions against central government’s Purpose Goals, the white paper outlined its long-term plan of action, presenting a clear framework of the places and people it is targeting support to in order to reduce spatial inequality.

Described as “trail-blazing” and an “invaluable source of insight for Whitehall, as well as the wider local government community” by Justine Greening, former Education Secretary and Chair of the This is Purpose Coalition, the white paper focused on the creation of levelling up opportunities against the key commitments set out in our wider ECC Everyone’s Essex strategy (2021-2025).

Over the last year, Essex County Council (ECC) has identified both the key cohorts and areas that would most benefit from Levelling Up and made significant funding available, including an

investment of £10m over the next four years to support economic growth and skills, as well as a separate £11m Levelling Up reserve.

The Council has launched 23 projects so far aimed at driving levelling up, spanning across skills, education, community and literacy. These include:

• The investment of 100k in a new electric vehicle training centre at Harlow College, which will enable local people to develop professional qualifications in electric vehicle repair and maintenance, which will be a major growth sector and key to supporting the transition to carbon net zero;

• Focus on literacy - The creation of 74 literacy areas across the County, expansion of Adult Community Learning Hubs to areas without provision, such as Harwich and Canvey Island. 2022 was its Essex Year of Reading, a programme of events and education initiatives, during which, every primary aged child in the county was given a library card;

• Opened 2 new community supermarkets in some of the counties most deprived areas;

• Created new physical activity hubs in targeted estates that provide both physical activity classes, but also volunteering opportunities for local people that create routes into employment;

• Entry level jobs created through its social value scheme has exceeded expectations, with over 250 created so far;

• ECC has now donated over 4,100 devices to schools across Essex, to support the student population with getting online and to continue to learn. This was in addition to 2,500 devices supplied to it by the DfE. It was also able to provide our Ukrainian guests fleeing war with a total of 335 devices;

• and finally, the expansion of its ActivATE holiday club, which over the last two years has provided over 500,000 free meals and supported over 30,000 young people, 30% of which are from low income working families or other vulnerable groups.

Described as “trail-blazing” and an “invaluable source of insight for Whitehall, as well as the wider local government community”

“

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust signs up to new levelling up framework

GEORGE ELIOT HOSPITAL NHS TRUST HAS JOINED A GROWING NUMBER OF PURPOSE-LED ORGANISATIONS BY COMMITTING TO A NEW SET OF LEVELLING UP MEASUREMENTS.

In partnership with former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening and former Public Health Minister Rt Hon Anne Milton, Countess of Chester Hospital will now produce a Levelling Up Impact Report to measure its impact against the Levelling Up Goals.

The Levelling Up Impact Report will highlight best practice at George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and identify where even more can be done to spread opportunity in the communities it operates. Established in 2021 with input from businesses, universities, policymakers and regulators, the Purpose Goals are a set of clear objectives for the UK’s levelling up challenge in the wake of Covid-19.

George Eliot Hospital joins a coalition of NHS and public sector organisations measuring their social impact against the goals, as well as a range of businesses within the private sector.

A long-term campaigner on social mobility and levelling up both inside and now outside of Parliament, in 2018 Justine Greening co-founded the Social Mobility Pledge to bring organisations together to improve social mobility. The Purpose Goals are the first major piece of work launched by the most committed of these organisations, the Purpose Coalition.

Justine Greening said: “NHS Trusts play a key role in society by boosting opportunity and driving levelling up in their communities. The health inequalities that exist in different communities across the UK have been highlighted even more following the coronavirus pandemic. We must continue to work together to drive change and ensure that tackling these inequalities becomes a priority across the UK.

“The Purpose Goals give a clear architecture for committed organisations and leaders, such as George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and Glen Burley, to measure and articulate their purpose. I’m excited to get started on the work with the team.”

The Purpose Goals are the first major piece of work launched by the most committed of these organisations, the Purpose Coalition.

NHS Trusts play a key role in society by boosting opportunity and driving levelling up in their communities.

Social mobility campaigner Justine Greening praises

“fantastic education resources” as she visits University of Bolton

A FORMER EDUCATION SECRETARY WHO IS LEADING A COALITION CAMPAIGNING FOR GREATER SOCIAL MOBILITY IN THE UK PRAISED THE UNIVERSITY OF BOLTON AS SHE TOURED ITS “FANTASTIC” FACILITIES.

Justine on social mobility for some time and we wanted her to see for herself the fantastic facilities we have here at Bolton.

“We are determined that Bolton will have a voice. Social mobility is so important and we are delighted to be part of this.”

Ms Greening said: “As we come out of Covid and our lives steadily get back to normal, the work happening here at the University of Bolton becomes more vital than ever because it’s important that we really make a difference on levelling up. That is the purpose of this coalition work.

The Rt Hon Justine Greening visited the University’s National Centre for Motorsport Engineering (NCME) and the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, to see for herself how students are learning practically, preparing them for the world of work. She said: “We have seen some wonderful cutting edge technology which means that students at the University of Bolton are able to really get applied learning on motorsport science and engineering in a way that is second to none.”

Ms Greening, served as Secretary of State for Education in the Conservative government from 2016 to 2018 and stepped down as an MP in 2019.

She has since been appointed Chair of The Purpose Coalition, which is made up of the UK’s most innovative leaders and organisations.

The most committed leaders who are signed up to the Social Mobility Pledge are working with Ms Greening in the Purpose Coalition, to set a new standard for organisations, with the aim of “breaking the cycle of Britain’s endemic poor social mobility”. Members of the Purpose Coalition include Amazon, UK Power Networks, BP, Pennon Group, The Adecco Group, the BBC, Channel 4, Shoosmiths, NHS Trusts, UK councils and a range of UK universities.

Ms Greening was shown around NCME and the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing by the University of Bolton’s Pro Vice Chancellor, Baroness Helen Newlove and Provost, Dr Zubair Hanslot. Baroness Newlove said: “We have been working very closely with

“These companies who work with us can be connected with universities to really make sure that the talent a university like Bolton is developing can get connected to all of those employment opportunities from pro-social mobility employers who are part of the coalition.”

She added: “The University of Bolton’s Health Faculty has links with the council and the local NHS to turn out fantastic local health care professionals.

“Students have the chance to get all sorts of simulation training which means they can really hit the ground running on day one.

“We also visited the National Centre for Motorsport Engineering which is turning out some fantastic engineering talent for an industry that most of us don’t realise is based right here in the UK.” Ms Greening added: “Having education on the doorstep, as I know from my own experience, is crucial.

“The University of Bolton has put fantastic education resources exactly where they are needed for a community like Bolton that has tons of talent, but needs that talent developing so that it can provide the skills its local community needs, particularly in places like the local NHS.

“There isn’t going to be a better version of Bolton’s future unless you have a university like Bolton that is able to upskill an entire community, and that’s exactly what it is doing.”

Dr Hanslot said: “We are delighted that the Rt Hon Justine Greening, accompanied by the University’s Pro Vice Chancellor, Baroness Helen Newlove, were able to have a good look at the University’s facilities.

“We very much look forward to continuing to work closely with the Purpose Coalition – improving social mobility is a strong focus for the University of Bolton.”

Levelling Up Through Community Power

BY ROB POWELL, STRATEGIC DIRECTOR FOR RESOURCES

But to achieve our vision, we need to get serious about reducing inequalities and improving social mobility. Opportunities need to depend much less on where you are born or who your parents are. We recognise that to do this for Warwickshire we need to think outside the box, innovate and experiment, and find new ways of working .

We understand the importance of not trying to reinvent the wheel and the value that lies in working in partnership. Connecting with New Local to develop our Community Powered Warwickshire concept demonstrated our commitment to tackle the longstanding challenges we face by helping residents and communities deliver on their priorities. In 2021 we launched our £1M Social Impact Fund which supported 21 community projects addressing social inequalities post—Covid based on community powered principles and held our first Warwickshirewide and cross-sector “Big Conversation” about how to develop and embed community power across the County. Our six ‘Groundbreakers’ focus on increasing community power and developing our organisational capability to deliver in a community powered way.

COMMUNITIES ARE AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING WE DO IN WARWICKSHIRE. WE WANT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTY TO BENEFIT FROM A THRIVING ECONOMY AND EVERYONE TO BE SUPPORTED TO HAVE SAFE, HAPPY AND HEALTHY LIVES.

Fast forward a year and we have re-committed ourselves to going further for our communities; we’ve refreshed our Council Plan, embedding community power across all services and, in the summer, we hosted our second “Big Conversation”. Levelling Up is a long-term mission, and we find ourselves near the beginning. Our four-part Levelling Up definition includes increasing social mobility, reducing disparities, creating sustainable futures, and building community power. Galvanising our communities is extremely important, but we cannot expect our communities to have the capability to solve every problem they face. Tackling historic inequalities and increasing social mobility requires more - more from ourselves and more from our partners.

We knew from the start we wanted to be bold and targeted with our county-wide approach to Levelling Up. Being evidence-led is paramount and has enabled us to prioritise and target resources and communities. We decided to convene our county-wide public sector partners through our “Team Warwickshire” approach. Our districts and boroughs, police, health, and business partners have come together for multiple workshops, looking at the data to understand what our communities need and how we can work together to achieve mutual long-term goals. This has fed into our county-wide priorities and the identification of our priority places and communities.

We have wasted no time in taking action and beginning the next phase of Levelling Up in Warwickshire; the development of our district and borough Levelling Up Plans. These will take Levelling Up further and give it a local flavour that we hope will resonate with residents. Action focused, these plans will concentrate on the connections between our countywide delivery against the 12 national Levelling Up missions and specific place priorities, linked to the work of local ICS Place Boards. Alongside this, we are beginning pilots in some of our 22 most deprived Lower Super Output Areas, which will be co-produced with the community to enhance pride in place. We will increase pride in place and community engagement through arts and culture. Recently, Warwickshire Library

Service has been successful in its bid to receive prestigious National Portfolio status from the Arts Council, focused in the north of the county where we see the greatest inequalities. We recognise that communities need more than just physical assets and infrastructure to thrive. Our libraries becoming National Portfolio Organisations provides us with a powerful opportunity to use arts and cultural events to raise literacy rates, aspiration and educational attainment and will target delivery where there are gaps in attainment. Our goal with Levelling Up is to build resilience, capacity and skills within communities to mitigate future challenges such as the rising cost-of-living, but we are a long way from achieving our ambitions. In the meantime, we understand how our most vulnerable communities are struggling and that we need to go further and faster in delivering support with them.

This demands a new way of doing things. Building on the lessons learnt through Covid, Warwickshire County Council is once again playing a convening role on the cost-of-living, bringing together county-wide partners in November to host a countywide summit on the cost-of-living. We believe in the strength of our communities, partners, and staff to help residents endure this immediate challenge while we pursue the fundamental long-term changes required to level up in Warwickshire.

We believe in the strength of our communities, partners, and staff to help residents endure this immediate challenge while we pursue the fundamental long-term changes required to level up in Warwickshire.

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Laying the foundations for change

THE SHOOSMITHS FOUNDATION BUILDS ON SHOOSMITHS’ EXISTING COMMUNITY INVESTMENT PROGRAMME WHICH CONTINUES TO SUPPORT LOCAL CHARITY PARTNERS THROUGH STAFF FUNDRAISING AND FIRM DONATIONS, STAFF VOLUNTEERING AND PROVISION OF LEGAL ADVICE PRO BONO.

The Shoosmiths Foundation offers grants in the following categories:

• The advancement in social mobility in the legal sector, and across the UK, in line with the Shoosmiths social mobility action plan There is a particular focus on charitable organisations which share Shoosmiths’ belief that ‘talent can come from anywhere’, and which align their interventions with local socio-economic analysis and need;

• The advancement of a carbon net zero UK; and

• The advancement of access to justice in the UK.

Applications for the 2021 and 2022 funding rounds related to the social mobility aim.

Impact of Financial Support:

The Shoosmiths Foundation has supported three charities with targeted social mobility support. End Youth Homelessness, Street League and JERICHO have benefited, receiving a total of £140,000 over two years

Funding to End Youth Homelessness (EYH) aimed to provide over 2,174 hours of employability support from Employability Coaches and help circa 41 young people back into Employment, Education or Training (EET).

As a result of Shoosmiths Foundation funding 46 young people were directly able to receive this support and transitioned into education, employment or training.

Included in those 46 young people were 13 young people who have since sustained full time employment. 14 young people sustained part time employment in industries such as retail, hospitality and catering. A young person gained security qualifications and entered the industry. 11 young people sustained further education, studying qualifications such as health and social care, journalism and music production. One person now has a place at university. Three young people sustained traineeships. Three young people sustained volunteering in charity shops.

Funding to Street League aimed to support 53 unemployed young people, living in some of the most deprived communities across Leeds and Sheffield, to gain qualifications they need to secure meaningful job opportunities. Street League’s targets included 48 young people to achieve at least one qualification.

As a result of Shoosmiths Foundation funding – Street League is ahead of its targets. For example based on 187 young people starting a qualifications programme since November 2021, 155/190 qualifications were achieved (an 82% achievement ate) including GCSE level English and so far 82 young people have moved into employment (46), education (19) or further training (17).

A further £49,690 from Shoosmiths Foundation was awarded to support JERICHO Jump Start in autumn 2022. JERICHO Jump Start aims to underpin and extend work with school pupils at risk of exclusion, young people not in education, and people with lived experience of trauma, abuse, modern slavery, health and wellbeing issues, the care system or criminal justice system, addiction or homelessness.

JERICHO Jump Start will see 75% of the 40 people engaged in the project enter sustainable employment, with the remaining 25% achieving their most appropriate positive destination. Katie Webb, deputy CEO at JERICHO, said: “We are hugely grateful to Shoosmiths for being willing to help us further develop our work with people who face real and significant challenges in accessing the job market. We will use the funding from the Shoosmiths Foundation to provide additional, social mobility-focused support on top of the work and training opportunities we currently provide for 12 months, and this extra support will help our beneficiaries achieve longer-term work and life goals and so ultimately have the very best chance of a fulfilled, happy life.”

To find out more about the work of the Shoosmiths Foundation and how Shoosmiths is supporting the work of its charity beneficiaries see: www.shoosmiths.co.uk/our-responsibility/shoosmiths-foundation

We are hugely grateful to Shoosmiths for being willing to help us further develop our work with people who face real and significant challenges in accessing the job market.

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Rt Hon Justine Greening, discusses the role the hospitality sector can play in levelling up

few qualifications and little or no work experience, and for those who need to fit their work around their life, not the other way around. We offer opportunities for those who would like to progress to a management role or those who have finished one career but would still like a local job to earn a bit extra. For some people, all these attributes apply and at different times in their life.

JG In our work at the Purpose Coalition, we see employers and businesses as engines of social mobility. That’s always been a core part of what Travelodge does isn’t it - it’s in its DNA?

HT Travelodge is a purpose-led business with an ambition to provide affordable travel for everyone. With almost 600 hotels, it can also provide work and career progression that isn’t just in big city centres, so people don’t have to move away from home to get on. It opens up opportunities for people who can give the hospitality sector a go in their own communities. There are no minimum education qualifications. We can teach people what they need to know and if they’re interested, and it’s the right time, we can work with them to develop the skills they need to progress. They set the pace.

JG Travelodge is one of the UK’s largest budget hotel chains. From a hospitality sector perspective, how does it fit into the levelling up agenda?

HT The industry is really well placed to contribute to the Government’s strategy around levelling up. At Travelodge, that’s a lot to do with its geographical reach. We offer a range of fulltime and part-time jobs, providing opportunities for those with

JG The Purpose Coalition is working with Travelodge to produce a Levelling up Impact Report which will look at the company’s best practice through the Purpose Goals. Where do you feel it is making the biggest difference in improving social mobility?

HT Eighty per cent of the managerial and supervisory roles in our hotels are filled by internal applicants so that generates movement at all levels which means that opportunity is very real. There is huge potential for progression, sometimes quite rapidly, for our staff. A person can join their local hotel or explore opportunities away from home. Our in-house development programme, Aspire,

WITH HANNAH THOMSON, CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER AT TRAVELODGE

helps hundreds of colleagues each year to move careers and it propels our very capable workforce forward. But progression isn’t just about promotion. For many, it’s about learning new skills or reskilling, sometimes while remaining in their current role. We engage in a lot of multi-skilling and many employees are involved in pilot schemes of new products, new equipment, new processes. Technology helps us to identify where people need help with their learning or how they can learn more quickly and we use digital training tools which can be delivered in the language of their choice audibly, visually or through the written word. We also want to harness the skills they already have and their life experiences so that everyone can be their true selves –that can include mental health, LGBTQ+, race and class issues and, with 75% of our colleagues being female, the menopause.

JG With such a diverse workforce, and with a range of aspirations, you have to think really flexibly about how to support your staff and what good looks like working for Travelodge.

HT We offer decent work with meaningful contractual arrangements. There are no zero-hour contracts – staff want certainty of hours and pay to enable them to plan their lives and their household budgets – but if there’s the chance to work more hours, we like to give them that opportunity. Work needs to fit around their lives and their other responsibilities outside Travelodge so managers work incredibly hard with their team members to achieve that. Post Covid, I think there’s more of a focus on wellbeing than a so-called work-life balance, although that does still seem to be a focus for young people in particular. At Travelodge we have a programme that focuses on physical, emotional, financial and work wellbeing and we’re always open to having conversations about mental health.

JG There has been a change and young people do want different things from a career now. They want to know that there’ll be the potential for them to grow as a person if they take a job with a specific organisation. The Purpose Coalition works with the businesses that can offer that.

HT A learning mindset is important. Career progression isn’t about climbing the ladder anymore, it’s about growth and learning for its own sake. We have a responsibility to help people grow life skills too and we weave these into our development programmes. If you’re going into a supervisory or managerial role you need to be able to look after yourself from a wellbeing point of view to be able to look after others. Building resilience is key and we also have a corporate social responsibility to make sure that

when people move on they can take these skills with them. That underpins our Aspire programme in particular.

JG The ability to look after yourself matters in the hospitality sector where your job is looking after people. It also matters more broadly in the context of productivity – healthier people mean a healthier economy. When I started my own career, I was always interested in business but didn’t know much about the different roles and who looks after the people side of it. Had you always planned a role in HR?

HT I actually began my career in retail with the John Lewis Partnership. Although I loved school I hadn’t really engaged academically and it was only later, when I saw friends having careers and well-paid jobs, that I decided to go to university. I did much better there than I would have done if I’d gone earlier and that showed me there’s a time to do things that’s right for us as individuals. I continued working at John Lewis throughout my degree in a number of different roles and spent 17 years in retail, going on to take professional HR qualifications. I moved to Travelodge in 2016.

JG What attracted you to Travelodge and how does it fit with a social mobility culture?

HT Culture can be a difficult thing to define but I understood what Travelodge was trying to achieve as a business. I felt I could contribute to that and make a difference. It’s a business which is big but feels small and friendly, it’s centralised and standard-driven but it’s overflowing with personality, it’s chatty and extrovert but it leans in and listens. It moves at pace, but we always still find the time to share opinions, experiences and knowledge. We get lots done.

