hmrc corporate responsibility report 2011-12...that act fairly, responsibly, with integrity and...

Corporate Responsibility in Action 2011-12

Understanding our customers and their needs

Focusing on the environment and climate change

Connecting with our local communities

Supporting and developing our people

2 HM Revenue & CustomsCorporateResponsibility2011-12

Contents

Our Purpose, Vision and Way 3

Corporate Responsibility at HMRC 4

Awards and benchmarks 5

Corporate responsibility overview

Understandingourcustomersandtheirneeds 8

Supportinganddevelopingourpeople 9

Focusingontheenvironmentandclimatechange 10

Connectingwithourlocalcommunities 11

1 to 100 – corporate responsibility in practice at HMRC

Understandingourcustomersandtheirneeds 12

Supportinganddevelopingourpeople 16

Focusingontheenvironmentandclimatechange 20

Connectingwithourlocalcommunities 24

Ourcorporateresponsibilitycommitmentsfor2012to2015 28

1–100

overview


Our Purpose, Vision and Way

Thisisourexpressionofwhatweareheretodo(Purpose),whatweareaimingtoachieve(Vision)andhowwewillachieveit(Way).ItwasdevelopedtoprovideaclearstatementofourapproachtoadministeringthetaxandbenefitssystemfortheUK,forcustomers,stakeholdersandstaff.

Purpose• We make sure that the money is available to fund the UK’s public services

• We also help families and individuals with targeted financial support

Vision• We will close the tax gap, our customers will feel that the tax system is simple

for them and even-handed, and we will be seen as a highly professional and efficient organisation

Way• We understand our customers and their needs

• We make it easy for our customers to get things right

• We believe that most of our customers are honest and we treat everyone with respect

• We are passionate in helping those who need it and relentless in pursuing those who bend or break the rules

• We recognise that we have privileged access to information and we will protect it

• We behave professionally and with integrity

• We do our own jobs well and take pride in helping our colleagues to succeed

• We develop the skills and tools we need to do our jobs well

• We drive continuous improvement in everything we do

Corporate Responsibility at HMRC

Strongcorporateresponsibilitymakesgoodbusinesssense.Ultimately,themostsuccessfulorganisationsarethosethatactfairly,responsibly,withintegrityandwhichusetheirscarceresourcesmostwisely.


InHMRC,ourcommitmenttotheprinciplesofcorporateresponsibilityhelpsustobemoreeffectiveincollectingtaxrevenuestofundtheUK’spublicservicesandinprovidingtargetedfinancialsupporttofamilies.Italsohelpsustoattractthebesttalent,reduceourenvironmentalimpactandcosts,andmakeapositivecontributioninthemanycommunitiesthroughouttheUKinwhichwearebased.

Thestructureofthisreportisbuiltaround100examplesofcorporateresponsibilityinactionacrossHMRC.Thisisjustaselectionofthegoodworkthatgoesoneverydayacrossthedepartment.


Awards and benchmarks

Duringtheyear,anumberofourachievementsreceivedexternalrecognition

The Civil Service Leadership AwardJackieHeron,aseniorofficerfromHMRC’sBenefitsandCreditsteaminBelfast,wasrecognisedforheroutstandingleadershipskills.ThisawardfollowedherearliersuccessinbeingnamedLeaderoftheYearinHMRC’sownPeopleAwards.

Jackie Heron receiving her award from Sir Gus (now Lord) O’Donnell

Civil Service a:gender Equality IndexWegainedfirstplaceinthisbenchmark,whichmeasureshoworganisationsaremeetingtheirlegalobligationstowardstransgenderpeopleinboththeirworkplaceandcustomerfacingpoliciesandprocesses.Wewonparticularpraiseforlisteningtofeedbackfromourworkforceandcustomers,developingawarenesstrainingandpioneeringaspecialleavepolicyforgenderreassignment.ThisisthesecondyearrunningthatHMRChasbeenrankedasbestdepartmentintheCivilServicefortransgenderequality.

Civil Service Award for Leading Change in Diversity and EqualityMelanieDawes,ourformerBoard-levelDisabilityChampion,receivedthisawardfortherangeofprojectsshesponsoredtomakelifeeasierforourdisabledcustomersandstaff,suchasraisingawarenessofthechallengestheyfaceanddevelopingpracticalsolutionsforovercomingthem.

The Times Top 50 Employers for WomenWewerenamedbyTheTimesasoneoftheorganisationsleadingthewayingenderequalityintheworkplace.Thiswasinrecognitionofourpoliciesforflexibleandremoteworking,takingpartintheChildcareVoucherScheme,introducingaCarer’sPassport,andofferingdevelopmentschemes,includingmentoringandcoaching.

PhotographybyPaulHeartfield



2011 National Payroll Giving Excellence AwardsWewonthepublicsectorcategoryandagoldqualitymarkforthefifthyearrunning.TheawardwasgivenbytheInstituteofFundraisinginrecognitionoftheworkwehavedonetopromotecharitabledonationsviaourpayroll.

National Mentoring Consortium AwardsTheNationalMentoringConsortiumnamedusEmployeroftheYear,thankstothecommitmentoftenHMRCvolunteerswhocoachedundergraduatesfromblack,Asianandminorityethnic(BAME)backgroundsatBrunelUniversityinwestLondon.It’sthesecondtimeinthreeyearsthatHMRChaswonthisprize.ThreeHMRCpeoplewonindividualmentoroftheyearawardsfortheirworkatotheruniversities.

2011 Business in the Community ‘Big Tick’ Award for Sustainable TravelAwardedinrecognitionofoursuccessincuttingbusinesstravel,includingtheuseofnewtechnologyforenhancedvideoandtelephone-conferencing.

Energy Savings Trust’s Fleet Heroes AwardWewonthisawardforthethirdyearrunning.Itacknowledgedourcommitmenttoreducingcarbonemissionsfromourmotorvehiclefleetandthechoicesourpeoplemaketoreducetheenvironmentalfootprintofourbusinesstravel.

