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Southern Cross takes its responsibility to the residents in its care very seriously. We have a zero tolerance to any form of abuse.
The Group's CSR objective is to deliver sustainable improvements in our activities in a way that economically aligns, as far as is possible, our core business needs with the wider interests and concerns of our stakeholders. The Group seeks to contribute to economic activity while improving the lives of our residents, their families, our staff and the wider local community.
During the year, there was a focus on a series of initiatives which made a significant contribution to the Group's CSR agenda, as the following report details.
The progress the Group has made has been recognised with our inclusion in the FTSE4Good Index.
During the next year, we intend to build on the framework already created while placing additional emphasis on reducing our environmental impact.
Organisation
A Community Links Committee, which has been chaired by Kamma Foulkes, Chief Operating Officer, is responsible for developing and leading the CSR Strategy.
This Committee includes cross-functional representatives from within the business who seek to embed the CSR strategies into the day-to-day running of Southern Cross homes and offices. This is an approach that is fully endorsed by the Board.
In 2009, an Environmental Policy Group, a sub-group of Community Links was set up to further build on the progress already made on our environmental practices and procedures.
Marketplace
Care Standards and Quality of Care
Southern Cross is committed to providing a high standard of care for our residents. Recognised measures of quality are the ratings that the external inspection agencies in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland award our homes.
In 2009 the Group's focus has been to reduce the number of our homes classified as ‘red'.
| Inspection rating | 2007/2008* | 2008/2009~ |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent (blue) | 11.3% | 14.6% |
| Good (green) | 58.0% | 62.2% |
| Adequate (amber) | 26.7% | 21.0% |
| Poor (red) | 4.0% | 2.2% |
* 2007/2008 figures based on 584 homes in England.
~ 2008/2009 figures based on 588 homes in England.
The figures above, for both years, are based on the external inspection scores of our homes in England, which represent 79% of our total estate. Homes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are graded on a different basis by their respective inspection agencies and therefore direct comparison is not possible. However, based on our internal inspections, we would expect our homes in the remainder of the UK to achieve scores similar to our English homes.
The Group is aware that homes can experience problems from time to time. To counter this, all homes are inspected regularly to ensure that they are delivering the best possible outcome for our residents. The Group's success in reducing the number of red homes is due, in part, to the introduction of a new, more robust internal inspection regime which has now been rolled out to all homes. These new inspection arrangements, which are applied bi-monthly, give a more accurate and complete picture of the services that the home is delivering and allow the Group to take any required actions in both a timely and efficient manner. The focus during the year ahead is to further reduce the number of both red and amber homes.
The Board will continue to review the status of inspection quality scores at each of its meetings.
The Group also continues to progress with the ISO 9001 accreditation of the homes with a further 25 homes achieving this status by 31 December 2009.
31/12/08 |
Target 31/12/09 |
Target 31/12/10 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of homes with ISO 9001 accreditation |
197 |
222 |
247 |
Customers
Obtaining feedback from residents, families and professionals associated with the Group's homes is very important to us.
Each of the homes has in place measures to gather and act upon this feedback. This includes resident and family meetings, open days and surveys.
In addition, the Group has a ‘stand alone' customer satisfaction unit which sits outside the operational structure and conducts satisfaction surveys amongst residents and their families. During 2008/2009, the unit surveyed 162 homes.
| Actual % satisfaction 2007/2008+ |
Target % satisfaction 2008/2009 |
Actual % satisfaction 2008/2009* |
Target % satisfaction 2009/2010 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 87% | 90% | 89% | 90% |
| Relatives | 90% | 91% | 86% | 89% |
+ Based on a survey of 48 homes with 637 residents and 413 relatives conducted between 10/05/08 and 28/09/08.
* Based on a survey of 141 homes with 1,779 residents and 1,105 relatives conducted between 29/09/08 and 27/09/09.
We also seek the views of professionals about our interaction with them and their views of our homes. By its nature the sample size is small and therefore not considered statistically reliable for reporting purposes. We do, of course, act on any feedback received.
The Group has a thorough complaints procedure through which we actively monitor the nature of any complaint, and the time it takes to resolve it.
Complaints, as a percentage of total beds, have increased slightly from 3% the previous year to 3.5% this year. We believe that this is due, in part, to the increased transparency in our complaints process and the promotion of both our Dignity and Abuse Prevention strategies. We will continue to monitor both the number and nature of complaints closely. This year, both the Customer Satisfaction process and the Complaints procedure have been internally audited to ensure they continue to operate under best practice principles.
Southern Cross takes its responsibility to the residents in its care very seriously. We have a zero tolerance to any form of abuse. In 2009 the Group launched a ground breaking initiative with Action on Elder Abuse (Registered Charity Number 1048397) to establish a confidential whistle blowing helpline. This helpline is manned by the charity and is available to anyone associated with a Southern Cross home who suspects any form of abuse or inappropriateness in the delivery of a service. Calls to this helpline are assessed by the charity and, if necessary, appropriate action is taken by them to resolve the situation.
In the provision of care Southern Cross is also determined to preserve the dignity of the residents living in our homes. We fully support the government's ‘Dignity in Care Campaign' and have appointed our own ‘Dignity Lead' within the organisation. The Group now has 753 registered ‘Dignity Champions' whose role is to ensure that the rights of individuals in our homes are respected at all times. It is the Group's intention to embed the principles of dignity and respect into the culture of the organisation and our Champions will help us achieve this.
Workplace
People are the Group's most valuable asset. They are central to the quality of service provided so their performance is critical to the future of Southern Cross.
This year the Group has made considerable progress in obtaining feedback and engaging with staff to build a better understanding of the expertise, tools and processes that they need to do their job. The challenge now is to unlock the potential of our people so that they can consistently provide the quality of service that the Group's residents and their families wish. This, in turn, will bring greater success to the Group.
Staff Engagement
During the year the Group instigated a number of measures to improve staff feedback and engagement.
Formal focus groups and interviews took place at all levels of the organisation with the objective of gaining a better understanding of the relationship the staff have with Southern Cross. Particular emphasis is being placed on the role of the Home Manager, which is pivotal to the Group's future success. All Home Managers were asked to take part in a survey, managed by an external agency, to identify areas where there were opportunities to make changes that would have a significant, positive impact on the care provided.
The information gained through this two-way communication process will be used to inform our HR strategy in the year ahead.
Key Staff Information
| Measure | 2006/2007 | 2007/2008 | 2008/2009 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff numbers | 41,344 | 42,845 | 44,711 |
| % of workforce female | 83.8% | 83.9% | 82.5% |
| % of senior management female | 66.0% | 68.0% | 67.0% |
| % of workforce from non-EU countries | 8.2% | 8.5% | 9.7% |
| Average age of employees | 39 | 40 | 40 |
Staff Recognition and Reward
It is important that staff feel recognised and rewarded for the work that they do.
The Southern Cross Care Awards are held every two years, where excellence across the country is celebrated. These awards are about recognising the work that people do, day in, day out, in the Group's homes.
External awards are also an important source of recognition for our staff. The Group is proud of the fact that our staff are often honoured in the local, regional and national Care Awards.
We ensure our staff are appropriately remunerated for the work that they do. We benchmark our salaries against our key competitors and the local market. We estimate that 25% of our staff are members of a trade union or similar type of organisation. The Recognition Agreement between Southern Cross and the GMB Union remains in place and both parties continue their commitment to working in partnership. We continue to consult with employee representatives on major issues and developments within the organisation affecting remuneration, benefits and training.
Staff Training
| Carers with NVQ level 2 | Managers with Registered Manager Award | |
|---|---|---|
| 2006/2007 | 55% | 52% |
| 2007/2008 | 74% | 62% |
| Target | ||
| 2008/2009 | 75% | 70% |
| Actual | ||
| 2008/2009 | 73% | 91% |
| Target | ||
| 2009/2010 | 75% | 93% |
During the year we continued our emphasis on developing our skilled caring staff (see above table). Our in-house training staff delivered courses in core subjects covering everything from infection control to customer care. More specialist training such as the Alzheimer's Society's ‘Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow' training was delivered in our homes specialising in dementia care.
During 2008/2009, 369 staff went through the Group's Apprenticeship Scheme. This year a further 80 staff will take part in the scheme.
Staff training will continue to be a strategic focus in the year ahead with the launch of the Southern Cross in-house Diploma programme which has been accredited by external training consultants and is supported by NVQ UK.
