Corporate Responsibility Review 2008 - Serco

Corporate Responsibility Review 2008 

Towards 

a new future

Contents 

Welcome 

“I wanted to change for 

the sake of my three 

daughters. But I could 

not have done it without 

the continuous support 

from the guys at Serco. 

They believed in me .” 

Cass Vernon, former prisoner, 

now a mentor to other prisoners. 

See page 30 for his story 

Introducing our contributors 

Health & Safety 

James Dark is the consultant editor of public 

transport management magazine Transit, 

which publishes news, analysis and comment 

on the bus, rail and light rail sectors 

People 

Craig Hoyle is the defence editor of 

Flight International, a leading aerospace 

weekly magazine that covers defence, air 

transport, business aviation and space flight 

Community 

Sonia Purnell was previously the Daily Mail’s 

Whitehall Editor, and Brussels and City 

correspondent for the Daily Telegraph 

Environment 

David Allaby is the editor of Public Servant, 

a monthly magazine that features news 

and information across the whole spectrum 

of the public sector 

“At a difficult time, when 

the business community 

and the public alike are 

questioning the ethics 

of those with whom 

they deal, Serco’s 2008 

Corporate Responsibility 

Review reveals a 

company that combines 

strongly held values with 

exceptional people.” 

08 

A safer pair of hands 

James Dark finds that Serco is 

repeatedly exceeding the health 

and safety requirements laid 

down by its transport contracts 

“As recession takes a firm grip on 

countries around the world these 

are challenging times for us all. 

For Serco, with our many diverse 

operations around the world, times 

are always challenging because of 

the nature of our business. We pride 

ourselves, however, on being able 

to do difficult tasks and do them 

well, and this year will be no different. 

Our transport contracts require 

us to deliver swift, reliable and 

cost-effective services while 

constantly improving on safety 

16 

Life support 

Craig Hoyle meets the Serco 

employees providing valuable 

back up for military personnel 

and their families 

levels. The prisons we operate need 

to hold offenders securely yet also 

open their eyes to a brighter future 

in a bid to reduce reoffending. And 

in our work with the military we need 

to provide support beyond the call 

of duty, where we truly engage with 

people so that they are enabled to 

better carry out a difficult job. 

In this report, four journalists 

look at whether Serco has risen 

to these challenges and whether 

its approach to four key issues 

– safety, people, the community 

24 

The transformers 

Sonia Purnell discovers how 

Serco prisons are adopting 

an innovative approach to 

looking after those in their care 

and the environment – has had 

a positive impact on society. 

We truly believe that our 

employees have delivered a 

responsible and sustainable 

service in 2008. At Serco, however, 

we are always looking forward 

and seeking to improve the way 

we operate. Our goal for 2009 

is to do more, and to do it better, 

whatever the financial climate.” 

Christopher Hyman 

Chief Executive, Serco Group plc 

32 

Lean and green 

David Allaby examines the 

measures being taken by Serco 

to reduce both its own and its 

clients’ impact on the planet 

06 The heart of Serco 

Chief Executive Christopher 

Hyman tells Laura Mazur that 

Serco’s values are central to 

everything it does 

40 Objectives and results 

The challenges we set ourselves 

in 2008, with a statistical 

breakdown of our achievements, 

plus our 2009 objectives 

46 Tell us what you think 

Your feedback is important to 

us; it helps us improve our 

perfomance and informs our 

plans for the future 

2 | Corporate Responsibility Review | 2008 

www.serco.com | 3

Introduction 

Continuing the story 

Serco strives to deliver social outcomes in a way that has a positive 

impact on society. Read on and decide whether we have succeeded 

Can a private sector business listed on the London 

Stock Exchange have a public service ethos? 

In case after case, our people embody the values 

that we have worked so hard to embed throughout 

the organisation. These values are built on our four 

SERCO EMPLOYEES IN WOKING keeping the streets 

clean, which raises residents’ satisfaction levels 

governing principles: we foster an entrepreneurial 

culture; we enable our people to excel; we deliver our 

promises; and we build trust and respect. This has 

propelled us into the FTSE 100, becoming one of 

the world’s leading service companies, working in 

partnership with governments around the world to 

improve services across many areas of public life. 

We provide critical information to manage traffic, 

run world-class scientific establishments and improve 

patient care with our health services. We provide swift, 

safe travel with our trains and transport systems, and 

help young people learn in the schools and training 

centres we manage. We rehabilitate offenders in 

our prisons and protect borders through technology. 

We call this bringing service to life. 

This diversity is one of our great strengths. It exposes 

us to more opportunities for growth, protects us against 

downturns in individual markets and enables us to share 

best practice between sectors. 

This is reflected in our performance. Our results show 

that in 2008 our revenues of £1.5 billion were up 10.5% 

on the previous year, with profits at almost £63 million, 

up 20% over 2007. 

Beyond profits 

While financial performance is important the search 

for profit is not what defines us. We want to not only 

achieve the social outcomes we are often contracted 

to deliver, but to do it in a way that has a positive 

impact on society. 

In this year’s report, we asked four expert writers to 

look at different parts of our business to uncover further 

examples of how we deliver our commitment to being 

a responsible organisation. 

James Dark, Consultant Editor of public transport 

management magazine Transit, looks at Serco’s road, 

rail and air contracts from a health and safety angle; 

Craig Hoyle, Defence Editor of Flight International, 

investigates how Serco supports the armed forces and 

their families and also its own employees; Sonia Purnell, 

previously Whitehall Editor of the Daily Mail and Brussels 

and City correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, discovers 

how Serco’s home affairs activities shape the lives of 

those in prison; while David Allaby, Editor of Public 

Servant, examines the environmental initiatives of our 

local government business. 

Setting a strategic framework 

As an organisation, we are never complacent. We work 

continually to improve our systems and processes. 

Like all responsible companies, we are striving to 

become more sustainable. 

As a result, we have developed our corporate 

responsibility framework to recognise local cultures 

and conditions across our diverse operations. This 

will put sustainable development at the heart of our 

business. As Robert Smith, Director, Assurance, 

explains, this is not about imposing strict key processes, 

but focusing on principles defined within a clear set of 

boundaries. “What we have tried to say to our managers 

is that, when they are setting business objectives and 

making decisions, they should consider them from 

these different angles.” The framework consists of 

five key areas. These are: 

■ to make a positive difference to the communities 

we serve 

■ to reduce our environmental impact 

■ to reduce our consumption and assure our 

supply chain 

■ to increase our value to our customers 

and shareholders 

■ to realise the potential of our people. 

Reviewing corporate governance 

During 2008 we undertook a complete review of our 

entire management system to ensure that our policy 

framework is the right one for the size and scale of the 

organisation we are now. As we continue to grow, we 

have focused on how to keep it as simple as possible 

and make sure we are using language that everybody 

can clearly understand. 

We need to ensure we have strong links between our 

management system, risk management and our internal 

audit process, so that we have confidence in both our 

governance structure and our management of risk. 

It is important that our people have clarity about their 

roles and accountability, empowering and enabling them 

to excel even further, leading to better value all around. 

Embedding ethical guidelines 

Our company values and ethics are integral to one 

another. Historically we have been clear about where 

we draw the lines. However, as we move into different 

countries and cultures, and as we diversify our range 

of services, we need to review regularly the company’s 

position on these. 

That is why we have set up a formal Ethics Committee, 

made up of senior management, with very clear 

guidelines about its remit. It is there to determine the 

‘big ticket’ items that define our position beyond 

regulatory and statutory requirements. 

Doing business the right way demands constant 

vigilance. By its very nature it has to be a journey without 

an ending. But as this report shows, thanks to the truly 

phenomenal people we employ, we are making real 

progress in reaching our ambitious goals. 

Celebrating success 

Launched in 2007, the Pulse 

Awards celebrate the vibrant 

heart of Serco. Winning teams 

and individuals are chosen 

because they have exceeded 

expectations by living our 

Governing Principles, which 

guide the way we operate. 

From life-saving acts of 

courage to innovative ideas 

that have transformed the 

way we work, through to 

demonstrations of commitment 

and skill, the awards recognise 

examples of excellence in 

business operations or 

improvement, environmental 

and safety initiatives, and 

leadership. They also recognise 

our wider responsibilities to 

society, the environment 

and the communities we 

serve. Read more online by 

visiting: www.serco.com/pulse 

We listen 

It can be difficult to ensure that 

50,000 employees across the 

globe have their say in the way 

Serco operates. That’s why 

the Viewpoint Survey was 

launched in 2007. 

The 2008 survey discovered 

that people often felt closer 

to their division or contract 

than to Serco as a whole. 

In response we introduced 

a new Sharesave scheme 

to share in the company’s 

success; the Pulse Awards 

(see above); and Scoop, 

a new employee magazine 

designed to increase people’s 

knowledge of, and pride in, 

the diverse work we do. 

Award-winning 

Serco was declared 

Britain’s Most Admired 

Support Service Company 

by Management Today 

for the fifth year running. 

Serco was also 12th Most 

Admired Company overall 

Experienced 

Serco has been delivering 

essential public services 

for over 40 years. More than 

50,000 employees deliver 

mission-critical services to 

government and private 

clients in over 30 countries 

Global 

We operate in Europe, the 

Middle East, Asia Pacific and 

North America. More than 

a quarter of our turnover 

comes from outside the 

UK. The range of activity 

differs between regions 

Markets 

The public sector represents 

more than 90% of our business. 

Markets include aviation, defence, 

education, local government, 

health, nuclear, science, transport, 

leisure, home affairs, consulting, 

and the private sector 

Go to www.serco.com 

for more information 


www.serco.com | 5

Interview 

The heart of Serco 

Serco’s Chief Executive CHRISTOPHER HYMAN reveals how 

the company’s values lie at the heart of everything it 

does – shaping every action and decision – and will 

guide it through these difficult times and beyond 

In what way is Serco a ‘values-driven’ organisation? 

It’s very easy for any Chief Executive to stand up and say “we 

are a values-driven organisation”. The challenge is to actually 

see it in action. When I look back on other great companies I’ve 

worked for, I think the difference is that in Serco the values are 

so deeply ingrained and the commitment to them is more visible 

at the leadership level. 

Those values are based on our four Governing Principles: 

we build trust and respect; we allow our people to excel; we 

foster an entrepreneurial spirit; and we deliver on our promises. 

They are called governing because they do much more than 

guide our actions, they are central to the way we operate. 

When new people come in, they wonder what that means in 

practice. But ask them the question a month later and there 

isn’t any doubt. I was asked a few years ago about the balance 

between doing the right thing and making money. And I said, 

I don’t think those things are mutually exclusive – doing the 

right thing does make money. To really be a ‘values-driven’ 

organisation, the values have to run right through the company. 

Adhering to them is not an option. If you instill this culture, as I 

believe we have done in Serco, it’s very powerful and it makes 

a fundamental difference. 

What are the key reasons for Serco’s continuing success? 

Let’s look at what people expect from companies. They like 

financial success and strength, which comes from increased 

productivity, achieved through innovation and growth. For 

customers, they like to receive an excellent and reliable service. 

If you do this consistently then you’ll have satisfied customers. 

At Serco we have very good services, from controlling satellites 

in space to helping to transform children’s education. I believe 

we deliver excellence on a consistent basis and this success 

comes from the values at our core. 

But what makes a company really live its values? For me, the 

answer is loyalty, and real loyalty breeds advocacy. It means our 

employees are proud of their work. You win that sort of loyalty 

by the way you treat people when things go wrong; by being in 

touch with what’s important to them. Going the extra mile for 

our people as well as our customers has never let us down. 

When people move from the public sector to Serco, 

how do you ensure that they buy into its values? 

Often we don’t have to sell our values to attract people from 

the public sector to work for us, because many of them share 

our principles. I think that if you asked those Serco employees 

who had worked in the public sector why they joined us, almost 

every time they would say that a central reason was because we 

have a strong public service ethos. We show them that it isn’t a 

cut-throat world that says we’ll make profit without regard to 

anything else. 

We are not only interested in prisons making a profit but in 

lowering the recidivism rate. We are interested in whether the 

Serco schools have a better pass rate than the national average. 

We want to see more trains run on time. Ultimately we want to 

make a difference. 

When we take over a government contract, on average we use 

only 70% of the previous budget. Yet the people who enable us 

to do that are the same people who were there before, skilled 

people who are knowledgeable about what they do and who 

have been inspired to do something that helps others – inspired 

to make a difference. 

Critics of government and the civil service sector talk of the 

advantages of private over public sector – greater efficiency, 

more dynamism, less bureaucracy – but they forget the great 

ethos of civic service that is inherent in the public sector. In 

Serco we want to take the best attributes of both public and 

private sectors and combine them. This is key to the way we 

operate and I believe makes us unique. 

What challenges does 2009 hold for Serco? 

Like every year, 2009 will have its challenges. In the current 

economic climate, I think people throughout the organisation 

know that we plan to tighten belts because we have told 

everybody that. However, I have a personal rule that I ask all my 

colleagues to follow. When you’ve got bad news, whether for a 

customer, for a staff member, for a shareholder or whoever, you 

only have three things in your power. To be as open as possible, 

as early as possible and as generous as possible. After that 

they’ll still respect you. They may not like the decision but they’ll 

still respect you. If you don’t do those three things as a leader 

they’re right not to trust you again. That’s how we aspire to deal 

with everything we do in our company. 

I’m really looking forward to 2009 and beyond because I know 

our people will continue to do a great job. We are very fortunate 

because so many of our contracts are long term and our business 

plan for 2009 is set. I believe that what brings companies like 

ours to the fore in times like this is that innovation is so ingrained 

in everything we do. We have entered a time when governments 

and companies will look to us to help them improve efficiency 

and provide better services for less money. 

This really is a time when Serco can excel. If it’s a tough year, 

it will be a tough year in which we can be extraordinary. 

Christopher Hyman was talking to business journalist Laura Mazur. 

“To really be a ‘values-driven’ organisation, 

the values have to run right through the 

company. Adhering to them is not an option. 