Contact Centre Association AwardsLauraBuchananfromtheDebtManagementtelephonecentreinCumbernauldtookboththeOverallProfessionaloftheYearandtheAgentAwardfordeliveringoutstandingqualityincustomerservice.GordonMutterfromPersonalTaxOperationsinGlasgowwasnamedProfessionaloftheYearintheteamleadercategory.

ImagecourtesyofBrunnelUniversity



Climate Week Awards – Best Initiative by a Government Body categoryWewereafinalistin2011formakingenvironmentaltargetsabusinesspriority,andagainin2012forour‘closedloop’paperrecyclingscheme.Closedloopworksbyrecyclingourwastepaperintodesktop-quality,100percentrecycledpaper,whichissentbacktoHMRCtobere-used.TheclosedloopschemewasalsoafinalistintheNationalGovernmentOpportunitiesExcellenceinPublicProcurementAwards.ItisnowbeingrolledoutacrossgovernmentbyHMRC’scentralisedprocurementOfficeSolutionsteam.

Green IT Awards – Team of the YearHMRC’sGreenITteambecamethefirstpublic-sectororganisationtowinthisaccolade.IttriumphedforitssignificantcontributiontotheenvironmentalperformanceofHMRC’sITsystemsandalsoitscontributiontothewidergreenITindustry.OurGreeningICTprogrammereceivedtherunners-upawardinthe‘RealITAwards’Corporate,SocialandEnvironmentalcategory.

Clear AssuredWeareproudtobe‘ClearAssured’,arecruitmentindustrybenchmarkawardedinrecognitionofourcommitmenttoidentifyingandremovingbarriersfromrecruitmentpolicies,processesandpractices,whichmayhavethepotentialtoexcludedisabledpeople.

HonoursAtotalof31HMRCpeoplewererecognisedfortheirachievementsintheQueen’s2011BirthdayHonoursandthe2012NewYear’sHonourslists,withtheawardof22MBEs,fourOBEsandfiveCBEs.ThosegivenhonoursincludedBrianCollins,whojoinedtheCivilService35yearsagoandhasbeenamagistrateformorethan20years,andDianaGreen,forherroleinmanagingHMRC’senvironmentdataandaschairofgovernorsforoneofthebiggestprimaryschoolsintheUK.

Diana Green MBE


More than 200 HMRC experts provided guidance and advice in support of preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games


All our customers TheworkwedoinHMRCtouchesthelivesofalmosteveryadultandbusinessintheUK.Fromstudentsandsinglemotherstothelargestmulti-nationalcorporations,almosteveryonecomesintocontactwithusatsomepoint.Thismakescustomerservicecentraltoeverythingwedo.

HMRC CharterAttheendof2009,andfollowinganextensiveconsultationexercisewithourcustomers,wepublishedaChartersettingoutourcommitmenttoimprovehowweworkwithourcustomersandhowtheyshoulddealwithus.TheCharterwasdevelopedtomakesurethatweapplythesamestandardsandbehavioursacrossallourbusinessareas,andtoallourcustomers.Balancingourobjectivestomaximiserevenues,reducecostsandimproveourcustomers’experiencehasbeenespeciallychallengingduringthesetimesofausterity.Wehavefocusedondevelopingourcustomerunderstandingsothatwecantargetresourcesintheareasofgreatestcustomerneedandrisk.

Providing extra helpWehaveconcentratedourface-to-faceservicesonthosewhoneedhelpthemost,andbackedthisupwithadditionalassistancethroughfundingandworkingwithvoluntarysectororganisations.Forexample,wehelpedproduceataxcreditsinformationsheetforCitizensAdvicestaffandwealsoworkedwiththeLowIncomesTaxReformGrouptodevelopitsinternetsite,‘RevenueBenefits’,whichprovidesadviceandguidanceforthewiderangeofintermediarieswhosupportourcustomers.

Raising standardsOurOperationalDeliveryprofessionwaslaunchedinApril2011tosupportthe60percentofHMRCstaffwhoworkincustomer-facingroles.Charterstandardshavebeenembeddedintothewaytheydotheirworkandtheir

individualperformanceagreements.

Improving performanceOurcontactcentreperformanceresultsshowamarkedimprovement:wehandled74percentofallcallsin2011-12comparedwith49percentlastyear.Werecognisethatthisisstillnotgoodenoughandbelowprivatesectorstandards,soouraimistoreachtheindustrystandardofanswering90percentofcallsfirsttimeinMarch2013,andthentomaintainthatlevelonaveragein2013-14and2014-15.

Supporting the OlympicsThisyearwehadoneadditional,veryimportantrole,withmorethan200HMRCpeopleworkingwiththeLondonOrganisingCommitteefortheOlympics&ParalympicGames(LOCOG),theUKBorderAgencyandBorderForceinpreparingforthetremendouslysuccessfulLondon2012Games.WeproducedanunprecedentedlevelofguidanceandadvicetosupportourcustomerswhohelpedtodelivertheGames.AndinordertofulfiltheUK’sobligationstotheInternationalOlympicsCommittee,temporarytaxexemptionswereintroducedforathletes,competitionjudgesandotherofficialsvisitingtheUKfortheGames.

Highlights

Customer service

New professional standards introduced to improve the level of customer service provided by our staff working in customer-facing roles



Leadership and professional skills Ourchallengeistocontinuetoimproveourperformancedespiteadifficulteconomicclimate.Todothis,wehaveinvestedindevelopingstrongleadershiptobuildanengagedworkforce–peoplewhoaremotivatedtogothatextramiletoachievegoodcustomerservice.

Wehavealsoplacedarenewedemphasisonprofessional,technicalandbusinessskills.ThenewOperationalDeliveryProfessionwillhelpustoachieveindustrystandardsforexcellentcustomerservice–andournewTaxAcademyisraisingprofessionalstandards.We’realsoinvestinginthedevelopmentofpeopleinthemanyotherprofessionswithinHMRC,includingeconomists,accountants,policymakers,lawyers,statisticians,procurementprofessionals,investigationofficersandcommunicationsprofessionals–justsomeofthepeoplewhomakeupourdiverseworkforce.

