Corporate Responsibility
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Corporate Responsibilities

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Working with Local Communities

At Hughes and Associates we take our social and corporate responsibilities as one of our top priorities as an organisation. We promote fair and equitable structures and processes that enables all of our workforce to engage and experience the benefits of working with and within local communities.

At a social level, as a company we connect with local organisations whether this be at a senior management level with Local Authority leaders or Community Leaders to individual community organisations such as sports and environmental groups.


Through this engagement we try to identify the short, medium and long term requirements of the community and agreed measurable outcomes set by a collaborated Social Action Plan (SAP) established in partnership. This SAP will be constantly reviewed at a frequency agreed with the client but a minimum of quarterly, to maintain the measurable outcomes are met, this can be in the form of Service Level Agreements or Key Performance Indicators or other agreed formal structures.

Currently we do this in a number of different ways, all of which could form part of any Social Action Plan, some of the areas we highlight for direct positive participation, although not limited to are;


  • Local employment
  • Training and education
  • Internships and work experience for local residents
  • Career management and mentoring in association with training programmes.
  • Sympathetic building and construction methodology that enhances the community facilities.
  • Adhering to and surpassing all Health, Safety and Environmental regulations and standards to create a healthier environment to live and work in.



At Hughes and Associates we take our social and corporate responsibilities as one of our top priorities as an organisation. We promote fair and equitable structures and processes that enables all of our workforce to engage and experience the benefits of working with and within local communities.

At a social level, as a company we connect with local organisations whether this be at a senior management level with Local Authority leaders or Community Leaders to individual community organisations such as sports and environmental groups.


Through this engagement we try to identify the short, medium and long term requirements of the community and agreed measurable outcomes set by a collaborated Social Action Plan (SAP) established in partnership. This SAP will be constantly reviewed at a frequency agreed with the client but a minimum of quarterly, to maintain the measurable outcomes are met, this can be in the form of Service Level Agreements or Key Performance Indicators or other agreed formal structures.

Currently we do this in a number of different ways, all of which could form part of any Social Action Plan, some of the areas we highlight for direct positive participation, although not limited to are;


  • Local employment
  • Training and education
  • Internships and work experience for local residents
  • Career management and mentoring in association with training programmes.
  • Sympathetic building and construction methodology that enhances the community facilities.
  • Adhering to and surpassing all Health, Safety and Environmental regulations and standards to create a healthier environment to live and work in.

We currently have a company employment policy that any recruitment necessary must first be targeted at a maximum of a 50 mile radius from the site, this is obviously flexible as to the type of location of the site ie city centre we reduce the radius according but it is never increased unless all avenues to recruit local operatives have been exhausted.


As an organisation we value all of our employees and pride ourselves in safeguarding the long term health and welfare. As part of this ethos we maintain open and multi-faceted career paths allowing all of our employees the opportunity to progress along any career path that the company can assist with.

We have operatives working within the company currently that started as general support administration that are now Directors holding post graduate diplomas and others that have been working within the company for decades. In all these cases training and the opportunity to pursue further, higher education and post graduate training courses have been made available and has been successful.



Carbon Reduction Plan June 2024

Employment


We have a strict criteria for site management, as a minimum they should have successfully completed the Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) course. If a person holds the experience and proven capability to hold a position as one of the site management team but has not completed the SMSTS we pay for the operative to complete the course and once completed can join our site management team.

This has proven a positive method of recruitment and allows local recruitment to be less restrictive within the local labour market.

Not all carpenters are qualified to maintain or replace fire doors, there is specific knowledge and standards to adhere to to maintain the certification of a fire door or to create third party certification.


As a company we operate under the Warrington Fire FIRAS third party accreditation scheme. This scheme is a constant audit scheme where FIRAS auditors will audit a carpenter’s work on site before certifying the carpenter has the correct competences to complete maintenance and replacement tasks on a fire door.


As a company we train the carpenters prior to the FIRAS audit and monitor and mentor the carpenters going forward to keep them aware of any change in British Standards or Statutory Regulation relating to their tasks.


The three year period of the property will give the accepted timeframe for a person to complete a recognised apprenticeship in carpentry. We have already steered young operatives through this pathway whilst working alongside a qualified carpenter. The nature of repairing and replacing heavy fire doors is always highlighted within the company as a two-man operation, we endeavour to take the opportunity to train this second person as an apprentice or through other recognised trade routes to allow them to progress their careers.

Administration Support


 With regards to the Administration Support required for the project, as a company we own our own support software EyeComply and as this system is bespoke to us this actually makes local recruitment easier, as we have our own in house trainers on the software which can be completed on site or remotely, opening up the local market to practically all IT literate potential employees.


There will be long standing employees of the company seconded to this project and a selection process would be made to ensure the operatives with the most suitable competences and taking into account of their carbon foot print issues relating to travel appointments made. Depending on the complexity of the project and the experience of the local site team these operatives may only be involved in the mobilisation of the project or some for the whole duration.


Taking into consideration of the local housing market relocation packages have been offered to reduce travel and to offer as much financial support to the local economy as possible.


The model identified above has been successful for us as accompany and I hope through references to our clients. This model has been successfully implemented in Milton Keynes, Essex, London, Peterborough, Manchester, Worcester and Oxford in the past three years.


Supply Chain


To maintain an efficient and robust supply chain we use the principles of;


• Plan

• Source

• Make

• Deliver

• Return


Within these principles we strive to ensure that our environmental obligations are met or exceeded. Again due to the longevity of the project it gives the ability to establish long term relationships with suppliers and companies associated with the project. It will give local suppliers the time and opportunity to adjust the timelines and specialist materials required for this project. This in turn keeps the supply chain local giving the double benefit of shorter delivery journeys leading to environmental benefits and improving the local economy.

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