If you instill this culture, as I believe we have 

done in Serco, it’s very powerful and it makes 

a fundamental difference.” 


www.serco.com | 7

Health 

& Safety 

Transport 

A safer pair of hands 

Serco strives not only to meet 

the public’s safety expectations, 

but travel way beyond them 

by constantly reviewing and 

improving its systems and 

procedures, says JAMES DARK 

8 | Corporate Responsibility Review | 2008 www.serco.com | 9

Health 

& Safety 

Safety 

THE PUBLIC REGARDS it as a 

fundamental right to be able to embark 

upon, and complete, journeys safely. A 

belief clearly demonstrated by media and 

public reaction when accidents do occur. 

In rail, for example, only one passenger 

has been killed in a train crash in the UK 

since 2004. Yet media and public scrutiny 

of the February 2007 Grayrigg derailment 

– and the safety lessons for rail travel in 

general (see page 13) – continue nearly 

two years on. Expectations of air and 

rail travel, in particular, are now at such a 

level that industry executives, regulators 

and the government talk openly about 

aspirations for zero fatalities. 

For Serco – whose contracts include 

the operation of air traffic control services 

in the United States, the Middle East, 

and the UK, and trains in London, the 

north of England and Australia – safety 

is paramount. 

The company is also the UK’s leading 

maintainer and operator of traffic 

management systems, with contracts 

to run the National Traffic Control Centre 

for the Highways Agency and to maintain 

high-tech communications equipment 

on urban roads and motorways in the 

UK, Australia and the US. 

Driving ambition 

While the public is more accepting of a 

degree of risk when driving, in Serco’s 

highways work safety has to be a core 

part of its expertise. It is not uncommon 

for it to insist on safety standards beyond 

clients’ and the law’s requirements from 

its contractors. Employees’ safety is also 

a paramount consideration. 

The focus on looking after passengers 

and employees starts at the top of 

the company, with Chief Executive 

Christopher Hyman championing 

safety on the board, and permeates 

throughout the company with safety 

goals and policies devolved to divisions 

and operations worldwide by Serco’s 

Corporate Assurance Group. “One of the 

reasons I am proud to work for Serco is 

that there is genuinely no compromise 

over safety,” says Serco Group Health, 

Safety and Environment Director Andy 

Lewis. “If it’s not safe, we won’t do it.” 

In the past year, direction to the Serco 

Integrated Transport (SIT) board has 

seen a strong focus on ensuring 

compliance with the new Corporate 

Manslaughter Legislation. As part of this 

work, a package has been developed 

with the Automobile Association to 

assess the status of all SIT drivers and 

the level of risk involved in their work. 

Data collected includes the miles and 

type of vehicle employees drive, and 

the reasons for points being on their 

licences. Training and advice is being 

tailored for each driver, and the company 

is setting itself targets to measure and 

improve its drivers’ safety for the first time. 

“It will particularly help people who 

have to drive specialist vehicles or late 

at night as part of their work,” says Serco 

Group Fleet Manager Sue Blair. Once 

established at SIT, the system will be 

rolled out across Serco’s divisions. Over 

the next three years all 13,500 registered 

Serco drivers will be assessed. 

A second major focus for the SIT board 

has been a programme to integrate 

Serco Middle East – with its light rail and 

aviation contracts – into SIT from the start 

of 2009. Experienced, non-executive 

directors will play a key role in ensuring 

that all safety processes are in place and 

that SIT Directors understand their new 

responsibilities, while emphasising 

that integration will not happen unless 

it can be shown to be safe. 

Meanwhile, all SIT’s employees have 

the chance to comment on safety 

practices during regular Safety Culture 

Surveys and at employee meetings, 

where they can make suggestions 

PREVIOUS PAGE: 

the Serco-operated 

air traffic control 

tower at Dubai 

International 

Airport 

PASSENGER 

NUMBERS ON 

DLR (RIGHT) 

HAVE MORE 

THAN DOUBLED 

in the nine years 

that Serco has 

run the franchise 

based on their working experiences. 

This feedback influences detailed safety 

plans drawn up and overseen by the 

senior management teams running each 

contract. At board approval stage, the 

Assurance Director checks whether 

there are any issues best addressed by 

common standards. 

Fighting fatigue 

In 2008, fatigue management figured 

prominently in rail companies’ action 

plans and it was decided that the issue 

could be dealt with most effectively by 

universal rules limiting the number of 

consecutive hours employees, including 

drivers and engineers, can work. 

“It’s a really significant step because it 

means thinking again about how we run 

trains and manage businesses,” says 

Stuart Williams, Safety and Assurance 

Director for Serco Transportation 

Systems. In this way, safety initiatives 

are not only developed and devolved 

from group level through the SIT board 

to each of its companies and contracts, 

but also back up from the shop floor and 

the management teams of individual 

contracts to SIT directors. 

Once priorities and plans are 

established, an array of key performance 

indicators are developed and monitored 

by risk oversight committees at divisional 

and individual contract level to check that 

the desired results are achieved. 

It is a safety management system that 

stands comparison with any of Serco’s 

peer companies. In the Highways 

Agency’s assessment of its capabilities, 

SIT received the third highest score of 

any company, and, of 24 areas assessed, 

health and safety culture was the highest 

individual scorer. 

The benefits of Serco’s rigorous 

approach to safety management are not 

just of fringe value. They have contributed 

directly to Serco winning contracts, 

Docklands Light Railway, UK 

Setting new standards in safety 

■ Serco-operated and maintained light railway system 

■ RoSPA award winner for its high-quality safety management 

■ Ongoing promotion of safe rail travel practices 

The Serco-run Docklands Light Railway (above), responsible 

for carrying 66 million passengers safely around London 

each year, has received one of the highest safety accolades 

of 2008, winning the Royal Society for the Prevention of 

Accidents (RoSPA) annual award for the transport, storage 

and distribution sector. The business was also the runner-up 

in the Sir George Earle Trophy, RoSPA’s annual prize for the 

best performer from any sector. 

The standards demanded by RoSPA mean that businesses 

are only eligible to enter its awards when they can demonstrate 

a robust and high-quality safety management system, 

together with a minimum of four years’ consistently 

excellent or improving health and safety performance. 

Initiatives that Serco Docklands has introduced to improve 

safety include annual visits to local primary schools and 

centres for vulnerable adults to educate them on the dangers 

of the railway; leaflets and posters that graphically explain 

the risks of train surfing (riding on the outside of the train 

when it is moving); the use of DNA testing kits to deter spitting 

at employees; the introduction of Travel Safe officers on 

trains; and joint patrols with British Transport Police. 

Advertised on trains and at stations and via the press, these 

schemes not only promote public safety, but also Serco’s 

intolerance of assaults and anti-social behaviour. 

When assessing Serco Docklands’ submission, the judges 

noted the commitment to safety throughout the company. 

Senior managers complete the Institution of Occupational 

Safety and Health’s managing safely qualification and are 

trained to carry out safety tours of the company. 

2008 at a glance: 

Road 

Personal Road Safety course transfers best practice from Serco’s rail operations 

Rail 

New safety measures include limiting employees’ working hours to reduce 

the risk of accidents caused by fatigue 

Light Rail 

The Serco-run Docklands Light Railway wins a 2008 RoSPA award; meanwhile 

the Dubai Metro draws on DLR’s expertise to draft its own safety measures 

“Businesses are only eligible to enter the 

RoSPA awards when they can demonstrate a 

robust and high-quality safety management 

system, together with a minimum of four 

years’ consistently excellent or improving 

health and safety performance.” 


www.serco.com | 11

Health 

& Safety 

even when the company has not been 

the lowest-priced bidder, and to safer 

systems being introduced on the UK’s 

roads and railways, as well as at airports 

(in air traffic control) in the Middle East 

and the US. 

Prevention, not cure 

In April 2008, Serco won the contract to 

maintain traffic signals at 40 sites around 

Heathrow with the promise of a large 

improvement in the availability and safety 

of the equipment. In its bid for the contract, 

Serco demonstrated that safety standards 

could and should be improved. 

Rather than a maintenance system 

based on repairing faults, Serco offered 

a preventative system based on avoiding 

faults happening in the first place. 

“We look at the history of each piece 

of equipment, establish fault risks and 

decide what measures need to be taken 

and when to change parts so equipment 

doesn’t fail,” explains Serco’s London 

Street Services Director Rob Bourne. 

Serco’s bid was not the cheapest, but 

it persuaded Heathrow’s owner, British 

Airports Authority, that a higher cost was 

Scout Association Personal Safety Badge, UK 

Scouts show the way 

worth paying in order to gain the safety 

and customer service improvements. 

SIT also expects safety expertise to 

play an important part in bids to retain 

contracts that are coming up for renewal. 

In America, where Serco is preparing 

to defend a contract to supply air traffic 

control at more than 50 towers, it will be 

able to point to a safety record that is well 

in excess of a tough contract target set by 

the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

While the FAA’s target is only 2.15 errors 

per million operations, the company is 

averaging 1.3 errors per million. “An error 

is two planes getting closer to each 

another than the minimum standard 

allowed,” says Jon Siverly, Serco’s US 

Aviation Safety Director. There are dozens 

of standards, vertical and lateral, and 

if at any time separation between the 

aircraft is less than what’s required, an 

error is said to have occured. “Although 

we are proud of our record, we will not be 

satisfied until we no longer have errors,” 

says Jon. The rigorous monitoring and 

training that has helped achieve this 

standard includes random checks of 

audio tapes to determine whether 

■ Educates young people about safety on railways 

■ Supported by almost every train operator in the country 

■ Breaking all records, with 40,000 safety packs already requested 

Serco-run Northern Rail’s projects to teach children about the dangers of railway 

crime have seen youth crime on its network reduced by almost 50%. Now the 

new Personal Safety badge for Scouts, devised by Serco with the Scout 

Association, aims to take these methods nationwide. 

Launched in December 2008 by Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon, who 

described it as a “brilliant initiative”, it will educate young people – and the wider 

community – about staying safe at stations and the dangers of trespassing on 

the railway. It is also designed to counter the perception that railway vandalism 

is a victimless crime and illustrate the cost of the 13,000-plus incidents each year, 

which add more than 20p to the cost of every rail ticket bought. 

RIGOROUS AIR 

TRAFFIC SAFETY 

MANAGEMENT 

SYSTEMS put in 

place by Serco at 

Dubai International 

Airport (left) have 

seen errors fall 

significantly 

despite a 12% rise 

in traffic each year 

Learning from Grayrigg 

The day the Rail Accident Investigation Branch 

(RAIB) published its initial report into the 

derailment of the Virgin train at Grayrigg in 

Cumbria, Serco started a process to ensure 

that, as far as possible, a similar incident could 

not occur at any of its own rail operations. 

Its Northern and Merseyrail franchises were 

told to establish whether issues identified in the 

report were also a cause for concern for them, 

and to work with Network Rail to ensure any 

problems were resolved. 

Following Network Rail’s own report into the 

incident in November 2007, the review was 

repeated by Safety Directors from Serco’s UK 

rail companies, and again after the RAIB’s final 

report in October 2008. 

Although the second review showed that 

any problems on the ground had largely been 

resolved, it highlighted that it would be valuable 

for Serco to update its strategic safety training 

for senior managers, including those not 

involved in running trains. 

The training is designed to ensure that 

commercial and finance managers, as well 

as operations managers, consider the safety 

implications of every decision they make and, 

when in doubt, check with safety professionals. 

The response to Grayrigg reflects the way 

in which Serco reacts to any major industrial 

incident that affects any company, anywhere 

in the world in the sectors in which it operates. 

“We go through the accident reports in detail 

to make sure it can’t happen to us and to see 

if there are lessons we can learn,” says Serco 

Group Health, Safety and Environment 

Director Andy Lewis. 

“The benefits of Serco’s rigorous approach 

to safety management are not just of fringe 

value. They have contributed directly to 

Serco winning contracts, even when it has 

not been the lowest-priced bidder, and to 

safer systems being introduced. ” 

2008 Pulse Award winner: Goodyear Tower 

The team at Phoenix’s Goodyear Air Traffic Control Tower in Arizona was judged 

first out of 240 federal contract towers as one of the safest, most courteous 

and professional air traffic providers in the US with an unprecedented 12-year 

record of directing more than 1.6 million error-free take-offs and landings. Their 

commitment to performance excellence and customer service has brought 

Serco national recognition, and has helped to establish Serco’s reputation with 

the FAA as an outstanding partner in providing contract air traffic control services. 


www.serco.com | 13

Health 

& Safety 

Personal Road Safety course, UK 

Reducing risk 

■ Ensures road crews work safely 

■ Adopts best practice from railways 

■ Praised by the Highways Agency 

Serco employees are now better 

prepared than ever before for working 

on roads and motorways. Those 

engaged on contracts to maintain 

CCTV cameras, roadside electronic 

messaging signs and communication 

equipment have undertaken a course 

proving their competency to work 

safely in this high-risk environment. 

It is an approach that exceeds 

contractual and legal requirements. 

A best practice review of Serco’s 

road and rail operations highlighted 

that while there is a legal requirement 

for rail industry personnel to attend 

a safety certification course before 

working trackside, there is no 

equivalent for road workers. 

The new Personal Road Safety 

course teaches employees how to 

minimise risk when preparing for 

work, getting to the work site, carrying 

out the work, and leaving the site. 

They are then assessed on-site and 

given a handbook detailing what 

they have learned. 

“This shows how we are proactive in 

the way we adopt best practice across 

our transport operations,” says 

Donald Scott, Assurance Manager 

for Serco Transport Special Projects. 

“If we find a gap we address it.” 

The handbook has received strong 

endorsement from the Highways 

Agency: “This is a very good example 

of how best to get the message 

of personal safety over to a wide 

audience,” said the Agency’s 

Traffic Technology Team Leader 

Hugh Maxwell. 

SERCO-RUN 

MERSEYRAIL 

has been awarded 

Secure Station 

status for all 66 

of its stations, 

including Liverpool 

Lime Street (right) 

controllers are reporting errors and to 

ensure correct phraseology and 

procedures are used. 