JG If you were talking to your younger self, what would you say?

HT I’m not sure if a younger Hannah would have listened but I would say that a to-do list is never done, and the things on it should change with time! That goes for home as well as work. I’d also emphasise that people tend to figure things out in their own time.

JG What is your proudest moment to date?

HT I think it’s Travelodge holding on in the pandemic and avoiding large scale redundancies. Working as an 11,000 strong team, we can look forward to a better future for our staff, customers and investors.

Smarter Energy for All

AS A LEADING OWNER AND MANAGER OF ESSENTIAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE ASSETS, CALISEN SITS AT THE HEART OF THE UK ENERGY ECOSYSTEM.

Our mission to deliver ‘Smarter energy for all’ particularly through the roll-out of Smart Meters, is helping consumers reduce their energy consumption and costs, helping deliver a cleaner, more efficient and sustainable energy segment. Enabling consumers to have greater visibility and control over their energy consumption is crucial in helping ameliorate the impact of rising energy prices, and inflation more broadly, that are contributing to the current cost-of-living challenge. Smart Meters put the consumer in control of their consumption in a greater way than has ever been possible before, with the information and data made available to consumers to inform their energy choices.

In addition to quantified benefits in delivering reduced energy consumption, with the concurrent positive financial and climate impact, the Smart Meter roll out has according to the UK Government been an important contributor to the national economy, supporting around 15,000 jobs across Great Britain with over 99% of the funding coming from the private sector and annual investment running at c.£1bn.

Smart Meters provide a more digitally enabled energy system, which in turn should result in faster data management and monitoring, heralding a number of developments:

Control: UK Government research indicates a 2.8% electricity reduction and 2% gas reduction among Smart Meter owners. These savings are calculated on the basis of the installation of a Smart Meter alone. Consumers are provided with real time data through an in-house display unit accurately measuring the amount and cost of appliances in use. This allows consumers to identify appliances that are low value, high cost, and alternatively low cost, high value, providing real choice in pounds and pennies of their energy consumption.

Billing: Smart Meters provide the opportunity for two-way communication between energy retailers and the meter itself. The introduction of Smart Meters into the domestic energy system is a step change in the way energy is provided to consumers, allowing customers to measure and effectively monitor their energy consumption. As we move to a more decentralised energy system, Smart Meters are believed to be a key enabler of change as they allow for consumption measurements in near real time, permitting variable pricing mechanisms in order to manage demand, primarily in the electricity segment.

Time Management: Energy used by households in most circumstances currently costs the same at all times of the day, and so there is no motivation for consumers to balance consumption across the day. A more digital energy system should allow consumers to target energy use in the lowerdemand and less costly time of the day.

Supplier Management: Increased billing accuracy through rapid data collection and transfer, with the potential for lower energy bills from improved grid management, a cheaper and simpler switching process, and improved pricing transparency to allow more informed decisions on switching to be made, allowing consumers to make more informed decisions on energy providers and competitive tariffs.

National Provisions: Smart Meters also help energy network operators balance the grid by providing more information regarding energy consumption patterns. Using insights on energy usage, enables utility companies to develop various tariffs, including pricing incentives to encourage energy saving. In addition, this directly contributes to tackling the climate emergency, as it means energy suppliers can become far more efficient about how much energy they produce, as they understand more about when we will need it.

The overall impact of Smart Meters on consumers is summarised by increased billing accuracy through rapid data collection and transfer, providing the opportunity for lower energy bills, achieved by improved grid management, a cheaper and simpler switching process, and improved pricing transparency to allow more informed decisions on switching to be made.

In addition, the in-home digital data display unit allows consumers real information on appliance vs. energy usage, allowing for more informed consumer consumption and closer management of day-to-day usage resulting in lower energy bills. The overarching impact is that consumers have more knowledge, accurate data and billings creating opportunities for cost savings for consumers who are impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.

To date Calisen has installed over 8.6 million Smart gas meters and 11.4 million Smart electric meters, helping empower consumers and support them to make the best possible energy choices. Our roll out programme is accelerating once again following the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our recent acquisition of the smart metering installation business of Utility Warehouse, will help support the benefits of Smart Meters being brought to even more consumers in the months and years ahead.

To date Calisen has installed over 8.6 million Smart gas meters and 11.4 million Smart electric meters

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Building on the past, focusing on the future – Canterbury City Council’s ambition to deliver a positive social impact

IN AN AREA FAMOUS FOR ITS HISTORY AND HERITAGE, CANTERBURY CITY COUNCIL IS VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE. ITS LEADER, COUNCILLOR BEN FITTER-HARDING, IS SPEARHEADING EFFORTS TO DELIVER EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY TO ITS MIX OF URBAN, COASTAL AND RURAL COMMUNITIES.

The Council looks after the historic city of Canterbury, the coastal towns of Whitstable and Herne Bay as well as a large surrounding area of countryside and villages. The region’s close connection to London and the Continent means that it has always been a hugely popular tourist destination for domestic and international visitors. It is also home to three universities. People often refer to London and the South East in the same breath - as wealthy, affluent areas - and there is the danger that levelling up will be overlooked here as a result.

There are undoubtedly areas of privilege but in reality both are also home to areas of deprivation. Canterbury City Council has a number of wards which are in the top 20% areas of deprivation in the country, some in very close proximity to the well-known landmarks of the City. The impact of that poverty and unemployment inevitably extends to many other aspects of life including, for example, health and wellbeing or digital connectivity which will see the life chances of the people who live there dramatically reduced.

Like many other local authorities across the country, Canterbury City Council is dealing with the legacy of the pandemic which affected the retail and leisure sectors so significantly, in its seaside towns and city centres. It has also acknowledged the need to respond urgently to the impacts of climate change as well as the cost of living crisis which is presenting challenges in an area where the cost of living is already high. If there is a lesson to be learned from the last few years it is that councils have had to be hugely adaptable, willing to respond to changed circumstances while still delivering the services that their residents, businesses and stakeholders want to see.

The Council has taken local residents’ priorities and reflected them in the Council’s Corporate Plan, its Local Plan and its Levelling Up Fund bids, all designed to back business and growth and make the area a more prosperous and healthier place to live. Residents and businesses have said they want to see congestion and air quality, high quality affordable housing, improved access to community infrastructure, the protection of its landscapes, open spaces, habitats and heritage and a shift towards net zero at the top of their local agenda.

