Stakeholder engagement stories

Senior stakeholder consultation on the Better Tomorrow Plan
In November 2010, our chief executive, Aidan Connolly, welcomed a wide range of high-level stakeholders to a special event to mark the first anniversary of the Better Tomorrow Plan.

To help us review our progress to date and formulate next steps, senior representatives of NGOs, think tanks, accreditation bodies, academics, representatives of the Armed Forces and trade associations, clients and senior civil servants joined round-table discussions on the themes of the Better Tomorrow Plan. This included nutrition, health and wellbeing; local communities; sustainable supplies; environment; diversity and inclusion; and public sector engagement. Guests were invited to celebrate the successes of the past year but, more importantly, to provide robust external challenge and guidance on Sodexo's plans.

“I think they have been very brave in opening themselves up to quite influential people from a range of organisations. They were really genuine in asking: 'What do you think?' and 'How do we stack up?' I think that's pretty unique.”
Anne Pierce MBE, chief executive, Springboard UK

NGOs
We have long-standing relationships with third sector organisations. Our cooperation is increasingly focused on co-creating solutions to support social outcomes.

New cross-sector consortium to help deliver community justice services
Nacro, Working Links and Sodexo Justice Services launched in July 2011 the Community Justice Partnership, alongside their first public sector strategic collaborator, to help deliver the Government's plans to reduce reoffending through a rehabilitation revolution.

The Ministry of Justice recently announced that both in custody and, for the first time, in the community, it will no longer deliver rehabilitation services directly without testing whether the private or voluntary sector or a combination of all three sectors can deliver them more efficiently and effectively. The Government will also embed payment by results into the criminal justice system, leaving providers with less prescription and restriction about how they should deliver, but more focus instead on getting the right outcomes: reducing reoffending and offending, increasing public confidence and value for money in services, and preventing more victims of crime.

The Community Justice Partnership will be joining forces with public sector bodies across England and Wales to help provide better services for less cost. The new arrangement combines Sodexo Justice Services' expertise in rehabilitative offender management, with Working Links' passion for helping the hardest to help change their lives and get into sustainable employment, and Nacro's extensive experience of providing crime prevention, offender management and resettlement services.

 “We are combining strengths across all three organisations to drive innovation and deliver cost-effective services in a way that builds public confidence. In forming a partnership with Sodexo and Working Links we are bringing together three like-minded organisations who have a common understanding of the problem. We share an absolute commitment to finding new ways of reducing reoffending.”
Kevin Lockyer, Services Director, Nacro

More information: read the Consortium press release and visit the Community Justice Partnership website.

Employees
Our employees are our best allies to implement and promote the Better Tomorrow Plan. This is why we engage with them to learn from them and to strengthen their commitment.

Green Spark initiative
Over the summer of 2011, we launched a 'Green Spark' initiative, inviting employees to submit their good ideas to help make Sodexo 'greener'. They were then able to vote online for their favourite Green Spark ideas from a shortlist and we are working with the winners to implement the top three ideas. Through this engagement initiative, we were able to tap into employees' creativity, identify the best ideas, engage, empower and support colleagues to make a difference across the business through the Better Tomorrow Plan commitments to reduce our environmental impact.

More information: read the Green Spark press release.

Suppliers
We work closely with our suppliers to improve their own sustainability performance and to support ours.

Meeting Wales' finest suppliers
We held a two-day 'meet the buyer' event in Wales, to develop links with Welsh food producers, and help them to integrate high-quality Welsh produce into our supply chain. The event also gave us the opportunity to communicate our commitment and expectations in terms of sustainable procurement and healthy eating. Some 30 of Wales' leading suppliers attended the event, showcasing some of the country's finest products. As a result, we invited several of the suppliers to attend our new product development day and tender for contracts. This resulted in our listing a new specialist supplier of Welsh produce.

“We are committed to providing quality produce and, to meet the objectives of our sustainable procurement strategy, we are keen to engage with suppliers who can meet the demand of our Welsh customers and clients.” Steve Jobson, buying director, Sodexo

Think tanks
We consult with academics and think tanks to inform our strategic thinking and ensure that we identify and understand emerging social, environmental and business challenges.

Corporate partnership with Reform
In 2009, Sodexo became a corporate partner of Reform, a leading non-party think tank focused on public service transformation, to improve our participation in the policy debate on the future of public services in the UK. As public sector business is very significant to Sodexo's revenues in the UK, this partnership has been a critical part of understanding how our business can both improve its public sector performance and best serve the needs of a new UK Government.

Sodexo has recently participated in over 100  high level events and debates on defence, healthcare, education and justice with key departments and agencies, including the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Cabinet Office, the Food Standards Agency, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Justice. One highlight was our chief executive, Aidan Connolly, delivering a keynote speech at Reform's high-level conference on public service reform at the London Stock Exchange in July 2010.

More information: visit the Reform's website.

Trade unions
Sodexo's culture is based on respect and high moral and ethical standards. We respect unequivocally the right of every employee to unionise and work with partners to make this easy.

First in industry to sign National Framework Agreement
In July 2011, Sodexo became the first the industry to sign a National Framework Agreement with three of the UK's leading trade unions - UNISON, Unite and the GMB. 
 
The agreement defines the nature of Sodexo's strategic relationship with the three unions, and identifies guiding principles for managers, union representatives and other employees regarding the expectations they may have of each other. This agreement is a significant achievement that clearly demonstrates the company's commitment for joint working with trade unions. The National Framework Agreement is also a public declaration from each organisation, outlining their commitment towards continued joint working and to raise awareness of the genuine, effective and positive relationship between unionised staff and Sodexo.

"This agreement is a welcome demonstration of the commitment on both sides to positive, partnership working. Increasing numbers of workers providing public services are now employed by private companies. It's only right that they should have the protection of a trade union. We look forward to working with Sodexo for the benefit of these staff and the company.”
Dave Prentis, Unison's general secretary 

More information: read the National Framework Agreement press release.

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