Performance assessment includes 

mandatory skill checks for controllers and 

quality assurance reviews to determine 

whether procedure changes or refresher 

training are needed.On top of that, all of 

the control towers undergo audits by 

Serco every two years to ensure group 

standards are being maintained. Tower 

employees must also perform an annual 

internal audit, using a comprehensive 

checklist. The FAA audits the towers less 

frequently than Serco “so you can see 

that our standards are in excess of what 

is required by the FAA”, Jon says. 

Similarly rigorous safety management 

systems at Serco’s six Middle East air 

traffic control operations have seen errors 

fall significantly despite unprecedented 

growth in traffic of around 12% every year 

for the past six years. “Given this increase 

in traffic you would expect incidents to 

rise proportionally if not exponentially as 

the airspace becomes more congested,” 

says Brendan Ginn, Manager Air Traffic 

Operations, Serco Middle East. Latest 

figures show, however, that errors per 

100,000 air movements are 1.48 in 2008, 

in comparison with 1.86 in 2003. 

Best practice travels well 

In December 2008, the Middle East 

operations were incorporated into Serco 

Integrated Transport and Stuart Williams 

expects there to be considerable benefits 

in sharing best practice across rail, road 

and air to improve already high safety 

standards. “There is a lot of good practice 

to be shared,” he says. Systems to share 

best practice among SIT operations are 

well established, and the company has 

transferred safety training from the rail 

industry to its road contracts (see box left). 

Perhaps the most striking example 

of transferring expertise is Serco’s lead 

role in designing Dubai’s rail transport 

safety standards. 

Signed in April 2008, the £500 million 

contract to operate and maintain the 

state’s first rail system was set by the 

Dubai Roads and Transport Authority 

(RTA), whose aspirations include having 

the best safety standards anywhere in the 

world. Being able to draw down on its 

safety record and expertise at Docklands 

Light Railway and elsewhere was an 

important factor in winning the contract. 

Because there is virtually no public 

transport in Dubai at present, Serco 

has started with a blank sheet of paper 

in drawing up its safety management 

system. Andy Brooks, Safety Director 

for Serco Dubai Metro, says the system 

will be “rigorous”, in line with both the 

RTA’s brief and Serco’s standards. 

Rail, road and regulations 

The contract to assist Network Rail in 

improving the safety of the UK’s railways 

involves operating specialist trains, which 

identify track defects before they become 

a significant risk and carry out essential 

rail grinding work that helps prevent 

broken rails. 

In 2007/08, Serco Rail Operations 

delivered more than 250 shifts beyond 

the contracted numbers, with many of 

these undertaken at late notice when 

issues were identified that needed 

immediate attention. 

Other notable safety improvements in 

2008 included developing the Highways 

Agency’s ESDAL web portal, which 

assists hauliers in fulfilling their legal 

obligation to plan safe routes and notify 

relevant emergency services and 

infrastructure owners of potentially 

problematic, abnormally large loads. 

Providing this service has involved 

surveying the dimensions of more than 

200,000 bridges and other structures 

throughout the country. 

Its effectiveness is demonstrated 

by a huge reduction in the number of 

notifications made to infrastructure 

owners. British Waterways now receives 

just one a week, compared to hundreds 

of thousands in the course of a year. 

Meanwhile, Serco’s train operating 

companies have implemented the 

Railways and Other Guided Transport 

Systems (ROGS) regulations, which 

require companies to ensure their safety 

management systems are updated 

and comply with EU and UK legislation. 

Serco’s ROGS review showed that its 

rail companies have fulfilled most of the 

criteria for IS18001 safety certification 

– the highest level available in the UK, 

which the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) 

expects to achieve in 2009, and which 

Northern Rail is already part of the way 

towards achieving. 

In 2009, safety management across 

SIT and all Serco’s operations worldwide 

is set to take a further step forward with 

the implementation of a single safety 

management system and procedures 

for the entire company, drawing on best 

practice from all divisions and ultimately 

replacing the individual systems at the 

600 contracts Serco manages. 

Each contract will have a system that 

is up to date, takes account of lessons 

learned throughout Serco’s operations 

and is consistent with its neighbouring 

contracts. Each contract will be designed 

to make safety management easier to 

understand, so that people moving from 

one Serco company to another know 

what to expect and when. It is regarded 

by Andy Lewis as “the single most 

important project for 2009”. 

In touring Serco’s operations, it is 

apparent that improvements to safety 

management are serving a vital function 

beyond protecting employees and the 

public – they are also keeping the whole 

transport system moving, increasingly 

important as demand for travel increases. 

“We can’t build our way out of 

congestion with more roads; we have 

to manage traffic and infrastructure 

maintenance better,” Andy explains. 

“Reducing accidents and risk is part 

of that process. And, of course, if we 

can limit traffic congestion and run trains 

more efficiently, safety will also improve.” 

Georgia Traffic Management Center, US 

Going the distance 

■ Provides information and advice on road traffic conditions 

■ Employees answer calls within four seconds on average 

■ Has introduced 100-plus ramp meters to regulate traffic 

Following America’s Thanksgiving holiday in November 

2008, Serco employees at the Georgia Traffic Management 

Center (TMC) in Atlanta were described as the state’s 

“unsung heroes” by Gena Evans, Georgia’s Department 

of Transportation Commissioner, who said they deserved 

special recognition for their tireless work behind the 

scenes. The system they operate handled a staggering 

71,734 calls from motorists asking for advice on road traffic 

conditions over the holiday period. 

The free phone service offers route-specific information, 

state-wide traffic conditions and estimated travel times 

within Atlanta. Serco employees also direct the state’s 

Highways Emergency Response Operators (HERO) to 

motorists needing assistance. HERO trucks often arrive 

before other emergency services and, as many traffic 

accidents are caused by earlier incidents, this rapid 

response plays a vital part in road safety. 

The exceptional usage of the service shows that 

expectations of a high quality of customer service from 

Serco have been met. “People don’t provide that level of 

service unless they are motivated and happy in their work,” 

says TMC Program Director Marcus Wittich. 

Since it took over the contract, Serco has also integrated 

more than 100 ramp meters into the system. These regulate 

the flow of traffic entering freeways, significantly reducing 

both travel times and pollutants. 

Secure status for Serco-run stations 

Merseyrail, Serco’s rail operation on Merseyside, has been accredited as the UK’s 

first fully secure rail network. All 66 of its stations have been awarded the coveted 

Secure Station status after visits made by the British Transport Police on behalf of 

the Department of Transport in association with Crime Concern. Each station was 

evaluated on its safety measures; buildings and facilities; and customer service. In 

addition, 95% of the network’s station car parks have achieved Secure Car park status. 

“We can’t build our way out of congestion with more roads; 

we have to manage traffic and infrastructure maintenance 

better. Reducing accidents and risk is part of that process. 

And, of course, if we can limit traffic congestion and run 

trains more efficiently, safety will also improve.” 

Andy Lewis, Serco Group Health, Safety and Environment Director 


www.serco.com | 15

People 

Defence 

Life support 

Serco employees supporting 

military personnel and their 

families combine an in-depth 

understanding of the culture 

and ethos with exceptional 

compassion, reports CRAIG HOYLE 


www.serco.com | 17

People 

IT WOULD PROBABLY SURPRISE many 

people to discover that the individuals 

maintaining aircraft, providing secure 

communications between troops on 

the frontline and their families back 

home, and delivering re-education and 

counselling services at the end of a 

soldier’s career, do not routinely wear a 

uniform, and are, in fact, the employees 

of public service companies. 

Responsible for providing a wide range 

of support to military customers on both 

sides of the Atlantic, and in combat 

theatres including Afghanistan and 

Iraq, Serco is at the forefront of those 

companies that, on a daily basis, are 

enabling armed forces of nations such 

as the UK and the USA to focus their 

resources at the “tip of the spear”. 

In the UK, for example, Serco employees 

at RNAS Yeovilton maintain and repair 

aircraft deployed ‘in theatre’, while 

those at RAF Benson train many of the 

pilots who will fly those aircraft. And, 

demonstrating the proactive approach 

that runs throughout Serco’s defence 

business, apprenticeship programmes 

are in place, ensuring the talent pool does 

not run dry (see case study, page 22). 

Family matters 

But Serco’s role is not confined to 

supporting those on the front line; its 

reach extends to their families, too. 

In the USA, Serco provides an extensive 

network of services to military personnel 

and their families under a variety of 

contracts, including the Military Family 

Program, which offers practical advice 

and help for families via highly trained, 

specialist advisors, such as Family 

Program Assistants (FPAs) and Personal 

Financial Managers (PFMs). 

It is also an umbrella for a number of 

other programmes, including the Army 

Career and Alumni Program (see case 

study, page 21); the Army Spouse 

Employment Partnership (ASEP), which 

helps military spouses establish and 

maintain careers wherever the Army 

sends them; and the Family Advocacy 

Program, which addresses domestic 

violence in military families. 

FPAs make regular outreach calls to 

families to check on their well-being, 

providing a friendly voice and mobilising 

support systems where needed. In turn, 

families know they can call them with 

any problems. 

Elisdelia Coronado, an FPA based at 

Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, 

is just one of the exceptional people 

fulfilling this role. From pointing a married 

couple towards counselling resources by 

conference call, to helping a father reach 

his deployed son when his pregnant 

daughter-in-law was involved in an 

accident, her job requires quick thinking 

alongside an extensive contact book. 

Beyond the call of duty 

Jo Sperry, a Victim Advocate (VA), is 

another Serco employee who works 

above and beyond the terms of her 

contract. Part of the Family Advocacy 

Program, VAs liaise between the victim 

of a crime and the State Attorney’s Office 

when an incident is under investigation. 

The role requires a compassionate 

individual with exceptional interpersonal 

skills, given the often-sensitive nature 

of the crimes. 

When a soldier who was sexually 

assaulted had to return to the US to testify 

in the trial against her alleged offender, Jo 

did all she could to minimise her trauma. 

After seven days’ travel from Iraq, the 

soldier was emotionally and physically 

drained, and her morale was low. Jo 

stayed late into the night with the soldier 

and the Judge Advocate (JA), working 

with her on her testimony and, when the 

soldier asked for her continued support 

throughout the trial, she attended 

Military Child Education Coalition, US 

Taking care of the children 

■ Addresses the needs of military children 

■ Provides mentors who have similar experiences 

■ Supports local programmes and initiatives 

Research in the USA has shown that a child from a military 

family will change schools on average between six and 

nine times during their primary years of education alone 

and that this might include overseas postings. Some two 

million children currently face this reality, with their frequent 

and potentially damaging educational upheaval often 

exacerbated by the emotional effects of being separated 

from a parent serving his or her country. 

Alarmed by the lack of available support for such children, 

in 1997 a group that included a former senior army 

commander created a now-flourishing organisation named 

the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC). Its goals 

included raising awareness of the issue among military 

and educational circles, and helping families to deal with 

the demands of service life. 

A significant percentage of Serco’s North American 

employees hail from a military background. Serco’s 

Rich Gilligan, Vice President MCEC Project Support says 

this gives them a natural empathy with the issues 

experienced by many military children. 

This instant connection with MCEC continued when 

Serco colleagues proposed supporting its activities to 

Chief Executive Ed Casey. “We didn’t even take a minute,” 

says Rich. “He just said: ‘You got me.’” 

Serco’s involvement with the charity has included backing 

events at MCEC’s annual conference as a primary sponsor, 

a commitment worth more than $100,000 in sponsorship 

to date. It has also provided support for local programmes 

and community initiatives staged near its major operating 

sites, by encouraging its employees to get involved. 

“We look for what we at Serco can do, beyond providing 

dollars,” says Michael Greer, also from Serco’s Military 

Family Program business unit. For example, by using its 

existing contracts to support US military personnel, Serco 

can provide practical support to children entering new 

schools by identifying and introducing mentors who have 

been through the same life experiences. 

“We’ve committed, and committed hard”, says Rich, 

who concludes: “Corporate responsibility is not just about 

writing a cheque. Our people really care about these 

military kids.” 


Apprentices 

working on a 

helicopter at 

Serco-run 

RNAS Yeovilton 

CHILDREN 

FROM MILITARY 

FAMILIES (LEFT) 

face constant 

upheaval in 

their education, 

something that 

the Military Child 

Education Coalition 

seeks to minimise 

Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center, US 

Compassionate care 

■ Communicates with partners and families 

■ Co-ordinates travel and accommodation 

■ Provides advice and assistance 

Of the many contracts Serco has in place with the Army, the 

partnership under which the company provides operational 

support services to its Casualty and Mortuary Affairs 

Operations Center (CMAOC) demands, perhaps, the 

most compassion and sensitivity from its employees. The 

contract has been held since 2004 and was renewed in 

2008, but demand for the service has sadly increased. 

More than 130 Serco and sub-contractor employees now 

support the CMAOC, working alongside military personnel, 

compared with 48 when the contract commenced. 

Their responsibilities include managing information and 

communications when a soldier is wounded or killed, and 

accounting for, cleaning and forwarding personal effects 

to family members when the worst happens. 

The demanding role carried out by Army Casualty and 

Mortuary Affairs Specialist Brandon Batt is just one example 

of the services provided by the CMAOC. Spending nights, 

weekends and holidays assisting soldiers wounded in Iraq 

and Afghanistan, Brandon found small ways to make these 

people more comfortable. He also coordinated travel and 

accommodation for their families, and provided advice and 

assistance on everything from passports to finances. 

“Brandon epitomised service excellence at Serco,” says 

Serco CMAOC Project Director Col (Ret.) Dennis Duffie. 

SSAFA, UK 

Charity begins at home 

Serco is a proud supporter of the UK-based Soldiers, Sailors, 

Airmen and Families’ Association (SSAFA). Founded in 1885, 

it provides invaluable support to current and former service 

personnel and their families. 

More than 50,000 people approach the charity each year, 

seeking advice or financial assistance. Serco sponsors 

SSAFA’s ‘Big Brew Up’, an annual fund-raising drive. In 

2008, more than 400 tea parties were staged by the charity’s 

supporters, raising more than £100,000, up from £75,000 in 

2007. “SSAFA is extremely grateful to Serco for its generous 

sponsorship of this event,” says the charity. “The sponsors 

are key to making it happen.” 

