Operating Responsibly

The safety, health and welfare of everyone who comes into contact with our operations is our number one priority. We want our employees and others affected by the work that we do remain healthy and go home safely to their family and friends every day. We have a culture built on individual responsibility, where everyone expects all work to be carried out safely and without harm to people or the environment.

The principles set out in our Corporate Health and Safety Policy are implemented throughout the business. The Board considers SHE performance critical to our effective operations. Executive oversight is delegated to the SHE Committee, which is chaired by our Group Operations Director and attended by the Chief Executive, General Counsel and Company Secretary, Group HR Director and Group Head of SHE.

To complement our own governance structures, we work closely with colleagues from the wider housebuilding industry to support industry initiatives aimed at elevating health and safety standards across all developments.

SHE performance is the first item covered at all Board and divisional board meetings. Our safety, health and environmental management system and processes, externally accredited by Safety Schemes in Procurement, are designed to minimise risk, and cover all our construction operations.

We have standards and procedures to reduce environmental risk and improve waste management across our sites. Our SHE team conduct regular site visits to ensure conformity with our environmental standards.

For more detail on our SHE performance and progress, please see our Annual Report and financial statements, and ESG Data Handbook.

Supply chain collaboration

Collaboration with our supply chain partners plays a critical role in the successful delivery of our strategy and sustainability performance. Our Sustainable Procurement Policy and Supply Chain Code of Conduct (Supplier Code) set out clear environmental, ethical and social obligations for our supply chain partners and promote safe and fair working conditions.

We continue to partner with the Supply Chain Sustainability School, of which we have achieved Gold status membership. Membership of the Supply Chain Sustainability School provides access to sustainability-related learning resources and CPD-accredited content for our supply chain.

We launched a new learning pathway for our supply chain, which was developed in partnership with the Supply Chain Sustainability School. This pathway facilitates increased engagement between our suppliers and the Supply Chain Sustainability School while enhancing the skills and knowledge of our supply chain through specific learning modules on important sustainability topics, including climate change, waste and modern slavery.

Our Sustainable Timber Policy commits us to purchasing certified timber from well managed forests, including FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certified timber. Purchasing FSC and PEFC accredited timber promotes sustainable forest management and reduces the risk of illegal deforestation. Our last reported timber audit confirmed 100% of our timber procured from suppliers was FSC or PEFC certified.

We are committed to conducting business with integrity, respecting and safeguarding the human rights of our colleagues and those who are associated with our operations, including our supply chain, customers and the communities in which we work. We are committed to engaging with our supply chain and other key stakeholders to continue to identify and manage the most salient human rights related issues to our business.

We expect our supply chain partners to operate responsibly and with respect for human rights. Our Supplier Code sets out our expectations relating to environmental and social matters within our supply chain. All supply chain partners are contractually required to abide by our Supplier Code.

We publish an annual Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement that outlines the steps we are taking to mitigate the risk of slavery in our operations and supply chain. An anti-slavery e-learning module is compulsory on induction for relevant new employees and is completed annually by existing employees. Anti-slavery updates are provided on our intranet and posters have been issued to sites. A zero tolerance approach is taken to any form of modern slavery, including forced labour and child labour.

Our Speaking Up policy allows our colleagues, subcontractors, suppliers and the local community to report concerns. During FY23 there were zero substantiated grievances relating to human rights and zero reported cases of modern slavery.

For more information about how we drive ethical business behaviour, please read more about our corporate values and behaviours.

In FY23 we were accredited as a Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation. The real Living Wage is higher than the Government’s minimum and National Living Wage, and it is the only UK wage rate that is independently calculated based on the cost of living.

We pay at least the real Living Wage to all direct employees¹ and this is reviewed annually. Our Supplier Code sets out a requirement that subcontractors working on our sites are also paid the real Living Wage.

At the core of the Group’s purpose is the creation of thriving communities and the delivery of lasting social value. We recognise that local communities often have questions and concerns regarding new developments. Through a considered approach to placemaking, collaborative planning and stakeholder engagement, we are committed to providing high quality homes with convenient access to local amenities. We prioritise enhancing the connection between our residents and nature by incorporating accessible green space wherever feasible.

We encourage diversity and promote equality and respect throughout the organisation. This supports our goal to be an inclusive employer, where employees are empowered regardless of their background, identity, age, gender, ethnicity or disability.

We continue to review and develop our policies that support diversity, inclusion and equality within the business to ensure there are no barriers to recruitment, performance and career development. We also continue to celebrate our calendar of initiatives to acknowledge notable dates and religious festivals to raise awareness and respect for all faiths and important causes.

Further to the launch of our Company vision and values in 2020, we announced our new People Vision in 2022, which has been developed through the Diversity and Inclusion Forum (D&I Forum). Our values underpin how we implement our Group strategy, defining who we are and how we do business. Our values set out the principles we expect everyone in the Group to follow. Together, these values strongly inform our culture and outline the type of organisation we aspire to be. We aim to create an inclusive environment where all colleagues are valued, included and empowered to succeed.

We aim to create an atmosphere that provides equal opportunities for all. Selection for employment and promotion is based on merit, following an objective assessment of ability and experience. We are also committed to ensuring that our workplaces are free from discrimination and that everyone is treated fairly and with dignity and respect.

For further information, please see our Annual Report and financial statements, and Gender Pay Gap Report.