Corporate Social Responsibility

IWS recognises that our business affects many different people – customers, employees, suppliers and the local communities within which we work. It also has a wider impact on the environment.

In particular, IWS:

Considers it’s customers

IWS strive to exceed expectation in the delivery of our services and to provide value for money. IWS as a minimum standard aim to conduct ourselves in a manner that compliments the standards of honesty, integrity and corporate social responsibility expected by our clients.

Thinks about its employees

We are committed to ensuring that our employees are treated fairly and with respect.

Endorsing open and honest communication we strive to ensure equality of opportunity, through training, development and recruitment.

IWS believe in encouraging and supporting the development of a society in which:

People’s ability to achieve their potential is not limited by prejudice or discrimination
There is respect for and protection of each individuals human rights
There is respect for the dignity and worth of each individual
Each individual has an equal opportunity to participate in society
There is mutual respect between groups based on understanding and valuing of diversity and on shared respect for equality and human rights

Thinks about the communities within which we work

Integrated Water Services and the South Staffordshire group as a whole recognise our responsibilities to society in general and in particular to the communities in which we operate, from which we draw our workforce and to whom we provide important services.

We support involvement in community activity from all levels of the company, supporting partnerships and projects not just financially, but with employee time and in-kind assistance.

National Activity

WaterAid

South Staffordshire Plc has been a supported of WaterAid now for many years and in recent years has made an overall contribution in excess of £40,000.

Local Activity

Education

We and our staff take an active role in a number of educational initiatives in our different communities

We are committed to supporting the educational development and well being of our many communities by raising awareness and improving their understanding of water, the environment, good health and hygiene.

Blithfield Education Centre

On 15th May 2006 our Blithfield Education Centre celebrated its 10th Anniversary. This tremendous achievement has seen us offer learning opportunities to thousands of children and adults between the ages of 2 years to 94 years. Throughout recent years we have continued to develop our portfolio of Education support to enable us to offer benefits to the wider community. We work closely with a range of schools and education partners to offer children and adults opportunities to enhance their understanding of the world of work and the water industry, as well as more global subjects such as water and the environment.

Blithfield Education website

Working in Partnership

Young enterprise has been a significant part of our educational support for many years

Fit For Fun saw us supporting Business in the Community where following liaison with the BITC CARES team we developed an activity aimed at illustrating the benefits of drinking water and ran the activity with groups of school children.

Practice Interviews offers students the opportunity to experience an interview and gain valuable feedback and guidance on how they can improve their performance

Engineering Roadshows - working closely with groups of students on tasks demonstrating the distribution of water

Mentoring, Work Experience and Placements - including the mentoring of secondary school students to help improve GCSE grades and the Mentoring of young people under the Prince’s Trust scheme.

External Training - working with external organisations we have helped to support wider understanding of environmental issues, delivering presentations to students attending courses on Environmental Management Systems

Thinks about what we do and how it affects the environment

IWS is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and that of it’s customers by the regionalisation of the business and the minimisation of fuel usage

An ongoing objective is to reduce and prevent so far as is reasonably practicable harm to the environment through planned and unplanned activities by ensuring that:

site waste is minimised
the use of recycled and recyclable materials is promoted;
waste is correctly stored, transferred and disposed of.
wastewater, ground waters or diverted surface waters are correctly managed and permitted;
vehicles are driven in a manner that is fuel efficient, prevents accidents and avoids nuisance;
vehicles, plant and equipment are chosen in consideration to their energy efficiency
vehicles and plant do not release black smoke;
nuisance to the public is minimised, or where unavoidable due to emergency or essential works, that notification and compensation plans are implemented;
materials, substances and equipment are procured with consideration to reducing environmental impact or that with control do not present an unacceptable risk;
suitable and effective arrangements for emergencies such as fire, spillage or pollution of land, air or water are made;
office activities minimise resources use through procuring recycled or sustainable forested paper, reusing and recycling paper, using energy and water efficiently; and effecting the most efficient method of commuting to work.

Considers the suppliers we use and the way in which we deal with them and what they produce and supply to us.

IWS endeavour to ensure that its suppliers understand their understanding of CSR and their impact on the environment.

IWS will purchase goods and services from suppliers who share the IWS commitment to its Client’s, Workforce, Community and the Environment.

IWS considers these issues alongside Health and Safety, Quality and Price when adding a supplier to its approved supplier list.

IWS endeavour to treat it’s suppliers and the suppliers workforce with respect and integrity

In Conclusion

As a company IWS wish to be seen as a service provider of choice from a client’s, employee’s and supplier’s perspective. IWS believe that managing our Corporate Social Responsibility will help us to:

Manage our reputation with customers, employees, suppliers and the communities within which we work.
Recruit and retain staff, reducing the costs and disruption of recruitment and retraining.
Motivate our staff to be more productive.
Manage our compliance with regulations.