2008 at a glance 

The Family Support Program, US 

Serco employees are regularly exceeding the terms of their contracts to 

help the families of military personnel in the US and around the world 

Wounded Warrior Program, US 

Supporting injured Marine Corps personnel as they embark on the road to recovery 

Paradigm Secure Communications Team, UK 

Contractors on Deployed Operations (CONDO) employees are working in Iraq and 

Afghanistan to ensure military personnel and their families can communicate 

“By using its existing contracts to support 

US military personnel, Serco can provide 

practical support to children entering new 

schools by identifying and introducing 

mentors who have been through the 

same life experiences.” 


www.serco.com | 19

People 

court each day. The soldier later told the JA 

that, without Jo’s support, she would not 

have been able to get through the ordeal. 

It’s also not unusual for Serco people to 

step outside their contracted role, should 

the need arise. As a Personal Financial 

Manager in Atsugi, Japan, Brad Morgan’s 

normal working day consists of teaching 

military personnel and their spouses 

about the basics of budgeting, credit 

management, car and home buying, 

and retirement planning. 

But after one of his pupils lost her 

husband, who had been deployed 

overseas in the Navy, Brad stepped in 

to help when the situation became 

overwhelming, exacerbated by her lack of 

English. From making final arrangements 

for the deceased to arranging grief 

counselling and navigating the insurance 

maze to ensure she received payment, 

Brad supported her from start to finish. 

Online and on the front line 

While it’s the human touch that helps 

resolve many of the problems facing 

military personnel and their families, 

sophisticated technology also has an 

important role to play. By ensuring they 

can communicate with each other on 

a regular basis, it is key to maintaining 

the morale of those serving on the front 

line – including Serco employees. 

A key part of the EADS Astrium-led 

Paradigm Secure Communications 

team that provides access to three 

SKYNET 5 satellites, Serco delivers a 

range of services that provide assured 

communications between military 

commanders in the UK and troops 

deployed in theatre. 

As well as providing network operations 

at Paradigm’s two ground stations at 

Hampshire and Wiltshire, and managing 

security and logistics at the sites, 

Serco employees are working alongside 

those on the front line, to ensure that 

EMPLOYEES AT 

THE WOUNDED 

WARRIOR CALL 

CENTRE (RIGHT) 

offer support and 

a friendly voice to 

US Marine Corps 

personnel and 

their families 

(see page 23) 

Army Career and Alumni Program, US 

Smoothing the path to civilian life 

■ Has helped more than two million soldiers since 1991 

■ Offers advice on financial, health and employment issues 

■ Employs 200 personnel at 52 sites around the world 

The transition from military service to civilian life can be a 

difficult process, but for US Army personnel the journey 

has been smoothed by Serco, which has almost two 

decades’ experience of supporting the service and 

advising its personnel on how to make this change. 

The Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) is Serco’s 

longest running US contract. Since it started in 1991, 

ACAP has helped more than two million soldiers back into 

civilian life. Its personnel offer leaving or retiring soldiers 

information on matters as diverse as managing their 

finances and accessing health care, and assist them in 

seeking new employment by, for example, helping them 

write their résumé and prepare for interviews. 

The contract employs around 200 people at 52 sites in 

the US and around the world, with the majority of these 

being counselling employees with Master’s degree 

qualifications. “Our employees are very well educated, 

part and parcel of the military culture and very motivated,” 

says Steve Sultan Vice President and Program Manager, 

and an ex-army colonel with 20 years’ military service 

behind him. He says that ACAP delivered services to 

almost 130,000 active and reserve army personnel in 2008. 

While the number of people who pass through the system 

each year remains fairly constant, the volume can increase 

markedly when a large rotation occurs after an overseas 

deployment and soldiers decide to leave within a 90-day 

period, triggering a requirement to receive mandatory 

training under the ACAP contract. One such example 

came in October 2007, when a 12-strong ACAP team at 

Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was required to demonstrate 

its adaptability in the face of a massive spike in activity. 

Contractor Installation Manager Nikia Simon was 

required to come up with a way of delivering briefings to a 

daunting 4,000 soldiers within a three-month window, or 

80 per working day. Her team rose to the challenge, and 

feedback from the soldiers was overwhelmingly positive, 

with 98% expressing satisfaction with the assistance 

that they had received. “Behind every winning team is a 

winning coach,” says ACAP Project Director Diane Harley. 

“At Fort Campbell ACAP, that person is Nikia Simon.” 

Pulse Award winner: Pichet Samarapoom 

Pichet joined Serco Dubai Metro from Bangkok, his first role outside his home 

country.Through determination and sheer hard work he overcame considerable 

professional and personal challenges while showing remarkable calmness 

and professionalism. He has taken ownership of the recruitment of employees 

from far east Asia and has taken personal responsibility for the welfare of his 

colleagues, providing technical expertise through openness and good humour. 

Back to business 

Serco’s provision of support to Wounded Warriors (see page 23) includes trying to 

help them in their business ambitions after they have left the armed forces. In 2004, 

the US government outlined a goal to place 3% of all federal contracts with small 

businesses owned by veterans and service-disabled veterans. In November 2008, 

the Department of Defense’s Office of Small Business Programs presented Serco with 

an award recognising its work in increasing subcontracting opportunities, after the 

company recorded totals of 10% and 6.6% of contracts placed respectively in 2007. 


www.serco.com | 21

People 

RNAS Yeovilton, UK 

Training tomorrow’s experts 

■ Station repairs and maintains military aircraft 

■ Established apprenticeship scheme in 2001 

■ Scheme has double the national retention rate 

At the Royal Naval Air Station in Yeovilton, Serco’s 

long-term commitment to the local community is clear 

to see. The company has 300 employees at the site, 

delivering services ranging from the repair and 

maintenance of aircraft – such as AgustaWestland Lynx 

and Sea King helicopters returning from combat duty – 

to fuel delivery and engine support. 

And when, in 2001, its managers identified a looming 

skills shortage in the local job market, Serco established 

the Advanced Apprenticeship scheme. Accredited to 

deliver National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) up to 

Level 4 standard across a range of engineering and 

management areas, the initiative secured government 

approval and funding from the Learning and Skills Council 

(LSC) and its first intake of students – all recruited from 

the local community – entered training in 2002. 

Typically, around 10 applications are received for each 

place on the three-year course. Of the 11 students who 

passed the course in July 2006, nine remain in 

full-time employment with Serco, one has become an 

Air Engineering Technician in the Royal Navy and one 

is studying for an Aerospace Engineering degree, funded 

by Serco and with the guarantee of full-time employment 

for at least a year after graduation. 

A further eight apprentices have completed the course 

in the last two years. Six are now working at the site, one 

works for an aerospace company in Northern Ireland 

and one has been sponsored by Serco to read a Masters 

Degree in Aerospace Engineering with Management. 

Thirteen more apprentices are currently undergoing 

training and such has been the success of the programme 

– at 92%, its retention rate is almost double the national 

average for such schemes – that Roy Lusted, Contract 

Support and Training Manager, is now involved in a 

working group that is investigating the feasibility of 

establishing similar schemes for other Serco operations 

around the UK. 

“This has been a flag waver for apprenticeships and a 

great asset,” says Roy. “We want these people to become 

tomorrow’s engineers, supervisors and managers.” 

their communications equipment 

remains in working order. 

Fifty support personnel are deployed 

in Afghanistan and Iraq at any one time, 

working under the Contractors on 

Deployed Operations (CONDO) model. 

“They are going to a war zone, and are 

under the jurisdiction of the MoD,” says 

Overseas Support Manager Tony Alleyne. 

Serco was first contracted by Paradigm 

in 2001, to provide welfare services 

known as ‘WelComE’which allowed 

troops to telephone home from specially 

equipped cabins. In the past five years, it 

has assisted in substantially improving 

these services, which are now widely 

available. A recent effort has introduced 

a WiFi capability, enabling personnel at 

many sites to connect to the Internet from 

their bed spaces using their own laptops. 

Among the comments received in praise 

of the new service, one soldier notes: 

“It is a luxury in this environment.” 

In the event of an accident or incident, 

Richie Vella, SKYNET 5 Network Director 

oversees efforts to immediately remove 

an employee from the country, with an 

emergency contingency procedure 

coming into effect. Seven employees 

have required such help within the last 

five years, underlining the rare nature of 

such events, and support and counselling 

has been offered in all instances. 

“We have strong managers in theatre, 

and we really have to look after their 

welfare,” says Liz Hammond, Serco’s 

HR Manager for the SKYNET 5 service. 

Mike Brimson, Operations Director 

Space for Serco, says: “We have had 

three or four examples where maybe 

a rocket has damaged equipment and 

our guys went straight in.” 

AT RNAS YEOVILTON (ABOVE), 

the Advanced Apprenticeship scheme 

developed by Serco ensures the talent 

pool won’t run dry 

A friendly voice 

An inevitable consequence of the high 

operational tempo being maintained 

by the US armed forces in Afghanistan 

and Iraq is that some will sustain injuries. 

For injured US Marine Corps personnel 

and their families, a support mechanism 

called the Wounded Warrior Program 

is there to support and help them on the 

road to recovery. 

Implemented by the Marine Corps and 

Serco in 2007, the Wounded Warrior Call 

Center handles more than 900 telephone 

calls per week. Educated to degree level 

or its equivalent, these employees have 

an innate understanding of Marine 

Corps values and attitudes. Their aim is 

to provide immediate answers to 

enquiries but, when this is not possible, 

they conduct the necessary research 

and then ring the caller back. 

But Serco’s delivery of the Wounded 

Warrior contract runs beyond this 

valuable early support; its employees 

now call affected individuals one year 

after the initial contact – longer if needed 

– to find out if they need additional help. 

Employees at the 24-hour call centre in 

Dumfries, Virginia – recently renamed 

the ‘Sergeant Merlin German Wounded 

Warrior Call Center’ in honour of the 

inspirational Marine who died in April 

2008, aged just 22 – made more than 

35,000 such outreach calls to wounded 

Marines and Sailors in the 12 months 

from November 2007, and received an 

additional 4,200 calls under the service. 

In all, they have now contacted more than 

8,000 of the 9,500 marines injured since 

2001 to ask about their welfare. 

In February 2008, Lt Gen Ronald S 

Coleman, Deputy Commandant for 

Manpower and Reserve Affairs, which 

helps plan, direct, coordinate and 

supervise both active and reserve forces, 

said of the support and services that 

Serco is providing and the employees it 

has hired: “Serco has fully embraced our 

mantra of Maines taking care of Marines. 

They are an integral part of our Wounded 

Warrior Regimental Team.” 

In June 2008, Colonel Gregory A D 

Boyle, Commanding Officer of the 

Wounded Warrior Regiment, reinforced 

the message in a letter to Vic Bako, 

Program Manager and former Army 

Officer: “When we started this contract 

we had no way to know what the future 

would hold. I wanted to thank you for the 

flexibility you have shown in ensuring 

Marines get the care they need. 

“Some contractors advertise a ‘one 

team, one fight’ mindset. To Serco, this 

is more than just a slogan, it is a culture.” 

Atomic Weapons Establishment, UK 

A beacon of learning 

The Apprentice Academy at the Atomic Weapons 

Establishment (AWE), a Serco joint venture business in 

Berkshire, England, has been awarded Beacon status by 

the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS). It is 

the Academy’s second major accolade in 2008, its scheme 

having been assessed as ‘outstanding’ by an Ofsted 

inspection earlier in the year. 

LSIS is the government body driving improvements in 

learning and skills across the UK and is the hallmark of a 

standard of excellence in learning providers. Beacon status 

recognises excellence and innovation, and is awarded to 

outstanding organisations within the further education system. 

AWE’s Apprentice Academy trains young people for roles 

in maintenance, electrical, electronic and mechanical 

engineering. “AWE is one of only 34 work-based learning 

providers across the UK to have been assessed at this 

level,” explains Marcus Hutchings, the company’s 

Technical and Craft Training Manager. 

“As well as recognising our achievements, it will also allow 

us to drive improvement within the skills arena by sharing 

best practice with other organisations,” he says. 

RAF Fylingdales, UK 

Putting students to the test 

Eight A-level students from Bradford gained an exclusive 

insight into life at RAF Fylingdales in Yorkshire, England, 

when they were chosen for a week’s work experience in July 

2008 at the Serco-operated site, which provides a ballistic 

missile warning and space surveillance service to both the 

UK government and US authorities. 

The Serco-led initiative is now in its fourth year and 

competition for places is fierce. Candidates must prove their 

competency in maths and physics as well as demonstrating 

an ability to work both as team leaders and team members. 

The successful students took part in exercises with 

the RAF Challenge Team – in which their fitness, logistics, 

intelligence and engineering abilities were tested – as well 

as with MOD Police and Fire Services. They also received 

a briefing on a NASA space vehicle and learned what 

a Solid State Phased Array Radar (SSPAR) does. 

“When the students come for their week, everyone gets 

involved,” says Hugh Morgan, Support Director Defence 

Operations at Fylingdales. 

Skills for You 

Serco has always believed in the importance of investing in the skills and talent 

of its people, who are the foundation of its business. In 2004, the company 

launched Skills for You, a UK-based programme aligned to the government’s 

Skills for Life scheme and designed to improve literacy, numeracy and IT 

capabilities. To date, more than 600 Serco people – including scientists, 

firefighters, electricians and cleaners – have achieved a qualification, with a 

29.61% increase in their numbers since 2005. The scheme is currently being 

extended to include National Vocational Qualifications and apprenticeships. 

“Serco has fully embraced our mantra of 

Marines taking care of Marines. They are 

an integral part of our Wounded Warrior 

regimental team.” 

Lieutenant General Ronald S Coleman, Deputy Commandant 

for Manpower and Reserve Affairs 


www.serco.com | 23

Community 

Home Affairs 

The transformers 

Dedicated Serco employees 

are helping offenders in the 

UK and Australia turn their 

lives around, inspiring them 

before easing them back into 

society, writes SONIA PURNELL 


Community 

IT IS ALL TOO EASY for those on the 

outside to judge prisons, young offender 

institutions and other detention centres 

on the rare occasions that things go 

wrong – they, after all, make the headlines. 

