Policies

Ashorne Hill Management College values and embraces the benefits of equality and diversity, our success relies upon the broad range of strengths, skills and experience of our employees, customers and all other stakeholders.

Ashorne Hill is committed to providing a working environment where equality and diversity is promoted and valued, creating a culture of mutual respect and opportunity that will enhance our employees’ experience at work from recruitment and selection, through training and development, appraisal and promotion to retirement.

Ashorne Hill will provide equality of opportunity and will not tolerate discrimination on grounds of: gender, gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, race, colour, nationality, religion, age, disability, HIV positivity, working pattern, caring responsibilities, trade union activity or political beliefs – or any other grounds.

Every person working for Ashorne Hill has a personal responsibility for implementing and promoting these principles in their day-to-day dealings with customers, with each other and with partners. Inappropriate behaviour is not acceptable. Each employee is responsible for his/her own behaviour and for maintaining an environment in which discrimination, harassment and victimisation are regarded as unacceptable.

Any employee who is aware of, or actually witnesses any form of discriminatory behaviour has a responsibility to report them to their line manager and if this is not appropriate, another member of the senior management team, who will take appropriate action and inform the employee accordingly. The company is committed to ensure that anonymity in these matters will be assured at all times. All employees should make themselves aware of the company’s Grievance Procedure which can be found in the Employee Handbook. The management have a responsibility for communicating this policy to employees and investigating any complaints.

Ashorne Hill will demonstrate our commitment by:

• Promoting equality of opportunity and diversity within the communities in which we work and with all our partners and workforce;
• Aiming to build a workforce which reflects our customer base, within the diverse communities in which we work, with the aim of having parity of representation across the workforce;
• To do this by encouraging recruitment from groups currently under represented in the Department, and progression once within the Department;
• Treating our customers, colleagues and partners fairly and with respect;
• Promoting an environment free from discrimination, bullying and harassment, and tackling behaviour which breaches this;
• Recognising and valuing the differences and individual contribution that people make;
• Providing support and encouragement to staff to develop their careers and increase their contribution to the organisation through the enhancement of their skills and abilities;
• Building in legislative requirements and best practice (for example as set out in Codes of Practice from the Commission for Racial Equality on Race) to all our service delivery and employee policies and procedures and supporting these with appropriate training and guidance

PRINCIPLE

Ashorne Hill is committed to undertaking business responsibly, with integrity, honesty and understanding.

This commitment must be reflected in every aspect of our business conduct, including respect for human rights.

It is our policy to comply with all laws, rules and regulations governing human rights pertinent to the company. Any breach of this policy will be regarded as a serious matter and is likely to result in disciplinary action or dismissal. This policy applies to all employees of Ashorne Hill together with all suppliers of goods and services or any other persons / organisations acting on our behalf or engaging in business with us.

STATEMENT

Our key principles include:

• We do not knowingly engage with or deal with any businesses involved in slavery, human trafficking, or other human rights abuses.
• We do not tolerate forced labour or other involuntary labour. We will not confiscate personal documents of employees or force employees to make any payment in order to secure employment or to undertake work with us.
• We do not employ anyone under the age of 15.
• We strive to foster safe, inclusive and respectful working conditions.
• Our recruitment and employment practices, including payment of wages and benefits, comply with applicable laws and regulations.
• We promote diversity and equality and do not unfairly discriminate on any ground, including (but not limited to): race, caste, religion, colour, ancestry, marital status, gender, gender reassignment, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity, age, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, veteran status or any other category protected by applicable law.
• We recognise and respect each employee’s right to freedom of association, including the right to join trade unions.

OUR VISION

At Ashorne Hill, we are committed to protecting our planet and securing a sustainable future for generations to come. This commitment drives us to:

• Continuously monitor our emissions
• Actively seek opportunities to reduce our environmental footprint

OUR COMMITMENTS

We aim to:

• Align with the Paris Agreement (2015): Reduce emissions by 45% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050
• Conduct regular external reassessments of Ashorne Hill’s carbon footprint to ensure continued progress
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions through:
• Conservation
• Proactive energy management
• Ensure compliance with all relevant environmental regulations
• All major business decisions to consider environmental impact
• Reduce water consumption through effective management
• Minimise waste across operations by:
• Applying a ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ ethos
• Reducing landfill waste, including food waste
• Monitoring and managing all waste disposal processes
• Encourage customer participation in sustainability by providing environmentally responsible products and services
• Work with our suppliers to demonstrate that they have sustainability plans and goals and operate in an environmentally responsible manner
• Condition all supply contracts on environmentally responsible operations
• Actively seek to retain environmental accreditation

BUSINESS OPERATIONS & PERFORMANCE MONITORING

• Sustainability targets are regularly assessed through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and department-specific metrics
• Sustainability is embedded into our culture through the engagement of:
• Employees
• Customers
• Stakeholders
• Ongoing sustainability training is provided to all employees to uphold best practices
• Sustainability is actively promoted to all stakeholders, including:
• Staff
• Suppliers
• Customers

MONITORING & COMMUNICATION

• Oversight of the sustainability programme is managed by the Environmental Action Group with governance from the Ashorne Management Committee
• Sustainability progress and achievements are reported to the Board of Trustees
• A clear sustainability KPI is in place, with metrics assigned and monitored across departments
• Ashorne Hill is proud to hold the EcoSmart accreditation, certified by Greengage

SCOPE OF THE POLICY

This policy applies to:

• All employees (permanent, temporary, and agency staff)
• Visiting professionals and contractors providing services at Ashorne Hill
• Customers

Ashorne hill has taken the decision that we will not knowingly purchase any foods that have been genetically modified.

This decision has been taken as a consideration of the environmental issues and reflects our efforts to look for wholesome produce.

Accordingly, we have instructed our nominated suppliers that they should not provide any products that contain genetically modified ingredients.

We will continue to monitor both governmental and scientific advice and review our polices accordingly.

FOOD ALLERGIES & DIETARY REQUIREMENTS

At Ashorne Hill we believe all our guest should enjoy their dining experience, if you or any of your guest have a food allergy or dietary requirement, please inform a member of the catering team and we will be happy to accommodate your needs.

Ashorne Hill Management College seeks to provide its clients with a high-quality catering service and in doing so, will aim to produce food of the highest standards of quality and hygiene.

The Company accepts its legal duty to comply with The Food Safety Act 1990 and all relevant legislation.

The Company has in place, procedures and work instructions designed to ensure that the required standards of food safety are met. This Policy documents these procedures which include purchasing, delivery, storage, preparation, service, and distribution.

The Company is committed to identifying potential food safety hazards and to implement the control measures within their Food Safety Policy in order to reduce the risks.

Staff are fully trained and aware of their responsibility to adhere to our policies and procedures.

It is the Company’s aim to operate the food production element of the business with all due diligence and regards this as top priority in line with productivity and profit.