Oasis - Reducing Emissions Action Plans
Minimise Private Car Usage by
- Assigning health and social care workers to minimise the distance they have to travel to visit their service users and place of work. We do this by assigning staff who live in the vicinity of their work area, and by patching care workers together by postcode to work in pairs/groups as needed. We encourage them to use the TfL Journey Planner app to find the shortest routes.
- Encouraging staff to meet remotely rather than travelling to meet in person.
- Providing pushbikes, bike parking, and showers, and running a Cycle to Work Scheme with free or hired cycles to encourage staff to cycle.
- Offering Season Ticket Loans to encourage staff to travel to/from work using public transport.
Reduce Electricity Usage by
- Installing smart meters to enable better tracking of electricity usage.
- Using energy-efficient lighting, and turning off non-essential electrical items when not in use. We installed LED lights and occupancy sensors in all office and communal areas in 2022.
- Optimising office heating by keeping windows and doors closed when the heating is on, and lowering the thermostat by 1-2°C.
- Replacing the heating system with a greener appliance.
- Encouraging staff to use the stairs rather than the lift, if possible.
- Ensuring all electrical goods are well-maintained, and replaced at the end of their useful life with more efficient models.
Climate Change Working Group
To coordinate and promote our response to climate change we have appointed a Climate Change Working Group with a staff member from each team. The working group promotes initiatives within their teams to reduce our outgoing emissions. For example, sharing links to climate related webinars and events. As part of 2021 Climate Change Week, the Group encouraged team members to pledge to reduce their carbon emissions; organised an active travel competition to see which team could travel the furthest by walking, running or cycling; and developed quizzes and events to improve staff knowledge of the climate emergency.
KPI 4: Reduction in Waste Sent to Landfill
OFFER: OASIS recognises we have a responsibility to the environment beyond legal and regulatory requirements, and supports National Reduction & Recycling Plan targets. Having recently established a baseline of around 18 tonnes of waste p.a., we intend to eliminate disposal of recyclable waste by 2024, and reduce the quantity of non-recyclable waste put out for collection (and thus sent to landfill/incineration) by 10% year on year.
JUSTIFICATION: We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and continually improving our environmental performance as an integral part of our business strategy, and will encourage customers, suppliers and stakeholders to do the same. To achieve our proposed targets we will
- Conduct a detailed audit of all our processes and wastes before the end of 2023 to classify the quantity and types of waste emitted, and identify areas where we can commit to long-term waste reduction targets.
- Repeat this audit every calendar year to measure the reduction in waste produced.li>
- Wherever possible, adopt a reuse and recycle philosophy, thus reducing the need for new materials, furniture and equipment.
- Maintain a recycling system in collaboration with local authorities, other local businesses and waste disposal organisations.
- Only use licensed and appropriate organisations to dispose of waste.
- Inform new staff of our recycling procedures and commitment to reducing waste as part of their Health & Safety induction.
- Wherever possible purchase products made from recycled materials, such as recycled office paper, toilet paper etc.
- Minimise the use of paper in the office, reduce packaging as much as possible, and seek to reuse or recycle paper wherever possible. Each printer station has recycling facilities, and no one has a personal bin at their desk, thereby encouraging recycling.
- Recycle printer ink cartridges, consumables such as batteries, soft plastics and electrical appliances wherever possible. In 2022 we introduced a soft plastics recycling bin at our head office.
- Dispose of all electrical equipment, including such items as computer equipment, fridges and freezers, according to the Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (the WEEE Directive).
- Eliminate single use plastic by providing paper cups at water machines, and encouraging staff to bring their own mugs to the office.
- Composting all food waste from staff lunches, student refreshments, etc.
OASIS Commitments
Oasis Care is committed to supporting the Local Governments and NHS policies on environmental and sustainable development and understands her obligations in these areas. Most of the Oasis Care's resources are dedicated to its role as a care provider in service users' homes. Delivering these specific outcomes in a demand-led environment requires effective management of all resources as well as flexibility to reflect changes in demand. The Oasis Care seeks to operate within the funding available, closely monitoring resources and ensuring value for money, whilst at the same time meeting our stated strategic objectives. The Oasis Care is planning to use a carbon accountancy table to detail all of its outgoing emissions on a yearly basis and will this table from 2023 onwards. This is going to be used in order to monitor and evaluate usage year on year.
The Oasis Care is the leaseholder for Murdoc Street Head Office. Murdock Street Head office is a purpose-built, old office space. In 2021-22, the Oasis Care completed its project to install LED lighting with occupancy sensors in all office suites and communal areas to reduce electricity use. The Oasis Care encouraged the installation of smart meters in the head office, providing the ability to better track utility usage. The building has limited closed office spaces and air-conditioning facilities are only installed in large, shared meeting spaces to further reduce emissions.
The Oasis Care adopts a reuse and upcycle philosophy, reducing the need for new furniture and equipment. The Murdock Street head office car park contains bicycle storage for up to 22 bikes and a purpose-built shower block to support sustainable transport options for staff. Oasis Care also joined the Cycle to Work Scheme to encourage staff to cycle and offers a Season Ticket Loan to staff to encourage them to travel to and from work using public transport.
Each printer station has recycling facilities, and no-one has a personal bin at their desk, thereby encouraging recycling. As part of the Health and Safety induction, new staff are advised of Oasis Care's recycling procedures and commitment to reducing carbon emissions/waste. All of the Oasis Care's general waste is recycled, alongside items such as toner cartridges, batteries, pallets and electrical appliances such as heaters. In 2021-22, Oasis Care also introduced a soft plastics recycling bin. As part of induction training, staff are advised to use the stairs in the office, if possible, to reduce energy use. Questions relating to the organisation's carbon management policies were included in the 2021-22 staff survey to assess staff's understanding of our responsibilities and aims in relation to climate change.
Along with the above, the Oasis Care has a climate change working group which includes a member of staff from each team. The working group promotes initiatives within their teams to reduce Oasis Care's outgoing emissions. For example, revisiting recycling procedures with their team and sharing links to climate related webinars and events. As part of 2021 Climate Change Week (13-17 September 2021), the climate change working group encouraged members of their team to make a pledge for the week to reduce their carbon emissions, organised an active travel competition to see which team could travel the furthest by walking, running or cycling and developed quizzes and events to improve staff knowledge on climate change and the projected impacts associated with climate change.
OASIS - Emissions Targets
| Performance Indicator (KPI) | Definition | Evidence: | Frequency | Volume/ Value (£) | Description/ Comment |
| Title | Definition | Evidence: | (monthly,quarterly,annual) | (days, tonnes, quanity, £, hours, %) | What is the offer to Lewisham? |
| CO2 Emissions Reduction | Combined accredited measurements taken separately over time demonstrate general reduction in the CO2 generated across an estate, vehicle fleet or through day to day business operations to reduce pollution and improve air quality | Accredited measurement | Annual | 10% reduction year on year | Having recently established a baseline carbon footprint of c 4100 tonnes p.a. using the widely utilised Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP), we intend to deliver a 10% year on year reduction, so as to halve our carbon footprint by 2030. |
| Reduction in waste sent to landfill | Reducing the disposal of waste material by burying it, especially as a method of filling in excavated pits | Copies of documentation or written statement | Annual | 10% reduction year on year | In 2023 we will measure our waste output (both recyclable and non-recyclable) to set a baseline. We will then seek to eliminate disposal of recyclable waste by 2024, and reduce the quantity of non-recyclable waste put out for collection (and thus sent to landfill/incineration) by 10% year on year. |
| Wellbeing Practices for Employees | Commitment to work practices that improve staff physical and mental wellbeing and reduce absenteeism due to ill health, with the provision of workplace wellbeing initiatives e.g. counselling or mindfulness sessions | Copy of policy or written statement of commitment supplied | Annual | min. of 5 annual Staff Welfare Statement | We will review the operation of our Staff Wellbeing policy every year and produce an annual Staff Welfare Statement reporting on the health and wellbeing of staff and the impact of our measures to support their welfare. |
| Accreditation with the Living Wage Foundation | To become an accredited as a 'Living Wage Paying' organisation or minimum a 'Recognised Service Provider' | Accreditation awarded | Contract Lifetime | 1 Accreditation | All staff on this contract will be paid at least LLW - all existing staff are already paid LLW where contract income allows. We aim to achieve Living Wage Foundation Accreditation within the first 12 months of this contract. |
| Change Champions | Disability confidence training, diversity training or consulting with service users to improve service provision | Copy of policy or written statement of commitment supplied | Annual | min. of 5 annual Change Management reports | We will review the operation of our Change Management Policy every year and produce a report on instances of significant change with the business and how well it has been managed. |
