Sovereign Group Limited have grown to be one of the largest manufacturers and installers of PVC-u windows and composite door within the public sector spanning 45 years of continued success.
The company continues to provide our clients with a full range of products and services to enable them to provide the best options for each individual project or scheme, which now includes aluminium window systems, timber windows, roofline products, in-house manufactured composite doors and fire doors and the very latest PVC-u products, profiles and colour ranges available.
At Sovereign we take our Corporate Social Responsibility very seriously. Here you can view our complete CSR policy in sections.
Sovereign Group Limited is owned and managed by its Directors and operates for the benefit of its Clients, staff and the communities that we work within and as such we recognise our responsibilities to all of our stakeholders – employees, customers, suppliers and sub-contractors, as well as shareholders.
We are equally well aware that our responsibilities extend to the communities in which we operate and the wider environment as a whole.
To ensure that we provide a framework for the delivery of our corporate social responsibilities, we have established an Environmental Corporate Responsibility Committee. The Committee is primarily focused on developing and delivering on our environmental and community commitments; as well as overseeing our wider strategy, to achieve best practice in terms of corporate social responsibility.
Sovereign Group considers Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) issues a matter for the Board; as a whole, as they are an integral part of the success of the company, delivering on our responsibilities to all our stakeholders.
Sovereign Group is a success story founded on the basic principles of Customer Service. The results of the company’s success were noted and rewarded when the group was awarded ‘Partner of the Year’ by the LHC for the second year, ‘Supplier of the Year’ at the Housing Excellence awards and ‘Social Housing Project of the Year’ award.
Sovereign Group is committed to delivering on corporate social responsibility issues and has analysed the business in terms of its impact on all stakeholders, both internal and external. Whilst recognising our obligations in terms of financial performance to our stakeholders, we believe we also have to respect our responsibilities to others, ensuring that Sovereign Group deliver genuine benefits to everyone concerned.
In each aspect of our business, we have identified significant steps to improve our performance on corporate social responsibility issues.
We aim to:
We realise that our workforce are our biggest asset and investment in people is a core element of our business philosophy. This commitment to our employees will help to ensure that we retain existing staff and attract new employees of the highest calibre.
Sovereign Group provide clear and fair terms of employment, as set out in the appointment letter we send each new employee and in the Sovereign Staff Handbook given to each member of the team.
Training has always formed a major part of the Sovereign philosophy. We provide training opportunities across our entire work place; this has empowered our employees, giving them the confidence to make critical business decisions at the ‘front line’. We also have a Local Employment & Training Policy which offers real opportunities to the communities we work in.
We encourage an entrepreneurial and innovative approach to our business and welcome our staff’s input to company structure, policies and working procedures. Staff are given the confidence to promote their “creative side” however small their input might seem.
As the Sovereign Group benefit from having a highly trained and motivated workforce, we like to encourage training and personal development at all times. Training and development plans and records are created and opportunities for promotion and training are open equally to all employees.
Specific and detailed training for our site operatives; and anyone who may come into contact with a construction site, consist of regular ‘tool box talks’ which cover subjects such as equipment, PPE, safe working practices, personal welfare, asbestos and scaffolding awareness etc.
We at the Sovereign Group encourage our staff to further their careers at every opportunity. This covers all backgrounds, disciplines and working environments, as well as ages and stages of their careers depending on their needs and circumstances.
We understand that professional development is about improving our staff’s chance of achieving their career aims, being successful in their current job and keeping themselves ‘up-to-date’. Whatever the intended outcome, the use of a planned and focused approach with help them release their potential. We find that encouraging our staff to create a structured plan, the effectiveness of their development is enhanced.
Work-life balance is about people having a measure of control over when, where and how they work. It is achieved when an individual’s right to a fulfilled life inside and outside paid work is accepted and respected as the norm, to the mutual benefit of the individual, business and society.
Our staff training and continual development is aimed at the employee and benefiting them. An added benefit is the satisfaction of our staff’s work-life balance, which in turn leads to benefits to our business:
The Sovereign Group is committed to achieving and maintaining high standards of health and safety and recognises that the Health & Safety of all employees and those within the supply chain is essential to our business. This is not only in respect of its employees, but also visitors, contractors and all others, including the general public that may be affected by our activities.
We take appropriate actions to comply with Health & Safety best practice and legislation throughout our organisation.
Rethinking Construction identified ‘Respect for People’ as one of five drivers for change. The Respect for People programme sets out to demonstrate to industry and its clients that ‘people’ issues are fundamental to business success.
We have recently started to use the ‘Respect for People’ toolkits to access our processes and policies. We were pleased with the results from our first assessment. However, we realise that there are areas that we can improve upon, constant use of the toolkits will assist us in measuring that improvement.
The Sovereign Group is an equal opportunities employer and will not tolerate discrimination on grounds of gender, marital status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, disability, sexual orientation, religious belief, trade union membership, or any other non-job related criteria.
The Sovereign Group shows a commitment to the ‘Investor in People’ accreditation and has recently attained this award.
The Sovereign Group has long standing relationships with a number of suppliers and sub-contractors, which means that we can develop a shared understanding of how to improve the efficiency of our operations and reduce environmental impact.
The Sovereign Group will look to partner with businesses to reduce the environmental impact of its operations.
The Sovereign Group does not knowingly deal with suppliers who use child labour and has written to its principal suppliers requesting them to confirm they do not use child labour in their production facilities.
In accordance with the Human Rights Act, The Sovereign Group will not knowingly source goods or services from nation states which condone torture, slavery, illegal detainment, or which do not respect the civil rights of its citizens.
It is our policy that The Sovereign Group employees, suppliers, sub-contractors and customers shall be treated without discrimination on any grounds including sex, race, colour, sexual orientation, language, religion, politics, and national or social origin.
At the heart of Sovereign Groups philosophy on delivering sustainable communities is our Local Employment Policy. This policy has been developed to run across our entire business, not just our Partnered works. We believe that we have an opportunity to make positive changes and assist the improvement of the communities we work in. The help we can give takes different forms; depending on the type of project that we are involved in and more importantly the length of time that we are involved.
The Sovereign Group, keeping in-line with our Social Inclusion Strategy, are involved with “Insight for Industry”, a scheme run by a local education. The aim of the scheme is to highlight career opportunities to all Senior School Pupils.
The Sovereign Group takes its responsibilities seriously, regarding the impact of developments on the environment. We have recenlyt gained ISO14001 the environmental management standard. The Sovereign Group have no environmental prosecutions and no abatement notices. Also, there has been no Breach of Condition Notices.
The Sovereign Group seeks to protect and establish natural habitats for wildlife within its developments.
Sovereign Group considers it our responsibility to be committed to making a positive contribution to the community. We have been achieving this via adopting initiatives such as local employment schemes, social events and resident liaison projects, all aimed at improving the opportunities for the communities in which we are working.
We have a number of charitable events organised through the business, focusing on the areas that we work in. Charities that sovereign have helped since 2006:
The Sovereign Group’s activities are wide ranging and we look to embrace the CSR agenda in each aspect of our business.
Our commitment to being a responsible constructor and employer; a company that makes a positive contribution to the communities in which we operate, is matched by our determination to give customers high levels of service and satisfaction.
Therefore we must balance the needs of all our stakeholders; by managing our environmental impacts, investing in communities, developing employees and pioneering innovative new schemes, to achieve sustainable development.
The scope is huge, but so too are the benefits to our environment and our society.
The Sovereign Group are playing its part in helping to shape a better future.
At Sovereign, we are committed to supporting green initiatives as part of our enviromental policy. Our commitment to this is embedded into our everyday business activity through our brand values.
The environment is a very important aspect of our policies, so we actively support recycling programmes and sustainable waste management. We aim for ecological sustainability by using; where possible, renewable and efficient energy with sustainable natural products.
We actively promote the recycling of products and materials, as well as reducing the amount of packaging associated with our product deliveries.
Our Suppliers
VEKA Recycle was launched by VEKA to prevent reusable uPVC being taken to landfill. VEKA is also the world leader for the Environmentally Responsible Use of uPVC in all its building products. One of Europe’s leading recyclers of uPVC windows; the company is committed to minimising their environmental impact at every stage of the product’s life:
VEKA works with fabricators, installers and waste companies across the UK to ensure that valuable uPVC material is not sent to landfill. We at Sovereign Group are proud to be part of the VEKA Recycling initiative’ as it supports our own commitment to minimising our impact on the environment wherever we can.
VEKA Recycling is the UK’s biggest initiative of its kind. Its goal is to collect and pre-process post-consumer frames and recycle this material into brand new quality windows at their purpose-built facilities across the country. This is the VEKA Infinity range.
VEKA Infinity
The VEKA Infinity window system combines sustainability with performance and style through recycled content, aesthetics and the reassurance of the VEKA brand – the most specified in the world.
VEKA Infinity is available across many different window profiles offered by Sovereign. Made from up to 80% recycled content, VEKA Infinity profiles are Matrix 70 compatible and extruded to BS EN 12608. The VEKA Infinity System is ideal for the environmentally conscious, quality windows needn’t cost the Earth.
VEKA Recycle was launched by VEKA to prevent reusable uPVC being taken to landfill.
The Investors in People standard recognises companies’ commitment to people management. The world-class framework and performance model provides a pathway to future progress and a journey for continuous improvement.
Leadership is essential for creating purpose, providing motivation and delivering all-round outstanding results. The Investors in People accreditation looks at three aspects of leadership:
Leaders make the organisation’s objectives clear and inspire and motivate people to meet these objectives. Leaders are trusted by everyone within the organisation.
Leaders and people act in line with the organisation’s values at all times, and they have the support and courage to challenge inconsistent behaviours.
People feel empowered and trusted to make and act on their own decisions, in line with the company values and objectives.
Constant change is now often the norm for many organisations. Flatter business structures allow for faster decision making, agility and customer focus – leading to reduced overheads, better service for customers and greater overall success.
Performance is measured and feedback provided.
People are motivated to perform at their best through clear recognition and reward for high performance.
Roles are designed to meet organisational objectives and create interesting work for people. Roles are structured to deliver the organisation’s ambition, while collaborative working is encouraged.
Organisations are constantly looking for opportunities to improve and understand that every small improvement contributes to the ability to continually outperform.
People are managed and developed to help them realise their full potential. This also ensures organisations have the right people in the right roles at the right time.
Within the organisation there is a focus on continuous improvement, whereby people are encouraged to use internal and external sources to suggest innovative new ideas and approaches.
Having carried out the assessment process; in accordance with the guidelines provided for Investors in People Specialists, by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, the Specialist was satisfied beyond any doubt that The Sovereign Group Limited had met the requirements of the Investors in People Standard. ‘On behalf of Investors in People North of England the Specialist would like to congratulate The Sovereign Group Limited on its achievement’.
A dedicated manufacturer and installer of windows and doors, Sovereign Group has a highly trained team of experienced professionals, who can advise on the best solutions to suit client requirements.
