Environmental, Social and Governance

Introduction

Homeprotect has been insuring people’s homes since 2002. From the start, we realised that our business impacts people, communities and the planet. So we committed to doing business in a responsible, ethical and sustainable way.Our goal is to work in a way that benefits society and the planet.

Environmental

We’ve taken several steps to reduce our environmental impact.

We moved to an office that recycles glass, paper, plastic and metal, and composts organic waste.
We replaced water bottles and coffee capsules with glass carafes, filtered tap water and coffee beans.
We introduced monthly environmental initiatives to raise awareness and educate our team about environmental issues.
We joined the Crisp Recycling Scheme and Biscuit Wrapper Recycling Scheme.
We use eco-performance paper at our main office, which produces only 6% waste and uses 30% less wood.
We buy stationery products that have a lower environmental impact.
To celebrate the investment our teams show in working for us, we want to invest in the world around us. Every time one of our new joiners celebrates their first year anniversary with us, we will plant a tree and help make a positive impact for the environment.

MEASURING OUR CARBON EMISSIONS

Our emissions were measured by Positive Planet in line with emission Scopes 1, 2 and 3. This is the universal standard for categorising the carbon emissions a business creates.

The measurements for the current year are shown in the table below.

HOW WE AIM TO REDUCE EMISSIONS

Reduction plan	KGCO2e
Activity	KGCO2e reduction (%)	Scope
At the end of our existing energy contract, we’ll switch to a renewable energy provider. We’ll monitor the energy performance of the building. And we’ll phase this to align with our needs, starting with at least 60% renewable energy.	20%	Scope 1
We’ll consider fugitive emissions (at the next available service) to reduce these emissions up to 95%. We’ll do this by replacing the current gas arrangement with a low-emission alternative such as R449A or R454A.	95%	Scope 1 (Fugitive)
We’ll put in place campaigns within the organisation to support our emissions reduction journey. This will include regular waste audits (including water) and circular procurement options. We’ll remove unnecessary office bins and promote zero-waste initiatives.	0.16%	Scope 3
We’ll promote and deliver training sessions for key employees and our Green Team. This Certified Carbon Literacy Training will support and encourage individual behavioural changes. We’ll provide the training at all levels across the company.	7.5%	Scope 1, 2, 3(Per employee carbon intensity)
We’ll develop a business travel and commuting plan that reduces our impact on the environment. This will include a preference for active travel, like cycling, and reduce our reliance on cars and planes. We’ll aim to reduce our impact on a yearly basis.	10%	Scope 3
We’ll conduct a sustainability audit of our supply chain and identify areas of improvement. Then we’ll share our findings with our top suppliers to review and inform their journey to net-zero carbon emissions.		Scope 3
We’ll add an environmental aspect to our Procurement Policy. This will help us reduce our reliance on high-carbon footprint suppliers. We’ll aim to reduce these emissions by 4% each year.	4%	Scope 3

We’ve taken steps to improve the way we interact with our employees and the communities where we operate.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We know how important it is to attract, recruit and retain a diverse workforce and create an inclusive culture where all employees can fulfil their potential. We’re working alongside our current employees and our recruitment partners to identify the important next steps to realise this ambition.

CHARITY

Since 2019, we have raised more than £70,000 for charity.

From 2025, our chosen charity partner is Refuge, the UK’s largest specialist domestic abuse charity.

One in four women will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lives, and every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.

A common myth is that domestic abuse only involves physical or sexual violence. In fact, many women experience domestic abuse without ever being physically harmed – through non-physical forms such as emotional abuse, coercive control, technology-facilitated abuse or economic abuse.

Refuge provides life-saving support to thousands of women and their children every day, helping them escape abuse and rebuild their lives – free from fear.  It operates safe houses, called “refuges”, across the UK for women and their children escaping domestic abuse. For safety, their locations are undisclosed.

Much more than a roof over a woman or child’s head, these safe havens are where Refuge’s specialist staff provide residents with the support they need to begin a new life. This includes helping survivors settle in, access benefits, and manage practical needs such as registering with a doctor or enrolling in a school. Refuge’s services include:

• A network of 65 secure refuges

• The 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline

• Community outreach services

• Culturally adapted and linguistically specific services

The charity also leads award-winning campaigns and advocacy to bring about societal change and help prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG). It works closely with the government and mass media, bringing the voices of survivors directly to policymakers to shape legislation and strengthen the national response to VAWG, as well as to increase public awareness and understanding of domestic abuse.

At Homeprotect, we believe everyone should have a safe place to live, so we’re delighted to support the vital work that Refuge does by pledging an annual donation of £25,000.

This can help provide:

• 500 burner phones and sim cards for domestic abuse survivors whose phones have been compromised, so that the Refuge team can safely communicate with them.

• Over 200 welcome packs for women moving into refuges. Every day, women escaping life-threatening situations seek safety in refuges. Many arrive with little more than the clothes they are wearing. A welcome pack may include toiletries, pyjamas, essential kitchenware, bedding, food, nappies and buddy bags for children.

• 300 learning and play kits for children living in the refuges.

To help fundraise, the Homeprotect team will be taking part in a number of events throughout the year, such as a Christmas gift collection and wrapping appeal, an office bake sale, and the opportunity for some of our ultra-fit staff members to take part in individual distance challenges, such as half and full marathons, to raise additional funds for Refuge.

We also have a Payroll Giving scheme for all Homeprotect employees, giving them the opportunity to donate to the charity directly through our monthly payroll.

Find out more about Refuge and the work they do.

EMPLOYEE WELLBEING

Employee wellbeing is really important to us and something that we have passionately championed for many years. Our approach focuses on ‘the four M’s’ – mind, move, munch and money. This involves introducing benefits, developing educational awareness programmes and creating initiatives that enable and encourage employees to improve their mental, physical health and financial health. Some of the initiatives that have been offered as part of our wellbeing programme include:

Mind

Mental health training sessions from external experts to provide advice and guidance on a range of mental-health related topics, from breaking down the stigma associated with mental health, to developing coping strategies
Supporting employees to train and qualify as Mental Health First Aiders
Providing a 24-hour free confidential Employee Assistance helpline to any member of the team wanting to speak to a qualified counsellor
Introducing a flexible approach to work including flexible hours and location to help employees maintain a healthy work/life balance
Providing home-working starter kits and money to spend on extra equipment employees may need

Move

Arranging one-mile walks around the local area to encourage employees to take a break from their desk at lunchtime
Running regular group challenges to virtually walk, run and cycle to different global destinations, with prizes for the first team to cross the line
Offering all employees free private healthcare to support a speedy return to health after injury or illness
Offering a variety of fitness classes in partnership with our local gym
Organising in-office massages for those who need help recovering from these classes!

Munch:

A team session from a qualified Nutritionist to help educate us all on how to eat a more healthy and balanced diet
Offering private 121s with a Nutritionist to answer and support with specific challenges
Providing a wealth of healthy eating advice and recipes via our online Wellbeing & Reward platform
Providing free fruit from local suppliers to encourage healthy snacks

Money

Increased employee salaries to help with the increased cost of living
Enabling employees to donate to Homeprotect’s local charity through monthly payroll
Offering a free 121 pension advice session upon joining the company and every year thereafter
Providing a range of discounts with local and countrywide retail outlets through our online Wellbeing & Reward platform
Offering free confidential financial advice via our EAP service for any employee with financial concerns

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE