Review Sheet

1. Purpose

• To demonstrate the commitment of MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS to social, ethical and environmentally sustainable issues which MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS can positively influence both internally within the service and
• To align social, ethical and environmental activities of MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS with its business purpose and
• The following policies should be read alongside this policy:
• Environmental Policy and Procedure
• Social Value Policy and Procedure
• Adverse Weather Policy and Procedure
• Business Plan Policy and Procedure
  • To support MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS in meeting the following Key Lines of Enquiry/Quality Statements (New):

Key Question                       Key Lines of Enquiry                                               Quality Statements

• To meet the legal requirements of the regulated activities that MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS is registered to provide:
  • Climate Change Act 2008
  • The Environment Act 2021
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015
  • Companies Act 2006
  • Equality Act 2010
  • The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
  • Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Registration and Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2015
  • Human Rights Act 1998
  • The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2012

2. Scope

• The following roles may be affected by this policy:
  • All staff
• The following Service Users may be affected by this policy:
  • Service Users
• The following stakeholders may be affected by this policy:
  • Family
  • Advocates
  • Representatives
  • Commissioners
  • External health professionals
  • Local Authority
  • NHS
  • Housing Provider Partners (Where applicable)

3. Objectives

• To identify social, ethical and ecological issues which MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS can positively influence.
• To equip employees of MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS to understand their social and environmental responsibilities beyond the services that are provided to Service Users at MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS.
• To demonstrate to stakeholders of MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS the commitment of MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS to working ethically in a proactive way across the business including its supply chain.

4. Policy

4.1  Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is a business practice that looks beyond the ability to make a profit and considers the value that an organization is able to make to the wider society, carrying out its activities in an ethical and responsible way.

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS understands:

• That it is not a standalone business but part of the wider world and, as such, aims to give back to the world through social, ethical and environmental means
• The importance of climate change and recognizes the threat that it poses to the health of its Service Users, staff and the wider community

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS has a strong commitment to do its utmost to lower carbon emissions within the service to promote the healthiest work environment possible and will endeavour to integrate environmental considerations into its business decisions and adopt greener alternatives, wherever possible, throughout its operations.

4.2  Environmental Sustainability

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and working proactively to help clean it up.

It will ensure that its procedures always consider the impact on the environment and seek to find alternatives to reduce its impact.

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS will:

• Recycle wherever possible, striving to find alternatives where this is not possible
• Create less waste by procuring accurately
• Consider travel arrangements to promote less pollutants
• Use environmentally friendly technology, or contract suppliers to use environmentally friendly technology
• Source locally where it is able

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS also recognizes the UK’s commitment to net zero targets through the Net Zero Strategy and will work proactively towards this, where required.

4.3  Transparency

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS will abide by the legal framework that it operates within, ensuring the following:

• That all business dealings are transparent and open, operating to the highest of standards
• That it will do what it says it will do in its policies and procedures
• That it will ensure that its staff are legally fit for the role they hold

• MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS will:
  • Treat its Service Users, staff and other stakeholders with dignity and respect
  • Ensure that everyone is treated fairly
  • Have in place anti-bribery and anti-corruption policies and practices to safeguard from wrongdoing
  • Ensure that those with whom it is in partnership uphold its same high standards of ethical and fair practices

4.5  Human Rights

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS will uphold the human rights of all of its Service Users, employees, stakeholders and supply chain.

• It will ensure that its policies and procedures reflect its dedication to human rights
• MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS believes in a fair wage, not only for staff in direct employment but for those within the supply MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS will ensure that value for money is not at the expense of workers’ wages

Modern Slavery

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS has a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of modern slavery. MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS has policies, procedures and systems in place to ensure that its

contracts, supply chains and recruitment processes are safeguarded from all forms of modern slavery.

Equal Opportunity

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS is an equal opportunities employer and will ensure that its procurement practices reflect the same ethics.

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS believes in a diverse workforce which enriches and strengthens its service. MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS will not tolerate discrimination in any form due to age,

disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS has active complaints and whistleblowing policies which it encourages the use of to stamp out bad practice and improve its service.

4.6  Local Community

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS will create opportunities throughout the year for the local community to participate in activities at the office premises of the service, enabling both Service Users and the community to learn from each other.

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS will also, from time to time, make donations to charitable causes that support community development.

4.7  Quality Assurance

The Registered Manager at MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS operates a quality assurance process which holds every part of the business to account through regular scrutiny. Findings from quality assurance  audits will inform areas for improvement throughout the service’s Social Responsibility Plan.

4.8  Vision and Values Review

All corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability initiatives should be in line with the vision, values and purpose of MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS and its primary responsibility to manage and deliver care and support to Service Users.

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS will review and evaluate corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability initiatives annually to ensure alignment with its vision, values and purpose.

4.9  Learning and Development

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS will ensure that its staff are equipped to recognise its corporate social responsibilities and act within its values.

Information will be available and visible for all of its stakeholders to understand the key messages relating to its social responsibility.

5. Procedure

5.1  Responsibilities

Meridale Recruiting Solutions and the Registered Manager are responsible for the content and dissemination of this policy.

All staff have a duty to understand the principles of social responsibility and environmental sustainability at MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS and to work within their remit.

