Social Value Commitment

Read about DDC's corporate social responsibility and commitment to protecting the environment.

DDC work hard to have a positive impact on the environment and the local area in which our Head Office is located. The business and the Management Team are committed to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment for employees. The Management Team also commit to developing an organisation wide culture to reduce the environmental impact of the company and individuals. Within the business there are a number policies in place to ensure that the business is giving back to the community where we are located, and to the UK in general.

Sustainability

DDC recognise the need to be mindful of our environmental impact as a national organisation. Through our environmental policy, DDC set objectives to minimise the organisation’s carbon footprint by ensuring processes are as efficient as possible. DDC’s management ensure that an environmentally friendly culture is shared across all employees by providing the means for all staff to contribute to a sustainable service. This core policy is included in everything we do from the sourcing of materials to dealing with waste generated by the company. One of the company Directors even takes home the used tea bags and uneaten food to feed his worms!!

Charity fundraising

Throughout the year DDC organise fundraising events to raise money for our chosen Charity LOROS. Based in Leicestershire, LOROS provide free, high-quality, compassionate care and support to terminally ill adult patients, their family and carers. Each event or competition run by the DDC Team receives an equal sponsorship directly from the company, for anything they raise.

 

On top of this, the company regularly makes donations to those raising money for good causes. In recent times this has included a regular ‘Race for Life’ run by some of the team.

Local sponsorship

DDC sponsor local sports clubs to support grass route level sport and to encourage local sports teams to provide activity for all. In 2020 DDC are supporting four sports teams which include:

East Goscote United Girls

East Goscote Juniors FC Under 9’s

Syston Rugby Football Club

Aylestone St James RFC

In addition, DDC sponsor local projects within Syston Town Council, to support the local area in which DDC are located. The funding goes towards the ‘Syston in Bloom’ project which encourages councils to invest in their local community with a focus on the natural environment. They also have links with the local agricultural college to provide apprenticeships and learning opportunities to students. In past years ‘Syston in Bloom’ has done very well in the regional competition and finished with top three status in the ‘East Midlands in Bloom’ category. This aligns with the business’s policy of promoting wellbeing and supporting the natural environment in the surrounding area.

In recent times the business has also taken part in the St Mary’s Christmas Tree Festival which split its profits between the St Mary’s Church Spire Appeal and HOPE Against Cancer.

Fairer Workplace Commitment

The Directors realise that to deliver consistent quality, excellence needs to be set as the minimum standard in everything the business does. This starts with how the company treats employees, and translates into how the team treats clients, applicants and those organisations that we interact with. The company values all clients, applicants and users of the service and has detailed polices to make our actions as transparent as possible, and fair to all involved. The entire team are encouraged to come forward with ideas and suggestions to make our working environment fairer for everyone. This includes all aspects of health and wellbeing of the team.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

DDC is committed to equality of opportunity both in the provision of services and as an employer. The Board of Directors promote equality and diversity and a culture that actively values differences, and recognises people from different backgrounds and with different experiences. All team members are provided with equality, diversity and inclusion training which is refreshed annually. Further information regarding specific elements during the screening process can be found in our frequently asked questions section.

Living Wage supporter

The business is a Living Wage supporter and pays all fully trained staff members the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation. The Management Team are also working towards a formal accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation to demonstrate this commitment to clients and applicants. This project is a long term aim of the Directors and is seen as a core part of the Social Value and the Quality Commitment improvements required by the business.