Southern Cross is committed to supporting and developing our staff and encouraging people to use company resources such as the ‘Diploma' to further develop their career with Southern Cross. The Group re-confirmed its membership of the ‘Skills Pledge' - making public its commitment to supporting staff in developing basic literacy and numeracy skills.
Health and Safety
The Group's aim is to provide an injury-free working environment for our staff, residents and their guests. This year the Group's Health and Safety function was reviewed. The Board continues to lead and is committed to the Health and Safety agenda.
The Chief Executive has overall responsibility for Health and Safety and has appointed a ‘Link Board Director' to lead policy development and ensure that it remains on the agenda at each Board meeting.
The Executive Committee, which includes amongst others the Regional Directors and the Human Resources Director, has responsibility for ensuring policy is implemented and measures performance through the integrated Risk Management arrangements and Key Performance Indicators.
The Group Health and Safety Committee meets at least quarterly. The minutes are cascaded down through the operational structure to each home. These minutes form part of each home's Health and Safety Group agenda. Any issues arising for the attention of the Group Health and Safety Committee are passed back up the operational structure. This enables a full circle of clear communication within the Group.
Further communication channels include ‘The Weekly Briefing' which includes Hazard Alerts, guidance on areas of best practice and changes to policy. Hazard Alerts are also emailed directly to the homes. A quarterly newsletter summarises recent initiatives to ensure staff are well informed.
This year, 670 Home Managers completed the Level 3, Health and Safety Training programme. This programme is based upon the Southern Cross Health and Safety policies and procedures and is validated by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. All members of the Executive Committee have attended training in Health and Safety as part of the requirements of the Institute of Directors Programme.
Southern Cross values the well-being of its staff. Analysis shows that approximately eight days per employee were lost due to absence this year. Our focus next year will be to identify ways in which we can support our staff to reduce this figure.
Community
By their very nature, the Group's homes are an integral part of the communities they serve. They bring, and keep, people of all generations together and are a focus for activity within their local community.
This important role has gained external recognition. For example, this year Crossgate Care Centre in Kilmarnock won an award as part of the ‘Determined to Succeed' initiative in East Ayrshire. The home was nominated by the local primary school in recognition of the contribution it made in helping the school create an eco garden. Similarly, Arden Court in Manchester has been involved in an innovative joint project with Age Concern in Salford and New Park High School, a school for children with special needs, to support the school's development programme. These types of initiatives demonstrate the extended role the Group's homes have in their communities.
The Group has a number of programmes in place to help the homes cement this position. The kit sponsorship programme helps homes to support local youth teams, providing kit for a variety of sports. In exchange, the teams are encouraged to work closely with the home. The children make regular visits and spend time in the Group's homes. This has enormous benefits in terms of greater understanding and learning between the generations in those communities.
The Group also has a fund matching programme whereby the homes are encouraged to raise funds for the benefit of their residents, which the Company will then match.
| No. of 2007/2008 |
teams/homes 2008/2009 |
supported 2008/2009 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Programme | Actual | Target | Actual |
| Kit sponsorship | 21 | 84 | 78 |
| Fund Matching | 103 | 300 | 280 |
* These figures represent a five-month period from 1/5/08 to 28/09/08.
Our homes also raise money for local charities and as a Group we match funds raised for key charities. The total spent by Southern Cross on kit sponsorship and matching funds in this area was £132,000.
The Group continued to support a scheme to provide coaching for disadvantaged children in the UK. In March of this year, the Group also supported a team of ten who took part in the Alzheimer's Society China Trek. Through a combination of Southern Cross sponsorship and efforts by the team, a total of £27,135 was raised.
We are committed strongly to our partnership with Action on Elder Abuse, the principle charity we supported in 2008/2009. This year, through various local and national events, staff raised £24,300. This amount was matched by the Group so that a total of £48,600 was presented to the charity.
Environment
During 2009, the Group continued to make progress with environmental initiatives. As reported previously, measures have been put in place to accurately reflect the Group's impact on the environment.
The Environmental Policy Group, reporting to the main Community Links Committee, will develop new initiatives during 2009/2010.
A priority for the Group will be to put in place a full Carbon Reduction Plan, seeking external support and validation where necessary. This plan will be important in helping us meet our obligations under the Carbon Reduction Scheme which is due to come into force in April 2010.
