Foundations magazine - Issue 30

Z House Leading the future of sustainable living in our industry-first zero carbon concept home Page 8

Keeping people safe

The Big Interview

Supporting our employees

Remembering the essentials with 5 Steps to Safety

We speak to Laura Lloyd, Regional Finance Director for West Region about her new role

Find out about the growing network of Mental Health First Aiders in our business

Page 10/11

Page 22

Page 7

Issue 30 Winter 2021/22

FOUNDATIONS FOUNDATIONS

Welcome to issue 30

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

We had a fantastic year in 2021, despite some of the challenges posed by COVID, and I want to thank everyone for your hard work and commitment for helping us achieve this.

Throughout this year and next as we continue to work towards our medium term target of building 20,000 homes a year, we must also maintain our focus on industry-leading quality and service and continue our profit margin improvements.

Last year we celebrated being awarded 5 Star status by our customers for the 12th year in a row, a record none of our competitors comes close to. To add to this, 93 of our site managers won Pride in the Job Quality Awards, with 31 of them going on to win Seal of Excellence, both incredible achievements. We were also proud to be named Sustainable Housebuilder of the Year at the Housebuilder Awards, recognising our success of being the first national housebuilder to set science-based carbon reduction targets.

At Barratt, we are committed to being the leading national sustainable housebuilder and last year we launched the Z House, an exciting flagship concept home that showcases zero carbon and the future of sustainable living. In this issue, you can find out more about the Z House and the crucial role it will play in making all of our housetypes zero carbon from 2030 onwards. There’s also a Building Sustainably update which takes a look at some of the initiatives in place across the business to help us reach our targets.

Samantha Cheesman Commercial Solicitor, GSC Rob Chilton Urban Designer, GSC Emma Evans Trainee Land Buyer, West Midlands Zoe Griffin Senior Communications Executive, GSC

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Katy Hamid Head of Employee Communications, GSC Tosin Kenogbon Technical graduate, Bristol Abigail Kinsey Land and Planning graduate, Mercia Anna Nichols Accountant, Southampton

Contents As we grow our business we need to focus on retaining our well-deserved reputation for always putting the interests of our customers first. We must all remember to keep them at the heart of our decisionmaking, and in this issue you can read about some of the changes we’re making to ensure we stay ahead, and also hear from some of our customers.

The health and wellbeing of our employees continues to be a priority at Barratt, and in the past year we have expanded our network of Mental Health First Aiders across the business to offer our people support, and you can find out more about this and hear from some of our newly trained colleagues. The issue also looks at the 5 Steps to Safety and the role that everyone plays in keeping themselves and others safe.

I want to thank each and every one of you again for your continued dedication and commitment. I know the past year has been particularly hard for some of you, and I would like to remind everyone to look for the health and wellbeing support they need. I’m confident that we can build on the progress we’ve made in the past six months and enjoy another successful year.

You’ll hear from a number of other colleagues in the issue, including some of those who celebrated long service milestones last year, as well as the team at BD Living. In the Big Interview, Laura Lloyd, who was promoted to Regional Finance Director for West region last year, shares details about her journey at Barratt and her new role.

David Thomas

2 / WELCOME TO ISSUE 30

Editorial team

Chief Executive

2 4/5 6

Welcome To Foundations issue 30

7

Keeping people safe Remembering the essentials with 5 Steps to Safety

8

Z House How we’re leading the industry to deliver the future of sustainable housing

9

Doing the right thing for our customers A look at some of the measures we’re introducing this year

10/11

The Big Interview We speak to Laura Lloyd, Regional Finance Director for West Region about her new role

12

Team Golden Bricks A final update from our 2020 graduates and their fundraising initiatives

13

Celebrating long service Hear from some of our colleagues and see who has celebrated in the past six months

14/15

Supporting charities and communities An update from the Barratt Foundation and reminders about our Group-wide charity initiatives

16

An update from the Workforce Forum We find out about their latest meeting and include details of how you can get in touch with them

17

Meet the team We speak to the team at BD Living about the role they play in the business

What’s new?

News from around the business Promoting diversity and inclusion Our focus on gender equality and the steps we’re taking

18/19

Projects roundup A tour of our latest developments and the new communities we’re creating

20

Improving our ways of working We share details of the business change projects taking place throughout Barratt

21

Delighting our customers We hear from a couple of our customers and find out how they’ve found their dream homes on our developments

22

Supporting our employees We hear from members of our growing network of Mental Health First Aiders and the role they play

23

Building Sustainably How we’re trying to become the leading national sustainable housebuilder and the role you play

24/25

Celebrating our teams A look at our 2021 Customer First Awards and Great Places Award winners

26

My Barratt Benefits A reminder about the new benefits platform and the offers available to employees

27

Supporting your health and wellbeing Our plans for 2022 and the role we can all play to improve our overall health and wellbeing

28

And finally Caption competition, prize crossword plus share your views

CONTENTS / 3

FOUNDATIONS

What’s new?

Celebrating awards success across the business

Gladman joins the Barratt Group In January, Barratt acquired Gladman, the UK’s leading land promoter. Gladman brings a very well-respected and hugely experienced team, as well as an excellent track record of realising the potential of high quality residential development opportunities across the country.

Combining Gladman’s excellent land sourcing and promotion capabilities with our best-in-class housebuilding operations will further strengthen our business as we work towards building 20,000 high quality homes per year.

Gladman will operate as a stand-alone business within the Group and will continue to supply land to third parties. They will also provide an additional route for us to source strategic land and help to promote Barratt’s existing strategic land portfolio.

As in 2019 when we welcomed Oregon to the Barratt Group, welcoming Gladman to the business underlines our strength and ambition to continue to lead the future of housebuilding – and we’re sure everyone will join in welcoming our new colleagues to the business.

As we continue to look for ways to improve our business as a place to work based on your feedback, we have introduced three new benefits in 2022.

We have also increased the number of volunteer days colleagues can take from one to two days per year. This is in recognition that being able to support charities and causes that matter to you is important for our people.

To better support our people, we are extending private medical cover to all colleagues, giving more than 4,600 colleagues the opportunity to receive cover provided by Barratt. This will be a new private medical insurance to many of our colleagues, with the cover starting on 1 February 2022, and forms part of our continual efforts to enhance our benefits and to help improve all colleagues’ overall health and wellbeing. We really do listen to and act on your feedback, so thank you to everyone who shared their views on working at Barratt in the recent engagement survey.

Welcome to our new Chief Financial Officer In December, we were delighted to welcome Mike Scott to the business, who joins as an Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer.

Mike joins us from Countryside Properties PLC where he was Chief Financial Officer, having joined Countryside as Group Financial Controller in 2014. He brings with him a deep understanding of the housebuilding industry alongside significant experience having held a number of senior finance roles at Sainsbury’s. Mike is a great fit for our business and is really looking forward to meeting you all in due course.

He will work closely with our experienced management team to reinforce our position as the country's leading housebuilder, whilst driving further value creation through a continued focus on our medium-term targets.

4 / WHAT'S NEW?

At the Housebuilder Awards, we were delighted to be named Sustainable Housebuilder of the Year, recognising our success of being the first national housebuilder to set science-based carbon reduction targets.

We were also awarded Large Developer (more than 1,000 units) at the RESI Awards 2021, recognising the residential property sector and its successes. Among the shortlisted companies in the same category were Taylor Wimpey, Redrow and Ballymore, so it’s a great achievement to have taken the top spot!

Congratulations to all our teams and colleagues across the business who have recently been recognised throughout the awards season

Congratulations to our Pride in the Job finalists Congratulations to five of our Site Managers who went through to the national finals of the NHBC Pride in the Job awards, from more than 11,000 site managers across the UK.

New employee benefits The additional special day’s holiday has been introduced from the 2022 holiday year onwards, and will allow colleagues to take a day off for their birthday, or any day special to them.

This means that we will be permanently adding one day to everyone’s current annual entitlement (pro-rated for those working part-time), effective 1 January 2022.

Over the past few months, we’ve been proud to receive a number awards which demonstrate our commitment to lead the future of housebuilding by putting customers at the heart of everything we do, and are a true testament to the hard work of our colleagues.

A special mention goes to Henry Patecki (East Midlands), who was named runner up in the Large Builder category at the Supreme Awards ceremony in January, making this the seventh year in a row one of our site managers has been named runner up or won the top award.

