Working Responsibly: Community Investment

Contents
Introduction 3
About us 4
Creating economic value 10
Community investment 14
Environment 22
Regeneration and development 30
Employment and training 36
Investing in our people 40
Equality and diversity 44
What we have achieved 46
Making a difference by adding value
The past year has seen the UK economy
continue to struggle. This has resulted in rising
unemployment, cuts to services and a squeeze
on household finances. Working as we do at the
heart of communities we have seen first-hand the
impact this has had on people’s lives. Against this
backdrop, businesses have come under increasing
pressure to deliver more for less and demonstrate
value for money in everything they do. Getting this
right can be tricky. The benefits which derive from
Sanctuary’s business extend much further than
income generation. In fact, the most valuable part
of our work can be seen in the communities in
which we operate, whether this is through building
much needed affordable housing, providing cost
effective care services or by creating jobs and
training opportunities.
Sustainability has also been a key priority over the
last twelve months and will remain so in the future.
The rising cost of energy bills has left an increasing
number of households in fuel poverty and we are
working to combat the effects of this by ensuring
that our homes are energy efficient and well
insulated. We are also planning for the future by
investing in green technologies and have completed
a large scale installation programme which saw
around 620 properties fitted with solar panels.
These homes will now be able to benefit from the
electricity that the panels generate, offsetting some
of the costs associated with rising fuel prices.
We have also set up a new subsidiary company,
Sanctuary Green Technologies, firmly underlining
our commitment to the green agenda.
Improvements to our homes have been
complemented by our investment in
neighbourhoods up and down the country. Our
new Grand Ideas Fund offers the opportunity
for even more organisations to access support
for initiatives which make a real difference to the
communities where our residents live. We have
also been working with suppliers and contractors
to ensure that our partners are investing in local
economies and creating training and employment
opportunities. This builds on the strength of our
own internal employment programmes, such as the
graduate and apprenticeship schemes, which have
continued to grow.
Despite the economic uncertainty, the future
at Sanctuary looks bright. In April 2012 we issued a
£300 million bond which will contribute towards
our £750 million national development programme
and will see the delivery of 5,000 new homes over
the next four years. We have already started work
on many of these sites in what will be Sanctuary’s
biggest ever building programme. The next few
years will certainly be very busy but it will also
be rewarding to see local communities reap the
benefits of improved job opportunities and much
needed affordable homes.
Underpinning our success lies a commitment to
run our business in a way which takes account of
the social, economic and environmental impact of
all our decisions. By working responsibly we are
able to add value to our services and make a real
difference to people’s lives.
David Bennett – Group Chief Executive
Introduction
Introduction
32

Sanctuary Group is one of the UK’s leading providers of
housing and associated services, managing over 78,000 units
of accommodation across England and Scotland. This includes
general rented, sheltered and supported housing, student and
key worker accommodation and care homes. We are a not-for-
profit organisation and reinvest our surplus income into developing
services, providing new accommodation, improving our properties
and investing in people and communities.
About us
Affordable housing lies at the
heart of our business. We
own and manage general rented,
sheltered and shared ownership
accommodation across England
and Scotland, with regional
operations based in the
communities in which we operate.
We provide a range of care
services and accommodation,
including care homes, home
care, and extra care. We help
people to remain independent
for longer by providing specialist
accommodation and support in
secure and comfortable
surroundings.
Supported Living
We provide high quality support
and housing services for people
with a variety of needs who
require additional assistance
because of illness or disability or
because they are experiencing a
crisis in their lives. This includes
temporary accommodation for
families, refuges for people fleeing
domestic violence, specialist
housing for disabled people and
Foyer schemes for young people.
We provide cost effective
facilities management and
accommodation services to
health workers and students,
working with NHS Trusts,
universities and colleges. We
also manage and provide
services for market rent,
intermediate rent and mortgage
rescue properties, in addition to
a diverse portfolio of
commercial properties.
Sanctuary operates a number of other businesses and
subsidiary companies. Find out more in our Group Annual
Report and Financial Statements, available from the
Publications page of our website.
Aboutus
Under the Sanctuary Group umbrella are a number of successful
business streams.
54

Our values
Long term – We do not run our businesses or
provide services for short term financial gain. We
are providing accommodation and services from
birth to old age.
Not-for-profit – The Group operates under a
not-for-profit umbrella, with any surplus being
reinvested into the provision of affordable housing,
the maintenance of existing properties, and the
development of new services for customers.
Quality services – We aim to provide quality
services. We set the highest standards and focus
our efforts on achieving them.
Financially robust – Like all organisations
we have to live within our means and ensure we
are financially strong in the short, medium and
long term.
Supporting communities – Our remit is not
just restricted to providing and managing
accommodation. We aim to support the
communities in which we operate by creating
opportunities for residents to enjoy more fulfilled
lives.
Resident focused – We are committed to
providing opportunities for residents to play a key
role in shaping the work of the organisation from
regional forums through to Group Board.
Good governance – We aim to ensure that our
governance frameworks are transparent, fair and
accountable. Good governance and responsible
stewardship are key to our success.
Environmentally aware – We try to think
sustainably. We aim to be a responsible business
and to limit our impact on the environment.
Our vision
To be a market leader in
terms of quality, innovation
and performance.
We aim to:
¡¡ provide good quality homes
that meet the needs of the
diverse communities in which
we work.
¡¡ shape flexible, cost-effective
and appropriate services that
are valued equally by all our
customers.
¡¡ develop and maintain a
culture that recognises the
diversity of our workforce and
that nurtures the potential of
all our employees.
¡¡ limit any negative impact
of our activities on the
environment.
Our vision and values
What is this report
about?
This report sets out how we add
value to our business. Some
aspects of what we do can be
easily summarised in financial
terms (and you’ll find details of
these in our Annual Report and
Financial Statements) but there
are a number of other benefits
which need to be quantified in
different ways. Many of these
benefits relate to the social,
environmental and economic
impacts of our business and it
is these which are covered in
more detail here.
What’s in it?
This report includes information
about the work we have been
carrying out over the last
financial year, together with the
occasional preview of things
that are in the pipeline. We have
included data, case studies and
key facts and figures wherever
we can, so you can get a clearer
picture of our performance and
our progress.
Who is it for?
In short – you! If you are
interested in our business, we
want to tell you a bit more about
the way in which we operate and
what’s important to us.
Is there something
you’d like to see?
If you’re affected by the
decisions we make, we want
you to influence how we
operate. You can do this by
providing feedback. If you’d like
to get in touch drop us a line
using the contact details on the
inside back cover.
Who does what?
A large number of people
ensure that Sanctuary operates
in a responsible way. Day to day
management of our business
is carried out by Executive
Directors, who are assisted
by a range of committees and
working groups. Ultimately the
Group Board is responsible
for ensuring that everything is
working just as it should.
Working responsibly
Aboutus
76