Energy Consumption
Source of Energy |
(CO)2 tonnes produced 2008/2009 |
Target for 2009/2010 |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | 76,720 | 74,802 |
| Natural Gas | 62,345 | 60,787 |
| Oil | 5,610 | 5,470 |
| LPG | 1,196 | 1,166 |
| Total | 145,871 | 142,225 |
| Per bed equivalent figure | 3.84 | 3.74 |
Reducing the Group's energy consumption, while maintaining a consistent service for our residents, continues to be a major focus for environmental initiatives.
During 2008/2009, the Group installed 1,000 boiler management controls in 480 of our homes. These controls ensure a more efficient usage of energy without impacting output. Overall, the Group estimates that we have reduced our energy usage by 7.2% during 2008/2009 as a direct result of installing these boiler controls (based on the difference in energy usage between 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 in a sample of 70 homes).
We expect that the roll-out of the boiler management controls to all of our homes will be complete by January 2010.
During the year, the Group continued to install motion detector fans in our homes, with the twin objectives of reducing energy consumption while improving safety. A total of 4,281 fans were installed in 285 homes. These fans are expected to reduce our electrical energy usage by approximately 10% a year once rolled out across the entire estate.
We are also working on a project to replace individual pieces of office equipment in each of the offices in our homes with one multifunctional device which will perform a number of tasks. This will encourage the use of printing in black and white, as opposed to colour, and double-sided printing saving both energy and reducing paper usage.
Waste Management
Waste Management is important for the Group and we are making progress in our efforts to manage our waste more effectively.
Absolute Figures
Type of Waste |
2006/2007 Tonnes |
2007/2008 Tonnes |
2008/2009 Tonnes |
Target 2009/2010 Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landfill | 13,313 | 10,543 | 5,079 | 4,750 |
| Recycling | - | - | 1,579 | 2,300 |
| Clinical | 12,562 | 13,677 | 11,384 | 11,000 |
Per Bed Equivalent Figures
Type of Waste |
2006/2007 Tonnes |
2007/2008 Tonnes |
2008/2009 Tonnes |
Target 2009/2010 Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landfill | 0.39 | 0.28 | 0.14 | 0.13 |
| Recycling | - | - | 0.04 | 1.00 |
| Clinical | 0.37 | 0.37 | 0.29 | 0.25 |
Clinical waste is a particular challenge and the Group ensures all sites are managed in line with statutory requirements. We are keen to identify an economically viable means to reduce our clinical waste without compromising the quality of service we offer. In 2009/2010, the Group will assess a new disposal system for clinical pads to decide if this is a viable opportunity for the Group as a whole.
The Group continues to recycle used cooking oil and to recycle waste from our offices. We have also been working with our suppliers to reduce and manage the disposal of packaging associated with deliveries.
Water
During 2008/2009, the Group initiated several projects to improve our water management. We have centralised all of our water billing to allow an overall review of our usage and ensure, in the deregulating market, that we are paying the correct tariffs.
A pilot study of water usage in seven of our homes in Scotland was commissioned. In three of these sites the Group identified potential savings.
In 2009/2010, the Group will undertake further analysis of our water usage in the South of England. This will cover such factors as tariffs, consumption, associated energy costs and water conservation. The information gained from these projects will inform the basis of the Groups water management policy in the future.
New Builds
This year we have continued our development programme. Most of the highly energy efficient properties we have built are now registered and trading. We will continue to monitor energy usage at these homes and once they are at mature occupancy levels we will be able to confirm their energy performance against our wider portfolio. We will use this information to inform future upgrades of the estate.
Suppliers
Southern Cross works closely with suppliers to ensure we obtain products and services at a competitive price, balanced with good service. The Group asks that its suppliers share our commitment to environmental best practice and take measures to improve their environmental impact. We review the environmental policies of our key suppliers annually. In return, Southern Cross commits to honour our agreed terms of business with them.
We continue to implement our eProcurement system (e-HIPO) with our high volume suppliers and will begin implementation of e-HIPO with our food suppliers in January 2010.
We are also working with our key suppliers to reduce our impact on our local neighbours by minimising the number of deliveries to our homes. Where practical the Group uses local suppliers for the provision of milk, fresh meat and vegetables. This not only supports the local communities in which we operate, but ensures the highest standard of fresh produce is always available to our residents.
Priorities for the Year Ahead
Finally, our commitment for 2009/10 is to target those issues and projects that will add value, particularly those that can provide clear benefits to our stakeholders.