Channel 3 ESG Impact Report 2024

Environmental, Social and Governance Impact Report 1st April 2023 – 31st March 2024

Contents About us

3

A message from our CEO, Leo Jones

4

Our values: Growing with impact

5

Highlights of FY2024

7

Social value

8

Our alignment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

9

Environment

10

Supply Chain

17

Social

19

Governance

25

A Statement on our future ESG goals and ambitions

28

FY2025 ESG Goals

29

About us Channel 3 was founded in 2009 with a simple

As technology has evolved at pace over the last

vision: to empower forward-thinking health and care

decade, so have our services. But one thing has

organisations to harness the power of technology

stayed the same: our passion for rolling up our

to improve care and help transform services for

sleeves and helping our clients make digital health

patients, service users and communities.

and care happen. We relish the challenge.

Our purpose is the reason we do what we do for our clients. It is the thing that brings us all together as a team.

We sum it up in a simple phrase: Better lives. Better care. Better digital.

From the outset, our aim was to help everyone working across health and care feel the benefits of digital – and that remains our focus to this day.

Our approach was disruptive. We were ahead of the curve in recognising the benefits the sector could realise through technology. Working alongside our clients, over the years we have helped give clinicians,

Channel 3 is committed to building a diverse team that demonstrates passion, loyalty and enthusiasm in everything we do.

We care deeply about making a difference and building a team ready to drive change in the health and care sector.

Purpose We are here because we believe digital needs to play a key role in improving and transforming health and care. We believe the only way to achieve sustainable health and care, and the outcomes needed for the citizens who use it, is to fully embrace digital across the whole health and care system, at scale.

care providers, patients and citizens better access to

We help clients deliver better outcomes for the

lifesaving information, and use technology to enable

people they serve, achieve greater productivity of the

transformational improvements to services and

health and care workforce, and support leaders to

outcomes. We believe success comes from working

deliver on their ambitions for improved patient care.

with our clients in teams that blend their skills and ours, and that is how we have approached every project since day one.

3

A message from our CEO, Leo Jones At Channel 3, we are passionate about making a positive impact on the health

of our team in creating a positive workplace culture that prioritises the health and

and care sector, as well as the broader communities we serve. As a business, we

wellbeing of our people. To further strengthen our social strategy, we have appointed

take pride in our efforts to continuously improve the efficiency and sustainability

a Chief People Officer to lead and develop our key initiatives, including our approach

of our operations, while prioritising and safeguarding the wellbeing of our

to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and

employees. Delivering a positive and sustained impact across the key areas of

the overhaul of our HR system. Looking ahead, we will be looking to strengthen our

environmental, social and governance (ESG) aligns strongly with our company

strategic partnership with the Drive Forward Foundation, supporting young care-

values and ethos. Delivering positively on our ESG commitments is therefore a

experienced individuals to gain the skills needed to achieve successful, independent

core strategic objective for us as a business. Now entering the fourth year of

lives. Over the year we will be delivering a number of initiatives in partnership with

our ESG programme, we are delighted to share with you the progress we have

young care-experienced individuals.

made on our sustainability journey so far, as well as outline our updated plans to

Governance

continue to meet and stretch our ESG goals further.

Our ESG strategy is underpinned by rigorous governance measures, reinforced by

Environment

our third-party accreditations. This year, we were proud to attain our ISO 14001

This year we undertook our second Net Zero assessment to understand our carbon

(Environmental Management) certification, underscoring our commitment to

footprint compared to our baseline position in 2023. We witnessed a slight increase

environmental management and sustainability. Given that our service revolves

in our total emissions as a result of a rise in our indirect emissions (Scope 3), which

around information technology and the management of sensitive data, cybersecurity

is largely due to enhancing our calculation methodology. Looking ahead to the next

remains a key strategic priority. In addition to maintaining our Cyber Essentials Plus

year, we remain steadfast in our Net Zero commitment. We have retained our carbon-

certification, we made significant strides to enhance our information security by

neutral status by offsetting our Scope 3 emissions (Categories 5, 6 and 7) through

continuing to align with ISO 27001 (Information Security Management) standards,

investment in forestry and biodiversity projects in Guatemala. Additionally, we have

adding further weight to our cybersecurity programme.

continued to monitor our resource efficiency through our environmentally conscious landlord, The Office Group (FORA), sending zero waste to landfill and maintaining renewable energy contracts.

Social As we continue to expand, we are committed to creating an environment where our employees grow and develop alongside us. Our dedication to employee wellbeing is reaffirmed by our Great Place to Work accreditation, a recognition of the efforts

Looking ahead to the next fiscal year, we will continue to measure Channel 3’s positive impacts on people, the planet, and our wider communities, embedding ESG commitments into our day-to-day operations. We look forward to reporting back on our progress, as we work towards even more ambitious targets.

Leo Jones, CEO 4

Our Values: Growing with impact Channel 3 is united by a clear set of values. These inform how we conduct our business, as well as the way we interact with each other, clients and our many other stakeholders. They form part of our performance processes and reward schemes to ensure they are fully embedded in all we do.

OUR VALUES ARE:

PASSION

COLLABORATION

INTEGRITY

DIVERSITY

We are passionate about what we do and the impact we can have.

We actively collaborate to achieve great results for our clients and our business.

We work with integrity, doing the right thing by each other, our clients and our communities.

We celebrate our differences and embrace inclusion and authenticity.

Growing with impact We are here because we believe digital needs to play a key role in improving

Channel 3 is passionate about supporting the sector to deliver on this

and transforming health and care. We know the positive impact digital can

ambition and to play a leading role in this transition, delivering and growing

have; we know it isn’t being embraced fully, at scale across public services

with impact.

and we know we can help to better deploy, optimise and scale digital across the whole of the health and care system.

We also know that digital in itself isn’t the answer, and that cultural,

For us, this means: •

and care services;

behavioural and real operational change is required as digital is deployed. It is the lack of this change that leads to digital initiatives being under-utilised

helping our clients make clear and measurable improvements in health

•

demonstrably delivering impact with our clients in improvements to

or, worse still, creating more challenges for patients, clinicians and the

patients and citizen outcomes, enhanced productivity, greater financial

broader health and care workforce.

sustainability and social value;

We believe the next few years are set to be a hugely exciting time for the

•

technology can and must be at the heart of transforming models of care to deliver a more sustainable health and care system, with a greater focus on preventative care delivered closer to home.

making positive contributions to our communities through our work with clients and our own corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives;

digital health and care market. There remains a growing recognition that •

creating a great work environment where our teams – and our clients’ teams – learn, develop and have fun;

We call this ‘Growing with impact’

5

Defining our social and environmental impact 1. We aim to have a positive impact on our clients and the

5. We will continue to focus on a wider programme of

people they serve, our team members and the communities

sponsored CSR activities. Our sponsorship will include

in which we live.

both financial contributions and contributions of our team

2. We believe in the importance of creating social value for our clients and communities. We will demonstrate our values of passion and collaboration by actively seeking opportunities to give something back and measure our progress.

3. Working collaboratively with our clients, we will seek to understand the potential impact of our projects and plan for how to make that impact a reality. Channel 3 is in the process

members’ time and talents. Again, we will measure our impact and report our achievements in our annual ESG Impact Report.

6. Beyond our company initiatives, we will enable our employees and teams to invest their time and talents in support of wider CSR activities that are aligned to our purpose and values.

7. Channel 3 is committed to sustainability and social wellbeing

of creating a standard way of measuring each project’s

and will explore further opportunities for continuous

impact and sharing our successes. We will aggregate those

improvement.

successes into an annual ESG Impact Report.

4. If we do not fully achieve our impact goals, we will reflect on the reasons why, so we can learn from these to improve in the future.

6

Highlights of FY2024 We calculated our Scope 1, Scope 2 and partial Scope 3 (Categories 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7) for the second year in a row,

to assess our progress against our baseline year

Offset our carbon emissions

(Scope 3, Category 5, 6 and 7) with the Carbon Balanced Project in Guatemala

We delivered an average of

212 hours

of training per employee, spending

£160,000

on external training alone

Named as one of the UK’s

Best Workplaces™

We hosted a successful

Women in Digital Health

for Wellbeing 2024 by Great Place to Work®

event in Hull

We hired a

Chief People Officer

Obtained

to drive our social agenda

ISO 14001

(Environmental Management System Standard)

7

Social value Social value refers to the broader benefits of an action or programme beyond its commercial value, encompassing wider social, environmental, and economic impacts. Previously overlooked in economic and policy decisions, social value gained prominence in September 2020, when the Cabinet Office published Public Procurement Note 06/20, mandating a social value component within public sector contracts. This was followed closely by the publication of the government’s social value model, which provided companies with a means to ‘account for’ rather than ‘consider’ social value when they are bidding for work. In 2022, the NHS applied this model to all new contracting processes, further embedding social value into our procurement strategies.

Channel 3 is passionate about delivering social value to our clients and local communities. The business is currently working with an external consultant to articulate the impact of our work, and we hope to share these outcomes in our next impact report. To ensure we make continuous improvements, we also set an objective last year to establish a bid tracker to record feedback received on unsuccessful bids, which we successfully implemented this year.

Our social value methodology Economic activity – we bring together suppliers, local partners, customers and communities to support local employment.

Environmental efforts – we recognise the social benefits of Channel 3’s commitments to recycling, reducing reliance on single-use plastics, diverting waste from landfill, supporting biodiversity efforts, and taking action to reduce water and energy consumption.

Employment – we deliver work opportunities to under-represented and disadvantaged groups through numerous programmes, alongside our long-term community partner, Drive Forward Foundation.

Wellbeing – we reach a broad audience, both within the company and the communities we operate in, to deliver programmes that support physical and mental health, wellbeing, and inclusion.

Managing the impact of COVID-19 – Channel 3 is committed to helping our employees, customers, and communities recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

8

Our alignment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 targets designed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. These goals provide a “blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all.” Two years ago Channel 3 selected four SDGs to support, identifying the areas where we could make the most material impact. As part of our ongoing commitment to the SDGs, we will incorporate measurable targets to track our contributions towards these global objectives. We have chosen to align our practices to the following SDGs:

Sustainable Development Goal 3 – Good health and wellbeing

Sustainable Development Goal 8 – Decent work and economic growth

Sustainable Development Goal 10 – Reduced inequalities

Sustainable Development Goal 13 – Climate action

Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable

Reduce inequality within and

Take urgent action to combat climate

for all at all ages

economic growth, employment and work for all

among countries

change and its impacts

Inherent in the services we offer, we ensure healthy

We provide sustained and productive work for

Our evolving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Our services and technological solutions promote a greener

lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages.

our employees, offering multiple development

strategy aims to accommodate key demographics

society by reducing paper waste and improving efficiencies.

opportunities to spark innovation in the sector.

and create equitable and fair opportunities for our

Channel 3 is committed to climate action and strive to

people and key stakeholders.

achieve a carbon neutral status for operations. This year, we

We recognise the importance of positive mental health and wellbeing. We provide training to

We also provide development opportunities outside

management on how to support employees,

our company, supporting candidates in the NHS

We support young, disadvantaged people through

promoting a culture of wellbeing from the top.

Graduate Management Training Scheme.

our partnership with the Drive Forward Foundation,

Employees also have access to benefits through

providing monetary donations, interview support,

platforms such as Perkbox and our Employee

and an informal mentorship programme.

Assistance Programme.

undertook our second Net Zero carbon emissions report, to assess whether our emissions this year were in line with our Net Zero reduction goals developed in 2023.

Last year, we used the Yumrutepe Regulator HydroElectric Power Plant Project in Turkey under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), a long-standing accredited offsetting project, to counter residual emissions. This year, we decided to support the Carbon Balanced Project in Guatemala via verified carbon credits.

See pages: 10-18

See pages: 17-24

See pages: 19-24

9

See pages: 10-16

Environment

Environmental highlights Our environmentally conscious landlord, The Office Group (Fora), sent zero waste to landfill and maintained their renewable energy contracts

Calculated our Scope 1, Scope 2 and partial Scope 3 emissions for the second year in a row

Via our landlord, we track the disposal routes of all regular waste streams of recycling, including general waste, compost and recycling

10

Offset our carbon emissions (Scope 3, Category 5, 6 and 7) via the Carbon Balanced Project in Guatemala

Scope/Category

Item

Total tCO2e

Total tCO2e

% for

%

FY2023

FY2024

FY2024

Difference

SCOPE 1

Environmental impact

Stationary Combustion (Gas)

Gas consumed

-

-

0.0

0.0

Transportation

Owned and leased vehicles

-

-

0.0

0.0

Refrigerants

HVAC’s

-

-

0.0

0.0

We take our commitment to preserving our planet’s finite resources

SCOPE 2

seriously, recognising the environmental impact of our business

Electricity (Location-based)1

Purchased electricity, for own use (grid average)

1.1

1.7

N/A

+55.2

Electricity (Market-based)

Purchased electricity, for own use (specific contract

-

-

0.0

0.0

activities. Our Environmental Policy outlines our dedication to managing

2

environmental issues and outlines the steps we need to take to minimise our overall impact. Wherever possible, we strive to:

SCOPE 3

• Eliminate waste through recycling

Cat 1: Purchased Goods and Services

Goods and services

671.8

736.9

89.2

+9.7

Cat 2: Capital Goods

CapEx expenditure

16.5

1.7

0.2

-89.8

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.04

0.009

0.001

-77.2

40.3

34.6

4.2

-14.2

• Dispose of all waste through safe and responsible methods • Manage travel requirements effectively

Cat 3: Fuel and Energy Related Activities

• Use public transport

Cat 5: Waste Generated in Operations

• Group meetings geographically to limit travel

To support these initiatives, we will appoint ‘Environmental Champion’ candidates to drive our sustainability agenda. Responsibilities will include promoting behavioural changes amongst staff and representing the business at the Fora Sustainability Working Group in our Borough, London office.

The table on the right shows an itemised breakdown showing the amount of carbon emissions (tCO2e) produced by each scope and

category from April 2023 – March 2024 calculation in comparison to the baseline emissions of April 2022 – March 2023.

combustion of fuels and transport Waste generated in operations Land and air travel and hotel stays for business purposes

Cat 6: Business Travel

• Use energy-saving equipment

WTT3 & T&D losses4 from electricity, stationary

WTW

Cat 7: Employee Commuting

Employees commuting to and back from work WTW

12.7

14.2

1.7

+11.6

Cat 7: Employee Homeworking

Employees working from home

33.6

36.9

4.5

+9.9

Total Gross Emissions (Location-based)

776.04

825.9

Total Gross Emissions (Market-based) tal Emissions (Market based)

774.96

825.9

Less carbon offsets

(90.0)

(95.0)

Total Net Emissions

685.0

729.2

Location based represents emissions from electricity consumption based on grid average emissions Market based represents emissions from electricity consumption based on specific energy contracts WTT - Well-to-tank emissions. Emissions associated with the extraction, refinement, and transport of fuels before consumption 4 T&D losses – Transmission and distribution losses. Emissions associated with the energy lost during the transmission of electricity through the network 1 2 3

11

+6.4 100

+6.4

+34.2

Environmental impact Our path to Net Zero

our Scope 3 supply chain, which are the most

Climate change is undeniably one of the most

challenging to reduce in the short-term. Purchased

pressing global challenges of our time, affecting

Goods and Services (Category 1) was our largest

every aspect of life on earth. Protecting our planet

emissions area, comprising 90% of our overall

for future generations and preventing a climate

emissions. To address this in the coming year, we

catastrophe requires urgent, collective efforts from

have committed to improving the data quality from

businesses, organisations, and nations across

our contractors. Additionally, we will continue to

the globe.

influence where we can, harnessing our purchasing

In line with our commitment to reduce carbon emissions and stabilise global temperatures, this

power, choice of suppliers, and supply chain We continue to produce no direct emissions, due

baseline year. Our calculations were undertaken in

to having no company fleet or gas consumption on

accord with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol,

site. Furthermore, through our landlord, we have

the international standard for corporate accounting

continued to procure 100% renewable electricity at

and reporting. Channel 3 recalculated our Scope

our office, producing no Scope 2 emissions.

and 7) emissions. To enhance the accuracy of our carbon emissions data, this year, we revised our methodology to update our conversion factors in line with an update from the EPA.

Gross Emissions (Market-based)

Net Emissions

Year

FY 23

FY24

FY 23

FY24

FY 23

FY24

tCO2e per employee

11.3

10.7

11.2

10.7

9.9

10.7

55.4

63.5

55.4

63.4

48.9

63.4

44.6

15.7

44.6

15.7

39.4

15.7

tCO2e per flexible desk space *

management to encourage carbon reduction.

year we reassessed our carbon impact against our

1, 2, and partial Scope 3 (Categories 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Gross Emissions (Location-based)

tCO2e per £ million turnover

*Requested desk refers to the occupancy of our flexible workspaces at FORA. This is a metric to understand the emissions associated with flexible / coworking spaces.

To provide a more comparative measurement of

2025

2030

2035

2040

10%

34%

58%

84%

absolute reduction in emissions by 2025 from 2023 baseline levels

absolute reduction in emissions by 2030 from 2023 baseline levels

absolute reduction in emissions by 2035 from 2023 baseline levels

absolute reduction in emissions by 2040 from 2023 baseline levels

2023

our emissions impact year-on-year, we apply an intensity ratio against select business metrics.

This allows us to track our emissions alongside our growing business.

Our total net emissions have slightly increased from our 2022 baseline year by 20% – a rise of 139 tCO2e. As is common amongst businesses within

our sector, the majority of our emissions sits within

12

Our contribution to the Carbon Balanced project in Guatemala Our journey to Net Zero outlines a clear road to reducing emissions. While we strive to implement initiatives to achieve our 2040 Net Zero target, we can also make an immediate positive impact by offsetting the emissions we have already generated.

CASE STUDY: Conservation Coast’s Carbon Balance Project, Guatemala This year, we decided to support the Conservation Coast’s Carbon Balance Project in Guatemala, in partnership with the Foundation for Ecodevelopment and Conservation (FUNDAECO) based in Guatemala City, and Ecosphere+, a carbon credits provider.

The Carbon Balanced project supports hundreds of landowners, including local communities, to register and obtain land titles to protect 133,827 acres (54,158 hectares) of threatened coastal forest. FUNDAECO are working with 3,250 families to transform local livelihoods through job creation in ecotourism and agricultural training for sustainable agroforestry systems producing cardamom, pepper, cinnamon and fruits.

The project has established systems for forest monitoring and surveillance, law enforcement, and conservation education to protect the forest and biodiversity Reducing 728,161 tonnes of CO2 from annual emissions

This Project contributes to the following UN SDGs:

In addition to emission reduction benefits, the project has improved access to healthcare, establishing 24 community-run clinics that provide family planning and reproductive health services, and is supporting young women to finish their elementary education and continue to high school.

13

Environmental impact Waste

Employee travel and commuting

Waste stream

Weight FY2022

Weight FY2023

tCO2e FY2023

Waste to energy

220.5 kg

93.4 kg

0.002

-

268.7 kg

Recycled (anaerobic digestion)

401.1 kg

-

0.006

As a business, we prefer to use public transport for business travel within the UK,

Food waste

120.9 kg

169.7 kg

0.002

driving only when necessary. All modes of transport and mileage are tracked, and we

Total

545.5 kg

531.7 kg

0.01

were pleased to see a slight decrease in our business travel emissions this year, with a

Recycled

% Employee Car type ownership UK 2023 Petrol

Diesel

Hybrid

EV

61%

38%

1%

0.6%

*Data provided by landlord for period April 2023-March 2024

reduction of 14%.

While Channel 3 produces minimal office waste, we recognise that even small changes can

With the majority of our staff contracted to work from home, employee commuting

have a big impact. Our services are digitised, meaning we do not require paper printing, toners or other supplies, which inherently limits the resources we use and dispose of.

Meanwhile, our fully serviced office in London has a certified zero waste to landfill waste management contract in place. As a serviced site, capturing granular waste data can be a challenge. Therefore, to provide us with an indication of our overall consumption, we currently use estimated weight of waste based on the square meters we occupy to assess

makes up only 1.7% of our total (net) carbon emissions. However, to make further reductions and encourage more sustainable commuting practices, we launched a cycleto-work scheme for all staff and are currently exploring the introduction of an EV salary sacrifice scheme.

Emissions

FY2022

FY2023

progress.

Scope 3 Cat 6: Business Travel

40.3

34.6

We were pleased to see a slight reduction in waste consumption this year, and overall, our

Scope 3 Cat 7: Employee Commuting

12.7

14.2

waste emissions remained low- comprising only 0.001 tCO2e.

Scope 3 Cat 7: Employee Commuting (WFH)

33.6

36.9

14

Environmental impact Managing our Environmental Risks In the last year, we have dedicated substantial resources to our environmental management systems, obtaining our ISO 14001 certification, with full support from Senior Leadership. To ensure we meet the rigorous standards required, we enlisted an external consultancy to guide us and conduct internal audits in preparation for the external certification audit, complimented by regular support sessions. Achieving ISO 14001 certification prompted us to revamp our procurement and supplier onboarding processes, integrating quality and environmental considerations. It also influenced our decision to continue with FORA as our sustainable office provider.

Off the back of this work with our external consultant, we began to consider climate objectives and climate risks which we integrated into our business risk register, including our exposure to those risks and mitigations in place. We aim to conduct a deeper assessment of climate risks and opportunities in the future and factor them into our business strategy, to ensure that we remain resilient against climate risks.

15

Environmental impact CASE STUDY: Knowledge sharing on environmental management systems

Environmental goals for FY2025

Motivated by the learnings from our ESG Assessment and Impact Report produced by Sustainable Advantage, we set an objective last year to participate in more networking events to share best practice with peers and the communities we serve. Channel 3

• We will increase the frequency of energy and waste data reporting to monitor our consumption on an ongoing basis • • We will appoint an Environment Champion to monitor energy data, encourage behavioural change and represent Channel 3 Consulting at the Fora Sustainability Working Group • • We will continue to adhere to our carbon reduction plan to reduce Scopes 1,2 and 3 emissions by 34% by 2030 • • We will strategically consider potential climaterelated risks and opportunities to our business

engaged in client-led ESG workshops that addressed topics such as social value, supply chain diversity, environmental strategies, and how environmental sustainability can be leveraged as a competitive advantage. These workshops deepened our understanding of a broad spectrum of climate topics, such as climate change risks and opportunities, the 2015 Paris Agreement and the changing market landscape.

They also provided us with valuable insights into our peers’ approach to sustainability.

Additionally, during the peer knowledge sharing segment of the workshops, we shared our sustainability initiatives developed in collaboration with Sustainable Advantage, and discussed how these efforts were integrated into our business objectives.

16

Supply Chain 17

Supply Chain impact Our commitment to a sustainable and diverse supply chain

To reduce our digital supply chain emissions

Our largest suppliers are service providers, providing

server. Microsoft has committed to using 100%

legal and professional support, IT support, resource

renewable energy by 2025, becoming water positive

provisioning and office accommodation. In addition,

and zero-waste by 2030, and achieving net-zero

we have a UK-wide network of associate service

deforestation in new construction.

(Scope 3), we use Microsoft Azure as our cloud-based

Number of significant suppliers:

18

providers that support the delivery of our services.

Supplier diversity is integral to our social value agenda,

To reduce our emissions within the supply chain

and we are committed to partnering with a wide range

we will need to engage with the contractors that we

of small and medium enterprises.

outsource our work to and apply a balanced score

Suppliers are audited annually at a minimum as

card followed by a Supplier Management System to

part of our ISO 9001 requirements. To evaluate our

help reduce emissions within this category.

suppliers on business conduct, as well as the extent

In the coming year, we will be launching two key

to which their values align with our own, we have

policies to support our responsible supply chain

also introduced a supplier register and a new supplier

objectives: our Supplier Code of Conduct, outlining our

assessment form. These tools enable us to monitor

expectations of supplier behaviour, and our Modern

risks, including ESG-related risks, that could negatively

Slavery Statement, affirming our commitment to

impact our business.

preventing modern slavery and human trafficking.

Supply Chain goals for FY2025

18

• We will create and implement a Supplier Code of Conduct • • We will publish a Modern Slavery Statement by the end of 2024

Social

Social highlights We created a bid submission feedback tracker for continuous improvements to our social value

approach

We supported

employee-led fundraisers for children

We created and began the rollout of our DE&I and CSR

delivery plans

with cancer and food drives for local communities

We hired a Chief People Officer to steer our social strategy

In April 2023 we rolled out new wellbeing-related

benefits 19

Our people 0 grievances raised in the last year

4 employee engagement surveys delivered

As a company that places people at the heart of everything we do, Channel 3 is committed to prioritising the wellbeing and development of our employees, clients, and the communities we serve. Supporting our employees’ wellbeing is a top priority, which is why we developed a Health

organisation. Each MHFA is trained to promote mental health services and offer support to colleagues.

In line with our goal of improving the social and community relationships in the team, we use employee rewards and benefits platform, Perkbox, helping to build relationships with peers, promote wellbeing initiatives, signpost support channels, and create a source of light relief for our busy team.

This year we increased our staff pension contributions, as well as introduced a buy/sell holiday policy and salary sacrifice scheme.

Additionally, we extended the retail and lifestyle discounts to our staff’s

and Wellbeing strategy to formalise our vision and goals, which is due to be

family members through Perkbox.

launched later this year.

Uptake on all benefits is analysed annually in advance of benefit renewals,

Embedding wellbeing into our culture begins at the top. We conduct

as well as throughout the year in response to employee feedback surveys

wellbeing checks regularly through our development leads and ensure

and ad hoc feedback. This ensures that the benefits offered align with

regular check-ins take place to identify any potential wellbeing concerns

employee preferences and effectively support a positive work-life balance.

within a team. We have also delivered mental health first aider training,

We are keen to champion our colleagues’ great work and support across

with six people now positioned across the business to provide dedicated support to staff facing mental health challenges and help them maintain a manageable workload.

All employees have access to our employee assistance programme (Health Assured), health cash plans and wellbeing apps through our external provider, Medicash. Additionally, we offer opt-in private healthcare through Aviva. To provide practical, on the ground support, we also

the business through our ‘Give Kudos’ Programme. Each month, employees can nominate team members who have demonstrated company values.

Successful candidates are recognised at company events each month and are awarded Perkbox vouchers. In addition, we implemented the Quarterly Spotlight Award initiative, providing recognition and reward for high-performing individuals, which has received positive feedback from the business.

have six trained mental health first aiders (MHFA), trained by St. John’s Ambulance, distributed across business locations and various levels of the

20

Give Kudos nomination: Oliver F. (Recognised by Michael W.)

“Oliver has been invaluable in the Swindon project, we had challenges within the project that could not be foreseen and he stepped up to the plate, switching priorities, being flexible and delivering exceptional quality work at the drop of a hat in an area he wasn’t needed to be involved in. He produced collateral for a workshop at short notice that was not only a quality deliverable but also re-usable across other clients. Well done!”

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I)

55% employees are female

We value the diversity in our team, and aim to attract,

of 2024. While we didn’t attain our objective to form a DE&I

retain and develop people from all backgrounds and

Committee this year, to encourage DE&I discussion and

experiences. We are committed to being an inclusive,

participation we introduced a DE&I newsletter and book

representative employer – one that our employees are

club. The book club occurs every two months and has

36%

proud to work for.

already received positive uptake from staff. Additionally,

of managers are female

In 2023, we set ourselves some overarching goals to enhance our social strategy. This included hiring a Chief

our managers have completed unconscious bias and DE&I training, to increase awareness of potential bias within

creating a formalised DE&I strategy. We’ve made notable

To assess our impact in the coming year, we plan to

50%

progress towards attaining these.

benchmark our DE&I performance in our sector, for

of board members are female

People Officer, establishing a DE&I committee, and

We appointed our Chief People Officer to drive our people initiatives, and who is responsible for overseeing enhancements to our DE&I approach. We also developed a

hiring decisions and management behaviours.

example, through industry or government initiatives.

This will include a review of our strategy, policies and processes based on industry best-practices.

DE&I delivery plan, with a view to strategise this by the end

Training and development

212

We deliver exceptional quality of service thanks to the

As we continue to evolve and grow, we will place the

talent and passion of our people. So we care deeply

development of our employees at the forefront and

about their personal and professional development. Our

encourage continuous learning through our training

comprehensive performance review system helps us to

offerings. In 2025, this will encompass the roll out of a new

flag and fill skills gaps, as well as identify opportunities for

learning platform, as well as a Leaders’ Toolkit to support

internal and external training. We have a generous annual

our managers.

training hours delivered on average to full-time employees

training budget - investing £160, 000 on external training

£160,000 invested in external training

alone in the last year.

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CASE STUDY: Lucy Conway From Operations Analyst to Consulting Analyst

she was comfortable with her training and change

Lucy joined Channel 3 in July 2023 with the aspiration to

in function.

move into the consulting side of the business, which was known to the company from the outset. Her manager during her time as an Operations Analyst identified that Lucy’s skills were well-suited for consulting roles and had regular development meetings to discuss how she could work on skills gaps. Lucy was encouraged to engage with consultants before making the transition, to ensure that it was the right decision for her. By January 2024, a consulting position became available, and she was promptly enrolled in core consulting training, covering various topics such as client interactions, process mapping, delivery and presentations. In addition to formal training, Lucy received ad hoc training and engaged with Principal Consultants to understand their expectations from an analyst.

To bolster her technical knowledge, which was mainly acquired on the job, Lucy was supported by mentors and had weekly meetings with consultants to address any technical queries. She was also paired with a buddy from the consulting team for additional support. Weekly meetings with Engagement Leads provided a platform for continuous feedback and ensured she was not overwhelmed by the transition. Lucy’s progress was closely monitored through regular check-ins to ensure

Lucy’s new role saw her step outside her comfort zone to undertake an implementation project, a part of which required her to stay in Coventry for three weeks to support the client’s requirements. She led client meetings and presented to a virtual audience of 100 people. Additionally, she handled in-person meetings and was assigned the role of PMO lead for two days - a position more senior than her grade. This experience involved managing key issues and ensuring the project’s progress, showcasing her capability and growth in her new role, with oversight and support from a large and experienced team.

Lucy expressed immense satisfaction with her new role, feeling a strong sense of fulfilment as she found herself more aligned with the responsibilities of her new position. The extensive support she received enabled

Lucy expressed immense satisfaction with her new role, feeling a strong sense of fulfilment as she found herself more aligned with the responsibilities of her new position.

her to have a successful first six months. She was entrusted with opportunities to perform tasks beyond her grade, reflecting the trust that the company placed in her abilities, and their own, in training her up. Lucy also appreciated the ample room for development and growth, which was recognised through the Quarterly Spotlight Award.

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Generating social value in our communities At Channel 3, our purpose is to help clients deliver better outcomes for the people they serve and drive positive change within their workforce and operations. We firmly believe that success in business goes hand in hand with making a positive impact on society. As such, our social investment is an integral part of our mission to positively impact the lives of patients and communities. We engage regularly with the NHS and are acutely aware of the importance of PPN 06/20 and 06/21 in public procurement. This work is grounded in our social value methodology (page 8).

Partnership with the Drive Forward Foundation Channel 3 is proud to partner with the Drive Forward Foundation, which provides young adults leaving foster or residential care with work placements to broaden their skills, knowledge, and experience. Our partnership is the cornerstone of our social investment, and we take pride in the support we offer the Drive Forward Foundation. This includes sharing employment data, facilitating interview training/courses, and an informal mentorship/training programme for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In addition to ongoing ad hoc support, this year we donated £5,000 towards individuals with extensive care-leavers seeking employment and broader career support.

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NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme Channel 3 is proud to participate in the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme, which exists to recruit and develop talented individuals with the potential to become future leaders within the NHS. After completing a rigorous application process, chosen candidates embark on a two-year work placement, with around eight weeks spent working with an external organisation. Following the success of our first training scheme, Channel 3 Consulting will be welcoming a third graduate for 2024-2025. The graduate will be shadowing and supporting our consulting team, gaining valuable transferable skills that she can take with her into an NHS working environment.

Social goals for FY2024 • We aim to expand our DE&I offering, beginning to collect DE&I demographic data where possible, and roll out our DE&I and CSR strategies • • We aim to participate in, or host more events for DE&I and wellbeing • • We will revise our Health and Wellbeing strategy • • We will roll out a new learning platform and Leaders Toolkit •

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Governance

Governance highlights We became

ISO 14001 (Environmental management) and

ISO 9001 (Quality management) accredited

We maintained

Cyber Essential Plus Certification

We implemented our Project delivery Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), complementing our ISO 9001 accreditation.

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Governance structure and compliance Policies and policy management form a crucial element of our corporate governance. This year, we updated our Employee Handbook, containing our full policy suite. All employees are trained on policies, which are accessible via our HR system. Channel 3 is currently overhauling our HR system, which will involve migrating all policies to a new platform. This system will serve as a crucial compliance tool, allowing us to track staff understanding and acknowledgement of key policies.

The nature of our services, which centre around information technology in healthcare, means we have an expansive set of policies relating to cyber and data security. This includes internal policies on data protection, with specific policies on Internet and Electronic Communications and social media. Our approach is informed and supplemented by our third-party accreditations, including Cyber Security Essentials Plus and ISO 27001 (Information Security Management).

Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response Policy As part of maintaining our ISO accreditations, we continue to uphold our Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response Policy. This was implemented with the support of an external advisor last year and outlines the protocols in place around physical/infrastructure, medical, cyber emergencies and any criminal activities. We take full accountability to document and abide by the protocols set out in the policy, and commit to operating with our employees’ and customers’ safety and security front of mind.

To further bolster our risk management, this year we developed a Business Continuity Plan, which is due to be tested by the end of 2024.

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CASE STUDY: Project delivery SOP, complementing ISO 9001 Channel 3 prides itself on delivering high-quality digital consultancy solutions to the healthcare sector, creating widescale positive impact. Given the complexity of our work, a robust and structured approach is essential for success, which led to the development of our project Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). The SOP is designed to minimise inconsistencies, challenges and risks during project delivery, providing a clear framework that enhances project consistency and quality in alignment with ISO 9001 Quality Management requirements. All consulting employees receive training on the SOP, and are encouraged to refer to it on our internal Delivery Hub. While consultants follow this process closely, project managers submit delivery assurance reports fortnightly to the Senior Delivery Manager, allowing for early detection of risks and mitigation planning.

The SOP comprises four key stages, each with specific methods and tools:

Sales

Initiation

Delivery

Closure

This stage ensures that client requirements and Channel 3’s resources are understood, and commercial aspects are properly managed. Proposals are reviewed by the Senior Delivery Manager to ensure feasibility and accuracy, with feedback provided back to the team.

Focuses on internal team mobilisation, clarifying responsibilities and kick-off activities with the client. This stage requires consultants to fill out a project risk document, identifying any potential risks that may arise.

Encompasses managing client relationships, identifying risks and maintaining quality. Weekly highlight reports are sent to both clients and the internal team to ensure timelines and budgets are adhered to. Team wellbeing is also reported throughout the project to ensure proper workload management, sufficient resourcing, and alignment with individual development and performance goals.

Ensures all deliverables are approved by the client and all contractual obligations are fulfilled. Feedback and lessons learned are captured and shared with the team and the Senior Delivery Manager, helping to inform future proposals and contracts.

The SOP directly supports our ISO 9001 accreditation by providing a thorough delivery framework that ensures quality. Overall, the SOP has contributed to improved project delivery outcomes, leading to positive feedback and enhanced experiences for both staff and clients.

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Governance goals for FY2025 • Implement a Corporate Criminal Offence Policy • • Improve measures to inform employees of whistleblowing policy through the appointment of a Speak Up Champion • • Incorporate comprehensive ESG risks within our risk register • • Form an ESG committee to oversee the development of a company ESG Policy and corresponding KPIs • • Approve and publish a Modern Slavery Statement on the Channel 3 website • • Improve the policy review process by introducing a tracking system to monitor employees’ acceptance of policies • • Business Continuity Plan to be tested by the end of 2024

A Statement on our future ESG goals and ambitions While we’re pleased with the steady rise of ESG progress in the last year, we remain committed to maintaining this momentum in the coming year promoting sustainability within our services, as well as our own operations.

The nature of our business inherently supports sustainability through the use of healthcare technology. Our services and products aim to increase efficiencies, reduce energy consumption and minimise material resources.

Additionally, by leveraging digital solutions, they help reduce the need for unnecessary travel, offering digital appointments and prescriptions.

In addition to the goals outlined under each of the environment, social and governance areas, Channel 3 will be working towards articulating the positive impact of our services, and we look forward to sharing these results in FY25.

Beyond our product offerings, we remain steadfast in our commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2040, continuing to seek solutions to limit our use of resources, and minimise emissions. We will also continue to monitor our environmental impacts, within both our own operations, and wider supply chain. Alongside this, we are dedicated to strengthening our social strategy - continuing to enhance our workplace culture and delivering positive contributions to our local communities through our social value approach.

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FY2025 ESG goals Increase the frequency of

energy and waste data reporting to monitor our

consumption

Appoint an Environment Champion to monitor energy data, encourage behavioural change and represent Channel 3 Consulting at the Fora Sustainability Working Group in the Borough, London Office

Strategically consider potential

Build out the DE&I offering: begin to collect DE&I demographic data where possible and translate our delivery plan into a

climate-related risks and opportunities

corresponding strategy

Put in place a

Draft and implement a

to our business

Code of Conduct for our existing suppliers as well as a Responsible

Corporate Criminal Offence Policy

Procurement Policy

Continue to adhere to our carbon reduction plan and reduce Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions 34% by 2030

for DE&I and wellbeing

committee to oversee the development of a company ESG Policy and corresponding KPIs

Approve/publish a

Modern Slavery Statement

on the Channel 3 Consulting website

Aim to participate in or host more events

Form an ESG

Incorporate comprehensive ESG risks within our risk register

Improve the policy review process by introducing an employee policy approval tracking function into the HR platform 29

Improve measures to inform employees of our Whistleblowing Policy through the appointment of a Speak Up Champion

As part of our desire to ensure we adopt best practice, Channel 3 Consulting engaged Sustainable Advantage to conduct an annual review of our ESG strategy, goals and performance and to help deliver this report.

Sustainable Advantage Hersham Place Technology Park Molesey Road, Hersham Walton-on-Thames Surrey KT12 4RS 0203 544 2020 info@sustainable-advantage.com sustainable-advantage.com