You can download copies of the residents’ annual reports from the ‘local to you’ pages of our website
www.sanctuary-housing.co.uk. These are produced by residents, for residents and outline how we
have been performing and what our plans are for the coming year.
VIPs – Very Important People
There are lots of people
who are important to us –
including the people who are
affected by the decisions
we make, and those who
influence the way we do
business.
Customers
Our customers include the
residents who live in our
properties, whether this is our
housing, our care homes or
our student accommodation.
With around 78,000 properties,
that’s a lot of people!
Not all customers are our
residents. Some access our
services but don’t live in our
accommodation.
We think that it’s important
to involve our customers in
key business decisions and
we have a number of ways in
which people can get involved,
ranging from scrutiny panels
to focus groups. We also think
it’s important to be transparent
about our progress and we
achieve this by providing regular
reports on how we are doing.
CASE
STUDY New customer contact centre
As part of our ‘Conversation with Sanctuary’ initiative we asked housing tenants across the country about
the service they expect from us. They provided some suggestions about how we could improve and what
our priorities should be. These included being easy to contact, having their enquiries dealt with promptly,
resolving issues at first point of contact and being kept updated with progress. Having listened carefully to
these suggestions we launched our new state-of-the-art customer contact centre in 2011 in Banbury. The
centre now handles all housing service queries from residents including lettings, rents, estates, antisocial
behaviour and complaints.
Employees
Sanctuary employs over 8,000
people across a range of
different business areas. Our
priority is to recruit and retain
quality staff to deliver great
services to our customers.
We have some really talented
employees and it makes sense
to take advantage of their skills
and knowledge by getting
them involved in the decision-
making process. We achieve
this through our Staff Council
structure which provides
employees with a voice in
Sanctuary.
Government bodies,
agencies and
regulators
We work closely with
government bodies, local
authorities and other agencies
in order to deliver our core
business objectives. We are
kept in check by our regulators
who help us show the outside
world that everything we are
doing is not just above board
but also best practice.
Investors and funders
These are the people who
provide the money. They are
interested in how well we are
performing financially as this
provides us with access to more
cost effective lines of credit.
This in turn allows us to provide
better value for money to our
customers. We have been rated
by international ratings agencies
Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s
Investors Service, which have
given us credit ratings of AA-
and Aa2 respectively, amongst
the highest in our sector.
Aboutus
Suppliers and
contractors
Our suppliers and contractors
come in all shapes and sizes
and range from small local
providers to international
organisations. Our priority is to
ensure that there is room for
everyone and that we set clear
expectations for the people
we work with. We believe in
using our considerable size
and purchasing power to drive
positive change through the
communities where we work
by influencing those we do
business with.
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Creatingeconomicvalue
Creating economic
value
Value for money
Sanctuary has developed a straightforward
approach to achieving value for money across all
of our operations. Our Value for Money strategy
focuses on delivering high quality services at
the best possible price, making sure that we
are spending wisely and adding value wherever
possible. Our customers are the ultimate judge
of whether we are delivering value for money
or not and we ensure that we give them the
information they need in order to make this
decision. This may include providing evidence
which shows that services are competitively
priced, demonstrating improvements or
quantifying efficiency savings. We also consult
on how any savings are used so that customers
have a say in where this money is spent.
The strategy is delivered at a local level to ensure
that it takes account of any regional differences
and we capture any efficiency gains in quarterly
and annual statements which are communicated
to employees, residents and the Group Board.
Financial inclusion
Financial inclusion means ensuring everyone
is able to access the basic financial services
products that are needed to participate in a
modern society. This means having a bank
account, being able to access affordable forms
of credit and having adequate insurance. There
are around 2.8 million financially excluded
people in England, of whom around 70 per cent
are housing association tenants. Promoting
financial inclusion is a key priority for Sanctuary
so that we can assist residents in improving
their life chances and breaking the cycle of debt,
poverty and hardship.
CASE
STUDY Sanctuary Maintenance Contractors Limited
Sanctuary manages thousands of properties across England and Scotland,
all of which need to be maintained to a high standard. As you can probably
imagine, this comes with some substantial maintenance bills. To ensure
that we achieve maximum value for money, we have launched a new
maintenance company, Sanctuary Maintenance Contractors Limited, which
will be responsible for the delivery of all of our responsive repairs, planned
maintenance programmes and estates services. It will also provide repairs
and maintenance services to external clients. With an anticipated turnover
of £80 million over the next year Sanctuary Maintenance will contribute
additional income to the Group, while ensuring that our maintenance
services are carried out cost effectively.
CASE
STUDY Getting to grips
with money
madness
Sanctuary has teamed up
with Hull and East Yorkshire
Credit Union to help local
residents to get to grips with
their money. The alliance has
given Sanctuary’s residents
in Hull and East Yorkshire the
chance to access suitable
financial products including
low-cost affordable loans
and everyday bank accounts.
The credit union, which is
regulated by the Financial
Services Authority, offers
easy ways to save and
provides a range of useful
services, helping people
learn to manage their
money wisely.
CASE
STUDY Sanctuary Scotland gives tenants a
£1 million boost
During the last year Sanctuary Scotland’s welfare rights service
has broken through the seven figure barrier to help secure over
£1 million in benefits for residents in Scotland. The finances of many
of Sanctuary’s residents have been boosted by the service which
works with residents to negotiate a complex system to claim the
benefits they are due. It was set up after we discovered that many
people don’t know how to claim the money they are entitled to,
or even realise what help is available. Sanctuary has also invested
£25,000 to establish a similar service in Cumbernauld in conjunction
with North Lanarkshire Council. This will ensure that even more
residents are offered assistance, which is particularly important
during these financially challenging times.
1110

Our supply chain
Sanctuary is a large
organisation with considerable
purchasing power and we
expect our supply chain to
work as hard as we do to
deliver additional benefits
to our customers. Entering
into contracts with suppliers
presents us with a range of
opportunities to maximise
value for money, for us and the
communities where we work.
We want the organisations we
do business with to have the
same commitment as Sanctuary
in creating jobs and training,
protecting the environment
and promoting equality and
diversity.
Sustainable procurement and ethical
supply chain management
Partnership projects
Working in
partnership
By working with partners who
share our values and objectives
we can achieve more and
deliver better value for money
for our customers. We can’t
be experts in everything so it
makes sense to team up with
organisations with specialist
skills and knowledge so we can
concentrate on the things we’re
good at and leave the rest
to them.
Our approach
Our objective is to work
with like-minded partners to
achieve common aims.
We aim to achieve this by:
¡¡ creating strategic
partnerships with
organisations to deliver
additional benefits and
services to our customers.
¡¡ ensuring that we are
working with partners
who share similar aims
and attitudes towards
corporate social
responsibility as ourselves.
Making sure
everyone is included
Sometimes size can be a
disadvantage and we want to
make sure that our procurement
processes don’t act as a barrier
to anyone who wants to work
with us. We aim to remove these
barriers by being flexible about
the way we procure goods and
services. This creates room
for everyone, from small local
providers to large national
organisations.
Payment terms
Making sure that payment terms
are fair and that everyone gets
paid on time is important to
us. We are exploring new ways
of working which will help to
improve our performance in this
area. We are also introducing
new payment rules for our
development partners which
will ensure that sub-contractors
are paid on the same terms
as we pay our contractors.
This will help protect smaller
organisations who are often
more reliant on maintaining a
steady cash flow.
CASE
STUDY Travis Perkins
Sanctuary has been linking up with supplier, Travis
Perkins, to explore better ways of working together.
We are currently developing a new partnership
strategy which will seek to provide wider benefits to
the communities where we work. This will build on the
success of projects such as the garden makeover of our Brighton
and Hove Foyer where Travis Perkins donated timber, fixings, gravel
and topsoil which helped to improve the garden and car park
areas. Future plans include creating new apprenticeships, as well
as running events,
such as decorating
skills days at our
Foyer schemes to
support the transition
from supported to
mainstream housing.
The aim of the
partnership is to use
the skills and resources
of both organisations
in order to offer added
value to our customers.
CASE
STUDY Helping hoarders with Clouds End
Sanctuary has been working
with a charity to assist tenants
who find it hard to throw their
belongings away. Clouds End,
a community interest company,
specialises in helping people
overcome their hoarding
habits. As part of the project,
the organisation provided
training to Sanctuary staff to
support residents who were
having trouble decluttering.
Two residents took part in the
pilot for the scheme which
provided employees with a
greater understanding of how
to help residents who find
themselves overwhelmed by
their belongings.
Heather Matuozzo, founder of
Clouds End, said: “Hoarding
can be a sign of deep-rooted
emotional and psychological
difficulties and often hoarders
are not even aware they have
a problem. Such individuals
need our help, support and
understanding in a non-
judgemental way, which is
exactly what we seek to do.”
For more information on
Clouds End visit:
www.cloudsend.org.uk
Creatingeconomicvalue
1312

