Stephen Eltringham Diane Lawson

Director Property HR Manager

& Estate Services

European Year 2010

Social Inclusion Regional Group - Access to Jobs Event

Social Inclusion & Corporate Partnerships Introduction

•Bernicia Group & J Sainsbury plc - social providers of basic commodities (Social housing & domestic retail needs)

•Our businesses function at the heart of local communities providing for and meeting the needs of tenants, customers and regional/national stakeholders

•Our businesses are influenced by the choices and decisions made, and the experiences of our customers when they select and utilise our products and services

•The strategic direction of our businesses are influenced by our Corporate Social Responsibilities.

Corporate Strategy & Social responsibilitySocial Housing• Our vision – Making the difference• Recognition of the impact that the housing environment has on

aspirations , health and well being• Create sustainable & thriving communities

– Requires physical improvements, underpinned by;– High quality services and – Social regeneration; building community confidence, influence

and aspirations• Develop customer values of aspiration, ownership and pride

through inclusion & involvement• Encourage involvement through training , support and delivering

outputs important to customers - excellent products & services• Delivers wider regeneration of socially deprived areas

Corporate Strategy & Social responsibilityUK Food Retailer • Our vision – To provide local jobs for local people as our stores

are at the heart of the communities we serve

• To support Long term unemployed back into workplace

• To help deliver A Great Place To work:

– Through training and development our colleagues will gain new skills knowledge to deliver excellent customer service standards.

– To support colleagues to gain nationally recognised qualification relevant to the sector

• To provide a great place to shine through colleague aspirations and recognising colleagues future succession

Corporate Strategy

Pre-apprentices/trainees & Strategic fit

• Follows 2 strategic routes:

1. Wider physical and social regeneration of local areas

• Physical improvements in homes and neighbourhoods • Social inclusion and resident/customer involvement• Sustainable communities and neighbourhoods

2. Business/service delivery

• Staff investment• Succession planning• Customer excellence

Benefits of the pre-apprentice/training programme

1. Social considerations (background)• Majority of trainees live on our estates and within catchment areas• Possess local knowledge/aware of social issues in local environment• Live in families with long-term culture of worklessness/social deprivation• Low personal esteem/aspirations/education

2. Strategic outcomes (social impact/inclusion)• Insight into local issues to shape and deliver services• Breaks cycle of worklessness, develops attitude of pride in delivery of

services to local people/area and desire to protect domestic environment (home & estate)

• Raises aspirations, begins cultural change (long-term generational benefits –breaks cycle of family unemployment)

• Positive attitude (self perpetuating) with immediate social circle generating perceptions of social improvement and sustainability

• Re-educates and trains – provides key social, academic and technical skills• Micro level economic benefit to local area (salaries earned in local areas

typically stay within the local economic area)

Benefits of the pre-apprentice/training programme

3. Strategic outcomes (service delivery)

• Positive form of recruitment – allows both parties to test attitude and aptitude for service/industry requirements

• Unsuccessful candidates can refocus attention to other industries/training avenues

• Continuation of business skills and employment succession

• Local trainees delivering to local people – often on the estates where they live

• Local knowledge channelled correctly benefits delivery of services and products

• Greater pride in service delivery to local people • Business can shape trainees to deliver excellent

services to their own environment

Benefits of the pre-apprentice/training programme

3. Strategic outcomes (Service delivery cont’)

• Enhanced reputational image within the community increasing the customer base and volume of sales.

• Colleagues recruited through this process feel valued, are happy, have increased self confidence and motivation leading to:

- organisational commitment

- increased sales/sustainability through customer satisfaction

- reduced staff turnover and recruitment costs.

Corporate & Social outcome:• Improve social, physical, environmental and economic

regeneration and well being of our communities• Social regeneration helps to protect investment made in the

physical fabric of estates • Employment of local people helps to change aspirations in their

own local communities • Organic business growth – investment in local people to change

their environment via the delivery of services from a local company

• Effective succession planning to sustain employment and service provision

• Customer retention, reputational development, sustained/increased sales

• Economic benefit to local business and services

Conclusion

THANK YOU