Involving our staffByinvolvingpeopleatalllevelsofHMRCinthedrivetotransformthewaywedeliverservices,we’reaimingtomakeHMRCabetterplacetoworkandanorganisationofwhichouremployeescanbeproud.OurPaceSetterwayofworkingencouragestheexperts–thepeoplewhodotheworkeveryday–tosuggesthowitcanbedonebetterandtotestideasinpracticalways.

Well-beingThewell-beingofourpeopleisveryimportanttousandwehavetakensignificantstepstosupportthemandtheirmanagerswithadviceonpreventingandprotectingagainstillhealth.Throughspecificsafetyinitiatives–suchasour‘slip,tripandfalls’campaign–we’vebeenabletoidentifyhazardsandmakeourworkplacessafer.

Hotseat

Working flexibly and working longerWeofferawiderangeofflexibleworkingpatternsandarrangements,includingterm-timeworking,tohelpstafftobalancetheirworkingdaywithhomeandfamilycommitments.It’snotjustpeoplewithyoungerfamilyresponsibilitieswhoareseekingalternativeworkingpatterns;staffofallageswelcometheseflexibilities.Morethan5,000ofourstaffare60yearsofageorolderandmorethanafifthofourworkforcehavebeenwithusforatleast30years.Wevaluetheknowledgeandexperiencethatthesepeoplebringtotheworkplace.

Diversity and inclusionOneofourstrengthsliesinthediversityofourworkforceandthewaythathelpsustounderstandourcustomersandrespondtotheirneeds.Wehave11veryactivediversitynetworksofferingourpeopletheopportunitytoshareexperiences,supporteachotherandcommentonnewinitiatives.Weencouragepeoplefromunder-representedgroupstocompeteeffectivelyforpromotionsandchallengingdevelopmentalroles.Itisencouragingthatovertheyeartherepresentationofblack,Asianandminorityethnic(BAME)peopleinourworkforcerosefrom7.6percentto8.1percentandtherepresentationofwomen(at58.6percent)anddisabledemployees(at16.3percent)heldsteadyasthesizeofourworkforcereduced.

Highlights

Sickness absence reduced by 22 per cent22+78+B22

A new Tax Academy to raise the professional standards of 18,000 tax-based staff

More than 1,700 replies from senior managers to issues raised by staff, via our intranet Hotseat

Ensuring excellence

in tax


Supported a network of 500 ‘green volunteers’

Highlights


Environmental taxes and duties Wemanageenvironmentaltaxesandduties–climatechangelevy,landfilltaxandaggregateslevy–whichmeanswehaveakeyroleinsupportingthegovernment’sstrategytochangethebehaviourofindividualsandbusinessestowardstheenvironment.

Withourlargeestate,thecommitmentswehavemadetoreduceourenvironmentalfootprintalsoplayanimportantpartinhelpingtodeliverthegovernment’sgreentargetsfor2015.

Our estateAcrossourestate,wereducedvoltagesuppliestoourequipmentandimprovedourmonitoringofenergyconsumptionanduseoflighting.Furthersavingsinourenergyusagecamefromchangestoourinformationtechnology,suchasincreasingthetemperatureinourdatacentresandserverroomstoreducetheneedforairconditioning.Asaresult,wehavealreadybeatenthegovernment’s2015targettoreduceemissionsfromofficesanddomestictravel–achievinga27percentreductioninemissionsbetween2009-10andtheendof2011-12.

Green volunteersOurnetworkofaround500‘greenvolunteers’supportusinreducingHMRC’senvironmentalimpactbyencouragingtheircolleaguestorecycle,travellessandcheckthatlightsandappliancesareswitchedoffwhenthey’renotinuse.Theyhavebeenparticularlyactiveinpromotingtelephoneandvideoconferencingasanalternativetomeetings,therebyreducingbusinesstravelaswellasbenefitingthewell-beingofourstafffromfewerjourneys.

Customer serviceWe’vemadeourcustomerservicegreenerbyimprovingourinternetpresenceandencouragingourcustomerstointeractwithusonline.Anewonlinefilingrecordhasseen7.65million

Reduced carbon emissions from our offices by 20,700 tonnes and cut our water use by more than 91 million litres

Reduced our waste by 1,400 tonnes and recycled or reused more than 1,000 tonnes of IT waste

SelfAssessmenttaxreturnscominginthroughtheinternet–80.9%ofthetotal.Thishassignificantlyreducedthecarbonemissionsassociatedwithprinting,postage,storageandtransportation.

Climate changeWehaveconsideredthepotentialimpactofclimatechangeandsevereweathereventsonourbusiness.DuringtheprolongedperiodofbadweatherinFebruary2012,werecognisedthevitalrolethatfarmersplayinkeepingroadsclearandruralcommunitiesmovingbyrelaxingtherulesthatpreventthemfromusingred-dieselinthetractorstheyusetogritpublicroads.

Sustainable purchasingWehavealsoworkedcloselywithoursupplierstoensurethatsustainabledevelopmentprinciplesareinplacethroughoutoursupplychain.Thispositiveapproachtotheenvironmentcanbeseenacrossourprocurementactivity–fromthesteadyreductioninthecarbonemissionsfromourcarsasaresultofthepurchaseoflow-emissionvehicles,totherecyclingoftheplasticpackagingweusetosecuresensitivedataintransit.Allthefurniturewebuycomplieswiththegovernment’ssustainabletimberprocurementstandards,andallproductsprovidedthroughHMRC’sofficesuppliescontractareassessedagainst‘bestinclass’ethicalandsustainabilitystandards.