Our approach
Our objective is to support
the development of
successful and sustainable
communities in the areas
where we operate.
¡¡ investing in the delivery
of community-led
programmes, projects and
facilities which address the
needs of our customers.
¡¡ working in partnership to
develop the capacity of
communities to deliver and
manage community-led
projects.
Community investment
Investing in communities
Sanctuary invests over half a million pounds each year in activities
across the country, helping to support neighbourhoods and enhance
the lives of local people. Where we provide funding for activities we
also seek to attract additional external funding. This helps to make
our money stretch even further and ensures that projects and
programmes become sustainable in the long term.
Community Sanctuary Complementary
investment investment investment
2011/12 £630,646.00 £1,567,335.00
Includes investment in kind (for example time, equipment etc)
CASE
STUDY Young People, Friendly Neighbourhoods
The Young People, Friendly
Neighbourhoods Project (YPFN)
is a national initiative which is
establishing structures to help
put young people at the centre
of local youth services.
Funded by the Department
for Education, YPFN is
a partnership between
Groundwork UK, social
landlords, charities and youth
work specialists. It takes a
whole-community approach to
youth services and is helping
young people in housing estates
across the country shape the
services that affect them while
receiving careers advice and
training.
Sanctuary is working as
the leading social housing
provider to empower young
people in Torbay, Reading,
Leicester, Scarborough,
Stoke and London. So far
690 young people from these
areas have taken part in the
scheme, attracting £731,000 of
investment. Of these, 255 young
people have contributed to the
programme as volunteers or
community activists, helping to
develop solutions to address
youth antisocial behaviour.
Our priorities
We have a Community
Investment strategy which sets
out our priorities for community
investment.
These are: economic inclusion,
youth activities, community
facilities and structures, care and
support, physical and emotional
wellbeing, financial inclusion and
safer and cleaner communities.
CASE
STUDY Digital inclusion
Sanctuary has been working in
partnership with computer giant
Microsoft to promote digital
inclusion and improve the life
chances of young residents.
Under the partnership, young
people in Sanctuary’s supported
housing projects have been given
access to laptops and training to
equip them with the skills needed to
succeed in today’s IT-driven world.
Sanctuary has invested £40,000 in
the project to pay for equipment
and broadband connections, while
Microsoft has donated software and
training materials.
Residents taking part in the project
are being taught ‘digital survival’
skills which will help them compete
in the employment market. They
receive training in a range of
software including Microsoft Word,
Excel and Powerpoint to help them
complete college work, as well
as being taught how to use the
internet to search for employment.
Successful participants in the
scheme are awarded a Microsoft
IT Academy certification which is
widely recognised by employers.
CASE
STUDY Supporting social
enterprise
Sanctuary has been supporting Shekinah,
a Plymouth based charity which
works with people at risk from social
exclusion, including those suffering from
addiction, ex-offenders and the long-
term unemployed. This year we donated
£8,000 to Shekinah Trading, the charity’s
social enterprise arm which provides
construction, maintenance and cleaning
services. The money funded the purchase
of a van, which will allow Shekinah to
continue its good work in the Southwest.
CASE
STUDY Healthy living
The loveLIFE campaign is a twelve month
initiative which is challenging the people of
Torbay and South Devon to stub out one
million cigarettes; run, walk, swim or cycle
one million miles; lose 100,000lbs in weight;
and to dance a million steps. Sanctuary has
provided £25,000 of funding to support the
Herald Express campaign, which is designed
to inspire people to adopt healthier lifestyles
and change their lives for the better.
Communityinvestment
1514

Grand Ideas Fund
Got a grand idea?
Sanctuary’s Grand Ideas Fund offers up to £1,000 to groups which
need some financial support to help deliver activities within their
local community. Totalling £60,000 for projects all across the UK, the
funding scheme is open for applications from charities, resident groups
and voluntary organisations.
The Grand Ideas Fund is designed to support as wide a variety of
projects as possible and is the latest development in our ongoing
commitment to investing in the communities where we operate.
CASE
STUDY Animal welfare,
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire-based animal charity, K9, set
tails wagging after receiving a £1,000 grant
from Sanctuary’s Grand Ideas Fund. The money
was used to put on events to raise awareness
of animal welfare. Following the donation, the
canine charity held three community fun days
where owners could find out about issues
including nutrition and training. They were also
able to access expert advice from vets and learn
how to better take care of their pets.
CASE
STUDY Unity Boxing
Gym, Leicester
Unity Boxing Gym in Leicester
was awarded a £1,000 grant
from Sanctuary to extend its
work in the community.
The gym, which has been
awarded Amateur Boxing
Association status, provides
training sessions to children,
young people and adults from
three of the most deprived
council wards in Leicester –
Abbey, Beaumont Leys and
Stocking Farm.
Thanks to the much-needed
financial boost, the gym was
able to buy some brand new
equipment, ranging from
boxing gloves to punch bags.
CASE
STUDY Westminster Mind, London
A Westminster mental health charity was able to launch a new
project to promote better health and wellbeing, thanks to funding
from the Grand Ideas Fund. For the last 40 years, Westminster Mind
has been working to make a practical and positive difference to
people living locally who have been affected by mental illness. More
recently their reach has extended to deliver a range of services,
focusing on improved wellbeing across the whole community.
The £1,000 grant helped to kick-start a three month pilot project,
with a series of weekly drop-in coffee mornings offering advice
and support around issues such as money management, housing
problems and coping with stress and anxiety.
CASE
STUDY Learning opportunities, Bickley
Woodlodge Residents’ Association in Bickley, Bromley was awarded £1,000
from Sanctuary to help provide cookery and IT learning opportunities.
The residents have used the money to purchase equipment and training
for a number of local groups: Woodlodge Youth Club, Majorie McClure
Specialist School and elderly residents from Oak House.
Communityinvestment
1716

CASE
STUDY Cranvale Care Home, Ilford
Sanctuary Care’s Cranvale Care Home in Ilford celebrated The Big
Lunch by inviting local people to join their party. The event included
a curry shop, cake stall, home made card sale, egg and spoon race,
singer, face-painting and raffle. Residents manned the stalls for the
day, which provided a great opportunity for people of all generations
to socialise and get to know one another.
Cranvale’s manager Irene Prasad said: “Our elderly residents have
always been a part of the community and this shouldn’t have to
change once they have moved into a care home.”
Community spirit
CASE
STUDY Hatfield Care Home
Minister of State for Housing and Local Government,
Grant Shapps, got a taste of life in one of our care homes
when he joined residents in Hatfield for this year’s Big Lunch.
The Minister, who is also MP for Welwyn and Hatfield, joined
residents and family members for a lunch and garden party,
experiencing first-hand the home’s strong community spirit.
The event included live entertainment and the Minister arrived
to see residents in full swing on the dance floor.
The Big Lunch
The Big Lunch is an Eden Project
initiative that aims to foster community
spirit by getting people across the
country to have lunch with their neighbours once a year. It gives people
the opportunity to come together, have a natter and get to know one
another over lunch. Events can be anything from a few neighbours
getting together in a back garden or street, to a neighbourhood party
with food, live music and decorations.
Tim Smit, head of the Eden Project, said: “From small intimate affairs
to full-blown street parties with bouncy castles and hog roasts,
lunches have been held right across the country and our research
shows that they really work. People who’ve taken part feel closer to
their neighbours and many find it’s just the spark that their community
needs to bring people together.”
CASE
STUDY Brighton Foyer
Sanctuary’s Brighton and
Hove Foyer, a supported
housing project for young
people aged 16-24, enjoyed a
street barbeque to celebrate
the Big Lunch. As part of
the Foyer’s healthy living
programme, staff and residents
provided a number of healthy
accompaniments, including
homemade salads, baked
potatoes and fresh fruit juices.
Support worker Jan Weston,
who helped residents organise
the event, said: “We decided
to take part in the Big Lunch
so our residents could invite
their friends and families to
come and see where they live
and take part in a communal
activity. Although we have
shared flats, residents can
sometimes become isolated,
so the event was a great
chance for everyone to mingle
and get to know each other
better.”
Communityinvestment
Sanctuary works with
a variety of different
communities across
England and Scotland.
These include
neighbourhoods, as well
as the communities which
exist within our supported
housing projects, care
homes and student
accommodation.
Many of our residents tell us
how important community
spirit is in bringing people
together and giving them a
sense of pride in the places
where they live.
1918

