Environmental, Social and Governance at Certitude

At Certitude we use an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) approach to evidence the benefits of the work we do and to identify opportunities for further improvement in meeting our mission, for our colleagues and the various communities in which we work.

Our ESG strategy runs from 2023-2025 and sets out the action we are taking to increase our social value impact.

Environmental Impact

We are ESOS (Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme) compliant and are currently developing our Carbon Reduction plan to monitor carbon and energy emissions more effectively.

We have a number of environmental policies and activities in place including recycling and waste management processes across our locations. Our colleagues are supported to minimise environmental impact with travel to work and cycle policies. We have reduced our use of paper and printing processes by committing to increased digital production of day-to-day reporting and online publications.

Social Impact

As a not-for-profit organisation that exists for public benefit and specifically to provide care and support to people with learning disabilities, autistic people and people with mental health support needs, social impact is our primary purpose. Our social value, however, extends beyond this to include our colleagues and the London communities in which we work.

We are proud that all colleagues in Certitude earn a minimum of the London Living Wage and that our Gender Pay Gap is 1.77% against a national gap of 12.9%.

London is brilliantly diverse and multicultural, and this is reflected in our workforce. 58% of colleagues identify as ethnically diverse and in our most recent employee survey, 84% of respondents feel Certitude is committed to diversity and inclusion. Our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy sets out our current performance and plans for improvement over the coming years. Our Intercultural, disability and LGBTQ+ networks bring colleagues together across the organisation to help shape a fair and inclusive culture.

We are strong in our role in eradicating modern slavery. Policies and training for colleagues identify the risks of modern slavery and steps to be taken to prevent slavery and human trafficking in our operations and through our supply chains.

Recruiting from local communities is a primary driver in recruitment campaigns with a focus on ads and flyers within neighbourhoods. We work with partners such as The Princes Trust and Shaw Trust to increase the number of employees who have experienced disadvantage or barriers to employment. Our Agile Working approach provides flexibility to support people who may have caring or other responsibilities which limit their employment opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, we are keen to support more people into employment who identify as disabled and / or have long terms health conditions.

We are committed to ongoing learning and development for colleagues, recognising the importance of building careers in social care. We are an Accredited NVQ Assessment Centre and provide qualifications from levels 2-7 in health and social care, management, and leadership. People’s success is evidenced in 70% of our promotions are internal.

Supporting colleagues with their health and wellbeing is a priority. Our Wellbeing Champions who are mental health first aiders, provide support and signposting and we have an online range of resources providing information on a range of issues such as finance, emotional and mental health support, diet and exercise. All colleagues have access to our 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme which can provide health, legal, financial and counselling advice and support for themselves or family members.

Governance

At Certitude we are governed by a Board of Trustees led by our Chair. The Board is responsible for ensuring the organisation complies with regulatory and best practice monitoring performance through seven committees:

• Audit and Risk Assurance
• Finance, Housing and Development
• Nominations
• People and Organisation Development
• Quality, Performance and Compliance
• Remuneration
• Transformation Advisory

The Board assess our performance on an annual basis using the Code of Governance for large Charities. An action plan is then developed, and progress monitored by our Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.

Certitude has an investment portfolio which supports the delivery of the organisation’s charitable objectives. The day-to-day management of the investment portfolio – including ethical considerations - has been delegated to Investec Wealth and Investment Limited. Certitude’s Board, through the Finance, Housing and Development Committee, review annually how ESG considerations and credentials are taken into account in investments.