Theprojectswe’vesupportedthisyearincludeGingerbread’sworkinManchesterandLondondeliveringthe‘MovingOn,KeepingStrong’programme,whichgivessingleparentstheopportunitytoshareexperiencesandunderstandhowHMRCcanprovidetargetedsupporttohelpthemandtheirfamilies.Theprogrammehasalsotrainedadvisers,whoareexpectedtoreachmorethan11,000singleparentsinthenextyear,offeringthempracticaladviceaboutbenefitentitlements.AnotherfundedprogrammeinScotlandandthenortheastofEnglandhassupported2,000customerswithadviceonWorkingTaxCreditsandSelfAssessmentissues.Ithasalsoassisted400adultswithsignificantphysicalandmentalhealthissuestobecomeself-employed.

Assisting international communities Inaworldofglobaltradeandtravel,thesuccessorfailureofcommunitiesinothercountriescanhaveadirectimpactonpeopleandbusinessesintheUK.Weassistinternationalcommunitiesbyhelpingtobuildtheciviladministrationthatsupportsdemocraticgovernment.Since2006,wehaveprovideddirecttechnicalandmanagerialassistancetotheEthiopianRevenuesandCustomsAuthority.Wehavehelpedtoestablishasingle,unifiedtaxandcustomsadministrationandtoincreasetaxcollectionfrom8.2billionbirr(Ethiopia’scurrency)in2002-03to70billionbirrin2011-12.InRwanda,wehavedeliveredtechnicalassistanceonthetaxationoftheconstruction,telecommunicationsandbanking

Supporting voluntary organisations Weinvestapproximately£2millioneachyearinsupportingvoluntarysectororganisations,whoprovidehelpandadvicetosomeofourmostdifficulttoreachcustomers.

A total of £2 million ‘Grant in Aid’ funding awarded to support voluntary sector organisations

sectors.WealsosupporttheCommonwealthAssociationofTaxAdministrators,hostingtwoflagshiptrainingcoursesayear,withthevastmajorityofattendeesdrawnfromdevelopingcountries.

Staff volunteeringWeencourageourstafftogetinvolvedintheirlocalcommunitiesinordertoreallyunderstandtheneedsofourmostvulnerablecustomersortosupportyoungpeople,whoareourfuturecustomers.Thisyearwegave5,837daysofstafftimetovoluntaryactivities,publicdutiessuchasschoolgovernorsandmagistrates,andThePrince’sTrustteamprogramme.Muchofourvoluntaryworkbuildsonthegovernment’syouthemployabilityaims,andincludestheuseof‘TaxMatters’,ouronlineinteractivelearningpackage,whichhelpstoeducateschoolandcollegestudentsabouttheirfuturetaxandfinancialresponsibilities.

Charitable givingOurpeoplesupportnumerouscharitablecauses,andhavetheopportunitytodonatetotheirchosencharitydirectfromtheirpayusingourPayrollGivingScheme.Inthelasttwoyears,morethanoneintenofourstaffdonated£1.7millioninthisway.WeachievedtheInstituteofFundraising’sGoldQualityMarkforthefifthyearrunninginrecognitionofthisachievement.Staffalsoraisedmorethan£121,000fortheBBC’s2011ChildreninNeedAppeal,beatingthepreviousyear’stotalby£13,000.

£2 million

Highlights

Staff donated £1.7 million to charitable causes

Volunteering activity totalling 5,837 days

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100 highlights of corporate responsibility in action


Faster post

ByreplacingmultipleHMRCpostaladdresseswithPOBoxnumbers,linkedtoregionalpostrooms,wecuttheaveragetimeittakesposttoreachtherightplaceinHMRCfromsixtotwodays.Thischangeisimprovingourservicetomillionsofcustomersandispredictedtosavemorethan£4.9millionoverfouryears.

Clearing open cases

Wecleared11.7millionPAYEopencases,whereoursystemshadnotpreviouslybeenabletoreconcilecustomerrecords,toensurethecorrectamountoftaxwaspaidattheendoftheyear.Weareontracktoclearallremaininglegacycasesbytheendof2012.

Tackling tax evasion

Weintroduced12specialisttaskforcesin2011-12tocatchtraderswhodeliberatelychoosetobreaktherulesandevadetheirtaxobligations.Thisnewapproachfocusedintensiveburstsofactivityonbusinesssectorswherethereisevidenceofahighriskoftaxevasion,suchasbusinessesdealingmainlyincash,foodoutletsdeclaringfalsesalesofzero-ratedgoods,andbusinessesthatemployillegalworkersandavoidpayingNationalInsuranceorPAYE.

Giving businesses time to pay

Wecontinuetoadoptasympatheticapproachtobusinessesthathavegenuineshort-termdifficultiesinpayingthetaxtheyowe,andtodowhatwecantohelp.InMarch2012,wehadnearly600,000‘TimetoPay’arrangementsinplace,amountingto£1.4billioninvalue.

Email support

Ourcustomerstoldusthattheyliketobecontactedbyemail,sowehavestartedtousethisquickandconvenientcommunicationroutetohelpourbusinesscustomerstofulfiltheirtaxobligations.Around250,000newlyself-employedindividualsarebeingcontactedbyemail,withtheofferofadditionalhelpandsupportontaxmatters.

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600,000 ‘Time to Pay’ arrangements

£1.4bn


National Minimum Wage

In2011-12,ournationalminimumwageteamsidentifiedmorethan£3.5millionowedtoworkers,benefitingmorethan17,000peoplewhowerepreviouslyunderpaidornotpaidatall.

Civil disorder helpline

InAugust2011,weprovidedadedicatedhelpline,availablesevendaysaweek,tosupportbusinessesandindividualsadverselyaffectedbythesummer’sriotingandlooting.Thisincludedgivingpracticaladvicetobusinessesandindividualswhowereunabletopaytheirtaxbillsduetoshort-termfinancialdifficulties,orwhoserecordshadbeendestroyedduringthedisturbances.

