About us
Channel 3 was founded in 2009 with a simple vision: to empower forward-thinking health and care organisations to harness the power of technology to improve care and help transform services for patients, service users and communities.
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, care providers, patients and citizens better access to lifesaving information, and use technology to enable transformational improvements to services and outcomes. We believe success comes from working with our clients in teams that blend their skills and ours, and that is how we have approached every project since day one.
As technology has evolved at pace over the last decade, so have our services. But one thing has stayed the same: our passion for rolling up our sleeves and helping our clients make digital health and care happen. We relish the challenge.
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.
We help clients deliver better outcomes for the people they serve, achieve greater productivity of the health and care workforce, and support leaders to deliver on their ambitions for improved patient care.
A message from our CEO, Leo Jones
At Channel 3, we are passionate about making a positive impact on the health and care sector, as well as the broader communities we serve. As a business, we take pride in our efforts to continuously improve the efficiency and sustainability of our operations, while prioritising and safeguarding the wellbeing of our employees. Delivering a positive and sustained impact across the key areas of environmental, social and governance (ESG) aligns strongly with our company values and ethos. Delivering positively on our ESG commitments is therefore a core strategic objective for us as a business. Now entering the fourth year of our ESG programme, we are delighted to share with you the progress we have made on our sustainability journey so far, as well as outline our updated plans to continue to meet and stretch our ESG goals further.
Environment
This year we undertook our second Net Zero assessment to understand our carbon footprint compared to our baseline position in 2023. We witnessed a slight increase in our total emissions as a result of a rise in our indirect emissions (Scope 3), which is largely due to enhancing our calculation methodology. Looking ahead to the next year, we remain steadfast in our Net Zero commitment. We have retained our carbonneutral status by offsetting our Scope 3 emissions (Categories 5, 6 and 7) through investment in forestry and biodiversity projects in Guatemala. Additionally, we have 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
of our team in creating a positive workplace culture that prioritises the health and wellbeing of our people. To further strengthen our social strategy, we have appointed a Chief People Officer to lead and develop our key initiatives, including our approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and the overhaul of our HR system. Looking ahead, we will be looking to strengthen our strategic partnership with the Drive Forward Foundation, supporting young careexperienced individuals to gain the skills needed to achieve successful, independent lives. Over the year we will be delivering a number of initiatives in partnership with young care-experienced individuals.
Governance
Our ESG strategy is underpinned by rigorous governance measures, reinforced by our third-party accreditations. This year, we were proud to attain our ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) certification, underscoring our commitment to environmental management and sustainability. Given that our service revolves around information technology and the management of sensitive data, cybersecurity remains a key strategic priority. In addition to maintaining our Cyber Essentials Plus certification, we made significant strides to enhance our information security by continuing to align with ISO 27001 (Information Security Management) standards, adding further weight to our cybersecurity programme.
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
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
We are passionate about what we do and the impact we can have.
Growing with impact
COLLABORATION
We actively collaborate to achieve great results for our clients and our business.
We are here because we believe digital needs to play a key role in improving and transforming health and care. We know the positive impact digital can have; we know it isn’t being embraced fully, at scale across public services 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, 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 or, worse still, creating more challenges for patients, clinicians and the broader health and care workforce.
We believe the next few years are set to be a hugely exciting time for the digital health and care market. There remains a growing recognition that 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.
INTEGRITY
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. DIVERSITY
Channel 3 is passionate about supporting the sector to deliver on this ambition and to play a leading role in this transition, delivering and growing with impact.
For us, this means:
• helping our clients make clear and measurable improvements in health and care services;
• demonstrably delivering impact with our clients in improvements to patients and citizen outcomes, enhanced productivity, greater financial sustainability and social value;
• making positive contributions to our communities through our work with clients and our own corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives;
• creating a great work environment where our teams – and our clients’ teams – learn, develop and have fun;
We call this ‘Growing with impact’
Defining our social and environmental impact
1. We aim to have a positive impact on our clients and the people they serve, our team members and the communities in which we live.
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 of creating a standard way of measuring each project’s impact and sharing our successes. We will aggregate those 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.
5. We will continue to focus on a wider programme of sponsored CSR activities. Our sponsorship will include both financial contributions and contributions of our team 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 and will explore further opportunities for continuous improvement.
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
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.
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
Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
Inherent in the services we offer, we ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages.
We recognise the importance of positive mental health and wellbeing. We provide training to management on how to support employees, promoting a culture of wellbeing from the top. Employees also have access to benefits through platforms such as Perkbox and our Employee Assistance Programme.
