Corporate report

Sellafield Ltd - Social Impact Strategy

Updated 22 July 2020

1. Introduction

We are transforming our organisation, seeking to accelerate the delivery of our mission while also making significant savings for the taxpayer.

As part of this change, we are determined to deliver the maximum social impact from the £2 billion of taxpayer money that we spend at Sellafield every year.

Our social impact approach seeks to create shared value. This means securing a positive return to all stakeholders throughout the Sellafield system. This ranges from the UK taxpayer, HM Government, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), local authorities, our supply chain and the communities in closest proximity to our sites. It is not an add on, it is an expectation.

Unleashing and securing the significant potential for shared value from the investment in Sellafield Ltd requires new, longer term and stronger relationships with our stakeholders, supply chain partners and communities.

Embracing new collaborations, partnerships and relationships will be fundamental to the collective success of West Cumbria and Warrington both economically and socially.

Creating shared value also requires acknowledgement of shared responsibility. Addressing the entrenched social and economic inequalities closest to our sites cannot be solved by Sellafield Ltd alone. Nor can we realise all the opportunities by ourselves.

Significant and permanent social change and economic resilience requires all stakeholders to work together, with intent and duration, in new ways and accepting we all have a role to play.

This Social Impact Strategy sets out our role.

2. Our vision

Our mission enables resilient economies and supports thriving communities closest to our sites.

3. Our strategy

Our Social Impact strategy contains a vision, objectives and outcomes linked to the Sellafield Ltd corporate strategy, to provide our communities and taxpayers with a socio-economic growth return on their investment at Sellafield.

Our strategy contains 5 social impact objectives supported by one enabling objective:

1. resilient economies
2. thriving communities
3. social value chains
4. sustainable incomes
5. collective impact

Enabling objective - improve performance

4. Objective 1 - Resilient economies

4.1 Social impact objective

To enable inclusive growth in the capacity, diversity and capability of our local economies.

4.2 Social impact outcome

Resilient, inclusive and growing local economies creating and securing new opportunities.

4.3 What is this objective about?

Addressing local economic inequalities using growth in the nuclear sector but also increasing the scale, diversity and development of existing sectors and new economic opportunities.

Using our mission to attract and create new investment, knowledge, ideas, innovation, capability and resources that contribute to more inclusive and distributed local economies.

4.4 What does success look like?

• our supply chain companies seek and secure new business in national and global nuclear markets and diversify into new markets

• local suppliers (including social enterprises and charities) are supported and encouraged to bid for work

• our supply chain uses the experience, network, capability and value obtained from delivering work associated with Sellafield to sell to other potential customers

• more new business is won outside of the Sellafield system, brought into West Cumbria and delivered by local supply chain companies

• supply chain companies support economic growth by bringing additional non-nuclear knowledge, technologies, networks, resources and thought leadership

• the turn-over of local nuclear companies stabilises and grows with diversification into new markets and/or work won from outside the Sellafield system.

• opportunities for inward investment are maximised and supported

• significant contract wins from Sellafield Ltd secure reciprocal business investment, relocation and commitment to West Cumbria

• a fresh generation of innovative West Cumbrian based start-up companies emerge, led by new entrepreneurs, who see customers in a global marketplace

• the impact of fluctuations in government funding levels to Sellafield, contract losses and stoppages are mitigated

• Sellafield enables and supports the conditions for inclusive growth in local economic output, improved productivity and significant growth in key economic sub-sectors (including tourism)

5. Objective 2 - Thriving communities

5.1 Social impact objective

To assist our communities to thrive by supporting sustainable activities that create self-reliance and independence.

5.2 Social impact outcome

Social impact activities sustain and enhance community assets and address community needs

5.3 What is this objective about?

Focussing our social impact resources into activities with organisations, partners and community assets that are addressing critical social and environmental issues in our communities.

Targeting our resources to seek long term solutions, at scale if appropriate and to facilitate the financial independence, profitability and security of community anchor organisations.

5.4 What does success look like?

• resources, investment programmes and interventions are targeted to activities that provide the largest social impact and improve the financial sustainability of community organisations

• investment is prioritised to enhance the social and economic return to the taxpayer, Sellafield Ltd and local communities

• local community groups and organisations have clarity on the Sellafield Ltd and supply chain resources and opportunities available to them, access is optimised, transparent and co-ordinated for maximum impact

• local stakeholders are involved in investment prioritisation and decision making

• resources and interventions are targeted to activities that address critical social issues, including health and wellbeing

6. Objective 3 - Social value chains

6.1 Social impact objective

To create social impact with our supply chain

6.2 Social impact outcome

Increasing impact, scale and duration of our supply chain activity in support of citizens, communities and local economies.

6.3 What is this objective about?

Unlocking and securing significant social impact with our current and future supply chain partners.

Commissioning suppliers who share our desire for a positive step-change in the social, economic and environmental profile of our communities.

Embracing new approaches and supporting our suppliers to work with us and our stakeholders to innovate for social impact.

6.4 What does success look like?

• our supply chain companies have clarity on Sellafield Ltd social impact expectations

• our supply chain understands our drivers for social impact, how and where it can be delivered and work together to enhance scale and impact

• our supply chain is committed to leaving a legacy in the areas closest to our sites

• social impact commitments flow through all supply chain tiers

• high performance in social impact is recognised, provides additional commercial benefit and drives competitive advantage

• new partnerships and relationships with local social enterprises and charities are established for reciprocal business benefit

• global thought leadership and innovation from our supply chain provides new solutions to local social, environmental and economic issues

7. Objective 4 - Sustainable incomes

7.1 Social impact objective

To improve access to sustainable incomes, beyond Sellafield Ltd, by increasing skills, knowledge, aspirations and access to opportunities.

