Sustainability Policy 

Objective
We aim to develop Capita as a long term, sustainable business that delivers value for all our stakeholders including; our employees, clients, suppliers, business partners, and the wider community. By managing our business responsibly, we support the creation of a financially stable organisation and deliver value for our shareholders.

Scope & governance
This policy is owned by Gordon Hurst on behalf of the Group Board and applies to all Capita employees, and relevant stakeholder groups. We ensure this policy is embedded into our business through our Sustainability Steering Group, the members of which are accountable for the implementation and monitoring of the supporting policies mentioned below. The policy is reviewed annually and is shared with stakeholders through our corporate website and other channels as appropriate.

Areas of focus
To operate sustainably we focus our activities in our key impact areas.  These impact areas reflect both our opportunities to make a positive difference and manage our non-financial risks. By managing these areas well we believe we can deliver the best possible benefits for both our business and the wider world.  We use both our corporate strategy and feedback from internal and external stakeholders to define these areas of focus.

Responsible business practices
Our statement of business principles and code of ethical conduct set out our shared business values and our commitment and the standards of behaviour we expect. We ensure that these practices are upheld across our business through our Employee Handbook and employee training programmes.

Clients
We believe in delivering excellent service for our clients to meet their needs. We ensure that we manage their services responsibly, adhering to any legal requirements. We have robust policies and procedures in place to ensure we meet these requirements, providing user guidance and online training to our employees.

Supporting our employees
We value our employees and are committed to providing them with a workplace which is safe and secure. We aim to create a culture where every employee is treated fairly and with respect. We recognise the value that a diverse workforce can bring and we do not accept any form of discrimination.  We believe in creating an inspiring workplace, committing to developing our people, giving them the right skills to help deliver our business strategy.

Managing our supply chain
We aim to develop mutually beneficial relationships with our suppliers and we are committed to working with suppliers who meet our business and sustainability standards. Our centralised procurement team manage relationships with our 28 most significant suppliers (in terms of spend) to ensure that good practice is understood and shared in our supply chain. 

Environmental management
We are committed to identifying, managing and minimising the environmental impact of our business operations.  We have an environmental management system in place to help us manage our impacts and ensure that we comply with all relevant environmental legislation. Our risk management process also considers environmental risks on a site-by-site basis. We communicate our performance in this area in a transparent way.

Investing in our local communities
We engage with the local communities in which we work, committing to making a positive social and economic impact and understanding and managing any negative impacts of our business operations.

We also seek to make a positive social contribution through the services we provide to our clients and our clients’ customers, particularly in our public service contracts.

Specifically, we have programmes in place to support:

- Employee volunteering and fundraising
- Regeneration of our local communities

This policy outlines our framework for responsible business management and is an integral part of our sustainability and business strategy.

Gordon Hurst
Group Financial Director

Capita Group Plc April 2011