Memberships & Accreditations

Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)

As part of our commitment to reduce energy use and our associated carbon footprint, we have achieved compliance with the Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) Regulations 2014. This requires us to undertake comprehensive assessments of energy use and energy efficiency opportunities at least once every four years.

The ESOS programme requires us to:

• Measure total energy consumption for buildings, processes and transport.
• Identify areas of significant energy consumption, accounting for at least 90% of total energy consumption.
• Identify cost-effective energy efficiency recommendations for areas of significant energy consumption.
• Report compliance to the Environment Agency.

Find out more about the ESOS programme.

Codes and Commitments

We are signatory to a number of different codes of practice and commitments designed to encourage best practice in the social care sector.

Fundraising Regulator

We are registered with the Fundraising Regulator – the independent regulator of charitable fundraising in England and Wales. The Fundraising Regulator sets and maintains the standards for charitable fundraising and aims to ensure that fundraising is legal, open, honest and respectful.

The Code of Fundraising Practice, and its associated Rulebooks for Street and Door Fundraising, outline the standards expected of all charitable fundraising organisations across the UK. The standards were developed by the fundraising community through the work of the Institute of Fundraising (IoF) and Public Fundraising Association (PFRA).

We follow the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice and are committed to a range of good practice measures. We are also committed to the Fundraising Promise:

• We will commit to high standards.
• We will be clear, honest and open.
• We will be respectful.
• We will be fair and reasonable.
• We will be accountable and responsible.

These are some of the ways in which we show that we care about our supporters and are accountable for the way we raise funds.

Driving Up Quality Code

We have signed up to the Driving Up Quality Code. This means we are committed to the continuous improvement of the services we provide.

The code outlines good fundamental practices and behaviour that organisations supporting learning disabled people need to be committed to. By signing up, we’re publicly stating that we believe in these good practices and are achieving or actively working towards them.

The main aims of the code are to:

• drive up quality in services for learning disabled people that goes beyond minimum standards
• create and build a passion in the learning disability sector to provide high quality, values-led services
• provide a clear message to the sector and the wider population about what is and what is not acceptable practice
• promote a culture of openness and honesty in organisations, and
• promote the celebration and sharing of the good work that is already out there.

Disability Confident Employer

At Hft, we are positive about employing and retaining disabled people. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are helping to ensure that disabled people have the same opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations that non- disabled people do.

Through Disability Confident, the Government is working with employers such as us to:

• challenge attitudes towards disability
• increase understanding of disability
• remove barriers, and
• ensure that disabled people have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.

Modern Slavery Statement

Following the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, a statement is required from all organisations with an annual turnover exceeding £36 million, to provide greater awareness of the dangers of modern day slavery and to improve transparency within supply chains.

As a charity committed to care, choice and independence, we welcome this legislation and recognise the need to engage with this issue.
Download a copy of our Modern Slavery Statement 2023

Gender Pay Gap Reporting Statement

It’s our Support Workers’ dedication to ensuring the people we support have the opportunity to live the best lives possible that has made Hft the highly rated charity that it is today. We have previously campaigned to see people employed in learning disability services continue to be paid fairly for the exceptional work they do. We are also working to ensure that someone’s gender does not affect the wage they receive.

We are pleased to publish our Hft Gender Pay Gap Report for 2021-2022.
Download a copy of our Gender Pay Gap Report for 2021-2022

Memberships

Hft holds membership with a number of different sector bodies and organisations that either work towards improving the lives of learning disabled people, or support charities like us to maintain our high standards and effectiveness.

British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD)

We are a member of BILD, one of the leading learning disabilities organisations in the UK.

BILD works to ensure that learning disabled people are valued equally, are able to participate fully in their communities and are treated with dignity and respect. Our membership of BILD helps ensure that we’re kept up to date with the latest thinking and development in the field of learning disabilities to inform our practice. This help us to improve people’s lives.

BILD also campaigns for proper funding for support for learning disabled people and their family carers, and against bad practice as witnessed at Winterbourne View.

Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG)

We are a member of the VODG – a group of over 80 leading voluntary sector and not-for-profit disability organisations that works on behalf of its members to influence and develop social care policy, build relationships with government and other key agencies, promote best practice, and keep members up-to-date on matters that have an effect on service delivery.

VODG members work with around a million disabled people throughout the UK providing services that promote independence, choice and control. The VODG’s vision is a world where everyone with a disability has full choice and control.

Telecare Services Association (TSA)

We are a member of the Telecare Services Association (TSA) – the industry body for technology enabled care (TEC) services. The TSA aims to drive growth in the TEC industry by driving strategy, innovation, choice and standards to enhance people’s independence and quality of life.

Care and Support Alliance (CSA)

We are a member of the Care and Support Alliance (CSA). The CSA was set up in 2009, and is made up of around 70 charities that collectively campaign for a fair and sustainable funding settlement for social care, alongside the millions of older people, disabled people and their carers who deserve decent care.