24/7 advice

Wedevelopedonlinepresentationsandwebinarstogivebusinessesandtheself-employed24/7accesstoadviceandsupportonawiderangeofsubjects–from‘howVATworks’to‘takingyourfirststepsasanemployer’.Wewanttomaketaxashasslefreeaspossibleandgiveourcustomerstheinformationtheyneed,atatimethatsuitsthem.Livewebinarsallowpeopletoparticipateinlivedebatesandaskquestions.Thepre-recordedoptionsareavailableforpeopletowatchatanytimeofnightorday.

YouTube

Someofourcustomersprefertoreceiveinformationthroughtheinternetinbite-sized,easy-to-digestchunks.OurYouTubevideosareprovingverypopular,withournewvideoaimedatchildmindersreceivingmorethan3,000hitsinDecemberalone.

New mobile apps

Workingwiththesoftwareindustry,wesupportedthedevelopmentofnew,simplerecord-keepingmobile‘apps’tohelpsmallbusinessesandself-employedpeoplebelowtheVATregistrationthresholdtomaintaingoodrecordsandestimatetheirtaxliability.

HMRC Twitter account

ThiswassetupinNovember2010andhasexpandedsincethentoprovidedeadlinereminders,informationaboutonlineservices,notestoagents,businessandemployees,warningsofemail‘phishing’scamsandevenreportsofsignificantcriminalprosecutions.Withmorethan15,000followersandmorethan1,600tweets,itisplayinganincreasinglyimportantroleinthewaywecommunicatewithourcustomersandtheirrepresentatives.

Answering contact centre calls

WeusedTweetstogiveourcustomersaccurateandup-to-dateinformationoncallcentreavailability.

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Reducing caller costs

Toreduceourcustomers’callcosts,weintroducedan0345telephonenumberforTaxCreditscustomers,whichmeansthatallcallsfromprivatetelephones,includingmobiles,arechargedatalocalrate.

Targeted advice

Ourcustomershaveverydiverseandspecificneeds,soweproducededucationpackagestargetedatarangeofbusinesssectors,including:hairandbeautysalons;childmindersandfostercarers;drivingschools;farmers;thebuildingindustry;doctorsanddentists.

Adoption and fostering

WeworkedcloselywiththeBritishAssociationforAdoptionandFostering,Barnados,Fosterline,andtheNationalAssociationforFosterProviderstodevelopane-learningprogrammeforfostercarers.Theprogrammegivesfostercarersinformationonhowtoregisterasself-employedandexplainstheQualifyingCareRelief,whichisavailableforcertaincategoriesofcarer.FostercarerswhocallourTaxCreditsHelplinecannowbenefitfromaspecialisthelplineservice,introducedin2011withspecially-trainedHMRCadvisers.

Engaging with agents

Weengagedwithmorethan16,000agents(ourcustomers’representatives)throughourAgentAccountManagerService,andreceivedpositivefeedbackforourproactiveapproachtoidentifyingandresolvingtheirclients’issuesandforrunningeducationworkshopstohelpthemgetthingsrightfirsttime.

Prisoner rehabilitation

WorkingwithThePrince’sTrustEnterpriseProgrammeandtheMinistryofJusticeprisonerrehabilitationteams,weprovidedbusinessstart-upadviceto3,399vulnerableyoungpeoplewhowereventuringintoself-employment.

Supporting disabled customers

Weworkedcloselywithagroupofvoluntarysectorrepresentativestogainabetterunderstandingofthespecificneedsofourdisabledcustomers.Ourtrainingeventsfordisabilityadvisershavealsoreachedmorethan21,000people,helpingthemtounderstandthetaximplicationsoftheCarer’sAllowance.

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21,000Disability Advisers

Training given to

Support


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Business starter support

IncollaborationwithothergovernmentdepartmentsandthroughJobCentrePlusEnterpriseClubs,wesupportedpeoplestartingtheirownbusinessandpeopleleavingmilitaryservice,astheygothroughtheMinistryofDefenceexitprogramme.BetweenApril2011andMarch2012,wehelped2,387peopleat129MinistryofDefenceevents.

Times Top 50 Employers for Women

Ourrecognitionforthisawardextendedtoourworkwithcustomers.Forexample,thegrantfundingscheme,whichhasenabledmanyfemalecustomerstoclaimtheirentitlements,andourleadinaninitiativetoprotecttheinformationofbothpartieswheretherehasbeendomesticviolence.

Retired customers

StaffatourCardiffofficeintroducedaPensionerHelplinetogainabetterappreciationoftheneedsofouroldercustomers.WeworkedcloselywithretiredcustomersandtheorganisationTaxHelpforOlderPeopletolearnabouttheissuesthatthisparticulargroupsometimesfaceintheirday-to-daycontactwithHMRC.

Pension early-release schemes

WiththePensionsRegulatorandtheFinancialServicesAuthority,weprovidedadviceforconsumersbywarningthemofthedangersofpensionearly-releaseschemes.Duetotheeconomicdownturn,anincreasingnumberofpeoplehavebeentemptedtoenterintothesearrangements,unawareofthefinancialconsequencesandsignificanttaxchargestheyincur.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGB&T) customers

WeattendedanumberofPrideeventstopromoteourinformationbookletontaxesandbenefitsinformationforourLGB&Tcustomers.Thebookletwaslaunchedinresponsetofeedbackfromcustomerswhosaidtheywantedtoknowmoreabouttheimpactofcivilpartnershipsontaxationandclaimingtaxcreditsinsamesexcouples,orwhowereconcernedabouttheconfidentialityoftaxpayerinformation,especiallyfortransgenderpeople.

Olympic and Paralympic Games

WeworkedwithpartnersacrossgovernmenttoprepareforthedeliveryofLondon2012throughtheuseofinternetguidance,events,mediareleasesandadedicatedhelpline.OurfrontlineoperationaldirectoratesprovidededucationandsupporttobusinessesdirectlyinvolvedorassociatedwithLondon2012,forexamplebyofferingadviceatOlympicconstructionsites,andprovidinginformationtoemployers,employeesandlocalbusinesses.InpartnershipwiththeUKBorderAgency,weactivelymonitoredgames-relatedimportsandexports,ensuringthatsimplifiedtemporaryadmissionsprocesseswereinplacetofacilitatethemovementofgames-relatedgoodsattheborder.

