Page 21 - CCB_Full-Annual-Report-2021

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Contents
Contents

opportunities and confidence building
activities designed to get them back/into
the working environment; to Soft Touch Management Strategic Report
Arts through their Stars programme,
which allows the charity to take young proactively
peoples’ passion for art and design and
provide pathways into higher education introduced a hybrid
or employment; and TCV who are
working with young people to develop operating model for
a connection between them and the
vital, but often shrinking, green spaces in staff to flexibly work
their community.
fifty percent of their
The Bank continues to maintain a Corporate Governance Statement
strong relationship with Leicestershire time from home.
Cares, which is a charity that brokers
partnerships between the business sector
and local communities that are in need,
particularly children and young people.
The Bank supports a number of their
initiatives, including:

∞ Interview Techniques, which provides Creating an inclusive workplace
14/15 year-olds with interview practice can view on catch-up. Increased Bank- continued to add to its headcount during
that can help shape their careers; The safety and well-being of our people wide connectivity and accessibility has 2021, and is proud of how well it has on-
is always our top priority, and the ongoing also been achieved through the launch boarded new colleagues across the Bank.
∞ Bags of Hope – raising close to £2,000 Covid 19 pandemic has reinforced how of the Bank’s new intranet during the
from staff donations that allowed toys important it is that we look after each year, enabling more efficient access to Diversity and inclusion remain at the Independent Auditor’s Report
and essential items to be purchased for other. Early in 2020 we made the decision information and creating greater social heart of the Bank’s culture, and we use
under-privileged children and families. not to furlough any of our colleagues interaction. This is supported by the Bank’s active initiatives and formal policies to
and provided additional measures newsletter ‘The Natter’ delivering formal help support colleagues be themselves at
A key part of the culture of the Bank is the including extending dependent leave and informal communications and updates work with access to equal opportunities.
support and encouragement of colleague’s and flexible working arrangements to on departmental initiatives. The Staff Forum continues to provide the
involvement in charitable efforts through support people with home schooling and ‘voice of the organisation’, influencing staff
a number of routes, including the carer commitments as well as additional The Bank has maintained its association meeting agendas, policy development, and
matching of their fundraising efforts by assurance and support to vulnerable with the Financial Services Culture Board evaluation. As signatories to the Women
the Bank. Despite the on-going Covid colleagues. Throughout 2021, we have (FSCB) and for the sixth year, participated in Finance Charter, we are committed to
19 uncertainty in 2021, this included a continued to follow government guidelines in the FSCB Employee Survey where achieving more women in senior positions
number of sponsored walks and runs, and during these challenging times, and after results continue to be positive, recorded and driving greater gender balance in the Financial Statements
a colleague helping with the creation of the ‘return-to-office’ advice last summer, an improvement on prior year, and industry as a whole. Gender diversity is
a borehole in Malawi. The Bank also has management proactively introduced a reflect strongly in comparison to other one element of our inclusivity strategy,
a number of employees that are active hybrid operating model for staff to flexibly organisations. The Bank also continues to and we are actively promoting equality
members in the organising and running of work fifty percent of their time from home. record consistently high participation rates for all regardless of age, gender, ethnicity,
local charities, including the treasurer of and strong scores in the Bank’s employee religion, disability, sexual orientation,
Age UK Leicestershire. Maintaining the flow and frequency engagement survey, the latest conducted education, or other characteristics that may
of communication channels with all in October 2021. result in people being marginalised. The
Treating businesses fairly and helping our our colleagues in a remote operating Bank believes that greater diversity leads
customers grow environment has been more important The Board pays close attention to the to wider thinking and skill sets, creating
than ever, enabling us to understand Bank’s culture and key people measures, increased innovation and ultimately, better
The Bank is committed to treating how people are feeling as they adapt including turnover rates, sickness levels customer service.
businesses fairly and helping them grow to new working practices and how we and time taken to fill vacancies. All of these
through prompt payment of invoices can continue to better support them. In remain positively low, although some There has been no change to our pay Notes to the Financial Statements
and are pleased to confirm an improved addition to our annual engagement survey, specialist roles within Risk and Finance take and bonus schemes during the year
performance with 99% of suppliers being we ran frequent ‘pulse’ surveys, ‘speed longer to fill given continued high levels of where most staff benefit from the Bank’s
paid within 30 days for the year ending friending’, and Bank-wide monthly webinars demand for these specialisms. The Bank, discretionary profit-sharing scheme capped
31 December 2021 (2020: 98%).
in which every colleague participates or despite the restrictions of lockdown, has at 10% of basic salary.