Corporate Social Responsibility
SSP recognises the important contributions made by our wider community of stakeholders, in particular our employees, our clients & the local communities in which we operate. Our values, management systems & practices, as well as our association with local, national & international charities & organisations, all embrace our commitment to health, safety, continuous improvement, employee development & the well-being of all our stakeholders. The Board also takes into account social, environmental & ethical issues in its discussions & decision-making.
Employees
SSP recognises the value that its employees create for the business & is committed to the personal development & training of its employees. We provide a safe & secure workplace & promote good health & safety & environmental practices.
People are at the heart of the business & the support & involvement of talented individuals is vital to its continued success. SSP has a strong culture of employee engagement & seeks to ensure alignment with our vision & values through regular management updates & employee briefing sessions.
We seek feedback from our staff through employee surveys. Comments & suggestions from employees on the company’s performance & management are encouraged & ensure that everyone has an opportunity to contribute.
We are accredited to the “Investors in People” standard & our assessments against its criteria provide a regular & valuable external benchmark of our performance regarding our employees.
Clients
SSP has been built by establishing long-term relationships with its clients. We value each & every client & are proud of the long-standing nature of our client relationships. Many customers have been with SSP since 1984 & on average a customer stays for more than ten years. Continuing client satisfaction is central to our ongoing success & is regularly measured & monitored through customer surveys & direct feedback.
The Community
We are a company where people matter & we are committed to making an active contribution in our local communities. We work with local partners, mainly those that are close to the hearts of our employees, to offer new opportunities & to play our part in the development of neighbourhoods & communities. Our decision to refurbish an old mill in Halifax rather than move to purpose built office accommodation, was influenced by the fact that it would create 300 local construction jobs.
Over the last few years, we have been an active contributor (through weekly dress down days & sponsored activities) to a range of local charitable organisations. These are identified by our staff, either through direct recommendation or through our annual Charity Survey.
Our employees are also encouraged to participate in a range of volunteering activities & are allowed a maximum of two days paid leave per year to participate in these.
As Patron of the Princes Trust & Founder of the Prince’s Trust Insurance Leadership Group (ILG), we have made charitable donations; created structured work opportunities & encouraged better access to the insurance market for young people, even to the extent of developing a competitively priced insurance scheme for young people with criminal records.
To date the ILG has grown to 50 Members & Patrons, having pledged a staggering £4 million to support The Prince’s Trust in its vital work.
SSP also actively supports African Revival - a charity set up to help empower people living in sub-Saharan Africa with the skills & resources they need to lift themselves out of poverty. SSP has been helping this cause by working with the team to rebuild a school in Uganda throughout 2008/9 & we are seeking to extend our help to village communities in other parts of Uganda & also in Zambia & Tanzania.
The Environment
Environmental responsibility is an integral part of SSP’s organisation: We consciously assess our impact on the environment & encourage everyone who works for us to contribute to an improved environment. This is shown in a number of ways: More of our software is being distributed electronically, avoiding packaging or paper documentation. Additionally, since we have centrally located offices worldwide, our customers can be reached more easily. Plus, we offer a wide choice of low emission cars on our fleet.
Our impact on the environment is therefore primarily related to energy consumption in the Company’s offices, & air travel.
We also:
- Strive to reduce energy consumption, for example with more efficient lighting & switching off electronic equipment when not in use
- Recycle as much as possible, for example paper, glass, plastics, toners, metal, batteries & other hazardous waste. Disposable packages are avoided wherever possible
- Use self sustaining “forest friendly” material for all our marketing collateral
- Give old computers to charity or recycle them
- Minimise printed material
- Send documents electronically instead of by mail
- Avoid printing, &, if unavoidable, print using both sides
- Use electronic equipment for virtual meetings to reduce travelling
The Prince's Trust Insurance Leadership Group
The Prince’s Trust Insurance Leadership Group (ILG) was formed in January 2006.
The vision of the Group is for the insurance industry to change disadvantaged young lives through raising charitable support for The Prince’s Trust, creating structured work opportunities & encouraging better access to the insurance market for young people.
To date it has grown to 40 members & patrons, having pledged a staggering £3 million to support The Prince’s Trust in its vital work.
African Revival
African Revival is a great charity that aims to provide assistance to poor communities in East & Southern Africa through appropriate, effective & sustainable education & income generating projects.
SSP is supporting Bwobo Manam School in Uganda through major donations & sponsorship in the Adidas Women's 5km Challenge, alongside hosting & maintaining the charity's website on their behalf.
For further information please visit the African Revival Website at: