The SCSA, established in April 2023, aims to identify sustainability opportunities and share best practice across the social care sector. It brings together senior leaders from across the sector to accelerate progress on sustainability and ESG.
The 15-page report sets out the commercial arguments for investing in sustainable growth within social care. In a powerful summary at the start it states that short term head winds must not deflect from long term sustainable growth and that it is not a choice between economy and ecology or between sustainability and profitability.
The report highlights how the pressure to deliver on sustainability will result in all operators having to comply with new legislation and regulatory requirements.
For example, the Care Quality Commission’s new Single Assessment Framework introduces a new Environmental sustainability – sustainable development criteria to the inspection regime. Care providers will need to be able to show and evidence that “We understand any negative impact of our activities on the environment, and we strive to make a positive contribution in reducing it and support people to do the same.”
The Alliance’s report aims to provide those seeking to embark on or to deepen the sustainability journeys within their social care organisations with clear evidence to persuade executive and board teams of the financial as well as moral arguments for embracing sustainability at the heart of their organisation.
As well as setting out the challenges the sector faces, and there are many covered for readers, the report includes case studies from care providers of the changes that they have implemented which have both advanced sustainability but also improved their businesses.
For example, Eden Futures has initiated an employee survey to ascertain current commuting to and from work; this information will be used to inform their strategy to address and reduce their carbon footprint and enable measured and meaningful targets for reductions. Voyage Care’s Misson Zero behavioural change and engagement campaign to drive engagement and awareness of initiatives is set out towards the end of the report too.
The report ends with a call to operators to embrace a more sustainable growth model and seize the range of opportunities available to social care organisations rather than waiting for regulatory compliance.
You can also listen to Jonathan Freeman, the founder of the Sustainability Alliance and Steve Fergus of Barclays discuss the sustainability agenda with me earlier this year here.
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