Working with schools
CASE
STUDY Sandwell Academy, West Bromwich
Sanctuary cemented its relationship with Sandwell Academy in West
Bromwich this year by adding a range of new activities and initiatives
to an already successful work experience scheme.
Employees from our West Midlands office ran two Enterprise Days
at the school, which were designed to get students thinking about
the work involved in delivering a large scale regeneration project.
This was complemented by a series of presentations on subjects
including maths and corporate social responsibility, and facilitated
workshops on interview techniques and CV preparation.
Sandwell Academy marked the success of the partnership by
presenting Sanctuary with its 2012 Industrialist of the Year award.
CASE
STUDY Inspire! – The Education Business Partnership
for Hackney
This year, Sanctuary has provided a number of volunteers for one
day programmes organised by Inspire! – The Education Business
Partnership for Hackney. The initiatives are wide ranging and are
aimed at giving students a greater understanding of the career
options available to them.
Back to school
Sanctuary works with
schools across England
and Scotland, hosting work
experience placements,
delivering talks on our business,
getting involved with careers
events and working together
on community projects.
The partnerships provide our
employees with the opportunity
to step outside their usual
workplace (and comfort zone!)
to learn something new and
help support schools in a variety
of ways.
CASE
STUDY Beck Primary School,
Sheffield
Beck Primary School in Sheffield is located
at the heart of Sanctuary’s Shiregreen
estate. It is just one of the schools in
the neighbourhood which we work with.
During our £99 million regeneration of the
local area we have worked with school
pupils on a range of projects. Pupils from
the school have also visited Sanctuary’s
new Park View Care Home to perform
a carol concert attended by residents,
friends and family members. The event
helped to encourage intergenerational
learning and each pupil took home a gift
bag made by the residents.
CASE
STUDY Kingsmead
Primary School,
London
Staff from Sanctuary’s
Kingsmead office have been
helping pupils in Year 3 at
Kingsmead Primary School
become confident readers.
Every Wednesday, volunteers
spend their lunch hour
listening to a child read. The
scheme is designed to help
children in Hackney improve
their literacy skills and
develop their self confidence
– encouraging an enjoyment
of books and improving self
esteem and social skills.
CASE
STUDY Christopher Whitehead Language College, Worcester
Sanctuary has been working
with Christopher Whitehead
Language College in
Worcester over the last few
years, supporting careers
education for Years 10 and
11. We have held mock
interviews and hosted work
experience placements, which
provide students with an
insight into the world of work.
Teachers from the school
have also visited us to talk
to our apprentices and find
out more about Sanctuary’s
apprenticeship programme.
Communityinvestment
2120

Environment
Going green
At Sanctuary we take our
environmental responsibilities
very seriously. The way in
which we operate our business
impacts on the world around
us, so it’s important to play our
part by being as sustainable
as possible. In real terms this
means building more energy
efficient homes as well as
improving the condition of
our existing properties to help
reduce carbon emissions and
our residents’ energy bills.
It also means running our
operations efficiently, from
reducing the energy and water
we consume, to increasing the
amount of waste we recycle.
Our strategy
Sanctuary has an Environmental
and Sustainability strategy
which covers the same period
as our Business Plan (2010-
2013). This ensures that it
links closely with our strategic
business objectives. It outlines
those parts of our operations
which have the most impact
on the environment and sets
out what we are doing to
address them.
How are we doing?
We benchmark our
performance as part of
the Sustainable Homes
Index for Tomorrow
(SHIFT), a sustainability
benchmark for housing
associations which is supported
by the World Wildlife Fund and
the UK Green Building Council.
We currently hold silver status.
Carbon reduction
Sanctuary is a participant
in the Carbon Reduction
Commitment (CRC) Energy
Efficiency Scheme. This is a
government initiative which
requires organisations which are
large consumers of electricity
and gas to make a payment in
respect of the amount of carbon
they generate. Organisations
are ranked on a league table to
show how they are performing.
The first CRC performance
table was published by
the Environment Agency in
November 2011 and the Group
was ranked 499th out of 1,301
participants.
Energy saving
Did you know? We have
produced our own guide to
saving energy in the home.
It contains a range of energy
saving hints and tips, and
contact details for finding
out more information.
You can download a copy of
the strategy from our website.
CASE
STUDY Water saving in London student
accommodation
Students in London are becoming water wise after Sanctuary
Management Services teamed up with Thames Water to provide
water saving adaptations and devices to six of our halls of residence.
Students were provided with ‘save a flush’ devices, tap and shower
head inserts and timers to help them monitor how long they spend in
the shower. 340 students took up the devices which could save up to
5,890,500 litres of water over a full academic year.
Our approach
Our objective is to limit the
impact of our business on
the environment.
¡¡ taking steps to identify
and address any
negative effects caused
by our business to the
environment.
¡¡ developing programmes
to ensure that the
properties we own
and operate are
environmentally
sustainable.
CASE
STUDY Sanctuary’s
greenest team
This year Sanctuary held
a competition to find our
greenest team. The winners
were the Glasgow-based
Sanctuary Management
Services team which is
responsible for managing
student accommodation for
the University of Glasgow.
CASE
STUDY Walk to Work
Walk to Work Week is a
national initiative aimed at
encouraging people to get
fit and cut carbon emissions
by walking more during the
working day. Out of the 963
organisations that took part
in last year’s national Walk
to Work event, Sanctuary
came in 10th place and
walked a collective distance
of 964 miles.
Environment
You can download this useful
leaflet from our website.
CASE
STUDY Getting ecoACTIVE
Hackney residents have been learning how they can make
their homes more energy efficient and reduce fuel bills as
part of a £10,000 ‘Energise’ project, funded by Sanctuary.
A series of fun and practical workshops were delivered
over several months by ecoACTIVE, a local environmental
organisation which works with schools and communities
across East London. The workshops were designed to give
residents the opportunity to review their current energy use,
before looking at ways to cut waste and make changes to
help reduce fuel bills.
2322

Managing our assets
Sanctuary owns thousands of units of accommodation across England
and Scotland. This includes buildings of all shapes and sizes, from
care homes to student accommodation and from larger commercial
buildings to flats and houses.

Average SAP rating of
our stock
We measure the energy
efficiency of our stock using
the Standard Assessment
Procedure (SAP). The average
SAP rating of our stock is
currently 69.2 (higher than
the national average) and we
are carrying out a number
of projects to raise this even
further.
Retrofit revolution
The government has set a
target of reducing the UK’s
greenhouse gas emissions by
at least 80 per cent by 2050.
Around 27 per cent of our
emissions come from housing
and when you think that 85
per cent of the buildings in
existence today will still be
around in 2050, this represents
a major challenge in retrofitting
our homes.
In order to be part of the
solution, we need to radically
rethink the way we manage
and improve our assets.
This will ensure that ongoing
reinvestment programmes are
more closely linked with energy
efficiency improvements to
make our housing even more
sustainable.
It will also ensure that we are
playing our part in minimising
fuel bills for our residents and
reducing fuel poverty. We are
currently running a number
of trials which will inform our
strategy for the future. The
results of these will feed into
a new approach to asset
management which will begin in
April 2013 and will involve taking
a more holistic view of our
properties to ensure that any
improvement works maximise
energy and carbon savings.
Socialhousing
Property type Number
of units
General needs housing 46,913
Sheltered and supported housing 13,888
Shared ownership 2,831
Other 72
Non-social
housing
Property type Number
of units
Student and key worker 7,974
Registered care homes 2,675
Home ownership 3,671
Commercial 105
Market rented 86
Total stock 78,215
Stock breakdown
CASE
STUDY Busting fuel poverty
Maintenance staff at Sanctuary have been trained to
identify signs that could lead to fuel poverty during
routine visits to homes. They are now able to provide
on-the-spot advice to residents helping them reduce
fuel bills and keep warm in colder months. They look
out for factors in the home which result in greater fuel
consumption, such as inadequate insulation, water
tank thermostats set too high and radiators blocked
by furniture. Where possible, operatives resolve
issues on-the-spot, while cases in need of more
intense support and intervention will be reported
via Sanctuary’s ‘Warm and Well’ email for a follow-
up visit. The initiative, which is being carried out in
conjunction with Warwickshire-based energy saving
advisers Act on Energy, is part of our commitment to
reducing fuel poverty.
Environment
2524

Green Technologies
Sanctuary’s 2050 vision
The government’s 2050 target to cut carbon provides some real
challenges for the UK. We want to play our part by reducing carbon
emissions from the properties that we own and ensuring that our stock
is fit for the future. With thousands of homes, this is an ambitious
project.
To assist us in delivering some of the improvements that we want
to see for our homes and residents, we have developed a new
2050 vision. This has included establishing a new Group subsidiary
company, Sanctuary Green Technologies, to reduce our carbon
footprint and help residents access affordable energy from renewable
sources.
The company will be using the income generated through government
subsidies, eco-improvement grants and private investment to help
finance a range of energy efficiency features to our properties. It will
also ensure that any income we generate through our installation of
renewable technologies will be reinvested to improve our properties
and the lives of our residents.
CASE
STUDY Solar installation programme
Sanctuary has been harnessing the sun’s energy in
a £4.5 million scheme to help residents combat the
soaring cost of fuel bills.
Over the last year we have installed solar PV panels
on around 620 homes and eight of our commercial
properties. There is no cost to residents for the
installation and they are able to use the electricity
generated by the panels, which work by capturing
the sun’s energy and converting it to electricity
for use in the home. The installation of the solar
panels should see residents enjoy potential savings
of between £100 and £200 per year, as well as
reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into
the environment.
Sanctuary is paid by the government through its
Feed-in Tariff scheme for the electricity generated.
We will be using this income to invest in more
renewable technologies to benefit other residents.
Our programme was carried out in partnership
with G Purchase Construction Limited, which was
chosen because of its commitment to customer
service. We have had great feedback from our
residents on the ease of the installation process
which has helped to make the works as easy as
possible.
“I have had solar panels fitted under your recent
project and would like to inform you that I cannot
praise the workmen enough. They have been
amazing – polite, unobtrusive and helpful. Thank
you Sanctuary, and congratulations on your choice
of professionals.” – Sara, a Sanctuary resident.
CASE
STUDY Renewable heat
Sanctuary was the successful
recipient of a government
grant which incentivises
organisations to install
properties with renewable
heating technologies.
The money received from the
Renewable Heat Premium
Payment Programme has
enabled us to replace
electric heating systems in
20 properties in the West
Midlands with air source heat
pumps.
We have combined these
with solar panels to help run
the pumps’ motors more
effectively and are monitoring
how well they perform.
Environment
2726

Green places and spaces
We believe that green spaces
are important. They have a
major effect on people’s
health and wellbeing, as well
as providing an attractive
environment for people to come
together to relax, play, grow
and interact. We are currently
working on a number of projects
which are designed to improve
the green spaces in and around
our properties.
Maintaining our
green areas
Sanctuary has an in-house
team which is responsible for all
our green space maintenance
services such as grass cutting,
tree pruning and gardening.
We have been developing this
service over the last year to
widen its scope and improve
service standards, in addition
to expanding the number of
employment opportunities for
young people. Our bespoke
horticultural apprenticeship
programme has been developed
in conjunction with Pershore
College and provides jobs to
young people from around the
country while teaching them
the importance of green space
maintenance.
CASE
STUDY Young people help
to transform their
neighbourhood
Green-fingered youngsters
on a local youth development
programme, the ‘Dreamscheme’,
have helped to brighten the lives
of residents in Torbay.
Supported by Sanctuary, the
Torbay Dreamscheme Network
encourages young people to
carry out community-based
work projects in exchange for
points, which they can spend
on trips and activities of their
choice.
As part of the scheme the
youngsters created a new
‘concrete garden’ filled with
vegetables, plants and herbs.
The project was assisted by a
range of partners including The
British Trust for Conservation
Volunteers, South Devon
College, Torbay Council Street
Wardens and Community
PayBack.
CASE
STUDY Gold award for
intergenerational
gardening
A sheltered housing scheme
in Staffordshire collected
a gold award in this year’s
Britain in Bloom awards.
The residents of Waveney
Court won first prize for
outstanding community
involvement after developing
a partnership with a local
school to improve the
scheme’s gardens.
Children from St Werburgh’s
Primary School worked with
residents to transform the
garden areas, giving everyone
the chance to get to know
each other better and bridge
the gap between generations.
CASE
STUDY Therapeutic garden for care home
A ‘ground force’ team at Sanctuary’s Broadmeadow
Court Care Home in Stoke-on-Trent carried out a
makeover project to transform the garden area into an
attractive space creating interest and stimulation for
the home’s residents, some of whom are affected by
dementia and Alzheimer’s. The garden now includes
a sensory corner with strong smelling plants, a wildlife
haven with insect habitats and bird feeders, and a
reminiscence area based on a beach theme. Sanctuary
staff and residents teamed up with volunteers from the
neighbouring Newcastle Day Service, which provides
support for adults with learning disabilities to carry out
the transformation.
CASE
STUDY Growing independence in supported housing
Two supported housing schemes in Hull have
established an allotment project so that residents
can learn to grow their own vegetables and develop
the skills and confidence to live independently.
The Avenues and Donnington Court in Hull are schemes
run by Sanctuary which offer support to people who find
themselves homeless for a variety of reasons including
domestic violence, family breakdowns, substance
misuse and mental health issues.
The allotment was established using funding from
Sanctuary and local broadband provider KC. The
project was also supported by the local community,
which donated a wide selection of new and second
hand materials, equipment and vouchers. These
included protective equipment from specialist
supplier Arco and tools from local hardware
supplier LGC.
Environment
2928

Regeneration
and development
Regenerating
communities
Sometimes communities need
a little help in order to become
more sustainable.
We are responsible for housing-
led regeneration projects in
several areas of the country.
Sometimes these will involve
refurbishing existing homes
while on other occasions we will
be demolishing substandard
properties to make way for
smart new homes.
Regeneration is an art form.
It requires balancing material
improvements with social,
economic and environmental
renewal. Getting this right
means that we can help to
transform neighbourhoods and
improve people’s lives.
Cumbernauld, North
Lanarkshire –
This £70 million project is
slowly transforming the
skyline of Cumbernauld.
Ageing tower blocks will
soon be pulled down and
sites cleared for the 444 new
homes being built.
Anderston, Glasgow – This £50 million project is seeing the
existing 1960s accommodation replaced with 435 new affordable
homes. Improvements to the external environment are also being
put in place and include a giant mural of comedian and former local
resident Billy Connolly.
Hackney, London –
The regeneration of the
Morningside estate in
Hackney is ongoing, with
a number of properties
completed on small ‘infill’
sites across the estate.
This year we celebrated
the completion of a new
community centre which was
accompanied by a grand
launch attended by local
celebrities.
Priesthill, Glasgow –
80 new units are being built
in Priesthill in Glasgow at a
cost of £7 million. This marks
the final phase of the Priesthill
regeneration project started
by Sanctuary Scotland
10 years ago. Once complete,
the overall project will have
provided 360 homes at a
total cost of £55 million.
Ardler, Dundee – The construction of 60 new homes in Ardler,
Dundee at a cost of £5 million is due to start shortly. This is the final
piece in the jigsaw for Sanctuary’s multi-million pound regeneration
project which began 12 years ago. The scheme has seen the
construction of over 1,000 new homes and has won some major
awards including the British Urban Regeneration Association award
for best practice in regeneration.
Shiregreen, Sheffield – This £99 million project has seen the
renovation of 2,300 homes and 24km of paths and pavement. We
are now working to address some of the estate’s social challenges
as part of the Shiregreen Neighbourhood Challenge led by NESTA
(the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) with
support from the Big Lottery Fund.
Rochford, Essex –
Sanctuary’s properties in
Rochford, Essex have been
benefiting from a range of
improvements including
replacement kitchens
and bathrooms, electrical
upgrades, insulation and
external works. As part of the
project we have also been
improving facilities in the local
area, including improvements
to a park, the installation of
bike racks, the replanting of
flower beds and improved
security measures.
Denbigh Triangle, London –
Our £13 million regeneration
of the Denbigh Triangle in
Pimlico, London has resulted
in upgrades to 441 properties,
including new windows,
roofs and external works, as
well as home improvements
ranging from kitchens and
bathrooms to more efficient
heating systems. The project
will also deliver 31 new
affordable homes in the area,
the majority of which will
meet Level 4 of the Code for
Sustainable Homes.
Regenerationanddevelopment
3130

Every year Sanctuary builds
a whole range of new
developments, from housing
to care homes, student
accommodation to office
buildings. Our schemes are
constructed across the UK, on a
variety of sites and to a number
of different standards.
The diversity of our programme
allows us to adopt different
approaches to development.
Sometimes this means taking
the best of what came before
and improving upon it. On
other occasions a more radical
approach is required, where
we need to be brave enough
to step away from the way we
have always done things and
embrace something new.
New development programme
Development is an important
part of our business. It’s not
just about bricks and mortar.
Our building programme helps
to create jobs and training
opportunities, regenerate
neighbourhoods and support
communities across the UK.
Over the next few years
Sanctuary will be building
5,000 homes across England
and Scotland, at a total cost
of £750 million. With this level
of investment, we believe that
we have an ideal opportunity
to create a positive impact in
the communities where we
operate. This will be the biggest
development programme that
Sanctuary has embarked upon
and we’re pulling out all the
stops.
We will be creating well
designed, environmentally
sustainable homes where
people want to live, as well as
creating employment at the
heart of our neighbourhoods.
In short, we will be building
communities, not just
properties.
ev•o•lu•tion
[ev-uh-loo-shuhn] noun
A gradual process in which
something changes into a
different and usually more
complex or better form.
rev•o•lu•tion
[rev-uh-loo-shuhn] noun
A sudden, complete or
marked change in something.
Key facts
¡¡ The Homes and
Communities Agency has
awarded Sanctuary
£90 million as part of its
2011-2015 Affordable
Homes Programme.
¡¡ The Scottish Government
and Glasgow City
Council have allocated
£10 million to us to build
more affordable homes
in Dundee, Glasgow,
Cumbernauld and Paisley.
Evolution
or revolution?
We think there’s room
for both approaches.
Development
CASE
STUDY Millbrook House extra care scheme, Soham, Cambridgeshire
Sanctuary’s new extra care scheme in
Cambridgeshire opened its doors this year.
Millbrook House, which is located in the heart
of Soham, offers residents the independence of
living in their own home with the security of round
the clock care and support. It has a spacious
communal lounge and restaurant, which is a hub
for social activity, as well as a library, hairdressing
salon, shop and coffee lounge.
The new extra care scheme provides 87 fully
wheelchair accessible flats, two bungalows and
three chalets for the over 55s.
The design of the building was inspired by the
region’s long tradition of mill buildings and it
reflects the imagery and character of the maltings
in the surrounding area.
The scheme incorporates a combined heat and
power unit, green roof and rainwater harvesting
technology, which all helped secure it BREEAM
Multi-Residential ‘Excellent’ rating.
Development programme
3332

CASE
STUDY Sustainable homes in Eco Bicester
Sanctuary has been working in partnership with Cherwell District
Council and contractors Mansell, to deliver a £3.3 million affordable
housing project in Bicester.
The development, which is part funded by the Homes and
Communities Agency, will set a new standard for sustainability in
Cherwell District and will deliver 23 energy efficient homes on Chapel
Street in Bicester.
The scheme, known as Bryan House, will comprise a mix of rented and
shared ownership homes which will all be built to Levels 4 and 5 of the
Code for Sustainable Homes and will incorporate a range of energy
and water efficient features including solar photovoltaic roof tiles, triple
glazed windows, rainwater harvesting and high levels of insulation.
The scheme forms part of the wider Eco Bicester initiative and
will incorporate both modern and traditional materials in a design
in-keeping with its conservation area location.
The project forms part of our commitment to providing high quality,
affordable housing that meets the needs of local people.
Housing developments – environmental standards
Considerate
construction
Sanctuary is a ‘Client Partner’ of
the Considerate Constructors
Scheme (CCS), an initiative
founded by the construction
industry to raise standards
across a number of working
practices. As a client partner we
ask all our contractors to sign up
to the scheme and achieve full
compliance with the scheme’s
Code of Considerate Practice.
Eco
Homes
Pass
Eco
Homes
Good
Eco
Homes
Very
Good
Eco
Homes
Excellent
Code
Level 3
Code
Level 4
Code
Level 5
Scottish
Building
Standards
Total
Number of units
2009/10
0 86 227 0 150 0 0 237 700
Number of units
2010/11
11 0 30 13 210 0 0 247 511
Number of units
2011/12
0 2 59 0 259 41 2 151 514
Construction waste
We think that it’s important to
work with contractors to cut the
amount of construction waste
we send to landfill.
Sanctuary has been
participating in the Waste and
Resources Action Programme’s
Halving Waste to Landfill
initiative in order to monitor
and reduce our waste. We set
ourselves a target of diverting
80 per cent of waste away from
landfill by 2013 by recycling
and reusing it. This year we are
pleased to announce that we
have not only met our target, we
exceeded it – a year ahead of
schedule!
Constructing a more sustainable future
We build properties to a variety of different environmental standards,
depending on the type of building, where it is located and how it is funded.
This year, we built 43 homes to Code Levels 4 and 5. As part of the new
development programme we will be seeking to push the boundaries even
further to build more homes to higher environmental standards.
These are the highest
standards we have built to
during this programme
Year % of waste diverted from landfill
Baseline 68%
2010/11 77%
2011/12 81%
Construction waste diverted from landfill
This is the amount
of waste we reuse or
recycle. The higher
the percentage the
better!
Sustainable construction
3534