And noone is denying that keeping 

people behind bars is a challenging, 

often gruelling occupation. 

But visitors to a Serco secure centre, 

whether north or south of the equator, 

cannot help but be struck by the sheer 

cheerfulness of the employees; their 

energy, determination and optimism is 

quite infectious. There is a real sense of 

a personal vocation, a desire to reassess 

conventional wisdom, to pioneer new 

ideas, in short to go that extra mile. 

While the priority must always be to 

ensure safety both for those inside the 

centres and also the public at large, 

Serco is also driven by the need to 

educate and train, to help people turn 

their lives around before resettling them 

within the community with as much 

support as possible. 

It is an entrepreneurial culture that 

attracts an extraordinarily committed 

range of people, drawn not by pay or 

perks – employees at Serco-run secure 

centres do not earn more than those 

in the public sector; they are, however, 

empowered and encouraged to innovate. 

Adopting a dynamic approach 

“We try to recruit people who are not 

interested in simply being static guards, 

but in offering dynamic security. That 

means actively engaging with individuals 

in our care to understand their motivations 

and their fears,” explains John Smith, 

Director of Change and Operations for 

Serco’s UK residential contracts. 

“We know it’s safer and better to engage 

with prisoners than to confront them. We 

encourage them to accept responsibility 

for their previous actions and then think 

seriously about how they can turn 


the vibrant result 

of a painting 

workshop at 

Acacia Prison 

INDIGENOUS 

PRISONERS AT 

ACACIA PRISON 

(RIGHT) receive 

skills training 

and tailor-made 

education 

programmes 

Acacia Prison, Australia 

Rising to the challenge 

■ An 800-bed, medium-security prison in Western Australia 

■ Adapting to assimilate Indigenous prisoners 

■ Providing tailor-made educational programmes 

The size of central Europe, Western Australia is home to 

no fewer than 40 Indigenous language and dialect groups, 

each with its own culture. 

So when Serco took over Acacia Prison, on the outskirts 

of Perth, just over two years ago, the fact that 35% of its 

population was Indigenous presented particular challenges 

and consequently the need for innovative thinking. Indigenous 

people account for 3% of the Australian population, but more 

than 40% of the prison population, an over-representation 

that is sometimes the consequence of high levels of social 

deprivation, unemployment, drug and alcohol addictions, 

and lack of access to services. 

Acacia’s Director, Andy Beck took the highly unusual 

step of escorting Paul Mahoney, Serco Asia Pacific’s Chief 

Operating Officer, and John Smith, UK Director of Operations 

– Residential (Home Affairs), to a remote corner of the Pilbara 

region to discuss with a group of Elders the problems facing 

their communities and how to prepare Indigenous prisoners 

for release. “The long journey was more than worth it,” says 

Andy, who has recently adopted a new approach that 

addresses the needs of Acacia’s Aboriginal prisoners, 

utilising the power of their culture to restore many of the 

values that underpin a strong Aboriginal society and to 

encourage cooperation with the prison regime. 

Indigenous Assistant Director Vanessa Davies has 

responsibility for these prisoners. “Vanessa has developed 

an action plan that tackles many of the major issues 

including poor health, low levels of education and training, 

and spiritual and cultural needs,” says Andy. 

The prison has an Indigenous Advisory Board made up 

of prominent Indigenous Community Leaders who offer 

advice and guidance to help shape relevant services for 

Aboriginal prisoners. Through Community partnerships, 

they are now offered tailor-made education programmes, 

delivered by skilled educational employees, including a 

highly respected Indigenous Elder. “The prisoners look up 

to the Elders, who come in for traditional story-telling 

sessions to help get the message across about offending 

behaviour and the need to turn their lives round,” says Andy. 

Many Indigenous prisoners have had limited access 

to, and are wary of, Western medicine. Yet chronic health 

problems mean their average life expectancy is low at 

around 59 years for males and 65 for females (compared 

with 77 and 82, respectively, for Australia as a whole). 

Acacia worked with the Derbal Yirrigan Aboriginal Health 

Organisation to bring the Marman Pit Stop to the prison. 

Renowned for its success in getting Indigenous people to 

undergo crucial health checks, Pit Stop aligns parts of the 

body to parts of a car and prisoners are encouraged to get 

their bodies ‘serviced’, something they can relate to. 

The obligation to attend family funerals can make 

incarceration particularly difficult for Indigenous prisoners. 

“They believe that if they don’t attend, it can result in 

retribution or ‘pay-back’,” he says. “Once a prisoner thinks 

someone has called in bad spirits as part of ‘pay-back’, they 

can become so fearful they literally lose the will to live. When 

that happens, a community Elder is brought in to conduct a 

smoking ceremony – burning eucalyptus leaves and reciting 

special words to ward off evil spirits. 

Acacia’s pioneering work was recognised in 2008 when 

it was ranked as one of only two high-performing prisons 

in Western Australia in the Inspector of Custodial Services’ 

2008 annual report. 

“We have given a high priority to addressing the needs of 

our Indigenous prisoners,” says Andy. “No other prison in 

the state offers programmes like ours.” 

“Indigenous people account for 3% of the 

Australian population but more than 40% of the 

prison population, an over-representation that 

is sometimes the consequence of high levels of 

social deprivation, unemployment, drug and 

alcohol addictions, and lack of access to services.” 


Acacia Prison, Australia 

Recognising the complex needs of its Indigenous prisoners 

and integrating their culture within the prison regime 

Borallon Correctional Centre, Australia 

Training prisoners to help solve a manpower shortage 

HMP and YOI Doncaster, UK 

Employing a former prisoner as a mentor to other prisoners 


www.serco.com | 27

Community 

their lives round. And our selling point is 

that we allow and encourage employees 

to explore ever better ways of doing this.” 

Innovation is everywhere, whether it’s 

HMP Lowdham Grange’s ambition to 

become the UK’s first carbon-neutral 

prison or the groundbreaking work with 

Indigenous prisoners in Australia. Many 

of the old orthodoxies are being 

challenged, with new ideas constantly 

being road-tested by people wanting 

to improve existing systems. 

“You have to understand prison culture 

and psychology,” says John. “A lot of 

prison governors, for example, have a 

Masters in Criminology and Management 

from the University of Cambridge. They 

apply this knowledge to great effect in the 

very hands-on and practical environment 

of a prison.” Gail Johnson, Head of 

Corporate Social Responsibility at Serco, 

adds that “It is inherent in most people 

to want to do more.” 

Where possible, employees are 

encouraged to get involved with 

charitable and local community work, 

supported by the Serco Foundation. 

A volunteering policy standard has been 

developed and is applicable globally. 

That caring approach, encompassing 

the needs of the community at large, 

informs all of Serco’s operations. The 

company’s goal is to reinvest 1% of its 

pre-tax profits into the community every 

year through dozens of local projects and 

charitable donations, recorded through 

a global reporting process. 

News of Serco’s compassionate ‘can 

do’ approach travels far and has helped 

it win hard-fought contracts in Australia 

to take over two challenging prisons, 

Acacia in Western Australia and Borallon 

Correctional Centre in Queensland (see 

case studies, pages 26-27 and 29). 

Serco’s Chief Executive Officer in 

Australia, David Campbell, sums up the 

Serco contribution in this part of the 

AT DONCASTER 

PRISON (RIGHT), 

Cass Vernon 

(seated third from 

left) is a mentor 

to other prisoners 

– see page 30; 

specialist training 

has enabled 

prisoners at 

Borallon (far right) 

to help solve a 

manpower shortage 

in Queensland 

Borallon Correctional Centre, Australia 

Turning negatives into positives 

■ A medium- and high-security prison near Brisbane 

■ Forward thinking ensures skills that will benefit all 

■ Training scheme reduces costs and targets reoffending 

It is certainly unusual for a prison to provide the solution to 

one of the outside world’s problems. But, in its first year under 

Serco’s tenure, Borallon Correctional Centre – an hour outside 

of Brisbane, Queensland – has been able to do just that. 

Rapid population growth in Queensland combined with 

ageing infrastructure has prompted a multi-billion dollar 

upgrade of the local Ipswich motorway. But SAFElink, 

the consortium that won the contract to build the road, 

encountered a serious industry-wide manpower shortage 

that challenged the project. Inspired thinking at Borallon 

solved the crisis by giving selected prisoners specialised 

training, a Certificate II in Civil Construction, and the chance 

to learn skills that will enable them to walk into a full 

traineeship and employment on release. 

“We chose ten prisoners for the pilot group and each went 

through a rigorous selection process,” said Liesl Turley, 

Borallon’s Offender Education Manager. “We didn’t want to 

set anyone up for failure, so we’ve closely monitored each 

prisoner’s progress and given them support when needed.” 

Borallon went on to supply ‘anti-gawking’ screens (for use in 

road works) made by inmates at the prison’s own workshops. 

The first batch of 1,500 was delivered on time and on budget, 

and there are more orders on the way. 

“We give our prisoners a wage and then pass our profits 

back to our customer, the state of Queensland. By training 

our prisoners in this way – the only prison in Queensland to 

do so – we are making them less likely to reoffend on release. 

We are also reducing the cost of the prison,” explains Guy 

Baulf, Director, Borallon Correctional Centre. “This initiative, 

amongst others, is aimed at reducing reoffending. The Serco 

approach is a positive one that goes beyond the contract to 

achieve results. I’m glad to say the prisoners are embracing it.” 

2008 Pulse Award Winners: BACS 

The Serco Behaviour and Attendance Team at Education Bradford developed 

Behaviour and Attendance Collaboratives (BACs) across the Bradford district to 

support a “community of schools” with a collegiate responsibility for meeting the 

needs of young people. BACs set targets to reduce exclusions, with a particular 

focus on vulnerable children. A Bradford headteacher called the initiative “one of 

the most powerful opportunities available to schools to bring about change”. 

“We give our prisoners a wage [for the 

anti-gawking screens they build] and 

then pass our profits back to our customer, 

the state of Queensland. By training them 

in this way, we are making them less likely 

to reoffend on release.” 

Guy Baulf, Director, Borallon Correctional Centre 


www.serco.com | 29

Community 

Ashfield Young Offenders Institution, UK 

Putting young people first 

■ Europe’s largest custodial centre for juveniles 

■ Helps offenders understand why they have lost their liberty 

■ Encourages and inspires them to change their lives 

Wendy Sinclair does not look or sound like a prison governor; 

in fact she originally trained as a teacher. As she sits in her 

office at Ashfield Young Offenders Institution, outside Bristol, 

she compares the place to “a darn good college within a 

secure setting”. Her obvious humanity and warmth set the tone 

at Ashfield, which takes up to 400 15 to 18 year-olds. “We treat 

the young person first and the offender second,” she explains. 

Those detained are helped to understand that they have lost 

both their liberty and control over their lives as a consequence 

of their actions. At the same time Serco employees give them 

hands-on encouragement and inspiration to change their lives. 

Ashfield’s primary aim is to prevent reoffending, firstly 

through education, but also via a holistic approach including 

dealing with health issues, family problems and substance 

abuse. There is also great emphasis on restorative justice, 

where offenders are brought together with their victims in order 

to understand how crimes affect others and to learn how to 

avoid making the same mistake again. It seems to be working 

– of the first 400 who underwent the restorative justice 

programme, 97% did not repeat the offence. 

Ashfield has also been a pioneer in bringing in outside 

bodies to offer training, inspiration, work experience and 

even, ultimately, jobs. Wessex Water took on a young person 

for the last 12 weeks of his sentence and he went on to get 

a manager’s job with them. “We really value the support of 

such companies,” says Wendy. 

Hailed by a 2007 inspection report as a ‘model of best 

practice’ in this area, Ashfield is constantly searching for new 

partners – and beneficiaries. “The local social club in the 

village was falling apart,” explains Wendy, “so we sent our 

young people to do it up. They are proud of the job they’ve 

done and it’s also payback to the wider community.” 

world: “A more stimulating culture where 

people feel they can personally make 

a difference.” 

In 2008, the Western Australia Inspector 

of Custodial Services, Professor Richard 

Harding said in his Report No. 53 that 

Acacia was “on the cusp of becoming a 

very good prison”. He particularly noted 

the ‘impressive step’ taken by Acacia in 

its resettlement and re-entry work – an 

area in which Serco repeatedly excels 

across the globe. 

A bridge to the community 

HMP & YOI Doncaster, a Category C 

prison in northern England, is rightly held 

as having an exemplary approach, one 

it has refined for the past five years and 

continues to improve and expand upon. 

Its Director, Brian Anderson, reinforces 

this important, but oft-overlooked aspect 

of prison, by allowing employees to 

undertake charitable work on resettling 

prisoners in Serco time. 

The work – including mentors, a drop-in 

centre, and continual advice and support 

– reflects the desire to go both beyond 

the contract and the prison gate. 

“We want to be the bridge to a full return 

to the community,” says Brian. 

The life of Cass Vernon, 51, was 

transformed when, following his release 

from prison, he made contact with the 

Outreach Team at Serco’s Resettlement 

Office. With Serco’s help, Cass was 

enrolled as a volunteer at Doncaster, 

where he became a mentor to prisoners 

and is now paid part-time to give valuable 

advice to ex-prisoners on how to stay out 

of trouble and sort out their lives. 

“I wanted to change for the sake of my 

three daughters,” he says. “But I could 

not have done it without the continuous 

support from the guys at Serco. They 

believed in me.” In just six months, Cass 

has helped 26 ex-offenders into secure 

accommodation – frequently a difficult 

hurdle for those coming out of prison. His 

example is inspiring others to follow suit, 

and Serco hopes that there will soon be a 

team of ex-prisoners such as Cass filling 

this vital role over a much wider area. 

The process, however, starts before 

release, with meticulous preparation for 

the big day. “We get Barclays Bank to 

come into the prison to set up bank 

accounts for prisoners approaching 

release,” explains Brian. “So many of them 

don’t have one, a problem that is often 

overlooked even though it’s very difficult 

to get a job without having an account.” 

Many of Doncaster’s pioneering 

programmes to give prisoners dignity 

and respect, while keeping them secure, 

have been widely admired and rolled out 

to other prisons. Its debt counselling 

service is also exemplary, as is its health 

and addiction work, particularly with 

black and ethnic minority prisoners. 