See pages: 10-18
Sustainable Development Goal 8 –Decent work and economic growth
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and work for all
We provide sustained and productive work for our employees, offering multiple development opportunities to spark innovation in the sector.
We also provide development opportunities outside our company, supporting candidates in the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme.
Sustainable Development Goal 10 –Reduced inequalities
Reduce inequality within and among countries
Our evolving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy aims to accommodate key demographics and create equitable and fair opportunities for our people and key stakeholders.
We support young, disadvantaged people through our partnership with the Drive Forward Foundation, providing monetary donations, interview support, and an informal mentorship programme.
Sustainable Development Goal 13 –
Climate action
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Our services and technological solutions promote a greener society by reducing paper waste and improving efficiencies. Channel 3 is committed to climate action and strive to achieve a carbon neutral status for operations. This year, we 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: 17-24
See pages: 19-24
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
Offset our carbon emissions (Scope 3, Category 5, 6 and 7) via the Carbon Balanced Project in Guatemala
Environmental impact
We take our commitment to preserving our planet’s finite resources seriously, recognising the environmental impact of our business activities. Our Environmental Policy outlines our dedication to managing environmental issues and outlines the steps we need to take to minimise our overall impact. Wherever possible, we strive to:
• Eliminate waste through recycling
• Dispose of all waste through safe and responsible methods
• Manage travel requirements effectively
• Use public transport
• Group meetings geographically to limit travel
• Use energy-saving equipment
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.
Environmental impact
Our path to Net Zero Climate change is undeniably one of the most pressing global challenges of our time, affecting every aspect of life on earth. Protecting our planet for future generations and preventing a climate catastrophe requires urgent, collective efforts from businesses, organisations, and nations across the globe.
In line with our commitment to reduce carbon emissions and stabilise global temperatures, this year we reassessed our carbon impact against our baseline year. Our calculations were undertaken in accord with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, the international standard for corporate accounting and reporting. Channel 3 recalculated our Scope 1, 2, and partial Scope 3 (Categories 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 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.
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
our Scope 3 supply chain, which are the most challenging to reduce in the short-term. Purchased Goods and Services (Category 1) was our largest emissions area, comprising 90% of our overall emissions. To address this in the coming year, we have committed to improving the data quality from our contractors. Additionally, we will continue to influence where we can, harnessing our purchasing power, choice of suppliers, and supply chain management to encourage carbon reduction.
We continue to produce no direct emissions, due to having no company fleet or gas consumption on site. Furthermore, through our landlord, we have continued to procure 100% renewable electricity at our office, producing no Scope 2 emissions.
To provide a more comparative measurement of 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.
*Requested desk refers to the occupancy of our flexible workspaces at FORA. This
/ coworking spaces.
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
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.
This Project contributes to the following UN SDGs:
Reducing 728,161 tonnes of CO2 from annual emissions
Environmental impact
*Data provided by landlord for period April 2023-March 2024
While Channel 3 produces minimal office waste, we recognise that even small changes can 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 progress.
We were pleased to see a slight reduction in waste consumption this year, and overall, our waste emissions remained low- comprising only 0.001 tCO2e.
As a business, we prefer to use public transport for business travel within the UK, driving only when necessary. All modes of transport and mileage are tracked, and we were pleased to see a slight decrease in our business travel emissions this year, with a reduction of 14%.
With the majority of our staff contracted to work from home, employee commuting 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.
Employee travel and commuting
%
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.
Environmental impact
CASE STUDY: Knowledge sharing on environmental management systems
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 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.
Environmental goals for FY2025
• 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
Supply Chain
Supply Chain impact
Our commitment to a sustainable and diverse supply chain
Our largest suppliers are service providers, providing legal and professional support, IT support, resource provisioning and office accommodation. In addition, we have a UK-wide network of associate service providers that support the delivery of our services. Supplier diversity is integral to our social value agenda, and we are committed to partnering with a wide range of small and medium enterprises. Suppliers are audited annually at a minimum as part of our ISO 9001 requirements. To evaluate our suppliers on business conduct, as well as the extent to which their values align with our own, we have also introduced a supplier register and a new supplier assessment form. These tools enable us to monitor risks, including ESG-related risks, that could negatively impact our business.
To reduce our digital supply chain emissions (Scope 3), we use Microsoft Azure as our cloud-based server. Microsoft has committed to using 100% renewable energy by 2025, becoming water positive and zero-waste by 2030, and achieving net-zero deforestation in new construction.