CASE
STUDY Donaldson Court, Miller Road, Banbury
Sanctuary has completed a
pioneering self-build project
at Miller Road in Banbury. The
scheme, which was carried out
in partnership with Southwark
Habitat for Humanity,
Cherwell District Council,
Oxford and Cherwell Valley
College and Connexions, saw
the construction of ten one
bedroom maisonettes by a mix
of skilled sub-contractors and
young people from the local
community.
The £1.2 million project
provided training opportunities
for 30 young people, aged
16 to 25, currently not in
education, employment
or training. They received
instruction in carpentry,
plumbing, bricklaying and
other skills and studied
towards an Open College
Network Level 1 Award while
working on the development.
Employment and
training
Creating training
and employment
opportunities
As a social enterprise we take
our responsibility for improving
the lives of people in the
communities where we operate
very seriously, and this extends
to providing employment and
training opportunities. We
achieve this by working in
partnership with our contractors
as well as running a number of
successful training schemes
ourselves.
Constructing
a better future
During the last year Sanctuary
has been responsible for the
construction of over 500 new
homes. This has enabled us
to work with our development
partners to ensure that the
money we are spending also
helps create apprenticeships
and jobs for young people.
The results speak for
themselves. In 2010/11 we
created or maintained 72
apprenticeships. Over the last
year this has increased to 115
apprenticeships, together with
a further 34 training and other
placements.
Skills area Apprentices
Bricklaying 27
Electrical 10
Groundwork 7
Joinery 34
Plastering 3
Plumbing 14
Others 20
Total 115
Apprentices
Trainees
Skills area Trainees and
placements
Site manager 3
Surveyor 4
Site experience 26
Resident
liaison officer 1
Total 34
CASE
STUDY Apprentices help to give homes
new lease of life
Young apprentices working on a refurbishment project
in Stoke were given the chance to gain new skills while
helping to bring run-down homes back into use.
Sanctuary worked in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent
City Council and contractors CJ Bayley to refurbish 79
homes in the Hanley City Centre South area and bring
them back into use with the help of ten trainees.
The £9 million scheme provided young people with
valuable work experience while increasing the amount
of social housing available in the area.
CASE
STUDY Ardler Village Trust
Employability Project
Sanctuary has teamed up
with partners in Dundee to
help tackle unemployment
by assisting local people into
work. The Ardler Village Trust
(AVT) Employability Project
is a 12-week course where
participants combine retail
or administration training
with experience in a real-life
workplace. The programme
targets unemployed residents
including young people, single
parents and those with health
issues returning to the labour
market. The scheme has
been jointly funded by AVT,
Sanctuary Scotland, Dundee
City Council and the Scottish
Government’s Wider Role
Fund.
Employmentandtraining
3736

Opportunities at Sanctuary
We believe that our strength
as an organisation lies in the
quality of our people, so we
offer a range of opportunities
to attract new talent to our
business.
Graduate scheme
Sanctuary’s graduate
programme is designed to
give entrants an opportunity to
explore different parts of our
business and develop the skills
they need to become future
leaders. The programme is now
in its third year of operation and
continues to attract high quality
candidates.
For more information on our apprenticeship programme
please visit our apprenticeship website at
www.sanctuary-apprenticeships.co.uk
Promoting apprenticeships
We have been really impressed by the quality and calibre of our
apprentices and have been pro-active in promoting the benefits of the
scheme to other businesses.
A number of events have taken place over the past year which have
seen our apprentices speak at local colleges, network with other
young people and even meet with The Secretary of State for Work and
Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith MP.
“Sanctuary’s graduate scheme has continually presented
me with new challenges. I have had the opportunity to visit
operations all over the UK, spending quality time with staff
members in their operational roles. It has been incredibly eye-
opening to see the range of functions within the organisation
and how they connect to each other.”
Lucy, graduate trainee
“Coming to work for Sanctuary as an apprentice was the best
decision I ever made – the organisation really looks after its
employees and rewards hard work and loyalty.”
Sam, apprentice
Employmentandtraining
CASE
STUDY Care homes
welcome graduate
trainees on board
Sanctuary Care has welcomed
four bright young graduates into
its homes as part of the National
Graduate Management Trainee
Scheme. We are just one of 15
organisations chosen to host
trainees as part of the scheme,
which is run by the National Skills
Academy for Social Care. The
trainees are working in our care
homes while studying towards
the Institute of Leadership and
Management Level 4 qualification
in management, enabling them to
get valuable hands-on experience
while they learn.
For more information on our graduate programme please visit
our graduate website at www.sanctuary-graduates.co.uk
Apprenticeship
scheme
Sanctuary’s apprenticeship
scheme has continued to
expand in the past year, with
programmes available in a
wide variety of business areas
ranging from accountancy to
horticulture, and from health
and social care to maintenance.
These offer apprentices
the opportunity to study for
practical qualifications while
undertaking an active role in the
business and gaining valuable
work experience. This year, over
20 per cent of our apprentices
are at an advanced level (NVQ
Level 3 or above).
Internal apprenticeships
Year No. of apprentices
2009/10 14
2010/11 49
2011/12 84
3938

Investing in our people
Working at Sanctuary
Sanctuary employs over 8,000
people in a variety of different
roles based in locations across
the UK. While our employees
are delivering our core business,
we are ensuring that Sanctuary
is a great place to work. We do
this by rewarding excellence
and providing opportunities
for progression, learning and
development.
We aim to attract quality staff
from all walks of life and all
backgrounds by encouraging
a workplace culture where
diversity is valued and
promoted.
With this number of employees,
and the range of skills,
experience and qualifications
they possess, we are in a strong
position to deliver the high
quality service our customers
expect.
Number of employees
Year Total
employees
2009/10 5,823
2010/11 7,458
2011/12 8,103
Employee breakdown
This year, we employed 8,103
employees across the business
as follows.
Business area No. of
employees
Development 121
Corporate
Services 552
Management
Services 264
Maintenance
Services 846
Care 5,287
Housing 1,033
Group total 8,103
Recognising and
developing our
employees
Sanctuary provides a
comprehensive rewards
and benefits package to
employees which includes a
pension scheme, an employee
assistance programme,
family friendly benefits and
discounts at high street
retailers. We also have a
learning and development
team which offers a wide
range of courses to enable
staff to develop personally and
professionally. These include
personal development courses,
management and leadership
programmes, IT courses and
recognised qualifications in
care, catering, housing and
supported housing.
Learning and
development
For the last three years, the
number of delegates attending
courses was as follows:
Year No. of delegates
2009/10 14,396
2010/11 14,205
2011/12 15,262
Our approach
Our objective is to create
an inclusive and supportive
working environment where
people are valued and their
potential fulfilled.
¡¡ ensuring that each
employee is given the
opportunity to fulfil
their potential.
¡¡ developing and maintaining
a culture of mutual respect,
where diversity is
recognised and our
employees are valued.
Investors in People
Investors in People (IiP) is
an internationally recognised
standard which aims to ensure
that businesses make the best
use of their employees. It is
respected as a benchmark of
good practice and is an effective
measure of how an organisation
maximises the contribution
of its workforce. This year, a
further two parts of our business
were reaccredited under the IiP
scheme – Rochford Housing
and Sanctuary Management
Services.
Investinginourpeople
4140

Health and safety
We are committed to
maintaining the highest
standards of health and
safety, in order to create a
safe and healthy workplace
and to minimise the risk of
accidents and injuries at work.
Who does what?
Our health and safety team
is responsible for managing
health and safety across the
Group. They ensure that we
have appropriate policies
and procedures in place, as
well as providing support
and assistance to teams and
monitoring and recording
incidents.
Accident statistics
Sanctuary’s approach is to record all incidents that have the potential
to result in injury. This includes non-injury incidents. The statistics
below show reportable accidents in our workplace.
Calendar year No. of employees No. of reported accidents RIDDOR
2009 5,823 632 27
2010 7,458 625 35
2011 8,103 772 57
Improved reporting
We have made a number of
changes to the way we manage
health and safety over the last
year. In particular, we have
focused on raising awareness
of the importance of incident
reporting among our employees
so that everyone understands
their roles and responsibilities.
This has resulted in a rise in the
number of accidents which have
been reported, which will help
us to address any issues more
effectively.
Management
Sanctuary is implementing
OHSAS 180001, an
independently recognised
standard for managing health
and safety risks. Sanctuary
Care has completed a pre-
assessment which has reported
that its systems and processes
are looking good and is now
progressing to the next stage
of the certification process. We
hope to accredit all parts of our
business with the standard in
the future.
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases
and Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations 1995 – These
regulations tell organisations
what they need to report and
when.
Give As You Earn
Sanctuary employees can choose to donate to charity through our Give As You Earn
payroll giving scheme. Any donations made through the scheme are tax-free so the charity chosen receives
both the donation and the tax that would have been paid on the amount given.
Calendar year Donors % of staff Charities benefiting Total amount raised
2009 50 1% (Bronze award) 49 £11,873.00
2010 70 1% (Bronze award) 69 £14,771.00
2011 65 1% (Bronze award) 62 £12,137.25
Employee charitable giving
Our employees do a lot to raise money and awareness for charity. Here are a few highlights:
CASE
STUDY Maggs Day
Centre, Worcester
In 2011, staff at Sanctuary’s
Worcester offices nominated
a local homeless charity to
benefit from their support.
Maggs Day Centre is an
open-door, free-access day
centre in Worcester, catering
for anyone who is homeless,
isolated or lonely. The centre
provides food, shelter,
washing and laundry facilities,
as well as clothing, bedding,
domestic items and support
services for those in need.
Employees played ‘secret
Santa’ at Christmas,
collecting new gifts, food
and toiletries to support the
centre’s work.
CASE
STUDY A woodland sanctuary
An area of native woodland has been preserved thanks to the
fundraising efforts of Sanctuary employees, who collected over £500
for the Woodland Trust.
Half an acre of Pepper Wood, located near Bromsgrove in
Worcestershire, will be planted and maintained by the charity on
behalf of our staff who each donated £1 to dress in green for a day
during this year’s Climate Week celebrations.
The half acre will be combined with our existing plot of land in the
wood, which was sponsored by Sanctuary last year.
Investinginourpeople
4342