Congratulations also goes to our other finalists, Matt Annalls (Southampton), Paul Cromey (Bristol), Steve Jordan (Manchester) and Shaun Quinn (East Scotland) who were all Regional Award Winners in their areas and were also in the running for the Supreme Award in the Large Builder category.

Last year our Site Managers won a total of 93 Quality Awards in the first round of the competition, more than any other housebuilder for the 17th year in a row, with 31 going on to receive Seal of Excellence Awards in the next round.

Winning a Pride in the Job award is the highest industry accolade a site manager can receive, and demonstrates how our site teams, subcontractors and suppliers work together to achieve high standards. It also gives added reassurance to buyers that they are purchasing a topquality new home.

Our 2021 Gender Pay Gap Report In November we published our gender pay gap for 2021 which showed that our pay gap has continued to reduce with our 2021 mean gap at 6.2%, remaining below the national average of 13.5%.

Although our gender pay gap is smaller than the current average for UK businesses, we remain committed to closing the gap and improving the male/female ratio across Barratt, by delivering against our Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan. To demonstrate this, there has been a number of updates in the past year, including the launch of new employee networks, an increase in the number of women on our succession plan, and we’ve launched the third year of our career development programme for high potential female employees, Catalyst.

We have also introduced hybrid working, allowing colleagues to divide their time between the office, home and site.

Our people are at the heart of our business, and diversity and inclusion will continue to be a key priority for our business as we value everyone for who they are and the unique contribution they bring to customers, other colleagues and the communities we create. Last year we were joined by our new Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Gemma Webb, who will be supported by our Diversity and Inclusion Managers Becky Nicholls and Jo Clay to ensure we continue to drive our business forwards and build a more open and inclusive environment.

We recognise that a diverse team means a stronger, more dynamic business, is better for our customers, and makes us a more attractive employer, which is why our plans to increase diversity are constantly evolving. We’ll continue to share updates on the progress we’re making as well as how you can get involved, but please take some time to read the full gender pay gap report on our website.

WHAT'S NEW? / 5

FOUNDATIONS

Promoting diversity and inclusion Construction as an industry has traditionally had lower levels of diversity than the UK workforce, but at Barratt we recognise that a wide range of ideas, experiences and backgrounds means a stronger business, is better for our customers, and makes us a more attractive employer.

Our vision is to build without barriers, and one of our focuses is to drive increased gender diversity throughout the organisation. As part of our ongoing activities, we’re looking at how we can encourage women to choose a career in construction and remove the obstacles that might prevent them from achieving their potential. We spoke to several colleagues about the steps we’re taking as a business.

Becky Nicholls, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, said: “We have a way to go to balance our gender representation and we recognise the reasons for this are multi-faceted, but for the last three years we have seen our positive steps start to deliver results. We are now seeing more women across the business, including in management positions, and we have a higher percentage of female apprentices and graduates now than we ever have before.”

Our female leadership development programme, Catalyst, has been running for three years. It is open to anyone to apply, through a selfnomination process, with delegates attending workshops, seminars and joining panel discussions on topics like high performance, developing resilience and personal brand. We also match delegates with a reciprocal mentor and this approach has proved invaluable for both colleagues on the programme and leaders in the business.

However, we know we need to create a positive culture as well as specific opportunities. We have always encouraged flexible working, but we now work in a much more agile way with many of our colleagues adopting our hybrid approach that suits their own needs and enables them to perform at their best.

In 2018, we launched Under One Roof, our gender equality network, which is open to everyone in the business. An original group of ten people has now grown to more than 100 members.

6 / PROMOTING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Health and safety continues to be our number one priority, and this has been particularly important as we’ve responded to the pandemic with the measures we have in place to keep our colleagues, customers, sub-contractors and suppliers safe under constant review. While our teams across the business have adapted to different measures, it’s also vital that we don’t forget the basics.

‘ Our female leadership development programme, Catalyst, has been running for three years.’

“I never would have imagined such a development programme possible in a work place. For once, we are not defined by our roles or responsibilities we have. Instead, the focus is on our strengths and development opportunities based on our true selves, and the potential we hold as individuals. At times it feels like a personalised TED talk, I have never experienced anything like this before.”

Catalyst delegate and Sales Office Manager Giedre Kubiliute said:

Keeping people safe

Gaenor Aitken, Systems Trainer and Chair of Under One Roof, said: “The network has gone from strength to strength and we have had amazing conversations on everything from living with cancer, to menopause, to the use of gender neutral language. The network has enabled us to start having a greater voice in the business and get our ‘seat at the table’. More than anything though, it has been the relationships we have forged with each other that is our biggest success. We are there to support each other and offer advice where needed.”

We had to pause our normal community outreach work because of COVID, but we have started to link up with schools again. Our Southampton division now have a ‘Becky The Builder’ mascot who visits local primary schools and helps engage younger children and specifically girls to think about a career in construction.

Working on construction sites means exposure to hazardous and dangerous situations every day. This is why ensuring that we mitigate risks as much as we can is therefore fundamental, and an important principle for our business.

One of the ways we can all play our part is by using the 5 Steps to Safety, which promotes the importance of a safe working environment. The programme, which has been commended by the NHBC as a leading health and safety initiative in the industry, encourages positive behaviours and a culture of assessing risks prior to undertaking work activities.

5 Steps to Safety Initiatives like this have led to us achieving the maximum 5 Star status as part of the British Safety Council’s Occupational Health and Safety Audit and reflects our best practice in health and safety policies, processes and practices.

By using the 5 Steps to Safety every day, we can help to improve on areas like slips and trips which remain one of our biggest causes of reportable injuries. It’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure that conditions are appropriate and that good housekeeping is maintained. Teams on site need to make sure that sufficient provisions are made to enable a site to be kept tidy and walkways are flat and free of trip hazards.

With everyone’s help, we can work to reduce these preventable injuries and help keep everyone safe.

Watch our Chief Operating Officer, Steven Boyes, talk more about the 5 Steps to Safety

Steven Boyes

Becky The Builder’ mascot who visits local primary schools and helps engage younger children

Watch this short video to see what health and safety means to our colleagues KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE / 7

FOUNDATIONS

Doing the right thing for our customers

Z House

Following the recent launch of the New Homes Quality Code (NHQC, the ‘Code’), we are pleased to confirm that Barratt has begun the registration process to become a registered developer with the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB).

The thought process behind implementing these new changes is to develop a new industry code of practice that fills the gaps and improves upon existing consumer codes which in turn provide better protection for new build home purchasers.

In October we were proud to launch the Z House, a unique zero carbon concept home that showcases the future of the sustainable living in the UK. Climate change is one of our key business priorities, and in response we have stretching, sector-leading targets. We have committed to have all of our housetypes to be zero carbon from 2030 onwards, to be net zero in our operations by 2040, and were the first national housebuilder to set science-based targets.

The Z House, built on University of Salford’s main campus, is the first home in the country to be built by a major housebuilder that goes substantially beyond the Future Homes Standard. The home will test and monitor the most modern sustainable housing technology such as an air source heat pump, infrared panels, plaster that eliminates pollutants, a fridge that keeps food fresh for longer, heated skirting boards, air-powered showers, electric vehicle charging points, PV solar panels and battery storage.

Importantly, the home will also be lived in by university students in order to better understand the customer’s experience of zero carbon living.

Working together with our partners The Z House, built using modern methods of construction, is part-funded by government and has been developed in partnership with over 40 leading organisations from across the housebuilding, sustainability and technology sectors, helping to broaden knowledge with lessons learnt shared across the industry. This includes organisations such as GTC, British Gypsum, Octopus, Nissan and Mitsubishi, plus a host of other important suppliers.

8 / Z HOUSE

Watch this short video to see how the Z House was built and to find out about the different technology used

Our vision at Barratt is to put the customer at the heart of everything we do, and with the introduction of the new Code, we welcome this opportunity to drive standards across the customer journey for all housebuilders. We are incredibly proud to be industry leaders in quality and customer service, and many of the new standards that are being introduced have been part of how we operate for some time, so it’s vital that we maintain our focus and continue to lead the way.

The Code provides: A statement of fundamental principles which

Registered Developers agree to apply in their business and dealings with customers D etails of practical steps expected to be complied with at each stage of the new home sale process.

Launching the Z House, alongside being awarded Sustainable Housebuilder of the Year, is significant in our ambition to look after the environment in a sustainable way for future generations, whilst also delivering the homes this country urgently needs.

If you want to find out more about the Z House, you can visit our PLC website

On occasions where our customers do experience issues, we need to work together to put them right quickly, and resolve complaints and defects within 30 days. Wherever possible we must strive to reach a resolution rather than prolonging matters and escalating via the New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS), which is being introduced to provide dispute resolution and to determine complaints by buyers of new build homes against developers. The Ombudsman’s approach will be to assess complaints by considering fairness.

Sets out requirements for a fair reservation agreement, including a ‘cooling off’ period; and sales contract requirements.

Enhancing biodiversity Outside of the Z House there is a biodiversity garden featuring swift bricks and bat boxes, a wildlife pond, hedgehog highways and green wall. The team are using experts from RSPB and Barratt to promote wildlife and nature at the house, with the garden achieving a gold rating from RSPB. By 2023 we will further prioritise wildlife on all new developments by creating dedicated spaces for local biodiversity conservation, installing a range of wildlifefriendly features including hedgehog hideaways and swift nesting sites. Beyond 2023, our goal is to have at least 10% more wildlife habitats in and around developments, delivering a clear biodiversity net gain across the country.

Every aspect of a new home purchase will now be covered, from initial enquiry and reservation to two years after completion. The new Code aims to build upon and improve existing protections covering the marketing, sales, construction, quality inspection and after-sales processes, with an important focus of the Code to ensure all customers are treated fairly. One way we can do this is by putting ourselves in the customer’s shoes and try to see things from their point of view.

Protect vulnerable customers, prohibiting high pressure selling; requires any deposits the customer pays to their builder to be protected.

Ensure the continuation of Fairness, Quality, Service, Transparency and Inclusivity.

Key points of the Code Registered Developers must have an effective after-sales service in place to deal with snagging issues and a comprehensive complaints process.

Ensuring that a new home is complete so that buyers are not moving until the property is ready for them to occupy.

Requires the developers to provide all relevant information about the home during the sales process –allowing them to make an informed decision about their purchase.

We will go live later in the year under the remit of the new Code once training is complete and systems and processes have been updated, this phase is called ‘activation’. We will be working across divisions to ensure a smooth transition as we follow these new requirements. We will share further details about planned ‘activation’ dates, changes to policies and procedures and our training programme in due course.

DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR CUSTOMERS / 9

FOUNDATIONS

The Big Interview Laura Lloyd

Biography Regional Finance Director, West Region (Sep 21 - present)

Where are you from?

Bristol, born and bred!

Director in Charge (May 21 – Jun 21)

Three things to know about you…

I have two little girls, Lexi aged 8 and Lacie aged 5, I love Prosecco and I love going to the gym.

Finance Director, Barratt Bristol (2015 – 2021) Finance Manager, Barratt Bristol (2012 – 2015)

Originally joining the business as a Barratt Bristol Placement Student 16 years ago, Laura Lloyd has been recently promoted to Regional Finance Director for the West region. Now, we find out more about Laura’s journey within Barratt, her new role and her experience as a Catalyst mentor.

Financial Accountant, Barratt Bristol (2010 – 2012) Assistant Accountant, Barratt Bristol (2006 – 2010)

Being involved with all of the different teams I work with is the best part of this job.

What is your role at Barratt and how long have you worked here?

I have been Regional Finance Director for the West region since 1 September 2021. In my new role, I support our Bristol, South West and Exeter divisions – quite the change from my previous divisional role. I’ve witnessed our targets double in 16 years, as well as working in offices that originally only had one computer for the whole team!

I have worked at the company for 16 years, originally joining as a Placement Student, which preceded the Graduate Programme at Barratt. As a business student at the University of Plymouth, I was drawn to the financial side of my course and its connections to the commercial aspect of businesses. Working my way up through the Finance department, my director at the time gave me a lot of high level duties and responsibilities, which helped my personal and knowledge base grow throughout my placement period.

Following my Placement Year, I completed my Business Degree and subsequently returned as an Assistant Accountant once I’d graduated. To further my understanding, I also took additional finance qualifications for three years, to become a Chartered Accountant. Once again I felt drawn to the commercial side of finance, particularly when it came to calculating and achieving forecasted figures and targeted profits.

This then led to my promotion to Finance Manager and subsequently Finance Director for Barratt Bristol.

10 / THE BIG INTERVIEW LAURA LLOYD

I have been fortunate to have really supportive line managers who have helped develop me throughout my Barratt career.

What are the key changes in your regional role?

I work as part of the Regional Finance team, circulating updates and feedback to the relevant division. I now offer more of a mentoring role to support the three divisions in my region, with a particular focus on helping the Land and Commercial teams. I find I don’t get involved with the details of every task and decision anymore, but provide assistance for the bigger picture for my divisions.

Currently, with the strong position we’re in within the housing market, a key focus we have is to buy more land for the region and for the business.

What are the main elements of your job that you’re responsible for?

The main element would be ‘Compliance and control’, to ensure that everyone is following our guidelines, to protect ourselves and the business. I attend a lot of meetings, where I review and check that these guidelines are being followed in the same way. I naturally value routine and organisation, however, my new role has varying work structures each day so I can be called in for guidance unpredictably. This means I have to be flexible and adapt to changing schedules.

Favourite subject at school?

Surprisingly, my favourite subject was Religious Education, where I was introduced to different aspects of cultures and traditions that I hadn’t learnt about before. As a people-person, this really interested me, as I enjoy interacting with people in and out of the workplace. I was fortunate to understand different cultures and people which was very eye opening and rewarding.

Placement Year, Barratt Bristol (2004 – 2005)

Favourite thing to do at the weekend?

My ideal weekend would include some downtime with my family and a gym workout, followed by a Prosecco session with my friends!

Additional Training

Ketchup or mayo on chips?

Mayo!

Qualified as Chartered Accountant in 2009 (3 years study)

Being involved with all of the different teams I work with is the best part of this job. I always find it interesting to see how different teams work together and find solutions to their issues.

place for women who want to develop as they progress through the business. It provides a safe environment to be open and honest with each other and I believe it’s a great opportunity to breed positivity in individuals.

What challenges have you faced and had to overcome recently in your role?

Aside from your day-to-day role, how else do you get involved with the Barratt community?

Starting a new role was hard because I was good at what I did before and was familiar with my responsibilities as Finance Director in one division. Learning new things and adapting to a new role as the ‘new kid’ was a challenge initially, however, I am enjoying it and have found everyone really supportive.

Through Catalyst, I was a member of the founding team of Under One Roof. This is a great network in support of gender equality, encouraging individuals to come together and share their experiences.

And given all the changes and challenges we’ve faced in the past year, how do you manage your work-life balance?

Finance is the best job in Barratt! It’s not just about managing figures and calculations within your own department – you get involved with everybody in the business and oversee expenditures throughout the build process. That’s what keeps it interesting.

As a mum, it can be quite difficult especially with two young daughters. With the changes we’ve all experienced when it comes to adapting to our work environments, hybrid working has definitely helped ensure I spend more quality time with my family and have the time to fit in things that matter most to me.

What projects do you have coming up in the near future?

I am fortunate to be a mentor on the Catalyst programme, after participating in the first Catalyst programme myself. I was also chosen to be on the panel for the Catalyst launch which was a great achievement for me. Catalyst is a positive

What’s one thing you’d like everyone to know about finance?

Any words of wisdom to share?

If you want to be successful, you need to work hard. It’s also important to let people know what you want to achieve in life as they won’t always know if you don’t say. Don’t be afraid to get involved in things outside of your discipline.

And lastly, be supportive of others around you, you never know when connections made now will support you in the future.

THE BIG INTERVIEW LAURA LLOYD / 11

FOUNDATIONS

R BAR

E

E IC

R BAR

IC

RS OF SER

V

William Stephen,

Sam Wood,

Joiner, North Scotland

Sales Director, Yorkshire West

What’s been your best moment about working here?

What’s kept you at Barratt?

It is the culture, the opportunity to work with great people and it is a forward thinking, excellent company with sound business principles.

Working with a good squad of men over the years and now they are all mostly retired and the variety of work back then. The best two experiences were the Ideal Home Exhibitions in London and Glasgow erecting Norwegian.

AT

V T DE ELOP

M

BAR

E

Y

IC

IC

R

M TS

30

AT

RS OF SER

V T DE ELOP

M

BAR

E

TS

AT

IC

Y

RS OF SE

RV

V T DE ELOP

M

Y

EA

AT

IC

40

E

TS

BAR

EN

R

V

EN

35

EA

RS OF SER

V T DE ELOP

V

M

Y

EA

AT

IC

45

E

TS

BAR

EN

R

V

EN

BAR

V T DE ELOP

30

AT

EA

R

RS OF SER

E

EA

Y

RS OF

V SER

V T DE ELOP

M EN

IC

Y

EA

E

TS

40

Mansoor Ali Raymond Cairnie John Nisbet Carol Jukes Nicholas Edmond Nicholas Watkin William Harmon Michael Mcnamara Richard Boerder Lee Burkill Bridget Kelliher Jay Seymour Peter Weir Steven Garth Robert Morris Mike Rodgers Derek Woolfenden Sara Webb Julie Batten Claire Johnston Stephen Cummings Benjamin Cotton Christine Alcock Leanne Brown Claire Gibson Grahame Bullen Gary Harding Alexander Napier Nuala Smith David Radestock Shirley Rheeder Vicki Chalcraft John Flynn

East Scotland East Scotland West Scotland North East Yorkshire East Yorkshire East Yorkshire West Yorkshire West North Midlands North Midlands North Midlands North Midlands North Midlands Manchester Manchester Manchester Manchester West Midlands Mercia Mercia South Wales East Midlands Northampton Northampton South Midlands East London East London East London Kent Southampton Southampton Group Support Centre Group Support Centre

R

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS SERVICE

R

In each issue of Foundations we recognise those who have reached a 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 years’ long service milestone over the last six months. Congratulations and thank you to all of you who reached a milestone between July and December 2021.

BAR

E

EA

V

25

IC

R

M

TS

RS OF SER

TS

TS

BAR

V T DE ELOP

EN

EA

EN

EN

RS OF

V SER

AT

Y

M

M

40

V T DE ELOP

20

AT

V T DE ELOP

TS

I have moved positions three times in my 20 year career because of the opportunities that have been made available to me at Barratt. I have learnt so much and have had a variety of work which has kept me motivated and enthusiastic about my job. I have also worked through a few tough times in the economy with Barratt and have been reassured with how the employees are looked after and how successful the company has been in adapting during these difficult times to maintain their status as leaders in the building industry.

Roll of honour

AT

EN

What’s your journey been like in the business?

Y

A fantastic achievement by Team Golden Bricks, overcoming challenges along the way, but they would not have been able to do it without the amazing support of colleagues across the business getting into the fundraising spirit once again.

E

Assistant Buyer, Southampton

EA

Well done to our Million Makers and thank you to all that took part!

12 / TEAM GOLDEN BRICKS

Shirley Rheeder,

20

When it was time to finally hang up our trainers, we sat back for a well-earned break of light reading with the second initiative. Motivated by the skills shortage in our industry, and the importance of encouraging early engagement with children from all backgrounds to learn about the world of construction, our Graduates wrote an inspiring children’s book ‘We Can Build’. Priya the Planner and Ade the Architect make up some of the fun illustrated profiles in the book, who teach children about the important professions in housebuilding. The book is illustrated by a young artist who has been supported by

As we geared up for the festive break, some of our colleagues were lucky enough to win fantastic prizes from the final initiative of the Million Makers Challenge, The Wheel of Fortune. Our Graduates worked vigorously to obtain the best possible prizes, from Apple watches and Dyson Air Wraps to Formula 1 tickets, travel vouchers, champagne spa breaks and so many more. Sponsorship from some of our generous Group suppliers helped achieve what was the most successful raffle to date, raising £13,400 in total over the four prize draws.

V

Y

In November, we all ran, cycled, walked and rowed to clock up the miles and pounds for The Barratt Marathon.

The competition heated up between divisions as they worked to complete as many marathons as possible over three weeks. Some divisions set the pace by hiring gym equipment for their offices, and so many colleagues donned the Barratt Marathon Jersey, sponsored by our generous sub-contractors across the business. Covering 680 marathons, the event raised over £54,000.

The Prince’s Trust, and touches on themes like sustainability and Diversity and Inclusion. Donated to schools, libraries and children’s charities across the country, this is a fantastic contribution to education, and aims to inspire the next generation of engineers, surveyors and bricklayers. This initiative was bound to take off, and raised a total of nearly £30,000, with special requests for further orders being made even now!

RS OF SER

25

Many colleagues got involved in the three fundraising initiatives led by this year’s ‘Team Golden Bricks’, and thanks to the efforts of the Graduates behind the scenes and colleagues taking part, along with matching from the Barratt Foundation and support from the Group, they raised a grand total of £164,550!

IC

R

Y

EA

We have been speaking with some of our employees who have hit long service milestones between July and December 2021 to find out what has kept them with the company for so long and share some of their highlights over the years.

M TS

20

Barratt have taken part in the challenge for seven years, collectively donating over £500,000 to The Prince’s Trust since 2013. The Trust provides 11-30 year olds facing difficulties and challenges in their lives with opportunities to create a better future through employment, education and enterprise. We are proud to continue our support of this great cause.

V T DE ELOP

20

AT

EN

Over the last six months, our 2020 Graduates have been working hard to fundraise for The Prince’s Trust as part of the nationwide Million Makers Challenge, which sees companies from across the country competing to raise the most money for this incredible charity.

Celebrating long service BAR

Team Golden Bricks

Our long service awards celebrate and reward employees who have shown loyalty and commitment to our business.

We recognise colleagues locally from five years onwards with a cash reward as well as a certificate and letter at five yearly intervals. For those achieving 20 years and more they also receive an invitation to our (normally) annual Long Service Celebration Dinner.

RS OF SER

V

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS SERVICE Samantha Wood Denise Belcher Kathleen Denny Darren Braidwood Ashley Hodges Russell Glimstead Suryakant Patel Kevin Dyer Andrew Jackson Tracy Merrifield Ian Stewart

Yorkshire West Northampton Northampton Southern South West West Regional West London East London Southampton Group Support Centre Group Support Centre

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS SERVICE Yorkshire East Group Support Centre

Luci Walker Nick Richardson

CELEBRATING 35 YEARS SERVICE North East Group Support Centre

Garry Dodds Mike Plummer

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS SERVICE Southern Group Support Centre

Alan Keaney Bernard Rooney

CELEBRATING 45 YEARS SERVICE Andrew McGowan

Yorkshire West

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS SERVICE William Stephen

North Scotland

CELEBRATING LONG SERVICE / 13

FOUNDATIONS

Supporting charities and communities Last year we launched the Barratt Foundation, an umbrella body that represents all of our charitable work done across the Group. The Foundation supports the areas that the PLC and its employees are passionate about, including mental and physical health and wellbeing, homelessness, protecting the environment and supporting education.

Since last year, the Foundation has donated approximately £2.5m to incredible causes, including £250,000 as part of our annual employee charity vote held this January, with more than 1,290 colleagues voting for their favourite charity.

We have also established partnerships with incredible charities this year, including the English Chamber Orchestra who are helping to bring musical education projects into the local community. We’ve also launched a new partnership with Outward Bound Trust to support the work they do in making positive changes in young people’s lives through learning and adventures in the outdoors.

Divisional and GSC match funding Each year divisions can claim up to £15,000 per financial year and GSC up to £20,000 in match funding. Divisions and GSC should submit an application form before any fundraising takes place to the Foundation, who will then confirm whether they'll be able to match fund the donations. Once the fundraising is completed, the division or GSC will need to provide evidence of the amount of fundraising achieved, along with bank details of the charity, and the Foundation will process the matching.

The team at Oregon supported Tweed Togs, a local charity supporting local families in need within the Scottish Borders

Individual matching The Foundation has set aside £1m per financial year to match funds raised by employees, with match funding on a pound for pound basis between £500-£1,000 in any financial year.

Employees will need to complete the application form, with the Foundation then confirming whether they'll be able to match fund the donations. Once the fundraising is completed, the individual will need to provide evidence of the amount of fundraising achieved, along with bank details of the charity, and the Foundation will process the matching.

Community Fund The Community Fund allows divisions and GSC to donate £1,000 each month to a local charity to improve the quality of life for those living in their area. With the Foundation now making these donations, divisions and GSC will submit an application to the Foundation quarterly in advance, along with each charity's bank details.

Volunteer day and payroll giving Our other initiatives to support colleagues, including our volunteer leave and Payroll Giving.

Once divisions and GSC have been notified if their request has been successful, they'll then receive a notification each month when the donation has been made so they can let the charity know and promote news of the donation both internally and externally.

Thank you to everyone for their support in helping to grow the Foundation and we hope that together it will be something we can continue to be proud of.

14 / SUPPORTING CHARITIES AND COMMUNITIES

Colleagues are now entitled to two volunteer days per year to support a cause or organisation which matters to you. Find out how to use your volunteering day in the Special Leave policy on Docushare.

We are also still offering two days of paid volunteers leave per month to assist with the vaccination rollout through the NHS Volunteer Responders Programme.

Our North Scotland division recently donated £1,000 to The Archie Foundation, helping to make a difference for local sick children

A team from our Cambridgeshire division recently volunteered at the Peterborough soup kitchen, along with making a donation to the incredible cause

And with Payroll Giving, colleagues can manage all of their donations from one place and help give even more to charity thanks to the tax efficient scheme. Find out more and sign up online: www.barrattdevelopments.givingonline.org.uk

SUPPORTING CHARITIES AND COMMUNITIES / 15

FOUNDATIONS

An update from the Workforce Forum At Barratt Developments, one of our priorities is investing in our people to create a great place to work. To help us achieve this, in 2018 we launched the Workforce Forum to improve the ways in which we engage with our employees and ensure that colleagues remain well informed.

At their meeting in November, members talked about our new hybrid way of working, allowing colleagues to divide their time between the office, home and site. In groups, individuals discussed the policy itself, how it’s being adopted across the business, the impact it’s having on people’s work/life balance and also the support that our teams on site are receiving. The views shared will help to

We spoke to the Management Team at BD Living to find out more about how the brand works with divisions across the business.

As an internal supplier, BD Living strive to support us all in creating the best product for our customers. They drive an ‘internal customer’ mentality and are mindful of every person in the business receiving a service or product from the team.

A small division of 80 colleagues, including office-based colleagues and fitters on the road, BD Living successfully deliver and fit wardrobes in customers’ homes, as well as in sales and marketing arenas for the whole Group. With the market on the rise, they’ve been busier than ever to keep up with the increase in numbers over the last two years.

The team have many exciting projects on the horizon that will aid this growth while providing an excellent customer experience in their crucial role within Barratt.

What special projects are you working on right now?

The forum, which has nominated colleagues from across the regions and GSC, represents a cross section of our business and provides input and feedback from a range of perspectives. With the support from the Group Board, the forum allows us to gather more employee input and add real value in areas like SHE, health and wellbeing, employee benefits and working conditions. By having a presence in divisions, the members are able to feedback on how new ideas and systems work for employees day to day.

Since the forum was created, members have played a crucial role in Barratt’s response to COVID-19, helping us to understand the effectiveness of measures we put in place to keep colleagues safe across our business and areas we could improve on. They’ve also been involved with the move to a new benefits platform for employees, to ensure that this reflects feedback to be easier to use and navigate as well as presenting the best benefits offering to colleagues.

Meet the team: BD Living

reinforce our commitment to hybrid working, and how this is applied throughout the business.

Members had an update on health and safety, where they also discussed construction and waste management priorities across the business and the role that everyone plays. The group also heard about the results from our engagement survey, and looked at the different areas where we’ve excelled and some areas we’ll be focusing on as a business.

And finally, we also thanked eight inaugural members as they stepped down from their three year term, for their contributions as members. A special thanks to Richard Brooke, Tracey Dickens, Sarah Dyson, Amy Solomon, Josh Corker, Angus Robb, Dalman Suleyman and Darren Haygarth.

Lizzie: Our Technical team are currently designing wardrobes and living room furniture for Barratt London. Although the furniture is to fit into a very compact space, the product retains its premium look and feel. Working with London-based interior designers, the SMRT Project will be launched in Eastman Village in 2023, and we hope to then roll it out in other developments across the country.

Neil: Another big project for us is redesigning our wardrobes in consideration of the skills shortage that may affect our industry in the next five years. The aim is to make it possible for anybody to fit our furniture. There is the challenge of maintaining a high quality product, so we have to think outside the box and push the boundaries in terms of design.

Kurtis: I’m heading up the Plastic Reduction Project Team. The aim is to eventually eliminate single use plastics from the business. This has been implemented in every way possible, from bamboo cups at vending machines, to caulking guns and with reducing plastic with our suppliers. BD Living are championing this key priority and the aim is to eventually roll out to all divisions.

How has COVID impacted the way you work?

We’ll continue to share updates from the forum, but if you have any queries or questions, or want to suggest something that should be considered as an agenda item at their next meeting in May, please get in touch with members by emailing workforce.forum@barrattplc.co.uk Find out who the members are in your division or region in the updated list.

16 / AN UPDATE FROM THE WORKFORCE FORUM

Kevin: Everyone has adapted incredibly well to the changes to how we operate.

There have been a lot of big changes to take on board due to COVID, from helping divisions get their sales centres up to scratch, to redesigning our order book, and delivering an even higher quantity of products at great quality, and the team have been so accommodating with such short notice.

Don’t forget that you get a brilliant employee discount on all BD Living products!

Visit the My Barratt Benefits platform to find out more

Sona: From a personal point of view, hybrid working has allowed me to mentor someone else in another division, which I wouldn’t have necessarily been able to do without Teams.

And during COVID BD Living were responsible for the adaptation of every sales centre in the country, supplying and installing sneeze screens, hand sanitiser units, barriers and everything else needed to keep our colleagues and customers safe during their visits.

Dean: We’ve all really embraced hybrid working, and fitters in particular have benefited from this. Pre-COVID, with fitters living all over the country, calls were taken by phone, whereas now, all fitters can talk together in one call, and this has really improved the team relationship.

How are you looking to improve the two-way conversation between BD Living and other divisions?

Alexandra: It’s a really unique relationship. Having an in-house supplier brings huge benefits perhaps some colleagues don’t realise. We are part of the Barratt Group, so have access to information other suppliers don’t. We’ve streamlined our labour capacity to make sure we are providing not only the end user with a great service, but divisions as an internal customer for us too. I am working with our sales team to improve the relationship between us and divisional sales advisers. As we don’t sell to the end user, we want to work more closely with sales advisers on site to ensure they have all the information they need to sell our product and help customers make an informed decision. We have a show room and a virtual show room, so in the future, we plan to invite colleagues

Take a look at the virtual showroom to us, and also we aim to visit sales offices across the country more regularly.

Neil: People are always surprised by how small we are, even though we service the whole country. It’s always great to raise awareness about how we operate. We’d love for everyone to know that we are here solely to support them, and they can come to us for advice from anything from design, to fitting enquiries and other end user issues.

What do you enjoy most about working for BD Living?

All: Even though we work for a PLC, FTSE 100 Company, it feels like a family-run business. The people make the business and as the wider Barratt brand instils a ‘people first’ culture, everyone feels recognised for the role they play in one big team.

MEET THE TEAM: BD LIVING / 17

FOUNDATIONS

Projects roundup Some of our divisions have shared an insight into their latest projects, and we’ve been impressed to see their continued commitment to the 14 questions set out by our internal design initiative, Great Places – which all contribute to improving health and wellbeing for our customers.

Great Dunmow

Eastern Counties has recently achieved planning approval for 326 units at Woodside Way, split across two parcels of land. This dual branded development has been carefully designed to overlook walking routes, POS and surrounding countryside whilst also connecting into the wider scheme. The wider development incorporates two other parcels which have been sold to Bellway. One of the biggest achievements for this site was achieving the Biodiversity Net Gain in accordance with planning policy and forthcoming legislation. Enhancements will deliver complementary habitats to the site’s existing green infrastructure and improved ecological connectivity through the wider landscape, in particular between the two adjacent designated nature sites.

There is a strong focus on Biodiversity, through the retention, enhancement and creation of wildlife habitats, while connections for pedestrians and cyclists remain a priority. Creating schemes with a distinctive character and working with the site’s existing features are essential: integrating the development into its surroundings and creating a lasting legacy. We are also proud to be paving the way for the whole industry, in building our first gas free site at Delamare Park.

Abingdon Cathcart

Nunney

Angmering West Midlands An application from West Midlands division has a resolution to grant for 129 dwellings at Severn Road, Stourport, on a brownfield site previously occupied by a carpet factory that has remained vacant for circa 20 years. Following the proposed demolition of three locally listed buildings that had fallen into a state of disrepair, considerable negotiation took place with the Council to demonstrate that the development proposals would preserve and enhance the character and appearance of the neighbouring conservation area. The site, adjacent to the River Stour, is also constrained by a significant ecological river corridor. The division was required to demonstrate how the development took this into account and the additional mitigation measures relating to specific protected species, including bats, badgers, otters, reptiles and kingfishers.

18 / PROJECTS ROUNDUP

South West Delamare Park will be the first gas-free development that Barratt has built. This is an important milestone following the government’s announcement to introduce grants to encourage households to shift to low-carbon heating solutions. All 82 homes on the new development in Nunney, Somerset, will be fitted with air source heat pumps: a clean, highly efficient and emission-free way of meeting a home’s heating and hot water requirements. The development, by the South West division, will offer a range of two, three, four and five bedroom homes, including 25 affordable homes. It will also include over three acres of open space as well as measures to support local wildlife, including the planting of 178 new trees, hedgehog highways and a five metre ecological boundary, which will be preserved for nature.

Yorkshire West Elysian Fields, by Yorkshire West, is a development of 99 units situated in Adel, north Leeds, directly adjacent to a previous DWH scheme known as Centurion Fields, and within close proximity of the Grade 1 listed church of St John the Baptist. The scheme features a retained public right of way with historic connections to the listed church. It has been designed in four distinct character areas to reflect the character of wider Adel, with some arts and crafts influences as well as more traditional stone built properties, reflecting the West Yorkshire and Dales vernacular. The development has recently started on site, with the show home completed in late 2021.

Stourport

Southern Abbey Fields is a dual branded site of 425 dwellings by our Southern division, as part of a wider allocation for a total of 950 dwellings, plus a primary school, local centre and care home. 35% of dwellings are affordable, with 10% of each of market and affordable as M4(2) compliant. The outline consent included a Design Code, which influenced the architectural style, street hierarchy and detailing, as well as conditions on renewable energy and EV charging. There were challenges with balancing design aspirations set in the Design Code, particularly shared surface streets, along with the technical requirements of the highway authority. Groundworks have now started on site and the first phase of Barratt plots will see timber frame construction starting in the new year.

West Scotland Our West Scotland division was delighted to win Development of the Year (Medium Category) at the Homes for Scotland Awards for its Riverside development at Cathcart, south of Glasgow. Designed in collaboration with Group Urban Design, the development includes 91 houses and 42 apartments and is situated on the tree-lined embankment of White Cart Water, which is central to the scheme.

Retention, protection and enhancement of the existing landscape was a key priority, with a strong focus given to biodiversity in order to provide a high quality amenity space. Housing is aligned to the adjacent former Scottish Power Headquarters (converted into apartments by FM Group), providing formal, tree lined views and a materials palette that reflects that of the existing building. The scheme also achieved a Gold award in the 2021 Great Places Awards.

Adel

Eastern Counties

Southern Counties Southern Counties are constructing 175 David Wilson units at Ecclesden Park in Angmering, a beautiful village in Arun, West Sussex. This popular site borders a conservation area, which guided the design evolution into forming a number of different character areas and uplifted elevation materials including weatherboard and flint blocks. The scheme provides new pedestrian and cycle links into the village. Vehicular access into the site was originally to be provided by a 24m clear span bridge, however as a result of early engagement and working closely with the LLFA, the Technical and Planning Teams agreed an alternative solution in the form of a box culvert. This has resulted in benefits both for the village of Angmering in helping to alleviate downstream flooding, but also provided benefits both in terms of cost and programme to the business.

PROJECTS ROUNDUP / 19

FOUNDATIONS

Improving our ways of working Our Business Change Project teams are continually looking at how we can improve our ways of working, to help streamline our processes and make colleagues’ lives easier.

Power BI and the Data Warehouse In future, most Barratt reporting data will be stored in a Data Warehouse. The Data Warehouse will allow several systems, such as CRM, Homebuilder sales data and TM1 finance data, to be combined into a single view and therefore helping to provide richer information.

A new online system called Power BI will allow authorised users to search the Data Warehouse to understand what’s driving the numbers and focus on what’s important. Power BI, or Powerful Business Information, is very intuitive and can present data in many different ways: for example, in graphs that automatically update, or as maps. It can join

Having completed a pilot with divisional finance teams, Power BI will now be used to provide insight for more business areas. Look out for an update later this year.

This additional layer of security will only be triggered when you log in to your laptop or desktop PC from somewhere that could pose a higher risk. This might be from abroad; the first time you access a system; or when you haven’t accessed a system for a while. It will not usually be required if you log in when working from a Barratt office. A similar procedure is used by banks, PayPal, and many other private and government systems.

Self Service Password Reset now available

20 / IMPROVING OUR WAYS OF WORKING

While it’s what we do on a day to day basis, we recognise that buying a home is normally the biggest purchase of our customers’ lives, which is why delighting our customers and ensuring they have the best experience is so important for our business. We hear from a couple of our customers from across the country who have recently found their dream homes on our developments.

Users will also have access to all the data behind the headline numbers, allowing them to self-serve and drill down to get answers to detailed questions immediately instead of having to ask IT or Finance for a customised report.

Cyber-attacks on IT systems mean we have to put additional layers of security in place. A new approach, known as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), offers far greater security than passwords alone. A second device (such as a Barratt iPhone or iPad, or even a personal phone or tablet) is contacted to confirm your identity.

We have created an instruction guide on how to use this service which can be viewed via the IT Hub on Our Place.

We have also pushed out an icon to all iPad and iPhone devices which will play a video of how to reset your own

Our vision is to put our customers at the heart of everything we do, and this drives us as a business every day to work hard, build highquality sustainable new homes and deliver outstanding customer service.

several systems’ data together, or act as a reporting tool for a specific business function.

Cyber Security: Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

We have introduced the ability to reset your password on your desktop computer or laptop without needing to contact the IT Service Desk, enabling colleagues to quickly and easily resolve password resets. It’ll also help to reduce the number of calls to the IT Service Desk and free up support for others, with resets currently accounting for nearly 30% of contacts.

Delighting our customers

password if you don’t have the guide to hand. Please note, using this service is reliant on the completion of the Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) registration.

This service is only available on laptop and desktop computers, so if you only work from an iPhone or iPad, and are unable to access a computer, you will be unable to reset yourself and will need to contact the IT Service Desk on 01530 518080.

Sarah Bennett, The Willows Sarah Bennett joined Barratt as a Sales Adviser earlier this year, and decided to purchase a new home at our Mercia division’s development, The Willows.

She moved in with her two sons, Sam and Toby, as well as their long-haired ginger and white cat, Gizmo, although Sam has since bought his own home and moved out.

After deciding to leave British Airways following 28 years of service, Sarah sought a fresh start, although she never thought that she would buy a new property. The lockdown in the UK slowed the selling process down, but the outcome made the delay worthwhile in the end.

Sarah said: “I really liked the idea of being a Sales Adviser and, until I started, I’d never really considered buying new before. My old house in Solihull took forever to sell, but it was like the stars aligned; just a week after I began my new job my house received an offer. Shortly after, our new home became available as a ‘sold as seen’ property.

I immediately snapped it up and I haven’t looked back since. The area is perfect too. It is very rural, there are great views on every side of the house and there is great local access to pubs and shops as well as the M40 just a few minutes away.”

MacFadyen Family, Westburn Gardens Susan MacFadyen, her husband John and daughters Isla and Erin recently packed up their life in rural Aberdeenshire and headed to their new home set high over the heart of Aberdeen, a penthouse apartment at our North Scotland division's development, Westburn Gardens. The move has proven a huge hit for the entire family, with each of them enjoying life in their new location.

Susan said: “We’re really settling in to this stage of our lives. COVID made us reevaluate our situation and we realised that moving into town would better suit our changing needs. Our eldest daughter is enjoying the independence and is thriving. Our other daughter loves being so close to the park and taking her scooter around it.”

The penthouse’s open plan living room and kitchen was a particular draw for Susan, who can spend time with her family while enjoying panoramic views stretching over the skyline of old Aberdeen, the coast and Westburn and Victoria Parks, both of which are on her doorstep.

Despite being in the city centre, the apartments are very quiet, which for Susan makes relaxing in her new home and enjoying the “ace” views a dream. As Susan sums up: “There’s something for the whole family here, and we’re all thriving in our new home.”

DELIGHTING OUR CUSTOMERS / 21

FOUNDATIONS

Supporting our employees

Building Sustainably

As part of our ongoing commitment to, and focus on, our employees’ health and wellbeing we’re pleased to have a growing network of Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) across the business.

We are determined to be the leading national sustainable housebuilder and many teams across the business are constantly working to ensure we do this. Find out about what they’ve been up to below and be inspired to make some changes in your own habits and routines.

In 2019, we began the initial roll out of MHFA, with our HR and SHE teams trained to assist, listen and signpost people to professional help. This follows on from the mental health awareness training our managers have already received, and continues to demonstrate our commitment to supporting our colleagues’ mental health.

MHFA’s have been professionally trained to spot the signs of mental ill health and to provide initial support to colleagues who need assistance, in much the same way as physical first-aiders respond to injury or illness. A MHFA should be a first point of contact for those who are experiencing a mental

health issue or emotional distress. This would be in the form of an informal and confidential chat followed by further support from within the organisation if required. MHFA’s can also point people in the right direction if they are seeking external professional support.

With our people able to put themselves forward to be considered as a MHFA, we're pleased to have colleagues from all roles and at all levels within the organisation who have received the training, and we hear from a couple of them about what this means to them.

Gary Ennis, Regional Managing Director of London & Southern Regions:

Why were you interested in training to become a MHFA? Over the years, I have known a number of people who have struggled with issues such as stress, depression and anxiety for example. In one case, tragically this led to suicide, but nobody had really been aware that this person had been experiencing difficulties with mental health. With even a basic understanding of the challenges we can all experience with our mental health, we could recognise signs, and better support each other. Quite rightly, focus on mental health is being brought to the fore with particular momentum over the last two years as

Chrissie Matthews, Assistant Site Manager, Cambridgeshire:

Is there anything you would like to share with colleagues about the training or looking after health and wellbeing?

I would say that we work in a high-pressure environment that can be mentally draining on a daily basis. Try not to get to snowed under and get lost in work and deadlines.

You need to be you as well so take that 15 minute break to have a brew and chat to someone else that isn’t work related. And leave work at work, don’t take it home, it will always be there when you get back the next day.

Ask people how they are feeling, that can make a massive difference to someone. And most importantly if something is getting to you then do your best to talk to someone about it – don’t be afraid.

everyone has endured the isolation of living and working in seclusion. As a company, we have always been highly focussed on health & safety, and moving forward this absolutely needs to include providing the practical tools and training to improve our own mental health and those of our colleagues. I am incredibly proud that as a company we are training more and more Mental Health First Aiders, for me this is not only something that is hugely important for our workplace, but feels like a vital life skill.

Rebecca Chapman, Administrator, Group Legal:

Are there any key messages you would like to share after completing the training?

I definitely suggest that you take some time to familiarise yourself with your divisional MHFA and put their contact details in your phone because you never know when you or a colleague might need someone to talk to and after all, that’s what we’re here for. We don’t try to diagnose or provide advice or counselling; we are just here to listen to you, confidentially and without judgement, and to guide you towards appropriate options for external support if that’s what you need. If you’re worried about a colleague or experiencing symptoms of mental ill health yourself, please know that we’re there to offer support, and don’t hesitate to reach out to one of us.

You can either find out who the MHFA are in your division online or on noticeboards across the business.

22 / SUPPORTING OUR EMPLOYEES

Find your divisions Mental Health First Aider

Eliminating single use plastics We all need to do what we can to reduce our plastic consumption as it continues to have such a significant impact on our oceans, pollute the natural environment and pose a risk to wildlife. This is why we have started on a journey to eliminate any single use plastics associated with our customer journey. We have already made great progress on this: as of January this year, we have ensured that Group-approved suppliers will not provide single use plastic merchandising products as part of the customer sales journey.

We also asked colleagues to identify where any remaining discontinued single use plastic merchandising stock (such as balloons, plastic bags and bubble blowers), which was then collected and sent to recycling and repurposing facilities.

Whilst this is a great start, there's lots more to do and we're now working to build on our initial research into identifying single use plastics through the whole building process and reduce or remove it wherever practicable.

Leaders in our sector

COP26

In November, we were delighted to be named Sustainable Housebuilder of the Year at the Housebuilder Awards.

Our success in this category recognises we were the first national housebuilder to set science-based carbon reduction targets and are the highest scoring national and most transparent housebuilder in the NextGeneration sustainability benchmark – the only benchmark that focuses solely on housebuilders.

We are also proud to announce that we are the top performing company in the UK housebuilding sector across all three of the CDP disclosures (climate, forests and water). CDP is a globally recognised benchmark, so our performance is testament to our commitment to deliver both in breadth and depth on sustainability. These accolades demonstrate the exceptional collaborative teamwork and dedication from colleagues across the business.

At the COP26 summit in Glasgow, the UN Climate Change Conference, our sector came under the spotlight at the Cities, Regions and Built Environment Day. Here's some of the things we learnt:

Biodiversity Biodiversity Net Gain means leaving biodiversity in a measurably better state than before, requiring any biodiversity losses to be outweighed by measures taken to avoid, minimise or compensate impacts of development. We currently have 108 sites that have been designed or submitted as net gain compliant schemes.

he built environment globally contributes 43% of T emissions and the rate of global construction means that we ‘build the equivalent of Paris every single week’. he UK Green Building Council has launched its roadmap T for the UK Built Environment detailing the actions government and industry need to take to achieve net zero across the sector by 2050. This is really important for Barratt as it provides the sector with a shared vision and set of actions relating to construction, operation and demolition of buildings and infrastructure. ignificant progress is being made to ensure reduced S carbon emissions associated with the products required for construction. Our own actions at Barratt mirror this trend; we are extending hydro-treated vegetable oil trials on site in an effort to move away from diesel; we also have a range of innovative technologies in the Z House including tiles containing up to 40% recycled content, and the kitchen is made using 100% recycled chipboard.

We all have a role to play in ‘keeping 1.5 alive’ and achieving the UK’s net zero by 2050 target, and it's vital that we act now in order to realise these aims in time.

Building on the success of our commitment to installing swift nesting bricks in our developments (over 3,600 to date!), we continue to work with the RSPB on a range of measures to make our homes and developments more wildlife friendly, with Hedgehog Highways now standard across all developments, showcasing our commitment to biodiversity by helping hedgehogs travel safely between gardens.

BUILDING SUSTAINABLY / 23

FOUNDATIONS

Celebrating our teams Our national Customer First Award winners Following on from our annual Customer First employee recognition awards, we were delighted to announce in September our winners for the 2020/2021 National Annual Customer First Awards.

Although we took the decision to cancel the Gala Awards dinner last year due to a number of factors around COVID, we gave all of our finalists a cash gift in lieu of the event so they could celebrate their incredible achievements with their family and friends.

Congrat ula once aga tions in t of our fin o all ali and winn sts ers.

Our 2021 winners are: He is a highly motivated sales adviser, which comes across in his work ethic, always demonstrating a high level of understanding of our product and processes, a true brand ambassador.

Apprentice of the Year: Michael Quinn, West London I have witnessed him develop into a competent Trainee Assistant Site Manager. He has a good attitude towards wanting to develop and takes pride in what he does.

Individual Excellence: Rosie Absalom, Kent Rosie is very professional in her work and she takes great pride in her output. She is a credit to the division and has taken on a workload far in excess of what would be expected of her in her current role.

They dealt with the back log of defects following lockdown and reduced these from 4,000 to under 750, helping to increase our 9 month survey results from 80% to 88%.

Site Manager of the Year (Standard/Non-Standard): Ian Green, Mercia

Site Manager of the Year (High Rise Apartment Scheme): Chris Jaques, East London

24 / CELEBRATING OUR TEAMS

Each year, we invite divisions to submit schemes for the Great Places Awards, in order to demonstrate how they are contributing to the design objectives of the Group. We were pleased to announce the latest award winners in September 2021. The awards give recognition and publicity to the very best of designs from across the business, and help us to share best practice and provide inspiration for future projects.