Illegal medicines

OurCardiff-basedExpressIndustryteamworkedwiththepoliceandtheMedicinesHealthRegulatoryAgencytopreventashipmentofmedicinesanddrugs–includingadrugknowntobeusedinexecutions–fromillegallyleavingtheUK.HMRCCustomsPolicystaffalsoworkedwiththeUKBorderForce,MetropolitanPolice,MedicinesHealthRegulatoryAgencyandINTERPOLinaglobalcrackdownonillegalmedicines.Morethanonemilliondosesofunlicensedandcounterfeitdrugs,worthapproximately£2million,wereseized.



New opportunities

Wefilled2,150newjobswithinourEnforcementandCompliancebusinessstream,whichareneededtoensureweachieveourcomplianceandcustomerservicetargets.Around70percentoftheseroleswerefilledthroughinternalpromotions,securingcareerprogressionopportunitiesforourpeople.

Tax Academy

Ournewly-establishedTaxAcademyisraisingprofessionalstandardsamongthe18,000membersofstaffworkingacrosstherangeoftaxesanddutiesweadminister.TheAcademywillensuretheyhavetheexpertknowledgerequiredtoadviseourcustomersandtheirrepresentatives.

Professional skills

InApril2011,weofficiallylaunchedthe‘OperationalDeliveryProfession’forour43,500employeeswhoworkincustomer-facingroles.Thisnewprofessionalstrandaimstoimprovecustomerservicebybuildingprofessionalcapabilityandachievingindustrystandardsforexcellentperformance.

Spring School

132juniormembersofstaff–peoplewhohaven’thadexperienceofmanagement–attendedour‘SpringSchool’developmentalprogrammetohelpthemdeveloptheirleadershipskills,tryoutsomenewwaysofworkingandsupportourdriveforcontinuousimprovement.Theaimoftheprogrammeistoincreaseknowledge,skills,experienceandconfidenceinwaysthatwillencouragepeopletotakeresponsibilityformakingadifferenceinHMRC.

Well-being

Wedevelopedanewfocusonwell-beinginordertocreateanenvironmentwherepeoplefeelsupportedtoperformtothebestoftheirabilities.ThisincludedofferingtheservicesoftheRightCorecareEmployeeAssistanceProgrammetogivestaffandmanagersa24/7helpline,legaladviceandcounsellingsupport.

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Celebrating success

OurfirstHMRCPeopleAwardsallowedustorecogniseandcelebrateinspirationalcolleaguesandteamsfromacrosstheorganisation.

Civil Service award for leadership

HMRCmanagerJackieHeronwontheCivilServiceawardforleadershipataceremonyinLondon.Theaward,presentedbyformerCabinetSecretaryandHeadoftheHomeCivilService,SirGus(nowLord)O’Donnell,highlightedexcellenceinpublicservice.

Our employee deal

Weintroduced‘OneHMRCOneDeal’,asetofprinciplesthatclarifywhatourpeoplecanexpectfromHMRCandwhatitexpectsfromtheminreturn.Theprinciplescovertherangeofbehavioursshownhereandhavebeenrecognisedasgoodpracticeexamples.

How we feel

WehaveexploredhowpeoplefeelaboutworkinginHMRCandhowmanagerscanengage,motivateandinvolvetheirpeople.OurapproachhasbeenhighlightedasgoodpracticebytheCharteredInstituteofPersonnelandDevelopment.

Building engagement

Weranworkshopstohelpourseniorleadershipteamstobuildstaffengagement.Theseworkshopshavegivenleaderstheopportunitytodiscussandchallengetheirassumptionsandtoformulateplanstoimprovelevelsofengagement.

Managing reductions

Asjobsacrosstheorganisationchanged,weplaced578peopleinnewroles,including28whomovedtoothergovernmentdepartments.Inmanagingourstaffingreductions,wehaveavoidedmakinganyoneredundantwithouttheiragreementorwithoutfirstofferingthemajobwithinreasonabledailytravel.

People survey

WeconductedtheannualCivilService-widePeopleSurveytocanvasstheviewsofourpeopleonarangeofthemes,suchastheworkitself,thewaychangeismanagedinHMRC,leadership,learninganddevelopment.WewillcontinuetoactontheresultsandensureallourleaderstakestepswiththeirteamstomakeHMRCabetterplacetowork.

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Organisational purpose

Straight talking

Valuing people

Continuous improvement

People development

Work-life balance

HMRCPEOPLEAWARDS


Taking our pulse

InadditiontotheCivilServicePeopleSurvey,wealsoraninterim‘pulse’surveystohelpusrespondtothefactorsthatcanimpactonstaffengagement.Thesurveysgaveourleadersanindicationofhowtheiremployeeengagementstrategieswereworkingsotheycouldbefine-tunedasnecessary.

In the Hotseat

SeniormanagershavewelcomedfeedbackandideasfrompeopleacrossHMRC.Duringtheyeartheyanswered1,761writtenquestionsputtothemviaourHotseatchannelontheintranet.

Reducing sickness absence

Weconsultedstaff,managersandunionsonimprovedprocessandguidance,aimedatsupportingpeopletoreturntoworkwhenwellenough.Wedevelopednewtrainingformanagers,asfeedbackhighlightedtheneedtoimprovetheirconfidenceinhandlingchallengingsituationsandusingtheirjudgementanddiscretionwhenfollowingtheprocess.A22percentreductioninworkingdayslostthroughsicknesswasachievedduringtheyear.

Occupational health

WeputinplaceanewoccupationalhealthcontractinFebruary2012andarealreadyontargettoreducereferralturnaroundtimesandcomplaintsby25percentcomparedtothepreviousyear.Theservicehelpsmanagersandmembersofstaffwhensomeone’shealthisaffectingthewaytheydotheirjob,ortheirworkaffectstheirhealth.Italsoprovidesadviceonputtinginplacereasonableadjustmentsfordisabledstaff,adviceonspecialistequipmentandwork-relatedvaccinations.

Mental health

Wecommissionedamentalhealthreviewtoimproveourapproachtostaffwithmentalhealthproblems.Thereview’srecommendationsresultedinbetterguidanceformanagersandstaff,supportformanagershavingdifficultconversations,andcommunicationstoraiseawarenessofmentalhealthissuesandthehelpthat’savailable.

Improved eye care

Weprovidefreeeyesighttestsforstaffwhoregularlyuseacomputerorlaptop,aspartoftheirwork.Wesignificantlyreducedthecostofoureyesighttestingcontract,whileatthesametimeincreasingtake-uplevels.Thebasiceye-testserviceincludesretinalphotography,whichcandetectconditionslikediabetesoropticnervedisease,aswellasotherserioushealthconditions.

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Focus on healthy living

Thefocusofourhealthylivingcampaignisonhowhealthandwell-beingatworkcanimproveperformanceandreduceabsencelevels.ThroughourEmployeeAssistanceProgramme,weprovidefactsheetsonarangeofissues:debtandrelationships,betterbudgeting,sleep,resilience,familyandfriends,andsummerexercise.

Civil Service physical activity challenge

LaunchedinJuly2011andinspiredbythe2012LondonOlympicandParalympicGames,thechallengeaimstomotivatepeopletobecomemoreactive.Wehavesigneduptothechallengeandmanyofourstaffhaveorganisedeventstoencouragetheircolleaguestoexerciseduringtheirworkingweek.

Diversity networks

OurdiversitynetworkshaveflourishedandplayanincreasinglyimportantroleinmakingHMRCabetterplacetoworkforeverybody.Forexample,ourblackandAsianminorityethnic(BAME)networksfacilitateeffectivementoringrelationshipsandrunknowledge-sharingeventstoenhanceskillsandboostconfidence.

Talent

WeprovidearangeofprogrammestoidentifytheuntappedtalentthatexistswithinHMRC.Twenty-onepeoplejoinedourcentrallymanaged‘FastStream’programme,givingthemaccesstoarangeofvariedandcomplexworkopportunitiestotestanddeveloptheirpotentialtoreachseniorgrades.

Lesbian, gay and bisexual people (LGB)

Buildingonoursuccessinthe2010StonewallEqualityIndex,whenHMRCwasnamedasoneofthetoptengay-friendlyemployersintheUK,weconductedaground-breakingsurveyofourLGBstafftoestablishtheextenttowhichtheyfeelincludedandcomfortabletobethemselvesatwork.Theresultswereveryencouragingwith90percentreportingthattheyareopenabouttheirsexualorientation,eithertoallortosomeoftheircolleagues.

Reasonable adjustments

Inresponsetofeedbackfromourdisabledstaff,weestablishedaReasonableAdjustmentSupportTeam,whichprovidesexpertadvicetomanagerswhoneedtoputadjustmentsinplacetoenabletheirstafftoworkwithoutbarriers.TheadjustmentsarerecordedinaReasonableAdjustmentPassport,whichtravelswithamemberofstaffeverytimetheychangejob,locationormanager.

Support for carersWeworkedwiththeCharityforCivilServantstointroducetheCarer’sPassporttoHMRC.Thepassportprovidesstaffwithcaringresponsibilities,andtheirlinemanagers,withafullsetofinformationabouttheirneedsintheworkplaceandidentifiessolutionstothoseneeds.

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Environmental footprint

WeachievedbigreductionsinHMRC’senvironmentalfootprint,cuttinggreenhousegasemissionsfromofficesandUK-basedtravelcombinedbymorethan13percent;wasteby11percent;andouruseofphotocopierpaperbyalmosttenpercent.

Reducing emissions

Greenhousegasemissionreductionsacrossourestatehavecomefromofficeclosures,makingbetteruseofourofficespace,voltageimprovementprojectsatfoursites,lightingimprovementsandaverysuccessfulbehaviourchangecampaign.Furthersavingsweremadeasaresultofchangestoourinformationtechnology,suchascuttingthenumberofserversinourdatacentresandincreasingthetemperatureincomputerserverroomstoreducetheneedforairconditioning.

Office space

Wereducedourofficespace,andthereforetheamountofenergyweuse,bycuttingthefloorareaweoccupyby128,126squaremetres.Attheendoftheyear,ourpeoplewereworkingin391officesat284locationsspreadacrosstheUK.

Water usage

Wecutourwaterconsumptionby11percentfrom2010-11.Thisisasavingofover91millionlitres,whichisenoughtofill36Olympic-sizeswimmingpools.

‘Green IT’ model

Weintroducedaprogrammeto‘green’ourinformationtechnology.Usingour‘GreenIT’model,wetrackandmeasureourITcarbonfootprintandworkwithsupplierstoimproveenergyefficiency.Askeymembersofthegovernment’sGreenITDeliveryUnit,wealsohelpedtodevelopaGreeningGovernmentITStrategyandProgressReport.

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5536 Olympic–sized swimming pools


Green volunteers

Suchistheirpopularity,wenowhavearound500‘greenvolunteers’.Theyofferadviceandpromote‘greenthinking’acrossourestate,encouragingpeopletotakesmallstepstoreducetheirpersonalenvironmentalimpact,bothatworkandathome.

Reporting problems

Wedevelopednewprocedurestoencourageourstafftoreportbuilding-relatedproblemstoourlandlords’helpdesksassoonaspossible.Thesesimplearrangementsmeantthatissues,whichcouldotherwisehaveledtowastedenergyorwater,wereresolvedswiftly.

Reducing business travel

Weimprovedourvideoandtelephone-conferencingfacilitiestoreducetheneedforbusinesstraveland,wheretravelwasnecessary,weencouragedashiftfromroadtorail.Asaresult,roadtravelemissionsovertheyearfellby11.6percent.