The Canterbury District Local Plan To 2045 is being developed with a focus on a strong and resilient economy, improved connectivity, healthy communities and a thriving environment. That includes providing high skilled jobs, vibrant cultural and creative areas, good public transport links, attractive open spaces and a range of homes to meet local need. A £20m Levelling Up Fund bid for Canterbury reimagines the City’s heritage assets and spaces to create a world class destination, transforming and connecting a host of landmarks, gardens and walkways while also improving public spaces and navigation around the city, including electric car charging and cycle hire. The plans will help bring history to life, boost jobs and strengthen the city’s economic recovery. The £13m bid for Herne Bay will additionally enhance community facilities on the seafront that will benefit residents and visitors while introducing a new, connected cycle and walking route. Both bids aim to bring tangible, visible improvements through a wide range of regenerative projects.

The South East is one of only three regions in the UK which is a net contributor to the Treasury so levelling up here is not only crucial for the local area but is also a vital part of levelling up the country as a whole. The Purpose Coalition will be working with Councillor Fitter-Harding and his team to develop a Levelling Up Impact Report to assess how Canterbury City Council is currently delivering a positive social impact for its communities and to suggest ways its work can be extended more widely to ensure flourishing communities across the region that will provide opportunity for those that live there.

The South East is one of only three regions in the UK which is a net contributor to the Treasury so levelling up here is not only crucial for the local area but is also a vital part of levelling up the country as a whole.

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Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust provides case studies to NHS: Leadership Report.

AS PART OF THE REPORT, CALDERDALE AND HUDDERSFIELD NHS FOUNDATION TRUST INCLUDED THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUAL ACCESS TO SERVICES AND MENTORING.

Equal access to services

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) hosted two special vaccination clinics at Calderdale Royal Hospital during the pandemic for people with a learning disability.

CHFT worked in partnership with both Kirklees and Calderdale community learning disability health teams (South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) to identify who would benefit from such a bespoke service. As part of the process the Trust: Adopted paperwork developed by another Trust for capacity and best interest documentation.

Created a social story to help people prepare with photos of the building, car park, rooms and the staff who would be at the clinic on the day to help reduce anxiety and fear.

Held it on a Saturday when the hospital is much quieter and car parking was available. Made a bespoke plan for every individual to meet their needs, which included distraction techniques, including listening to Abba and Cliff Richard on YouTube.

Set up the lecture theatre so it was like going to the movies with the Greatest Showman playing and snacks which included popcorn and chocolates. The first clinic had an 83% success rate and all those who had the first vaccine came to the second clinic, which had a 100% success rate.

The importance of mentoring

CHFT runs a mentoring scheme to enable staff to progress in their careers. Below is an interview with one of their mentors.

How long have you been a mentor?

I have been informally coaching and mentoring for years. In 2021 I undertook the level 5 training in coaching and mentoring. That was brilliant and gave me a whole new skill set.

Importance of being a mentor?

I feel coaching is more important than mentoring. Coaching is where we sit and listen, believe in the power of the coachees to find their way to achieve their own goals. Through prompts, active listening, reflective questioning and use of simple tools we can help people to find their way through and find solutions that work for them. Also being a coach is a short term relationship aimed at creating independence, not dependence. We give people the tools to find their own solutions. We can move into mentoring (imagine they are 2 ends of a scale, rather than 2 separate disciplines).

But it’s important to allow the coachee to make the choice, for example ‘I have some past experiences in this area you may find useful. Would you like me to share them now’

What makes a good mentor?

A good coach – listens, believes in the power of the coachee (and absolutely believes in the individual in front of them), uses silence to give the coachee time to consider, engages in coaching themselves (ie is committed to the practice and believes it works for them as well as everyone else). Holds the coachee to account to make progress on their goals. Has regular supervision for themselves to ensure they keep learning. Also enjoys meeting people, is curious about others. Remembers the tough times in their own career and now wants to be the person they would have wanted alongside them in that moment.

Humber and North Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership provides case studies to NHS: Leadership Report.

THE PURPOSE HEALTH COALITION LAUNCHED THE LEADERSHIP: TACKLING HEALTH INEQUALITIES REPORT

IN JULY 2022 TO RECOGNISE THE SOCIAL IMPACT THAT NHS ORGANISATIONS ARE HAVING IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

As part of the report, Humber and North Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership included case studies on The Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre and Hull Maternity Voices Partnership.

The Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre

A standout case study which underlines Humber & North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership’s ‘live well, age well’ vision is The Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre. It represents a new approach, developed by ICS partners, in providing anticipatory, integrated out-of-hospital care for Hull’s frail, elderly population. Patients identified at risk of severe frailty are invited to a half-day appointment at the centre, where they receive several multidisciplinary reviews of their care.

Prior to their visit, a member of the clinical team visits the patient at home to identify any issues about their health, social interaction or day-to-day living they wish to discuss with the team.

The ICC team includes GPs, community geriatricians, pharmacists, advanced practitioners, social workers, carers and therapists who link up with other community speciality teams. The team also provides an outreach service to care home residents.

After their assessment, a care plan is shared electronically and coordinated by an identified care coordinator. If the patient’s condition changes, a model is in place within primary care to ensure patients and their carers receive the care and support they need. Since opening in July 2018, the facility has contributed to a three per cent reduction in emergency hospital admissions for patients aged over 80, while saving an average of £100 per patient per year on medication costs.

Hull Maternity Voices Partnership

The Hull Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP), working as an integrated system, ensures women and their families receive safe, high quality maternity care from pre-conceptual planning to care in the postnatal period.

The MVP is made up of over 40 members, including local mothers, CCG commissioners, healthcare professionals, Local Authority leads and representatives from the community and voluntary sector.

The programme includes perinatal mental health, health promotion and prevention and safer maternity care. This work interfaces with the Local Authority-led First 1001 Critical Days partnership strategy that ensures the best start in life for the next generation.

Home-Start Hull is a voluntary organisation offering both practical and emotional support to families with at least one child under five living in Hull. The family support service promotes parental confidence and improved outcomes for children.

The service is also piloting a new school readiness projectBig Hopes, Big Future - an evidence- based intensive support programme targeted at vulnerable pre-school children to improve their readiness for school.

The Every Mum Matters campaign in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire supports new and expectant mums and their families to be able to recognise symptoms of perinatal mental health problems early and encourage them to seek help quickly. Specialist services and support are available in these areas.