We had some fantastic submissions last year and have showcased all of the winners on the 2021 gallery page on the Great Places website.

Best in Category – Standard:

Sales Adviser of the Year: Rana Khan, West Scotland

Team Excellence: Customer Care Team, Northampton

Great Places Award winners

Team Excellence: Group Procurement Team, GSC In the face of exceptional demand across the industry, and shortages within a number of supplier businesses, the team have worked together with every division to ensure continuity of supply of all key materials.

Monks Cross, Whalley (North West) Monks Cross is situated in a fantastic location, within walking distance of local amenities and public transport, including the adjacent railway station. Situated on the edge of the village of Whalley, there is no doubt that the development’s close proximity to rural walking routes and views of the picturesque Ribble Valley boosts the health and wellbeing of residents.

There is excellent connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists within the site as well as to the existing network, while the strong visual connection to Whalley’s landmark viaduct establishes a distinct sense of place.

The standard housetypes feature high quality detailing, with materials chosen sensitively to reflect the local character.

There is clear definition of public and private spaces using front boundary hedges, which contribute to the greening of the streets, while existing trees define and enhance the open spaces and site edges.

Best in Category – Non-Standard and Multi-Storey: Cane Hill Park, Coulsdon (Southern Counties and Kent) Situated in a secluded woodland setting on the site of the former Cane Hill Hospital, the scheme has easy access to bus and rail links, local facilities and services.

National Customer Service Award: Mercia

The design makes use of the dramatic hillside, with new homes integrated seamlessly into the existing landscape and surrounded by mature trees and hedgerows. The success of the scheme is owed to the network of interconnected green spaces and routes for active travel, which promote health and wellbeing and provide new amenities, fitness and social spaces for both residents and the wider community.

Divisional Excellence in Safety, Health & Environmental Management Award: West London

The development creates a distinct identity, with variations in built form, materials and landscaping giving streets and spaces their own unique character. At the heart of the site is a feature lagoon and the iconic water tower, which has been retained as a landmark for this multi-award winning development.

CELEBRATING OUR TEAMS / 25

FOUNDATIONS

My Barratt Benefits

Supporting your health and wellbeing

Last year we launched our new My Barratt Benefits platform, with a fresh and modern design, and benefits and information tailored to you.

Looking after the health and wellbeing of our people continues to be a key priority for the business, which is why we share a range of support and advice on a regular basis.

On the site you can access all of our benefits, including our Cycle2Work schemes, the new Barratt pension with Scottish Widows, discounted gym memberships with GymFlex and our Dulux decorators centre discount.

We have four key health and wellbeing areas that we focus on at Barratt to support colleagues, these are mental, physical, lifestyle and financial health and wellbeing. We recognise that all of these areas can have an impact on one another, and therefore play a crucial role in improving our overall health and wellbeing.

You can easily check out your current benefits, or see how adding new benefits could impact your take home pay.

Plus you can view your total reward statement, and see how the range of benefits available to you, along with your pay, all adds up to your total reward value.

There’s a range of support and advice available for colleagues which cover these areas, including webinars and eLearning modules to help you look after your mindfulness and manage stress, to discounted gym memberships, My Active Discounts and our Cycle2Work schemes, plus retirement planning webinars.

Physical

Mental Regular mindfulness and meditation sessions

Online exercise sessions through our healthcare partners Vitality

Managing your own stress and mental health workshops

Discounted gym membership

‘Manage the Conversation’ training for all line managers

My Active Discounts

Thinking Strategies workshop Access to a trained network of MHFA’s and health and wellbeing champions

Bupa Cash Plan Annual health assessment Private medical cover LIFT session app, free fitness app with our EAP providers Discounted cancer checks Access to Peppy menopause support through Vitality Health

Financial

Macmillan Cancer support those living with or affected by cancer

Plus, colleagues can also access savings on the go by downloading the free mobile app to access all of your benefits wherever and whenever you need them. Search BenefitHub in the App Store or Google Play (please note you need to have activated your account before you can use the app).

Visit the new My Barratt Benefits platform and BenefitHub website today by visiting: hrhome.barrattplc.co.uk

26 / MY BARRATT BENEFITS

Our confidential hotline allows colleagues to raise any concerns about improper conduct experienced at work. If you have any concerns that you feel you can’t speak to your manager about you can contact Safecall confidentially by dialling 0800 915 1571. The line is open 24/7 and calls are not audio recorded.

Financial education with Close Brothers

Lifestyle

Practical financial support with Salary Finance

Healthy home working webinar

You can find out more information about all of these areas, and much more, by visiting the Health and Wellbeing areas on My Barratt Benefits via the HR Homepage. Plus we’ll continue to focus on a different topic each month in our newsletter.

Health and wellbeing support is now easily accessible through the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) app. The EAP is provided by Unum Lifeworks who have a dedicated Lifeworks app which has been rolled out to all Barratt devices.

The app is also available to download on personal devices via the app store.

The app includes handy articles, videos and audio tips and guides to help cope with issues like burnout, living with depression or balancing work and family life. Additional support is also available through the chat or helpline.

Retirement planning support interactive webinars

Colleagues can also make savings on everyday items on our new retail discounts provider, BenefitHub. On BenefitHub you can save with more than 400 national retailers. With savings through discount codes, cash back and discounted gift cards on everything from travel, groceries, shopping and days out, you’ll be able to save more by being a Barratt employee. Discounts can include savings on clothes, computers, appliances, flights and hotels, to cinemas and concerts – and much more!

Employee Assistance Programme app

Cycle to Work schemes Employee Assistance Support and signposting Health and Wellbeing support guide

Colleagues can also access confidential support 24/7, 365 days a year through the freephone number 0800 048 2702 (UK) or visit the LifeWorks website at www.unumlifeworks.com.

Watch this short video to find out why your health and wellbeing is so important to us SUPPORTING YOUR HEALTH AND WELLBEING / 27

Share your views

And finally Caption competition When colleagues around the business get behind Wear it Pink Day, this site team in North Scotland couldn’t wait to get involved, but what do you think they’re cheering?

And the winner is…

Thanks to all the readers who sent in captions for our last competition, with our team in North Scotland being joined by their new furry recruits.

The winning caption came from Tracey Bambrough, Commercial Administrator at North West who has won a £50 gift card of their choice.

He’s got the key..

Barratt have got the secret!

Email us at employee.communication@barrattplc.co.uk

by Friday 1 April to be in with a chance of winning a gift card. We’ll print the best suggestion in the next issue.

The prize crossword To take part in the prize crossword you can either fill in the form online here or take a photo with your phone, sending your entry to employee. communication@barrattplc.co.uk. You can also post your entry to the Employee Communications team, 1st Floor, Kent House, 14-17 Market Place, London, W1W 8AJ. 1

2

5

3

4

6

7

8

10

14

Across:

Down:

5. Monks Cross is within walking distance of these (9)

1. B rick team on charity push (6)

8. P age to see the Great Places winners (7)

2. W ho trained to become a MHFA (4,5)

9. W ho are we helping to travel between gardens (9)

3. C locked up for the Barrat Marathon (5)

12. D elighted at being this housebuilder of the year (11)

4. Richardson, 35 year milestone (5)

14. W on Large Developer at these awards (4)

6. Whose responsibility to stay safe (2)

15. O ur Chief Executive (5)

7. N ew employee holiday for you (7,3)

16. S cheme on former hospital site has this access (4)

9

12

We’d love your feedback on how we can continue to improve Foundations. So whether there’s any types of stories you’d love to hear about or anything else you can think of, please email employee.communication@ barrattplc.co.uk.

11

13

16

18

11. W hat pay gap reduced again (6)

19. Increased volunteer days to two per (4)

13. C all percentage for password resets (6)

20. Find your rewards at the Benefit (3)

17. C ambridgeshire team recently volunteered in this kitchen (4)

17

Congratulations

19

20

21

18. H eads up the plastics reduction team (6)

21. 5 of these towards safety (5)

15

10. L aura is this mentor (8)

£50

Congratulations to the winner of our crossword, Antony Rowan, Development Director in East Midlands who received a £50 gift card of their choice.