Finding the individual within 

Another Serco theme is the treatment 

of prisoners as individuals, right down to 

the youngest detainees at Hassockfield 

Secure Training Centre in the north of 

England, which takes children as young 

as 12 and up to the age of 18. Some of 

them have committed the most heinous 

of crimes, and yet hope is never lost, 

and each one is given opportunities and 

individual care. 

“Young people here are often steeped 

in gang mentality. Our challenge is to get 

them to think of themselves as individuals 

and to express themselves in ways that 

do not include aggression,” says Trevor 

Wilson-Smith, Director of Hassockfield. 

“The priority has to be security, but it 

would be wholly wrong to deny them the 

chance to express themselves as young 

people,” he adds. “When I’m asked to 

sum up our approach, I tell them we aspire 

to be like the perfect boiled egg; a hard 

exterior, but just soft enough inside.” 

Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre, UK 

Restoring dignity to its residents 

■ The UK’s major family removal centre 

■ Aims to restore respect, dignity and compassion to residents 

■ Offers skills training and a nursery with a high Ofsted rating 

The women and children detained at Yarl’s Wood Immigration 

Centre in Bedfordshire often don’t know when or whether they 

will be sent back to their countries of origin. Some will stay 

only a few hours, others for many months, but all are at an 

uncertain time in their lives and need a sensitive approach. 

Since it took over the contract in 2006, Serco has radically 

altered both the culture and conditions at the UK’s major 

family removal centre. Today incidents of self-harm, bullying 

and violence are few in what is recognised by inspectors and 

other outsiders as a brighter, calmer and more engaged 

environment than previously existed. 

Serco has worked hard to run the centre around core values 

of respect, dignity and compassion. The fundamental shift 

started with words – ‘residents’ replacing the term ‘detainees’ 

– and moved through consultation, healthcare, education, 

independence and a symbolic but significant increase 

in freedom. “We have removed or pinned back 21 doors 

between units to allow the women greater freedom of 

movement,” says Director Dawn Elaine. “We wanted 

to reduce feelings of claustrophobia or imprisonment. 

Security remains paramount, but we try to normalise 

things as far as possible.” 

A tangible example of this is the brightly coloured nursery, 

which would not look out of place in any residential area in 

the UK. It has just achieved the highest rating from Ofsted – 

“just like the best private day nursery”, says Dawn. 

“Although the provision of child services is in the contract, 

we are proud to have gone way beyond that.” 

A great deal of thought has also gone into relationships 

with the adult residents, who have access to a library and 

all of the expected tuition, such as IT and basic literacy 

skills. There is also recognition that the environment is 

predominantly female. “The gym, with its aerobics classes, 

is geared up for women and we also have a hair and 

beauty salon. 

“People have a voice here, including a monthly consultative 

meeting with me and my management team,” Dawn explains. 

“The culture of employees actively engaging with residents 

ensures that many more issues are dealt with as they arise.” 

Hassockfield: contributing to the community 

Hassockfield Secure Training Centre contributes to the community at large by offering 

its employees support and encouragement to become members of County Durham 

and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service’s Retained Duty System. These are fully trained 

firefighters, often fully employed in other occupations, who respond to calls on a 

needs-only basis and are a key part of the UK’s Fire and Rescue Service. Hassockfield 

has also formed a Young Fire-fighters Association within the Centre, based on the Fire 

Service Manual for Youth Training and Development. 

“People have a voice here, including a monthly 

consultative meeting with me and my 

management team. The culture of employees 

actively engaging with residents ensures that 

many more issues are dealt with as they arise.” 

Dawn Elaine, Director, Yarl’s Wood Immigration Centre, UK 


www.serco.com | 31

Environment 

Local Government 

Lean and green 

From installing ‘smart’ meters 

and sourcing sustainable fuels 

to creating less thirsty lawns, 

Serco is helping communities 

reduce their environmental 

impact, discovers DAVID ALLABY 


Environment 

WHEN BUSINESSES AS prominent 

as Coca-Cola and Deloitte turn to the 

same company for help in raising their 

environmental performance, it is perhaps 

more than coincidence. 

And when many in local government 

– those tasked to deliver on a target to cut 

80% of carbon emissions by 2050 – take 

on the same partner, it speaks volumes 

about the company’s influence. 

Sustainable development has become 

integral to Serco’s model for managing 

a better business. Its environmental 

agenda has been driven to date by the 

aspiration that it should operate with 

as light an impact on the environment 

as possible, and behave positively and 

proactively in the communities it touches. 

There is growing momentum 

internationally within Serco to manage 

impacts. This creates opportunities 

to lead and influence stakeholders in 

order to assure the supply chain and 

to enhance performance, supported 

by real-time data and environmental 

management systems. 

By doing this, the company believes 

it is securing the opportunity to create 

more value in future by embedding this 

type of thinking into its DNA. 

Customers, employees, suppliers, 

regulators, contractors and other 

stakeholders are consulted and actively 

involved in the way the company 

manages sustainability issues. This takes 

the form of customer satisfaction surveys 

and the encouragement of employee 

innovation, as well as the standard 

regulatory regimes. 

Each of the group’s operating areas 

has identified sustainability priorities, 

in order to forecast where they expect 

to be in three years’ time, and to evaluate 

their customers’ agendas, for example, 

in relation to a carbon programme. 

Sustainable development is more 

critical to some of Serco’s services and 

clients than others, and those businesses 

have a marked drive to achieve and invest 

more in meeting that demand. 

Serco has had to report using a huge 

number of different operational metrics 

for individual services across 600 diverse 

worldwide contracts. More unified 

processes have emerged recently, with 

Serco Leisure, for example, consolidating 

data and technologies to maximise 

savings on critical utility consumption 

and costs (see case study, opposite). 

A carbon reduction strategy is now 

a firmly established and commercially 

successful feature of Serco Integrated 

Services’ (SIS) contract bids, as 

Director of SIS Sustainable Services 

Graeme Cameron explains: “We 

implemented a range of sustainable 

approaches internally during 2007, 

including the installation of energy 

efficiency technologies within our 

corporate offices and the development 

of a ‘sustainable suppliers forum’. In 

2008, we started to incorporate some 

of the ideas into the commercial offer.” 

Starting afresh 

A new contract with the London Borough 

of Newham highlights a fresh approach 

to the design and delivery of ground 

maintenance services. 

It proposes to include community park 

gardeners to provide a more welcoming 

and safer environment. By allocating 

permanent keepers to each park, and 

increasing their numbers, it will cut 

travelling time and carbon emissions. 

As part of Serco’s continuing strategy 

to reduce the negative impact of its 

operations on the environment, a key 

objective for 2009 is a 10% reduction on 

carbon emissions from local government 

environmental services vehicles. 

The London Borough of Hammersmith 

and Fulham is piloting electric street 

cleaning and tipper vehicles, while 

PREVIOUS PAGE 

AND RIGHT: 

Serco is making 

considerable 

energy savings 

at the leisure 

centres it runs, 

including 

Basingstoke 

Aquadrome, 

shown here 

Serco Leisure, UK 

Putting the leisure industry 

through its paces 

■ Running leisure centres and gyms across the UK 

■ Using smart metering to measure energy consumption 

■ Making significant carbon and energy savings at each site 

Even the treadmills at Serco Leisure-run gyms in the UK 

are performing 30% more efficiently after the group worked 

with a supplier to source motors that required less energy. 

In the past three years, Managing Director Keith Thomas 

has transformed the business through leadership 

commitment, employee engagement, developing capacity 

and using the most informative data. He has delivered 

important carbon and energy savings at more than 64 sites. 

At the core of the business lie detailed utility reports that 

compare usage with previous years and other centres, 

while highlighting anomalous usage. It’s not enough to 

compare month-on-month or year-on-year figures; energy 

consumption may fall in mild weather without any efficiencies. 

Comparative weekly figures between sites, however, reflect 

performance and tend to stimulate healthy competition 

between them as well as driving demand for innovation and 

technologies to cut carbon and waste. 

For instance, thermal imaging cameras that can spot heat 

loss have led to better insulation for pools, pumps, filters, 

pipes, walls and windows. Leisure centres have also 

been pilots for IMServ smart metering of utilities, involving 

real-time automated readings. These allow accurate 

measurement of electricity, gas and water use with a view 

to monitoring the effectiveness of improvement initiatives. 

By the end of 2008, the division had reduced its electricity 

consumption from almost 29 million kWh in 2006 to 23.6 

million in 2008, while gas consumption fell by more than 

six million to 80 million kWh*. CO2 emissions were reduced 

by 2,728 tonnes last year, on top of savings of 2,700 tonnes 

in 2007 and 2,500 tonnes in 2006. 

Many of the steps being taken to reduce consumption and 

bills are now second nature to employees, who are working 

to reduce the global carbon footprint further by informing 

customers of savings they can make at home. 

In pursuing a sustainable quality service, Keith has 

established an outstanding reputation for Serco Leisure, 

placed top in its sector – “at least two years ahead of the 

competition”– by the Carbon Trust. 


Serco Integrated Services, UK 

Reducing carbon emissions, streamlining street-cleaning services and improving 

recycling rates through teamwork, training and interaction with the community 

Serco Leisure, UK 

Combining technology and common sense to make considerable energy savings 

Serco Parks and Gardens, Australia 

Significantly reducing potable water consumption, recycling storm water and 

replacing traditional planting with drought-tolerant grasses 


“There is growing momentum internationally 

within Serco to manage impacts. This 

creates opportunities to lead and influence 

stakeholders in order to assure the supply 

chain and to enhance performance, 

supported by real-time data and 

environmental management systems.” 

*kWh = kiloWatt-hour = 1000 watts used per hour 

www.serco.com | 35

Environment 

Milton Keynes will have the first electric 

sweeper vehicles. Newham, in East 

London, will have electric vehicles in its 

parks, which should generate a 30% 

carbon saving over the life of the contract. 

Milton Keynes is also aiming to reduce 

carbon emissions by 30% in the next 

year with advances that will include 

sustainably sourced biofuels for vehicles. 

Residential refuse collection is now 

being designed to optimise efficiency, 

using scientific modelling of rounds to 

reduce journeys. In Norfolk, the Breckland 

contract vehicles have been performing 

10% more efficiently in the pilot – no small 

feat, with refuse collection trucks across 

the industry running at just 4mpg. 

Serco’s pioneering approach to raising 

customer appreciation is active in Woking, 

in Surrey (see case study). Cited as best 

practice, it has been adopted by the 

Department for Communities and Local 

Government, and the Confederation of 

British Industry (CBI). 

The need for change 

Across the whole sustainability agenda 

a key challenge is to change behaviour. 

The Serco-sponsored Time to Waste 

research report offers solutions to the 

challenges facing the UK waste industry. 

Developed in association with the 

new Local Government Network, an 

independent local government think tank, 

the report argues that the UK needs to 

fundamentally rethink its policy if it is 

to solve the current landfill crisis and 

meet the national commitment to recycle 

50% of all waste by 2020. 

SIS has launched an environment 

badge for the Scout Association (see 

panel, far right) to engage young people 

and the community at large in taking 

responsibility for their neighbourhood. 

Similarly, many of the steps being 

taken at Serco Leisure sites to save on 

resources and costs can be replicated 

KEEPING PARKS 

AND STREETS 

clean and neat 

in Woking (right) is 

not only a key part 

of Serco’s role in 

the borough, it also 

raises residents’ 

satisfaction levels 

Woking Borough Council, UK 

A visible difference 

■ Cleaning and maintaining Woking’s streets and parks 

■ Raising public awareness in order to increase satisfaction 

■ Inviting feedback so that services can be improved 

When the C40 – a group of the world’s largest cities 

committed to tackling climate change – recognised best 

practice from around the world, Woking Borough Council 

was the lone UK exemplar. 

Now Woking is breaking new ground in a collaboration 

with Serco. Together they have created a development plan 

for the council’s Streetscene scheme, which puts a public 

face on cleansing and maintenance work. “But it is much 

more than getting the streets clean,” says Robin Davies, Serco 

Integrated Services’ Marketing Director for Local Government 

(Environment). “Good parks and clean streets are life enhancing.” 

While old-fashioned contract delivery was based on 

a schedule of work, the new way is to achieve outcomes 

while increasing customer satisfaction. One initiative is the 

card drop survey, which invites people to comment on the 

standard of work and the conduct of employees. 

Two sets of quarterly surveys gauge performance. The 

Customer Satisfaction Tracker records the public’s perception 

of cleaning and maintenance services. Satisfaction levels 

here are averaging 75%, up from 65%. National Indicator 195 

assesses 300 locations around the borough for street 

cleanliness. It is a focus on detail and efficiency, and 

satisfaction levels have increased from 65% to 92%. 

“Woking is a great example of profit being linked directly 

to customer satisfaction,” says Robin. 

Scouts’ promise 

Scouting in the UK has 100,000 voluntary 

leaders and 500,000 youth members. It is a 

massive force for well-being and community 

endeavour and, over the years, Serco Local 

Government, part of Serco Integrated Services 

(SIS), has developed links with a number of Scout 

groups, a partnership that is now going national. 

In November 2008, Winchester-based 

Scouts were among the first in the country to 

be given the opportunity to achieve the new 

environment badge, supported by Serco. 

“The badge, built around the theme of ‘Your 

Neighbourhood, Your World’, draws together 

the many strands of our corporate responsibility,” 

says SIS Communications Director Adam Fergie. 

“It encourages young people, their families and 

the wider community to take pride in keeping 

their neighbourhood clean and safe.” 

It also helps youngsters think about why their 

community is so important, what steps could 

be taken to improve it, and the effect that each 

small personal action can have within the 

context of the wider world. 

Developed by Serco Local Government, 

the environment badge resource pack contains 

high-visibility vests, protective gloves, litter 

pickers, black sacks and recycling bags, together 

with information on how to organise a clean-up 

campaign – and do it safely. 