THE SUCCESS OF ORGANISATIONS AT TIMES OF CHANGE IS RELIANT ON STRONG AND STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP. THAT IS AS TRUE OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES AS IT IS OF BUSINESS AND, INDEED, CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. A NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS ARE PROPELLING THE MOST PROGRESSIVE COUNCILS TO OFFER THE SAME COMMITMENT AND AUTHENTICITY TO ENSURING THAT THEY DELIVER FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD. HAVING A STRONG PURPOSE HELPS THEM FOCUS ON WHAT THEIR COMMUNITIES AND STAKEHOLDERS NEED, ESPECIALLY AT DIFFICULT TIMES.

Strong council leadership can play a vital role in delivering social mobility

At the Purpose Coalition, we have been working with some of the most ambitious local authorities where levelling up - the need to ensure that everyone, no matter what their background, has equality of opportunity in a fairer society – is a key priority. It’s a huge challenge but one which is much more effective delivered at a local level, by those who know their communities best. Their work is benchmarked against a framework of 14 Purpose Goals which cover key life stages as well as the barriers that can prevent people from accessing opportunity. That highlights good practice and identifies where there are still gaps.

Councillor Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader of Essex County Council

LOUISE AND HER TEAM WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE PURPOSE COALITION ON A LEVELLING UP IMPACT REPORT WHICH HELPED TO INFORM ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL’S (ECC) OWN LEVELLING UP WHITE PAPER, EVERYONE’S ESSEX, WHICH SETS OUT ITS APPROACH TO SUPPORT EVERYONE IN ESSEX TO HAVE THE SAME ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY. IT’S A PROSPEROUS COUNTY BUT WITH APPROXIMATELY 123,000 PEOPLE LIVING IN THE MOST DEPRIVED 20% OF PLACES IN ENGLAND, IT ILLUSTRATES THE COMPLEXITY OF SOCIAL MOBILITY - THAT DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES EXIST, OFTEN IN PLAIN SIGHT OF WEALTHIER ONES.

Louise sees the role of public services as responding to the needs of these places and people, and the role of the local authority to lead that response. That’s not just because it’s the right thing to do - no one should be disadvantaged because of their circumstances – but it’s also the smart thing to do economically, so that everyone has the opportunity to go as far as their talent and hard work can take them. There’s also recognition that some parts of the population will require more help – children on free school meals, people of all ages with mental health conditions, SEND or learning disabilities and young people unemployed for a significant period of time.

ECC’s approach is to support good jobs, a high-quality environment, educational attainment and skills, healthy and active lifestyles and strong and resilient families and communities. The first initiatives were focused on the latter, including a £500,000 Community Challenge Fund that will provide access to small grants for communities in six priority areas, a financial wellbeing programme, the establishment of a Family Friendly Employers Charter working with employers to promote flexible, family friendly working practices and the continuation of the Essex Holiday Activity Clubs.

More recently it has announced investment bids which include a transport package for one of its priority areas, Tendring, to help residents access services and jobs. It will include new opportunities created by redevelopment proposals as part of the Freeport East initiative, the rollout of an electric, on-demand minibus service and cycling route improvements which will help connect residents with employment and training opportunities across rural areas. Funding for other projects across the county will support stronger infrastructure, good jobs, improving connectivity and centre regeneration.

County Council

UNDER IZZY’S LEADERSHIP, WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL’S (WCC) VISION OF LEVELLING UP WILL SPREAD OPPORTUNITY, EMBED ASPIRATION AND TACKLE DISPARITIES. THE COUNTY HAS A STRONG ECONOMY, GOOD SERVICES AND MATURE PARTNERSHIPS BUT IT ALSO HAS POCKETS OF DEPRIVATION AND THERE ARE CLEAR DISPARITIES ON ISSUES SUCH AS EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH, CRIME RATE AND DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY. THAT MEANS THERE IS ALSO DISPARITY OF OPPORTUNITY AND WCC IS DETERMINED TO BRING THE WEAKEST PLACES UP TO THE LEVEL OF THE STRONGEST WHILE ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO LEVELLING UP THE COUNTRY MORE BROADLY.

The Council has embarked on a determinedly data-driven approach and its Levelling Up Plan will be evidence led, with the creation of a new Levelling Up Advisory Council and the introduction of a statutory duty for local authorities to publish an annual progress report and a programme of activity which will be subject to regular review. It is committed to six key principles –a joint mission and holistic approach, a long-term approach, addressing the root causes, strengths based, data driven and targeted and tailored to communities of place and interest. It understands that its priorities should make sense locally and it is working hard with its partners to bring its communities along with it, testing out its analysis with a residents panel and a youth council. Residents’ priorities for improving the place they live are access to health provision, levels of safety and improved high streets and town centres although there is some variation at a district and borough level. The feedback from younger people is that they want to see skills provision, improved transport connections, town centre regeneration as well as important recognition of the need for engagement with business on how social value and corporate social responsibility can support levelling up and young people.

Izzy’s Team Warwickshire is aiming to achieve long term, generational changes with the first targets set for 2030. As with social mobility more widely, the issue is longstanding and complex but its determination to tackle the root causes of inequality alongside its willingness to work closely with local stakeholders will mean that it is an authentic reflection of what its communities want. Working with the Purpose Coalition on a Levelling Up Impact report over the coming months will also focus attention on the success of its approach and how best it can address the gaps in opportunity that remain.

Councillor Izzi Seccombe OBE, Leader of Warwickshire

It is committed to six key principles – a joint mission and holistic approach, a long-term approach, addressing the root causes, strengths based, data driven and targeted and tailored to communities of place and interest.

“

Councillor Darren Rodwell, Leader of Barking & Dagenham Council, Deputy Leader of London Councils

DARREN HAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED THAT GENUINE LEVELLING UP OF THE COUNTRY MEANS LOOKING BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF DISADVANTAGE TO TARGET THOSE WHICH ARE OVERLOOKED BECAUSE THEY ARE HIDDEN WITHIN AREAS OF GREAT PRIVILEGE AND WEALTH.

Nowhere is that more true than London. The City of London generates nearly £70 billion in economic output annually. It is associated with opportunity but its residents often face barriers which prevent them from accessing it. Barking and Dagenham has the highest unemployment rate in the country and one of the highest rates of child poverty. It suffered particularly badly during the pandemic, economically and socially, as a result of high-density housing, overcrowding and health inequalities.

Between March 2020 and March 2021, economic inactivity increased from a quarter to nearly a third (30.2%) of the borough’s population. The cost of living crisis has the potential to drastically increase poverty, debt and inequality still further. Yet London growth is moving eastwards and Barking and Dagenham is well placed to take advantage of the opportunities that will bring. The development of Barking Town Centre will also provide more commercial space, new housing, schools, community health and leisure facilities.

