Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised for its commitment to making a positive impact with local communities across Lancashire and South Cumbria after being awarded Level 1 Social Value Quality Mark accreditation.
As part of the accreditation, the Trust has made several pledges to promote employment, training and work experience opportunities with local people, procure goods and services from local suppliers, reduce its environmental impact, and work with local partners to improve inclusion, health and wellbeing and representation from local people in the work of the Trust.
As a leading local employer and anchor institution in Lancashire and South Cumbria, the Trust has a significant social, economic and environmental impact on the local community during its day-to-day activities and as part of the accreditation, several pledges have been made to ensure that the Trust makes a positive impact, or at least reduces any negative impact that it has on the local community.
The pledges cover several key areas including equality, diversity and inclusion, employment and employability, health inequalities and education, training and development.
Jonathan Wood, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Finance Officer, said: “We are exceptionally proud to be one of the first NHS organisations to earn the Social Value Level 1 Quality Mark. We are committed to developing the Trust’s role as a socially responsible organisation and to improving the health and wellbeing of all our local communities in Lancashire and South Cumbria.
“As an anchor institution, we know that our day-to-day operations have a significant impact on the local community. Through the pledges we have made, we hope to work with our partners to address the social, economic and environmental priorities that affect our local communities, reduce the health inequalities that affect the wellbeing of our patients and work towards a fairer society. Achieving this award strengthens our focus and enables us to provide the very best experience for our patients and the local communities that we serve.”
The Trust is aiming to reduce the environmental impact that it has on the local community and will also focus on offering a range of employment, training and development opportunities that will support local people into employment. It will also focus on working with local partners to reduce social isolation, tackle health inequalities, increase representation from underrepresented groups and improve patient care.
Richard Dickins, Managing Director of Social Value Quality Mark, said: “Today’s consumers increasingly make their decisions based on how companies treat their staff, the environment and society. Through the Quality Mark we cultivate and recognise the highest known standards in values-led business. “This award recognises Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s outstanding commitment to create, report and embed social value. We are delighted to remain their social value partner as they move through up the levels of accreditation”.
For more information about the Trust’s social value quality mark accreditation, please contact Josie Neil, PR and Communications Specialist at: Josephine.neil@lthtr.nhs.uk.
