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Sustainability Action Group - Committed to Change

Sustainability encompasses everything we do – from providing safe and sustainable environments for people to flourish in, to ensuring the welfare of our colleagues and creating a place where people can grow in their career, it’s weaved into every corner of Consensus.

Last week 19 of our Sustainability Champions came together for their second Action Group meeting – discussing the successes and positive steps taken since the last meeting, whilst also looking into our future and for even more steps to take that impact everyone across Consensus.

Composed of the people we support, Service Managers, Support Workers, representatives from out Central Support Office, and members of our Senior Leadership Team – everyone was ready to share updates on the achievements since the last meeting, alongside proposing new ideas on how we can create a sustainable future.

Ready to spearhead our ‘One Commitment at a Time’ motto once again.

One Commitment at a Time

Exploring our social impact, our strength of governance, and our impact on the environment, each team shared updates on their commitments and what had been achieved since our last meeting – with some of those steps including;

  • The Marketing Team introducing a ‘Sustainability Champion’ of the month, recognising someone who has worked creatively to create a more sustainable future in their office or service.
  • The People Team launching our Menopause Policy, dedicated to supporting colleagues going through the menopause.
  • The L&OD hitting an impressive 98% compliance with our Sustainability e-learning.
  • 49 appliances sent for recycling by the Property Team since April 2024.
  • Our Health & Safety Policy going digital – saving approximately 6000 sheets of paper.
  • Being Cyber Essentials Certified – ensuring Consensus is protected from cyber threats.
  • One of our IT Providers Servium giving a talk on the importance of recycling IT, sharing staggering statistics and supporting us to achieve an incredible 0% of our IT Recycling going into landfill.

Alongside many other positive steps that are having a wider impact on Consensus and creating a sustainable future.

Learning from our Champions

Joining for the day, 3 of our incredible Sustainability Champions from our services also presented updates on what they’d achieved, alongside bringing ideas for other initiatives they’d like to see adopted across Consensus.

Stephen from Perrywood House shared his ‘Grow Your Own’ successes – where he’s been growing chillies which in his words will ‘Rock your socks off’, and is campaigning for more people to cook fresh, from garden to kitchen.

Tom from Winchester Supported Living proudly spoke about using the water from their tumble driers to water the house plants – ingenious thinking. Tom also shared his impactful poem on the future of the world, highlighting the urgent need for immediate change to save our planet.

And Graham from Grammar School House was ready and raring to show his action plan for a sustainable future, which included not being afraid to tell people off for leaving those lights on when nobody’s home!

Our Commitments to the Future

Looking into the future, our Sustainability Action Group is committed to implementing new steps that are aligned with creating sustainable environments where the people we can support can flourish and creating new opportunities for colleagues to grow in their career.

Outlining the direction of Sustainability at Consensus, our commitments were revisited and redefined to 6 new commitments that align with our business practices, how we function as an employer, and the places people call home.

Taking away actions that’ll inspire, efforts that will have a ripple effect, and inspiring change in both our professional and personal lives – we’re creating a sustainable future for Consensus.

Because when 2000 people across Consensus take small steps, it makes a big difference.

Thank you to our amazing Sustainability Champions for committing to lead the way in creating change at Consensus. And an extra special thanks to Tom, Stephen, and Graham for sharing what they’d like to see happening throughout at Consensus… one step at a time.

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