Barking and Dagenham Council (LBBD) is currently engaging with residents to develop its Inclusive Growth Strategy 20222026 which will set out plans to boost the local economy, enhance the borough and improve their lives. It aims to tackle economic and social barriers, including a lack of skills, employment prospects and suitable housing options, and offer a more prosperous future, particularly for the most vulnerable and those whose voices are often unheard. The strategy focuses on four key areas – a thriving and inclusive economy, supporting local businesses and attracting new ones to improve employment opportunities, including for vulnerable residents and those new to the labour market; resilient and safe neighbourhoods which also offer residents the social and physical infrastructure needed to transform the borough, from public transport to new schools and green spaces; the provision of a range of housing options that will also tackle overcrowding and homelessness; the establishment of a Net Zero cleaner, greener borough with a commitment to making it carbon neutral by 2030.

By working collaboratively with residents, local businesses and partners, LBBD is aiming to deliver a brighter economic future. It will be working with the Purpose Coalition over the next few months on a Levelling Up Impact Report to assess how its current work is making a positive impact on its communities and where that impact could be extended even further to drive better social mobility in London.

It aims to tackle economic and social barriers, including a lack of skills, employment prospects and suitable housing options, and offer a more prosperous future, particularly for the most vulnerable and those whose voices are often unheard.

“

Businesses celebrate their contribution to levelling up

BUSINESSES WHICH ARE PLAYING A LEADING ROLE IN SPREADING OPPORTUNITY ACROSS

THE UK HAVE BEEN CELEBRATED TODAY AT THE FIRST EVER BUSINESS PURPOSE COALITION LEVELLING UP AWARDS 2022.

The Awards recognise those companies and their staff which are genuinely purpose-led and which have made a particular contribution to social mobility.

The Awards were hosted by Lord John Walney, Chair of the Business Purpose Coalition, and by former CEO and now Consultant at Shoosmiths, Simon Boss. Special Recognition Awards went to Simon Boss and Sir Peter Lampl, Founder & Chair of the Sutton Company and the Sutton Trust, for their outstanding leadership in the business world.

The categories for the Awards are based on 14 Purpose Goals, launched in 2021 by the Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of the Social Mobility Pledge and former Education Secretary. These provide the framework to allow organisations to measure and benchmark their activities at key life stages and to identify other barriers to opportunity, such as digital connectivity and good health and wellbeing.

Lord Walney said: “In the wake of the pandemic, and with new challenges including the growing cost of living crisis, it has never

been more important for businesses to support their workforce, their clients and the communities they operate in.

Our Purpose Coalition partners are setting the standard for delivering opportunity and these Awards recognise those who have gone the furthest in ensuring that that opportunity is as accessible to as many people and in as many places as possible.

“The winners should rightly celebrate the ambition and creativity that is evident in these Awards, each focused on a particular area of levelling up and meeting a specific Goal. Their leadership is vital, and I hope they will continue to share their best practice and to evaluate their progress so that they reach those who need the most support. I look forward to continuing to work with them to make a real difference in creating opportunity across the country. ”

Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of the Purpose Coalition, added:

”Our winners show just what is possible in authentic, purposeled businesses. They don’t just talk the talk. They provide practical solutions that improve people’s lives. Many have been delivering positive social impact for years and each one is proactively looking to the future to consider how they can extend that even more widely.

“These awards show why business is part of the solution to the challenges we are currently facing and why the work they are doing to spread opportunity is even more important. Many congratulations to them for their continuing commitment, and their innovation. It is reaping hugely positive results!”

These awards show why business is part of the solution to the challenges we are currently facing and why the work they are doing to spread opportunity is even more important.

“

THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS IS:

Goal 1 Strong foundations in Early Years

The BBC

Goal 2 Successful school years

Premier League Primary Stars

Goal 3 Positive destinations post-16+ UK Power Networks

Goal 8 Good health and wellbeing

Primary Health Properties

Goal 9 Extending enterprise

The Co-Op Group

Goal 10 Closing the digital divide

CISCO UK & Ireland

Goal 4 Right advice and experiences

Reed In Partnership

Goal 5 Open recruitment

Channel 4

Goal 6 Fair career progression

The Adecco Group

Goal 7 Widening access to savings and credit

Virgin Money

Goal 11 Infrastructure for opportunity

Tarmac

Goal 12 Building homes and sustainable communities

Pennon Group

Goal 13 Harness the energy transition

Leonardo

bp

Goal 14 Achieve equality through diversity and inclusion

Pertemps Network Group

Translating talent into social impact: bringing your people with you

AN ORGANISATION WITH TRUE PURPOSE CONNECTS THOSE WHO WORK FOR IT WITH EACH OTHER, AND WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES.

It offers a shared vision where employees can play a part in delivering its corporate social impact but can also forge a role as individuals in making a difference. It fosters a culture of belonging where everyone feels respected and valued for themselves. It recognises that people are its greatest resource. Currently, 82% of employees feel that purpose is important but only 42% believe that organizations actually drive impact.

The Adecco Group, the world’s leading advisory and solutions company, is committed to bridging that gap, connecting colleagues and organisations to facilitate greater change, in a future that works for everyone. By harnessing the background, talent, skills, goals, beliefs and experiences of its employees, it can not only drive its business performance but enhance its social impact. It’s becoming ever clearer that those businesses which reflect the communities they operate in and where others can see ‘people like them’ are better equipped to deliver more creative strategies and, ultimately, increased financial returns.

The Adecco Group’s Changemakers programme sets out to formalise the way in which the company delivers positive impact for its local communities and for the planet, with employees at its heart. The company wanted to acknowledge the discretionary work that many were undertaking in addition to their normal job activity. In the past, it had proved difficult to recognise their efforts in a way that was meaningful for their performance and future career development, or which could be placed in the context of Adecco’s broader community efforts. Formal recognition is now given to a wide range of activities including volunteering which can take the form of guest speaking or mentoring, fundraising which can include the organisation of events, donations or sponsorships and spearheading research or designing programmes and platforms.

The Adecco Group’s Karma Hub enables colleagues to match their skills with an appropriate activity and earn points as they progress in their volunteering journey, with those with the most number of points winning awards. The system allows them to align the work with their interests but also with the time they have available, meaning that everyone can contribute. They can be short-term and small-scale, lasting from ten minutes to three hours, or more long-term, lasting from five to 45 hours. Colleagues are recognised for their time, talents and commitment with three tiers of Changemaker. Bronze recognises highly active internal volunteers and fundraisers who champion an issue on an individual basis; silver recognises highly engaged influencers and organisers who take on a more active leadership role and encourage others to participate; gold recognises highly committed leaders and ambassadors who have a more external impact with activities such as setting up workshops with local organisations, hosting webinars or lobbying. There are currently over 100 employees enrolled as Changemakers, with 65 bronze members, 25 silver and 10 gold. So far, they have fundraised £150,000 and completed 5000 hours of volunteering.

Four distinct impact areas are each supported by a number of resource groups – voluntary, employee-led forums which are based on lived experience, shared characteristics and interests. Their focus is on supporting the social causes that are important to their members, using their existing skills and expertise while also developing new competencies. Diversity and Inclusion Changemakers, supported by forums on disability, mental health, gender, ethnicity and LGBTQ+, set priorities that help drive the company’s overall strategy and ensure inclusivity. Environment Changemakers aim to reduce the company’s carbon footprint and increase colleague awareness, education and participation with three focus groups looking specifically at travel, greener cars and energy use. Win 4 Youth Changemakers inspire colleagues, associates and clients to live active and healthy lives by addressing their wellbeing, with a particular impact on young lives. Community Changemakers’ focus on improving employability, empowerment and inclusion inside and outside the organisation is centred on three key initiatives –Creating Brighter Futures to address the skills gap by providing career experiences for young people, Levelling Up and a partnership with the Purpose Coalition to pave the way for a more equitable workforce and improved social mobility and a collaboration with Shelter to create sustainable work opportunities for those with lived experience of homelessness. So far that has raised £177,000 out of a total fundraising target of £195,000. That’s been achieved through 3450 hours of volunteering, 3500 fundraising events, the involvement of more than 1200 employees and the engagement of 350 clients. In return, the company rewards employees by reinvesting in them in line with their level of achievement, while also feeding

the talent pipeline. They benefit from help with training and development funding, accreditation recognition or interview preparation and have the opportunity to attend events including speaking engagements or lunches, with senior leadership and with external organisations. There is also recognition of the skills they are accumulating, including the development of leadership qualities, in their annual performance reviews. Some go on to become nonexecutive directors for local or public sector organisations in their communities. Some change career completely as a result of the passion and abilities they have developed and the opportunities that journey has presented.

As an organisation in the people business, The Adecco Group reaps the rewards of its investment. Enabling its employees to enhance their professional development and build their leadership capacity provides a larger, deeper talent pool to draw on. That benefits it as a business, allowing it to develop a more strategic approach and respond in a more agile way. It sees the competencies developed by employees are not just an end in themselves but present it with an opportunity to convert them into something more purpose-led. It also makes it easier for employees and employers to align their interests and values, an approach that The Adecco Group is taking forward in its partnership with the Purpose Coalition, with a series of Opportunity Roadshows at universities across the country and its upcoming FindMyPurpose digital platform which will match employers with like-minded employees.

The positives extend further, to its high-profile clients across sectors and geographical areas with whom it can work strategically to maximise their community and social impact. It can partner with those companies to ensure that its contingent workforce has the same values, and has access to the same opportunities, as its permanent workforce. Traditionally, it has been employees in the third sector and in roles like nursing and social care which have had the most obvious opportunity to do social good. This approach gives everyone the chance, in every area of work, to have a wider impact. It’s the right thing to do but it also makes good commercial sense, boosting skills and employability that will improve the labour market.

The pandemic saw businesses take the lead in support of their communities in a much more proactive way, bridging the gaps where government policy could not or would not reach. The knowledge and expertise they possessed, and the partnerships that many had already forged, meant they could act decisively to deliver help where it was needed most. That ambition to drive positive impact continues. The Changemakers programme will nurture Adecco’s talent pipeline and allow it - and every employee who participates - to strengthen communities and change people’s lives together.

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust commits to levelling up

AIREDALE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST HAS PARTNERED WITH FORMER PUBLIC HEALTH MINISTER RT HON ANNE MILTON AND SIGNED UP TO A NEW SET OF LEVELLING UP MEASUREMENTS.

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust has joined a growing number of NHS organisations by committing to measure its social impact against the Purpose Goals.

Launched last year by former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening, the Purpose Goals are a set of clear objectives for the UK’s levelling up challenge in the wake of Covid-19. The partnership will see Airedale produce a Levelling Up Impact Report which will highlight best practice already being shown by the Trust and identify where more can be done to level up across various areas.

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust joins a number of NHS Trusts, public sector organisations, businesses and universities, including the University of Bradford, in measuring their social impact against the goals.

A long-term campaigner on social mobility and levelling up both inside and now outside of Parliament, in 2018 Justine Greening co-founded the Social Mobility Pledge to bring organisations together to improve social mobility. The Purpose Goals are the first major piece of work launched by the most committed of these organisations, the Purpose Coalition.

Justine Greening said: “The Purpose Goals are a tool for committed organisations, such as Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, to measure and articulate their purpose and impact. It’s great to be working with another purpose driven Trust that wants to go further with its role as an anchor institution within the local community.

“NHS Trusts are huge employers within communities and therefore play a key role in levelling up opportunities, as well as health inequalities. The health inequalities that exist in different communities across the UK have been highlighted during the coronavirus pandemic and we must work together to try and address them.”

Keighley and Ilkley’s MP, Robbie Moore said: “As Parliamentary Chair of the Purpose Goals, I am delighted that Airedale NHS Foundation Trust has signed up to the Purpose Goals. We have all seen the huge dedication of our NHS staff throughout the last eighteen months, and as we emerge from the pandemic it is vital we build back better – that’s why I’m fighting hard in Westminster to secure the money we need to rebuild Airedale Hospital. As a major local employer, Airedale has a huge role to play in levellingup, and I look forward to working with the whole team to deliver more and better opportunities for local people.”

Airedale has a huge role to play in levelling-up, and I look forward to working with the whole team

With a backdrop of a challenging winter ahead, and already difficult recruitment and retention conditions, it's time to remind people, from those looking for a career to those considering a change, that their local NHS is not all doom and gloom. Yes there are immense challenges and we face those head on and honestly; but working for your local NHS Trust, in both clinical and non clinical roles is genuinely one of the best and most exciting places to work and learn as you build your career.

Hon Anne Milton, Former Nurse

Rt

Proud to partner on the Purpose Goals

Apprentice - Katie Duggan, Dean Finch CEO, Rt Hon Justine Greening