To reduce our emissions within the supply chain we will need to engage with the contractors that we outsource our work to and apply a balanced score card followed by a Supplier Management System to help reduce emissions within this category.
In the coming year, we will be launching two key policies to support our responsible supply chain objectives: our Supplier Code of Conduct, outlining our expectations of supplier behaviour, and our Modern Slavery Statement, affirming our commitment to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking.
Number of significant suppliers: 18
Supply Chain goals for FY2025
• 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 created and began the rollout of our DE&I and CSR delivery plans
We hired a Chief People Officer to steer our social strategy
In April 2023 we rolled out new wellbeing-related benefits We supported employee-led fundraisers for children with cancer and food drives for local communities
Our people
raised in the last year delivered 0 grievances 4 employee engagement surveys
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 and Wellbeing strategy to formalise our vision and goals, which is due to be launched later this year.
Embedding wellbeing into our culture begins at the top. We conduct wellbeing checks regularly through our development leads and ensure regular check-ins take place to identify any potential wellbeing concerns within a team. We have also delivered mental health first aider training, 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 have six trained mental health first aiders (MHFA), trained by St. John’s Ambulance, distributed across business locations and various levels of the
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 family members through Perkbox.
Uptake on all benefits is analysed annually in advance of benefit renewals, as well as throughout the year in response to employee feedback surveys and ad hoc feedback. This ensures that the benefits offered align with employee preferences and effectively support a positive work-life balance.
We are keen to champion our colleagues’ great work and support across 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.
“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!”
Give Kudos nomination: Oliver F. (Recognised by Michael W.)
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I)
We value the diversity in our team, and aim to attract, retain and develop people from all backgrounds and experiences. We are committed to being an inclusive, representative employer – one that our employees are proud to work for.
In 2023, we set ourselves some overarching goals to enhance our social strategy. This included hiring a Chief People Officer, establishing a DE&I committee, and creating a formalised DE&I strategy. We’ve made notable progress towards attaining these.
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 DE&I delivery plan, with a view to strategise this by the end
Training and development
of 2024. While we didn’t attain our objective to form a DE&I Committee this year, to encourage DE&I discussion and participation we introduced a DE&I newsletter and book club. The book club occurs every two months and has already received positive uptake from staff. Additionally, our managers have completed unconscious bias and DE&I training, to increase awareness of potential bias within hiring decisions and management behaviours.
To assess our impact in the coming year, we plan to benchmark our DE&I performance in our sector, for example, through industry or government initiatives. This will include a review of our strategy, policies and processes based on industry best-practices.
We deliver exceptional quality of service thanks to the talent and passion of our people. So we care deeply about their personal and professional development. Our comprehensive performance review system helps us to flag and fill skills gaps, as well as identify opportunities for internal and external training. We have a generous annual training budget - investing £160, 000 on external training alone in the last year.
As we continue to evolve and grow, we will place the development of our employees at the forefront and encourage continuous learning through our training offerings. In 2025, this will encompass the roll out of a new learning platform, as well as a Leaders’ Toolkit to support our managers.
36% of managers are female 50% of board members are female
212
training hours delivered on average to full-time employees
£160,000 invested in external training 55% employees are female
CASE STUDY: Lucy Conway
From Operations Analyst to Consulting Analyst Lucy joined Channel 3 in July 2023 with the aspiration to 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
she was comfortable with her training and change in function.
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 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.
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.
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.
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
•
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.
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.
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.
Governance goals for FY2025
• Implement a Corporate Criminal Offence Policy
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• Improve measures to inform employees of whistleblowing policy through the appointment of a Speak Up Champion
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• Incorporate comprehensive ESG risks within our risk register
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• Form an ESG committee to oversee the development of a company ESG Policy and corresponding KPIs
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• Approve and publish a Modern Slavery Statement on the Channel 3 website
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• Improve the policy review process by introducing a tracking system to monitor employees’ acceptance of policies
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• 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 yearpromoting 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.
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 climate-related risks and opportunities to our business
Put in place a Corporate Criminal Offence Policy
Continue to adhere to our carbon reduction plan and reduce Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions 34% by 2030
Build out the DE&I offering: begin to collect DE&I demographic data where possible and translate our delivery plan into a corresponding strategy
Draft and implement a Code of Conduct for our existing suppliers as well as a Responsible Procurement Policy
Form an ESG 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 for DE&I and wellbeing
Improve the policy review process by introducing an employee policy approval tracking function into the HR platform
Incorporate comprehensive ESG risks within our risk register
Improve measures to inform employees of our Whistleblowing Policy through the appointment of a Speak Up Champion
