Corporate and Social Responsibility at DWF

Our aim is to embed CSR into the way we do business, based on our fundamental belief that our values matter. They protect our business whilst creating competitive advantage and enable us to attract and retain the best people. To approach CSR in this way helps differentiate our brand to clients, goes a long way towards building stronger long-lasting relationships and is key to driving our business forward in a responsible and sustainable way.

Why does it matter?

• It is about the fundamental belief that our values matter
• It enables DWF to attract and retain the best people
• It differentiates our brand to clients, building stronger long lasting relationships
• It builds goodwill with our local communities
• It demonstrates our commitment as a firm to behave responsibly and sustainably

According to the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest global corporate citizenship initiative, there are five things that sustainable businesses must do to operate responsibly:

• Take actions that support and strengthen society
• Work to embed sustainability deep within the business
• Commit at the highest level
• Report annually on progress
• Take action to engage locally where they have a presence

As a signatory to the UN Global Compact:

• Can we demonstrate that DWF is a principled business? YES
• Do we work to strengthen society and build capability? YES
• Is high level commitment visible throughout the business? YES
• Do we go to great lengths to improve, innovate and report progress? YES
• Are we leveraging our resource and influence to positively impact locally? YES

We are one of only 34 businesses in the UK to currently hold Business in the Community’s CommunityMark, the UK’s only national standard that publicly recognises excellence in community investment. It challenges companies to minimise their negative and maximise their positive impact on society by taking a holistic approach to community investment, which means they are good from the inside, out.

CSR achievements we are proud of:

• Successfully transitioned from a tactical to a strategic approach to embed CSR
• Inspired our people to get involved and make a difference
• Maintained a credible track record of sustained positive impact
• Taken a leadership role in helping to shape the responsible business movement in the UK
• Developed the ability to deliver transformational programmes at scale in the UK
• Gained external recognition as a force for good through award success & benchmarking

DWF is committed to creating a culture where volunteering is an integral part of what we do. We focus our community investment on the societal themes of education, employability, health & wellbeing and homelessness. We recognise that volunteering helps our people develop professional and personal skills that are valuable in the workplace and so ensure we create the opportunities for people to get involved in ways that can harness their passion.

On joining DWF you can expect and will recognise a culture where your desire to engage in your local community is clearly supported, so you can:

• share your expertise, knowledge and skills to make a positive impact;
• help address the social issues relevant to the communities in which we operate;
• improve your own skills and abilities, to fulfil your potential, and enjoy a rewarding and fulfilling career;
• take part in a range of opportunities individually or within a team.

 A class of our own!

5 STAR Futures is our flagship education programme which aims is to enable aspirational young people across the UK to unlock their potential by helping them increase their confidence; develop their employability skills and become more work ready. 5 STAR is designed to help tackle the negative impact of 3.6 million children living in poverty by focusing our efforts on those schools with an above average number of pupils eligible for free school meals, that are located in the 20% most deprived areas in the country and where students are not achieving the national average A* – C GCSE results including English and Maths.

Mentoring

Watch this example of our mentoring activity, involving students from the University of Wolverhampton Law School. Students were matched to a mentor who is appropriate to their career interests, giving the students the invaluable opportunity to engage with legal professionals before they embark on their own legal careers.

Give & Gain Day 

This national day of volunteering saw 250 people and over 1,800 hours given by DWF to support local charities and community projects across the country.

DWF is a Living Wage Employer

Becoming a Living Wage employer enabled us to effect positive change by staying relevant and connected to the social and ethical issues that are prevalent in society today and specifically to enhance the lives of people in the communities where we are based.

“Responsible business means living up to our values, ensuring we are able to demonstrate the extent to which those values inform our business decisions and engage our people. Ultimately, it is about shaping who we are as a business, what we do and how we do it. In such challenging times, it is more important than ever that businesses act decisively by standing up and being counted as a force for good. Becoming a Living Wage employer was an important milestone in the way we do business”

Ty Jones, Director CSR & Engagement

Green and sustainable

We are ISO14001 certified and achieved Bronze Standard in Business in the Community’s Environment Index in 2016.

Our carbon footprint is independently verified and we have a suite of environmental KPIs and a robust Environment Management System to support our continuing ISO 14001 certification.

Our people share ideas and take personal ownership of the agenda through our environmental network called Footprint.