7.2 Social impact outcome

Inspiring skills, education and personal development activities improve access to sustainable incomes.

7.3 What is this objective about?

Adapting our current and future workforce and citizens to the rapidly changing nature of employment practices and the future of work. Creating and designing new personal development approaches that support employees, job seekers and students to secure an income now and in the future.

7.4 What does success look like?

• access and aspirations to work improve through a programme of high impact education, skills, personal development and employability support activities

• education and employability providers adapt programmes to support the future of work using technology to facilitate new modes, content and delivery

• Sellafield Ltd and our supply chain continue to attract, develop and retain world class talent and together prepare for ever increasing workforce diversity

• career choices and opportunities are visible for Sellafield Ltd employees, job seekers and current and future students

• the nature of changing work environments, business practices and potential opportunities are understood

• we demonstrate greater agility, flexibility, continual upskilling and adaptation to employment opportunities

• self-management skills, self-investment and personal resilience become established traits especially for young people

• human capital is retained locally to our sites but if they choose, can access and compete in global employment markets

8. Objective 5 - Collective Impact

8.1 Social impact objective

To leverage social impact and investment by working with our stakeholders, partners and communities to practice an integrated approach and culture of delivery.

8.2 Social impact outcome

Effective stakeholder and partnership working for collective impact from Sellafield Ltd and its supply chain.

8.3 What is this objective about?

Improving current and creating new collaborative approaches that address priority issues in our communities.

Focussing our objectives and assets at the point they can have the most impact. Maximising social impact from all that we do at Sellafield Ltd making it a cultural strength that we can be proud of.

8.4 What does success look like?

• all stakeholders recognise the social impact delivered from the Sellafield system

• all partners work to an outcomes based approach for delivery

• together we recognise the additional value and benefit of collaboration and partnership

• stakeholders and Sellafield Ltd have visibility on social impact activity with engagement connections, lead roles and shared responsibilities understood by all

• opportunities and gaps in key issues are identified and addressed together

• new behaviours are established and reciprocal challenge is accepted as critical to success and improvement

• success, failure and learning are shared

• partners work together in new ways to deliver collective impact

• the roles and responsibilities between NDA, Sellafield Ltd and the supply chain are clearly understood

• development and maturing of impact mechanisms and approaches secures additional social value and economic benefits

• commissioning for social outcomes is widely understood and supported

• a social impact narrative is framed that is fit for Sellafield Ltd business purpose, future challenges and changing contexts

• everyone in the Sellafield system understands and supports social impact

9. Enabling objective - Improve performance

9.1 Enabling objective

To optimise social impact by measuring and evaluating our performance.

9.2 Enabling outcome

Robust evaluation and monitoring informing social impact decision making.

9.3 What is this objective about?

Measuring and evaluating our social impact using appropriate tools and processes. Using this information to continually improve what we do.

Being transparent and open about what our impact is, why we do it and what we are learning from it. Sharing this learning openly with our stakeholders, employees, suppliers and communities.

9.4 What does success look like?

• social impact decision making is directed by appropriate and robust governance processes and evidence

• our internal governance process provides clarity, control and accountability on decision making, approval routes and assurance

• monitoring and evaluation provides evidence of the impact of all resources, investment and supply chain activity within the Sellafield system

• outcomes and impact are reported and independently externally verified

• assurance activity ensures that evaluation evidence is used by decision makers to optimise, review and direct social impact resources, investment and activity.

10. Sellafield Ltd Social Impact Policy

Social value and economic impact are a strategic business priority of Sellafield Ltd. We will achieve this by using an integrated organisational approach to social impact using all resources, activities and investment at Sellafield.

This will involve Sellafield Ltd embedding social impact into everything we do. We will achieve business excellence in social impact, continuously improve our approach and secure workforce, communities and stakeholder satisfaction with our ambition, culture and activities.

Our approach will secure a sustainable legacy from the resources and investment at Sellafield Ltd.

10.1 Commitments

We pledge that:

• our social impact activities will enhance the Sellafield Ltd mission and our communities

• our social impact activities are informed and directed by evidenced needs and trends

• our approach is founded on reciprocal trusted relationships, with our stakeholders and communities working together to achieve collective success and create shared value

• we will deliver social impact through an integrated organisational approach encompassing resources, funding and all business practices

• we will play an active role in charitable giving and encourage company-wide involvement in community volunteering and charitable activity

• we will work in collaboration with our supply chain to encourage participation in and optimise our social impact activities

• any social value contractual requirements with our supply chain will be appropriate to contract value, duration and scope

• we will deliver our social impact policy through a social impact strategy that supports the NDA’s broader strategy

• we will continuously seek to enhance social impact performance through robust monitoring, assurance and scrutiny, audit, evaluation, benchmarking and best practice

• our impact reporting will be clear, transparent and all success will be shared and celebrated

• social impact investment will, in part, be linked to mission performance

• we will seek opportunities to leverage external resources and additional investment to maximise impact

• we will seek to provide a positive sustainable impact in the community that avoids organisational dependency on Sellafield Ltd for funding and/or resource