5.2  Waste Reduction

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS has a strong commitment to minimising waste at all levels across the business and using the principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, will identify and take steps to reduce waste in the following key areas:

• Energy – Heat and light
• Transport – Greener alternatives
• Reducing the use of paper
• Food waste
• Other waste – Using opportunities to recycle and repair furniture and fittings
• Staffing – Optimising staff ratios, ensuring the right Care is delivered at the right time

5.3  The Green Plan

In 2025, the CQC will begin to assess its Environmental Sustainability Statement with providers of adult social care in order to be compliant. MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS has formulated its own Green Plan to identify and address its own course of action to make changes to improve how it operates sustainably. The Green Plan covers the following topics:

• Organisational vision and priorities for sustainable development
• Identified specific improvements that will benefit the Service Users and wider community
• Actions that will be prioritised over the next 3 years (and reviewed annually) Following this, MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS will consider in more depth:
• Workforce System and Leadership – How to get staff on board, training and development
• Sustainable Models of Care – Identifying sustainable measures for reducing carbon emissions in the organisation’s Care delivery
• Digital Transformation – Digital solutions which, in turn, reduce paper, printing and postage
• Travel and Transport – Considerations for greener transport alternatives
• Estates and Facilities – Measures to reduce carbon emissions in the organisation’s buildings
• Medicines – Consider waste reduction methods and disposal methods
• Food and Nutrition – Identify methods for creating food efficiency and less waste
• Adaptation – To mitigate the risks in the event of adverse weather related to climate change, such as flash floods and heatwaves

5.4  Carbon Footprint Measure

In order to identify and then measure changes in carbon emissions, there must first be a measure to gauge any changes.

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS has measures in place to assess and review its impact on the environment and wider community in the following areas:

• Carbon
• Environment

There is a link to how to measure a business’s carbon emissions in the Further Reading section of this policy.

5.5  Carbon and Emissions Reduction

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS has measures in place to lower its carbon output. These measures include addressing its approach to

• Travel
• Supply chain
• Medicines
• Energy saving, light and heat
• Waste reduction
• Recycling

5.6  Using Local Suppliers

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS will consider the impact its suppliers have on the environment and will consider using local suppliers where possible.

5.7  Health Benefits

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS fully supports the health benefits that lower carbon emissions have for Service Users, staff and the wider community. The steps that MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS takes as an organization are designed to achieve the maximum benefit possible to reduce the possibilities of health conditions such as stroke, coronary heart disease and lung cancer. MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS shares this knowledge with both staff and Service Users.

5.8  Working with Stakeholders

All proposed changes should be consulted on with the full range of stakeholders and ratified through the senior management team at MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS.

5.9  Staff Training

MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS recognizes that in order to successfully deliver on its initiatives, all staff receive training and education relating to corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability, as well as the steps the organization has outlined to tackle in its Green Plan.

5.10  Auditing

Meridale Recruiting Solutions will conduct an annual audit and report on their Green Plan which will look at their chosen corporate social responsibilities and environmental sustainability considerations to ensure they continue to be of benefit to social, ethical and environmental issues and are linked to the company’s purpose, identity and values.

A template for the annual report can be found in the Forms section of this policy.

6. Definitions

6.1  Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a self-regulating business model that helps a company to be socially accountable to itself, its stakeholders and the public. By practising corporate social responsibility, also called corporate citizenship, companies can be conscious of the kind of impact they are having on all aspects of society, including economic, social, and environmental
• To engage in CSR means that, in the ordinary course of business, a company is operating in ways that enhance society and the environment, instead of contributing negatively to them (Investopedia)

6.2  Sustainability

• Stopping the depletion of natural resources to ensure the environment keeps its balance, which in turn helps nature to thrive

6.3  Environment

• The natural world we inhabit

6.4  Ethical

• Categorising conduct as right or wrong. Living by a set of principles

6.5  Modern Slavery

• Modern slavery is defined as the recruitment, movement, harbouring or receiving of children, women or men through the use of force, coercion, abuse of vulnerability, deception or other means for the purpose of exploitation (GOV.UK)

Key Facts – Professionals

Professionals providing this service should be aware of the following:

• MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS has a responsibility to give back beyond the service
• This is done through social, ethical and environmental means
• MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS will procure ethically, ensuring fairness and protecting human rights
• All staff will be treated fairly and business deals will be above board and transparent
• The environment will be protected by minimising waste and choosing greener alternatives
• It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure they are acting in a socially responsible way within MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS

People affected by this service should be aware of the following:

• MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS has a responsibility to give back beyond the service
• This means making decisions that will not only help the service, but making sure they support people who work for and with the service, the wider community and nature
• MERIDALE RECRUITING SOLUTIONS can do this by being careful who they buy things from, making sure they treat everyone fairly and checking that what they buy helps to protect nature rather than adding to pollution and rubbish

As well as the information in the ‘underpinning knowledge’ section of the review sheet we recommend that you add to your understanding in this policy area by considering the following materials:

GOV.UK – Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/net-zero-strategy SME Climate Hub – Calculate your Business Emissions https://smeclimatehub.org/start-measuring/

NHS – How to produce a Green Plan: A three-year strategy towards net zero: https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2021/06/B0507-how-to-produce-a- green-plan-three-year-strategy-towards-net-zero-june-2021.pdf

QCS Resource Centre:

Carbon Reduction Plan Environmental Sustainability Checklist