Fairness for all
Our equality scheme is called
‘Fairness for all’. It covers our
functions as an employer and
our role as a service provider,
weaving equality, diversity and
human rights into the way we
plan, develop and deliver all our
services.
The scheme is underpinned by
a detailed action plan which is
developed and monitored by the
Equality and Diversity Working
Group. We report our progress
against this plan yearly.
Social Housing Equality
Framework
The Social Housing Equality
Framework is a performance
and improvement tool to help
housing associations self-
regulate diversity and
equality. It is designed to help
organisations work out how
well they are doing and how
to improve their performance
even further.
We have been using this tool
over the last year to assess
our performance and have
successfully achieved the first
level of the Framework. We
are now working towards the
second level, ready for external
assessment next year.
Three versions of
‘Fairness for all’ have
been produced, a full version,
a summary and an easy
read version, which are all
available on the diversity
pages of our website at
www.sanctuary-group.co.uk
Equality and diversity
Diversity data
These charts show the diversity
of our employees. We have
increased the amount of
diversity information captured
over the last twelve months
and will continue to make
improvements to our data
collection, so this will remain a
priority for the forthcoming year.
What’s it got to do
with you?
Sanctuary collects a lot of
information, including data on
the age, race, sexuality, religion,
gender and disability of our staff
and customers. This comes with
a number of responsibilities,
not only to store the information
safely and ensure that it does
not get into the wrong hands
but also to explain to people
why we are collecting it.
This year we have provided
guidance on why we collect this
data to our staff and customers
so that when we are asked
‘What’s it got to do with you?’
we can explain how we are
using this information to make
our services better.
Staff age Staff religion
19 and under
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60 and over
2011/12
2.2%
1.9%
19.4%
18.9%
21.5%
20.8%
26.4%
26.8%
21.9%
21.9%
8.9%
9.4%
2010/11
Equalityanddiversity
%
Buddhist 0.3
Christian 34.2
Hindu 0.9
Jewish 0.1
Muslim 1.6
Sikh 0.4
No religion 11
Other 1.3
Not known /
Declined to state 50.2
2011/12 2010/11 2009/10
% of staff % of staff % of staff
Black or minority ethnic 24.1 25.0 25.19
Disabled 4.4 5.1 1.9
Female 73.9 74.2 75.2
Lesbian, gay or bisexual 1.2 4.19 -
Sanctuary is committed
to ensuring that equality,
diversity and human rights
are integrated into the way
we plan, develop and deliver
all our services. This isn’t just
good news for our employees
and our customers, it’s an
essential part of the way we
operate.
4544

What we have achieved
We have achieved a lot over the last twelve months
and this report sets out just a few of the activities and
initiatives which have taken place. We have continued
to work on the aims and objectives which we reported
on last year, including improving our processes for
data capture and expanding the range of opportunities
available for residents to get involved with our
business.
Not all our objectives will be achieved overnight but we
are confident that we are on a forward trajectory which
will see us steadily improve our performance over the
next few years.
Awards and achievements
Success is judged on much more than receiving
awards but it’s always good to be recognised for the
work we do. Here is a selection of the awards we have
received over the last year.
Sanctuary Care was awarded the runner-up spot
in the Innovator in Animal Welfare Award at the
RSPCA’s annual Community Animal Welfare
Footprints Awards 2011. The awards recognise the
hard work and commitment of those who improve
animal welfare in their area of work. Sanctuary
Care’s homes now boast a large and varied
selection of animals including cats, dogs, guinea-
pigs and fish.
Sanctuary’s innovative Hele’s Angels community
partnership project in Torbay was shortlisted for
the National Housing Federation’s ‘What we are
proud of’ awards. The project, which is run in
partnership with Torbay Council brings together
a range of community organisations to work with
residents to help address local issues including
crime, unemployment and antisocial behaviour.
The University of Dundee’s student
accommodation, managed and
operated by Sanctuary Management
Services, has been voted best in
Scotland and second best in the UK.
Sanctuary Scotland’s
Linwood regeneration
won the ‘Best
Regeneration Project’
award at The Herald
Property Awards for
Scotland 2011. The
£26 million project
saw the creation
of 190 new family
homes on seven
brownfield sites in
an ambitious project
in partnership with
Renfrewshire Council
and the Scottish
Government.
Whatwehaveachieved
Sanctuary Care’s Rosary Nursing
Home joined an elite group of care
homes after attaining a nationally
recognised accreditation of
excellence. The Gold Standards
Framework (GSF) Award is only
given to care homes which can
demonstrate that they provide very
high standards of end-of-life care to
their residents.
4746

115 apprenticeships
created or maintained
by working in
partnership with
our development
contractors
384 households
benefiting from
fuel savings
workshops
Summary statistics Plans for the future
What does the future hold?
Life is a journey and things at Sanctuary never stand still. That’s a good
thing because it means we are always looking to improve the ways in
which we work. Over the next year we have a number of priorities. We
will be developing a new asset management strategy for our existing
homes to ensure that they are energy efficient and cost effective to run
and will be trialling different types of renewable technologies in more
depth to establish which ones work best for our residents.
We will also be creating further opportunities through Sanctuary’s two
newest companies, Sanctuary Green Technologies and Sanctuary
Maintenance, both of which present great prospects for the future.
Environmental and community initiatives, new and improved services,
and jobs and training opportunities are just some of the benefits our
customers can expect to see.
It’s going to be a busy year but we are looking forward to getting
started on the work which lies ahead.
Over £1m
secured in
benefits for
residents
£630,646
invested in
communities
£300 million
bond issue, which
we will be using
to build more
affordable
homes
695young
people and over 665
adults taking an active
part in community
activities, volunteering
and training
62 charities
benefiting from
our Give As
You Earn
scheme
£100-£200
average savings per
household for residents
whose properties
have been fitted
with solar panels8,103 people
employed by
Sanctuary
514units of
accommodation built
over the last year
Whatwehaveachieved
4948

There’s only so much we can fit into one report so
if you’d like any more information about anything
you’ve read, please let us know by emailing:
sustainability@sanctuary-housing.co.uk
Or write to us at:
Sanctuary Group
Chamber Court
Castle Street
Worcester
WR1 3ZQ
Tel: 01905 334000
Fax: 01905 334958
Want to find out more?
5150

Sanctuary Group
Chamber Court
Castle Street
Worcester
WR1 3ZQ
Tel: 01905 334000
Fax: 01905 334958
Sanctuary Group is a trading name of Sanctuary Housing Association, an exempt charity
Registered office: Chamber Court, Castle Street, Worcester WR1 3ZQ
Registered as a provider of social housing with the Homes and Communities Agency No. L0247
Industrial & Provident Society No. 19059R
Published: August 2012
This report can be translated into other languages,
large print and Braille or recorded onto an audio
CD. Please contact the Sanctuary Group office
below for details.

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