2008 Pulse Award winner: Martin Milton 

In his 17 years at the National Physical Laboratory in London, working in 

Analytical Science, Martin Milton developed a novel laser-based system (now 

used by BP and Shell worldwide) that measures atmospheric pollution; he 

played a leading role in the standardisation of gas concentration measurements 

for government and industrial users; and, in 2007, his achievements contributed 

to a Nobel Peace Prize to the Inter-government Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 

“The Serco-sponsored Time to Waste research 

report, developed in association with the new 

Local Government Network, argues that the 

UK needs to fundamentally rethink its policy 

if it is to solve the current landfill crisis and 

meet the national commitment to recycle 

50% of all waste by 2020. ” 


www.serco.com | 37

Environment 

Serco Parks and Gardens, Australia 

Keeping the ‘city of parks’ green 

■ Maintaining Melbourne’s parks, gardens and grounds 

■ Reclaiming water and using it to maximum effect 

■ Recognising climate change and planting accordingly 

Australia is a nation that lives for its sport and the active 

outdoor life. But the worst drought in 100 years has 

presented Serco’s Parks and Gardens operation for the 

City of Melbourne with an exceptional challenge. 

Through what has been described as a quiet revolution, 

Serco helped the city to a prestigious Banksia 

Environmental Foundation Award in 2008 for “managing 

drought in the city of parks”. On behalf of the city council, 

Professor Rob Adams, Director of Design and Urban 

Environment, praised Serco’s contribution: “Serco has 

played an important part in the reduction of water use, 

which was fundamental to our entry’s success.” 

Serco manages the city’s Wetlands water facility, which 

holds 18 million litres of water captured from storm-water 

drainage. The water goes through natural treatment ponds 

before a UV system that allows it to be used for tree and 

sports field watering. “Sustaining parks, sports fields and 

streetscapes through reclaimed water use and innovation 

has allowed open spaces to be widely enjoyed across the 

community,” says Serco Contract Manager Colin Patterson. 

It is estimated that he and his team, including Simon 

Fishlock, Operations Support Manager (above), have 

reduced potable water consumption by 75% on 2005 usage. 

“I feel lucky that my job gives me the daily opportunity to 

make a positive difference to the environment,” says Simon. 

All garden and turf planting now occurs with more 

drought-tolerant species, such as couch and kikuyu 

grasses. It has led to a public mindset that not everything 

has to be ‘green’ to be enjoyed in public spaces. 

“The climate change we are experiencing is now the 

norm, so our methods and practices have had to change 

dramatically,” says Colin. “I believe that even if our dams 

got back to full levels, we should never go back to doing 

what we did before.” 

at home. Employees aim to extend 

their advice on simple, energy-saving 

measures to leisure centre customers. 

Sustainability has become central to 

new business, such as in managing the 

UK-wide property portfolio for Deloitte. 

There have also been early results from 

working with employees at Coca-Cola’s 

London headquarters. 

The SIS sustainable services team has 

set out to track continuous environmental 

improvement, encouraging senior 

management to lead on green schemes, 

and increasing efficiencies through 

changes to building services and 

technologies. Utilities consumption is 

expected to fall by 15%, and Coca-Cola 

is achieving outstanding recycling rates. 

Measuring our footprint 

A key objective for 2009 is to obtain 

external verification of our carbon 

footprint and reduction projects, for 

example, at the Serco Group support 

offices in Hook in the UK where a 20% 

reduction in energy consumption and 

the carbon footprint has been targeted. 

“We have installed technologies 

for efficient lighting and for monitoring 

and measuring energy systems. We can 

tell when people are putting a kettle on,” 

says Graeme Cameron. 

“We are examining our environmental 

impact wherever we are, and there 

are many solutions to reducing this 

across our divisions,” adds Andy Lewis, 

Group Director of Health, Safety 

and Environment. The 2008 carbon 

footprint figures for Serco will be the first 

baseline. Prior to this it was not possible 

to track performance over the entire 

operation. “This is the first time we will 

have a company-wide picture,” says 

Andy. “But you can’t put percentage 

figures on everything to reflect savings 

and achievement. A statistical reduction 

in one area might be achievable and 

a genuine success story. Elsewhere 

it could be meaningless.” 

‘Best of breed’ retrofit control technology 

will be used by Serco Leisure and in the 

company’s UK support offices in Hook 

to help reduce energy consumption and 

emissions by improving heating, lighting 

and motor efficiency. 

Meanwhile, an online trading system 

will redeploy and seek out serviceable 

office equipment, and meetings will be 

evaluated for their time and cost impacts. 

Another key area is business travel, 

where Serco Business Services (SBS) is 

using an advanced fleet management 

system to provide feedback to business 

users on their sustainability impact. 

There is no single blueprint; the 

business is underpinned by three 

management systems: ISO 9001 for 

quality, 14001 for environmental 

management and 18001 for health 

and safety. Having contracts comply with 

ISO 14001 is a key driver and Andy Lewis 

knows that all environmental impacts, 

strategies and sensitivities go through 

the processes as a matter of course. 

But even this does not guarantee an 

incident-free year. In 2008 there was a 

major environmental spillage at a site 

in Birmingham. The fuel valve serving a 

back-up generator was left slightly open 

and around 1,700 litres of diesel soaked 

into the soil around the tank, finding its 

way into the drainage system. 

“Once we knew we had a problem, 

our emergency procedures were 

immediately implemented to contain the 

situation,” says Andy. Working around 

the clock, teams excavated and replaced 

soil around the major gas pipes and 

IT cables. The Environment Agency 

checked the work and was satisfied 

with all actions for a positive outcome. 

The goal for 2009 is for each division 

to encourage innovation and provide 

ways of making more informed decisions. 

Mid Sussex District Council, UK 

Teamwork and talent triumph 

■ Cleaning streets and managing refuse and recycling 

■ More than doubling recycling levels in just over a year 

■ Training and regular meetings create strong teams 

Having entrusted responsibility for refuse and recycling 

management and street cleansing to Serco in July 2007, 

Mid Sussex District Council did not have long to wait for 

the new direction to pay dividends. 

During 2008 the Audit Commission commended the 

local authority for having the cleanest streets in Sussex 

SMART WORK 

(LEFT): NVQ 

training and IiP 

accreditation have 

helped Serco’s 

Mid Sussex 

employees work 

more efficiently 

and its recycling figures topped a league table of 75 South 

of England councils. 

With landfill space in West Sussex projected to run out by 

2010 and costs continuing to rise, the Serco team set out to 

improve the recycling levels of waste from 22% (collected 

under the old contract) to 30%-35%. Little more than a year 

on, the recycling return had improved to 43% of dry waste and 

48% of all waste, including composting, an endorsement of 

the powers of skills development, commitment and teamwork. 

Contract Manager Andy Norris says: “When we took over the 

Mid Sussex contract, with about 70 employees transferring to 

Serco, we needed to totally restructure the management team. 

“We brought in fresh leadership skills and a focus on effective 

recycling. We incorporated NVQ training, which made our 

employees more aware of good safety and recycling practice, 

and we considered our approach to the job as a team. We have 

bi-monthly safety and contract meetings, and employees are 

credited for their initiative . 

“We found a lot of hidden talent and going for Investors in 

People accreditation has helped to bring that out,” says Andy. 

Paul Fitzgerald, a driver-loader, guided us through the IiP 

process and got us to accreditation. Others are going through 

the rounds to help make efficiencies.” 

Audit reports show the Mid Sussex teams have a 95% record 

on training; 98% for vehicle maintenance, servicing, defect 

reporting and documentation; and their safety performance 

has risen from 38% to 88.9% – “a result of our internal safety 

trainer programme”, says Andy. 

When Andy and his teams took over the contract, the 

council’s requirement was for alternate weekly collections 

from day one – one week recyclables, one week landfill – but 

this did not allow time for adequate training, a communication 

campaign and delivery of new bins. 

The council took Serco’s advice, drawing on best practice, 

and phased in the new service over three months. The new 

recycling collection takes paper, cardboard, plastic, cans and 

glass – all in one bin. “We’ve cut waste to landfill by 15% and 

have become the 13th best recyclers in the country, excluding 

London boroughs, and the best in Sussex,” says Andy. 

Beyond the performance measures in the Mid Sussex 

contract there is a community commitment that goes deeper, 

such as in the assisted collections for elderly, infirm or 

pregnant residents. 

In 2009, Serco teams will be talking to parish councils and 

people on the streets to refine the service and boost recycling, 

while later in the year they will be visiting schools to talk about 

safety around vehicles. 

A chip off the old block 

Serco maintenance employees in Woking continue to 

make new inroads on the effective management of the 

environment. No small matter when you have, for example, 

more than 30,000 trees to care for. Pruned branches that 

once were transported from site are now put through a 

chipper so that the material goes straight back onto the 

ground as mulch to feed, save water and suppress weeds. 

“Best of breed retrofit control technology will be 

used by Serco Leisure and in the company’s UK 

support offices in Hook to help reduce energy 

consumption and emissions by improving 

heating, lighting and motor efficiency.” 


www.serco.com | 39

Objectives 

2008 

Health 

& Safety 

Key Performance Data 

2008 Overview 

The challenges we set ourselves 

in 2008 and what we achieved 

Health, Safety and Well-being 

OBJECTIVE 

To implement fully and maintain 

a reporting mechanism for all 

safety indicators 

To ensure that a robust suite 

of crisis management plans 

exists and has an appropriate 

testing regime 

A reduction in reportable events 

by 5% against the 2007 baseline 

COMMENT 

All divisions are now reporting 

required information through 

ASSURE 

The divisions have in place 

crisis management plans, 

which have been updated 

during 2008 as appropriate 

and exercises carried out 

where required 

A disappointing 1% 

deterioration against 2007. 

Improving our reportable 

injury rate is a key target 

for 2009 

People 

OBJECTIVE 

To follow up on employee 

engagement survey with 

divisional action plans 

To deliver leadership strategy 

for top talent with integrated 

development, talent 

management and performance 

management programmes 

To launch Serco Business 

Academy to provide consistent 

induction and development in 

core business skills 

COMMENT 

Improvement programmes have 

been implemented, and employee 

engagement remains a high 

priority against Group objectives 

Talent process has been 

developed, implemented and 

completed for members of the 

senior and wider leadership groups 

and performance management 

programmes have been updated 

We have designed and 

commenced building the 

Business Academy, and the 

first module called Discover 

Serco is due to be launched 

in the first quarter of 2009 


Fig 1. Business in the Community (BitC) 2007 Corporate Responsibility Index 

Management 

systems 

96% was our overall 

score in the social impact area of Health, Safety 

and Well-being (see Fig 1 for breakdown) in 

the BitC 2007 Corporate Responsibility Index. 

This is significantly better than the average 

for our sector (72%). 

Reportable incident rate – per 100,000 

Fig 3. 2008 

Employee 

programmes 

Measurement 

and reporting 

1,200 

■ Serco ■ Sector ■ Index 

Scope and quality 

of information 

Targets and 

performance 

100% 

80% 

60% 

Incident rate – per 100,000 


2004 

2005 

Lost-time incidents – breakdown by type 


Reportable 

– three-day 

absence 

56% 

2006 

2007 

Reportable 

– major 6% 


2,500 

2,000 

1,500 

Non-reportable 

incidents 

38% 

■ Our lost-time incident rate per 

100,000 employees improved 

by 9% in 2008, bringing the total 

improvement since 2004 to 30% 

(see Fig 2). It reflects our ongoing 

commitment to health and safety 

via a number of initiatives, such as 

a ‘Zero Harm’ programme in Asia 

Pacific that has resulted in a 25% 

reduction in lost-time incidents. 

This initiative continues to grow 

in momentum and is being used 

as an example of best practice. 

■ 56% of incidents related to 

reportable three-day absence 

(see Fig 4). To address this, 

we have launched a pilot 

scheme in Serco Health to 

improve the active management 

and intervention of 

reported absences. 

Community 

OBJECTIVE 

To develop our approach to the 

measurement of social impact 

To review the Serco Foundation 

To implement a group-wide 

community campaign in 

highlighting to families the 

dangers that the Internet 

poses to children 

COMMENT 

Research commenced and 

a potential tool was identified, 

with further work to be carried 

out in 2009 

The review was carried out and 

ideas were presented to the 

Executive Team – more work will 

be undertaken during 2009 

Information was released on 

the Our World intranet and 

a pilot volunteer programme 

was undertaken with the 

Child Exploitation and Online 

Protection Centre – now part of 

a wider security strategy being 

planned within Serco for 2009 

Environment 

OBJECTIVE 

To implement fully and maintain 

a reporting mechanism for all 

environmental indicators 

To complete work to identify 

all environmental aspects and 

impacts across the business 

To roll-out revised sustainable 

procurement policy in line with 

new procurement strategy 

COMMENT 

All divisions are reporting 

required information 

through ASSURE 

Key UK sites have identified 

their aspects and impacts. 

Remaining contracts will 

complete this work in 2009 

A revised policy has been drafted 

and is with UK divisions for 

comment and implementation 

in line with new procurement 

strategy in 2009. Non-UK 

divisions will implement in 2010 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 


1,100 

1,000 

Overview 

■ We received no prohibition or 

improvement notices during 2008 

and were neither prosecuted 

nor paid any fines under health 

and safety legislation. 

■ In 2008 we concluded the 

implementation of a new 

■ 62% of all lost time incidents 

were classified as reportable. 

This resulted in a reportable 

incident rate per 100,000 

employees of 991, a 

disappointing deterioration 

against 2007. It also fell 

short of our ambitious target 

of 930 although it reflects a 

15% improvement on 2004 

(see Fig 3). 

occupational health service 

provision in the UK. This has 

improved the reporting and 

management of occupational 

health issues, and data 

reported in 2008 will in future 

be used as a baseline for 

benchmarking performance. 

■ The Royal Society for 

the Prevention of Accidents 

recognised us in its annual 

awards with a President’s 

Award (Fylingdales SSPAR), 

a Sector Award (National 

Physical Laboratory), three Gold 

Medals and nine Gold Awards. 

■ After active engagement with 

staff and the embedding of several 

initiatives over the last few years, 

we have kept both physical and 

verbal staff assault rates below 

target. Physical assault rates are 

33% better than 2007 and verbal 

assault rates are 27% better. 

■ The British Safety 

Council recognised 

contracts operated within 

our Civil Government 

division with four Swords 

of Honour, nine Five Star 

awards and one Four 

Star safety award. 

■ In 2008, Ashfield Young 

Offenders Institution became the 

first facility in the UK to achieve 

National Healthy School status. 

This Department of Health-led 

initiative not only aims to make 

students healthier but also help 

them get the most out of life. 


Please visit our website www.serco.com for more detailed information | 41

People 


Community 


Workplace Management 

Fig 1. BitC 2007 Corporate Responsibility Index 

Employee Welfare 


Community Management 


Community Investment 



100% 


100% 

■ Serco ■ Sector ■ Index 100% 


100% 

80% 

80% 

80% 

80% 

60% 

60% 

60% 

60% 

Objectives 

(Q36) 

Targets 

(Q37) 

■ The BitC 2007 Corporate 

Responsibility Index introduced a 

new workplace index under which 

% Staff Turnover 


20% 

10% 

Employee 

programmes 

(Q38) 

0% 

Monitoring 

(Q39) 

we received platinum banding with 

a score of 95% (See Figs 1 and 2 

for breakdown) . 

At the end of 

2008, we had 

more than 

50,000 

employees 

worldwide 

Corporate 

commitment 

Measurement 

and reporting 

Quality of 

information 

% Ethnic Breakdown 


White 

57.51% 

Mixed 3.93% 

Asian/Asian British 

4.20% 

Coverage 

4.15% 

Black/Black British 

Other 3.91% 

Undisclosed 

29.40% 

Performance 

improvement 

Community 

strategy 

(Q17) 

Targets 

(Q18) 

Community 

programmes 

(Q19) 

■ The success of our community 

strategy has been reflected 

once again in the BitC Corporate 

Responsibility Index. For the 

second year running, we achieved 

a gold overall rating (90%). 

Community 

partnerships 

(Q20) 

Monitoring 

(Q21) 

This year, a new community 

index was introduced as part of 

the overall index, and we scored 

highly, achieving platinum 

status (96%). See Figs 1 and 

2 for breakdown. 

£1,767,168 

Serco invested £1,767,168 in community projects 

in 2008. This represents 1.3% of pre-tax profits, 

exceeding our target of 1% (see Fig 3 for breakdown). 

Measurement 

of inputs 

Measurement 

of outputs 

Business 

benefits 

Community Investment Breakdown 


Cash donations 

(excluding 

hospitality costs) 

68.17% 

Community 

benefits 

Gifts in kind 

15.29% 

Staff time 

9.64% 

Management 

costs 6.91% 

Reporting 

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

■ Staff turnover increased by 

13.28% in 2008 (see Fig 3). 

One of the factors for the 

increase was the inclusion 

in 2008 of the first full year’s 

data for Asia Pacific. While 

data collection for starters 

and leavers improved during 

2008, it remains a challenge. 

We are addressing this through 

the Excellence in People 

Administration programme. 

■ During the year, we saw the 

ethnic diversity of the Group 

widen, with minorities making 

up 13.09% of our employees 

(see Fig 4 for breakdown). 

■ The rate of absenteeism in 

2008 was 0.12% worse than 

in 2007. This was caused by 

the inclusion of the first full 

year’s sickness data for 

Asia Pacific in 2008. 

■ The number of female 

employees at Serco increased 

by 1.32% to 34% in 2008. 

■ Serco National Physical 

Laboratory (NPL) and 

Airbus Filton were recognised 

by the Business in the 

Community Awards for 

Excellence, each receiving 

a Big Tick Award for the 

second year in a row. 

■ Serco North America 

was recognised by the 

Department of Defense 

Office of Small Business 

Programs for Excellence 

in its support of increasing 

subcontracting for disabled 

war veterans. 

■ More than 120 individuals and teams of young people 

from disadvantaged backgrounds benefitted directly in 

2008 from the annual £10,000 Serco Bursary to the 

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. 

Overview 

■ We launched the Pulse Awards 

in 2007 to recognise examples 

of excellence or improvement in 

business operations, safety and 

environmental initiatives and 

leadership. They also recognise 

our wider responsibilities to 

society, the environment and 

the communities we serve. This 

might be through significant 

contributions made to charitable 

or community organisations. In 

2008 the first award winners were 

announced. Out of a total of 243 

nominations received, 118 were 

recognised with a divisional 

award and 48 were recognised 

with a Global Pulse Award. 

■ In 2008 the National Physical 

Laboratory won the Women in 

Science and Engineering (WISE) 

‘Investor in WISE’ award, which 

gives public recognition to 

companies that encourage girls 

and young women into science, 

engineering and construction. 

■ There were no cases brought 

against us for anti-competitive 

behaviour; corrupt or 

unprofessional behaviour; 

or human rights during 2008. 

Overview 

■ Reflecting how we manage our 

business, our devolved approach 

to the way we support local 

communities and charities allows 

us to support many different 

worthy causes around the world. 

We encourage our employees to 

get involved and so the charities 

we support are largely selected 

by them. During 2008, we 

provided support to more than 

250 charitable organisations. 

Some of the major charities 

included the Duke of Edinburgh’s 

Award, the Prince’s Trust, the 

Africa Foundation, Soldiers, 

Sailors, Airmen and Families 

Association, Military Child 

Education Coalition, MacMillan 

Cancer Support and the Scouting 

Association. We have set ourselves 

an objective during 2009 to 

improve reporting in this area. 

■ In Australia, Serco has 

received Gold Star status 

in the Australian Corporate 

Responsibility Index, 

assessed jointly by the 

St James Ethics Centre in 

partnership with the UK 

Business in the Community. 



Environment Key Performance Data 

Objectives 2009 

Environment Management 


Waste and Resource Management 


■ Serco ■ Sector ■ Index 100% ■ Serco ■ Sector ■ Index 100% 

80% 80% 

60% 60% 

The year ahead 

The challenges we have 

set ourselves for 2009 

40% 40% 


People 

20% 20% 

OBJECTIVE 

COMMENT 

OBJECTIVE 

COMMENT 

Objectives 

(Q23) 

Targets 

(Q24) 

Breakdown of kg CO2 by type 


Electricity 

74.27% 

Employee 

environmental 

programme 

(Q25) 

Gas 

17.15% 

Communication 

with external 

shareholders 

(Q26) 

Vehicle 

5.75% 

Environmental 

management 

system 

(Q27) 

Oil 0.62% 

Water 0.39% 

Air 1.69% 

Rail 0.13% 

Environmental 

audit 

(Q28) 

0% 0% 

Measuring 

and reporting 

(Q45) 

Scope of 

information 

(Q46) 

Quality of 

information 

(Q47) 

■ In 2008 Serco generated 257,324,087 kg CO2,* equivalent 

to 257,325 tonnes CO2. Fig 3 provides a breakdown of this figure 

by type, showing that the majority (74.27%) of Serco’s CO2 

emissions resulted from electricity usage. We will focus on this 

area in 2009. Reflecting our current business makeup, the UK 

was responsible for 94.97% of this. 

* Our data remains provisional until at least three months after year-end as utility bills 

and other financial issues can take that long to process. 

Performance 

improvement 

(Q48) 

89% was our overall score (see Figs 1 

and 2 for breakdown) in the BitC Corporate Responsibility Index for 

environmental management. This received a Silver banding and was 

an improvement on the previous index, where we scored 79.5%. 

We will deliver a year-on-year 

improvement on our staff 

reportable injury rate 

Health and safety management 

systems are aligned and 

integrated across the company 

and meet the requirements 

of BS OHSAS18001 

Community 

Using data captured on 

ASSURE to review root causes, 

to identify specific initiatives, 

to improve performance and 

to verify independently the 

accuracy of data entered by 

divisions through a robust 

audit process 

2009 – all UK divisions operating 

under a single health and safety 

management system 

2010 – all non-UK divisions 

apply this common system 

We will repeat the engagement 

survey across the whole group 

We will support our employees 

in acquiring basic literacy and 

numeracy skills, and in working 

towards their first full Level 2 

qualification in an area that is 

relevant to their business 

We will ensure occupational 

health standards are defined 

for key principal health risks 

Environment 

This will be the first repeat of the 

survey carried out in 2007 and 

we will be seeking improved 

response and engagement rates 

Given that government funding 

is available to support such 

skills development, we will 

be offering encouragement, 

practical support and easy-toaccess 

programmes to ensure 

employees get the skills they need 

Complete a review of 

occupational health standard 

requirements in 2009 and 

publish those relating to key 

identified risks 

■ After being recognised 

with a Big Tick Award in the 

Environment Category for the 

second year running in the 

Business in the Community 

(BitC) Awards for Excellence 

for its ongoing improvement 

in tackling climate change, 

Overview 

■ In 2008, we increased the 

number of ISO 14001 certificates 

across our business by three. 

These now cover some 26% 

of our business. 

■ While we have historically 

reported some of our CO2 

Serco Leisure was invited 

by BitC to showcase its 

energy initiatives and run a 

workshop as part of HRH 

The Prince of Wales’s May 

Day Business Summit on 

Climate Change 2008. 

■ Employees at Serco 

emissions, 2008 saw a significant 

step forward with a comprehensive 

review of our environmental 

performance indicators and 

the capture of accurate 

environmental data. This 

has provided a baseline of our 

performance that we will use to 

Maidstone won an award in 

Kent County Council’s One 

Tonne Carbon Challenge for 

using public transport, car 

sharing, walking to work 

and reducing energy use. 

■ Serco Leisure Bolton won 

the Tackling & Adapting to 

benchmark future environmental 

performance against. 

■ We received no environmental 

fines or enforcement notices 

in 2008, but reported two 

environmental incidents to the 

UK Environment Agency. Both 

related to oil spills. The more 

Climate Change Category of 

the Groundwork Business and 

Community Awards 2008 for 

work carried out throughout 

the contract, employee 

commitment and initiatives 

progressed in order to reduce 

carbon emissions. 

significant one was a discharge 

of 1,700 litres of diesel from a 

storage tank contaminating soil 

next to our office in Birmingham. 

A quick response and thorough 

clean-up resulted in the Agency 

being satisfied with the remedial 

action taken. 

OBJECTIVE 

We will build on work 

commenced in 2008 to 

develop our current common 

methodology and framework in 

order to assess the social impact 

of our community investment 

We will actively develop the 

talent and employment 

opportunities for people 

from disadvantaged groups 

COMMENT 

Two pilots completed by the 

end of 2009 in the application 

of a defined framework 

UK vacancies with base salaries 

up to £25k per annum will 

be advertised through 

Jobcentre Plus as suitable for 

disadvantaged jobseekers 

We will identify current best 

practice and develop guidelines 

for the effective and sustainable 

employment of ex-offenders 

OBJECTIVE 

We will deliver a carbon 

management plan that 

demonstrates reductions in our 

use of electricity, gas and fuel 

We will create a Sustainable 

Procurement Action Plan 

across all UK divisions 

Water conservation will be 

promoted across Serco with 

efficiency devices and initiatives 

used where assessment has 

shown benefit resulting in reuse 

or reduction in water consumption 

COMMENT 

Divisional plans will have been 

developed by December 2009, 

focusing on key initiatives 

Action plan will be place by the end 

of 2009 to ensure sustainability 

is a key factor in purchasing 

decisions alongside cost, quality 

and delivery. Best practice shared 

with non-UK divisions in 2010 

Key sites are identified and 

water use reduction strategies 

will be in place by the end of 

December 2009 



Feedback 

“Our governing principles 

do much more than guide 

our actions, they are central 

to the way we operate.” 

Christopher Hyman, Chief Executive, Serco Group plc 

Tell us what you think 

We welcome your feedback 

on our work and the content 

of this report. Did reading it: 

■ Improve your 

understanding 

of our ethos and 

our employees? 

■ Give you a better 

understanding of the 

diversity of the areas 

in which we operate? 

■ Provide a clear 

overview of our 

operational impact on 

society and people? 

■ Tell you enough 

about our past 

performance and 

future objectives? 

For more information 

go to www.serco.com 

Please email your feedback 

or write to us at the address 

below, including your: 

■ Name 

■ Address 

■ Phone number(s) 

■ Job title (if appropriate) 

■ Organisation (if appropriate) 

■ Association with Serco, if any 

(customer, partner, shareholder, 

employee, potential employee, 

service user, academic, researcher) 

By email: gail.johnson @serco.com 

By post: Gail Johnson 

Head of Social Responsibility 

Serco House 

16 Bartley Wood Business Park 

Bartley Way 

Hook RG27 9UY 

United Kingdom 

We foster an entrepreneurial culture 

We are passionate about building innovative and 

successful Serco Businesses. We succeed by 

encouraging and generating new ideas. We trust 

our people to deliver. We embrace change and, by 

taking measured risks, encourage creative thinking.. 

We enable our people to excel 

Our success comes from our commitment and 

energy to go the extra mile. We are responsible to 

each other and can expect support when we need 

it most. We expect our people to achieve more by 

recognising and harnessing the power of individuals. 

We value people for their knowledge, ideas and 

potential to contribute.. 

We deliver our promises 

We do what we say we will do to meet expectations. 

We only promise what we can deliver. If we make 

mistakes we put them right. We are clear about what 

we need to achieve and we expect to make a fair profit. 

We build trust and respect 

We build respect by operating in a safe, socially 

responsible, consistent and honest manner. 

We never compromise on safety and we always 

operate in an ethical and responsible manner. 

We listen. In doing so, we treat others as we would 

wish to be treated ourselves and challenge when 

we see something is wrong. We integrate with 

our communities. 

We would like to thank the many people who kindly 

provided their help and support to our journalists during 

the research, writing and production of this review. 

46 | Corporate Responsibility Review | 2008

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Cert no. SGS-COC-003320 

Serco Group plc 

Registered Office 

Serco House 

16 Bartley Wood Business Park 

Bartley Way, Hook 

RG27 9UY United Kingdom 

T +44(0) 1256 745900 

E generalenquiries@serco.com 

Designed by Sunday Publishing 

www.sundaypublishing.com 

Printed by The Midas Press 

www.midaspress.co.uk

Corporate Responsibility Review 2008 - Serco

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