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1 year ago

Sustainability Report 2021

  • Text
  • Homes
  • Sustainability
  • Carbon
  • Sustainable
  • Scope
  • Environmental
  • Communities
  • Completed
  • Keepmoat
  • Developments

GOOD HEALTH AND

GOOD HEALTH AND WELLBEING Sustainability Report 21 Looking after our people and communities We’re making people a priority and supporting the health and wellbeing of our people, our sub-contractors and our communities. 38 MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDERS ACROSS THE BUSINESS, COVERING ALL REGIONS Our goals • To align our neighbourhood wellbeing initiatives to our partners’ key priorities • To support health and wellbeing across our team and supply chain, and continually reduce sickness absence. Our progress in FY21 • 6 Wellbeing case studies developed • Investors in People accreditation maintained • 38 Mental Health First Aiders across the business, covering all regions. We believe that protecting the physical and mental health of people should be a priority for all responsible businesses. COVID-19 has challenged us to assess and rethink how we support our people and the communities we live and work in, while maintaining social distancing and safe working conditions. We have subsequently focussed on two key areas. 1. Workforce health and wellbeing KeepWell, a key part of our employee value proposition, is a broad package of support which includes a mental health toolkit, healthy living advice calendar and communications, and medical insurance. It has been even more important over the past two years supporting our people through the COVID-19 challenges. Available to all direct employees, the support delivered through KeepWell this year was worth £144,782 in terms of social value to our employees. We have 38 mental health first aiders in place across the business supporting all our regions. “We are proud to have retained our Investors in People accreditation after an assessment during the year, which noted a culture of collaboration within the company: ‘People talk with great respect and admiration for each other and love working together to get things done’.” With feedback from office-based employees that they prefer a balance between working at home and the office, our Agile Working Policy, introduced at the beginning of the pandemic, remains in place. Providing opportunities for employees to develop personally and professionally is also a contributor to overall wellbeing – read more about this on page 24. 2. Supporting vulnerable communities Social value programmes support the development of people in our communities, for example through careers and employment advice for young people and those out of work. Health, wellbeing and community cohesion initiatives in our communities were supported with £12,000 worth of charitable contributions in the form of donations and volunteering hours. The design and location of our developments can also aid lifestyles that keep people healthy and well. Throughout the year the Keepmoat Design Guide has been refreshed to reinforce our sustainable communities focus and is aligned to the principles of both the National Design Guide and Building for a Healthy Life 1 to enhance the sustainability and attractiveness of our developments. Of the homes we completed in the period, 58% were on developments with waterbodies such as ponds, swales and rain gardens – creating green and blue spaces that prevent flooding while also benefiting wellbeing and nature – combining community, climate and nature benefits these features contributed to £1.03m in social value. 2 HOMES SOLD ON DEVELOPMENTS WITH ACCESS TO… Quality cycle networks 63% Public transport nodes (e.g. bus stop) within 500m 94% Public transport nodes (e.g. bus stop) within 1km 98% “The design and location of our developments can also aid lifestyles that keep people healthy and well.” 1 Building for a Healthy Life is the new name for the Building for Life 12 development design standard. Available at https://www.designforhomes.org/project/building-for-life/ [accessed 26.1.2022] 2 Using a natural capital accounting methodology – the B£ST tool, CIRIA.