Providing our colleagues with the opportunity to volunteer in the community is an important part of our approach to working at Shoosmiths. We want to make a meaningful difference to the communities in which we operate.
In recognising that community organisations are attempting to address particular socio-economic or environmental challenges in society we can provide support in a variety of ways that will help organisations to deliver their goals. We also encourage colleagues to seek out opportunities where third sector organisations are addressing one or more of the global Sustainable Development Goals in the UK.
Priorities that we are particularly interested in providing volunteering support for are:
- Advancing a carbon net zero UK
- Social mobility aligned with the Shoosmiths Social Mobility Action Plan
- Diversity and inclusion
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking or people at risk
We encourage everyone, individually or as teams, to use their professional and personal skills to the benefit of the organisation they are volunteering for, as well as for themselves and the firm. Volunteering may typically involve coaching, mentoring, membership of committees, imparting of particular professional skills or partaking in team challenges and we provide a range of opportunities that enable colleagues to live our values. Colleagues also have the opportunity to volunteer for organisations that mean something to them personally or where they are volunteering outside work.
We encourage colleagues to volunteer one paid for day a year. We equally recognise that there are a number of volunteering activities which require a commitment of more than one day a year, such as coaching and mentoring and we provide additional opportunities, as appropriate, to help colleagues in their professional development. All volunteering requests, including an application for additional paid for volunteering time must be approved by the line manager and not conflict with business priorities.
Organisers of volunteering activities are required to complete a number of checks before the volunteering takes place to ensure everyone is safe and adequately insured.
Individuals must record the time spent after the task is completed. This enables us to monitor the number and type of groups supported. We also ask for feedback to understand the impact of our support for the community organisation and clients supported as well as for the employee.
We also encourage our volunteers to share their stories so that we can report progress and help raise awareness for the causes they have helped and in order to inspire others to follow their examples.
Date: 23 August 2022
Signed: David Jackson, Chief Executive