Green fleet

Whereroadtravelwasnecessary,weencouragedourstafftouseourlow-carbon,fuel–efficient‘pool’cars.Throughthepurchaseofmoreenergy–efficientvehicles,wewereabletoreducetheaverageCO2emissionsofthesecarsby30percent.

Recycling

Weextendedrecyclingfacilitiesforpaper,cansandplastic,aswellasprintertonercartridgesandbatteries,tothemajorityofouroffices.Wealsorecycled,resoldorredeployed1,038tonnesofinformationtechnologywaste.

‘Closed loop’ recycling

Ourinnovative‘closedloop’recyclingschemeensuresthatwerecycleourconfidentialwastepaperintothecopierpaperweuseinouroffices.In2011-12,werecycled3,792tonnesofpaperthroughtheclosedloopsystem.Othergovernmentdepartmentsarefollowingourlead,asourclosedloopsystemisintroducedacrosscentralgovernment.

Paper cuts

We’vecutourpaperusageby30millionsheetsoverthelasttwoyears.Theinstallationoflow-energy,duplexprintersacrossourestate–forautomaticdouble-sidedprinting–playedanimportantroleincuttingtheamountofpaperweuseandsavedanestimated470tonnesofCO2inenergyovertheyear.

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“We are tackling issues that affect local people”SheilaFerguson,GreenVolunteer,PersonalTax,Cleveland

11.6per cent reduction in road travel and emissions

fewer sheets used30m

CO2


Online returns successes

Weencourageourcustomerstosubmittheirreturnstousonline,ratherthanusingthetraditionalpaper-basedmethod.Theonlineoptionalsoallowsourcustomerstodobusinesswithusatatimethatsuitsthem,forexample1,100onlineSelfAssessmentreturnsweresubmittedonChristmasDayand3,512onBoxingDay.Atitspeak,ouronlineservicehandledmorethan440,000SelfAssessmentsubmissionsinasingleday.

‘Swap Shop’

Ouron-line‘SwapShop’facilityallowsstafftoofferunwantedofficesuppliestootherofficesacrossHMRC,reducingwasteandtheamountweneedtobuy.Itemsthatweresuccessfully‘swapped’rangedfromenvelopesandstaplers,throughtoahardhat,triangularbandagesandabriefcase.

Cashcheques

WeworkedwiththeDepartmentforWorkandPensionstoreducethevolumeofcashchequesissuedtocustomersreceivingbenefitorcreditpayments.Thischangehasreducedcarbonemissions,paperandprinting,aswellasmakingpaymentsmoresecureandtimely.However,wehavebeencarefultoretaincashchequesforcustomerswhoareunabletooperateadirectbankaccount,andprovideadedicatedteamtosupportcustomerswhoneedinformationonbankingoptions.

Environmental waste calculator

Wedevelopedanenvironmentalwastecalculatorandencouragedbusinessareasandindividualstousethistooltocalculatethecostandcarbonemissionsoftheirpaper,printingandpostage,officeequipmentandtravel.Byidentifyingandmeasuringthesecosts,ourstaffcanidentifywaystoreducetheirenvironmentalimpactandquantifythecashandcarbonsavingsthey’vemade.

Sustainable procurement

Werequireourkeysupplierstomonitortheirenvironmental,socialandeconomicperformancebyusinganonlinetoolcalledCAESER(CorporateAssessmentofEnvironmental,SocialandEconomicResponsibility).Allourkeysuppliersnowhaveastrategyinplacetoreducetheirgreenhousegasemissions.WorkingwiththeHomeOffice,wehostedaround-tablediscussioninClimateWeek,bringingtogetherourkeysupplierstoidentifywaysofstrengtheningfurtherthesustainabilityofoursupplychain.

Office moves

Wecarriedoutsustainabilityappraisalsofofficemoves,partvacationsandofficerationalisationstoidentifyandminimiseanysignificantenvironmentalimpactsfromthemoves.

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cut waste

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Climate change

Wedevelopedplanstoensurewecancontinuetomeetourobjectivesandcommitmentsinachangingclimate.Wealsoimprovedourunderstandingoftherisksandpotentialimpactofflooding,drought,subsidenceandhighertemperaturesonourbusinessandthewaywemanageourbuildingsandIT.

Biodiversity

Weconductedhabitatassessmentsatourfivebiodiversityenhancementsites.WesurveyedbatpopulationsandcarriedoutanadditionalamphibiansurveyatourLawressHallsite,nearLincoln,whichadjoinsalargepond.Weareprioritisinglocationsacrossourestateforfuturebiodiversityimprovement.

Cycle to work

Weconsultedourpeopletogaugelevelsofinterestinacycle-to-workscheme.Asaresultoftheirpositiveresponse,weintroducedaschemeduring2012.

Spectacle recycling

HMRCstaffsent3,761pairofspectaclestotheVisionAidOverseasspectaclerecyclingscheme,bringingourtotaldonationstodateto13,450.

Lights off

Morethan200officesacrossourestateturnedofftheirlightson31March2012todemonstratesupportforEarthHour.

Certification

WerenewedISO14001certification(anindustry-recognisedenvironmentstandard)forourlargesiteatLongbentoninNewcastleandmaintainedthesamecertificationatourheadquartersat100ParliamentStreet,inLondon.

Antiques and artefacts

Asthesizeofourestatereduced,wesold501surplusartefactsandpiecesofantiquefurnitureanddonatedafurther220artefactsorantiquestomuseums,ensuringthatimportantitemsofhistoricalinterestareprotectedforthefuture.

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75220artefacts donated

13,450pairs of spectacles donated to date



Grant in Aid

TheRoyalNationalInstitutefortheBlind(RNIB)received£65,000offundingfromourGrantinAidprogramme.ItwillcontinuetobefundedforthenexttwoyearswiththeaimthatoverthelifeoftheprojecttheRNIBwillcontactmorethan40,000newly-blindandpartially-sightedpeoplefromcommunitiesacrosstheUK,providingthemwithadviceandguidanceontaxissues.

Tax Matters

HMRCvolunteersworkedwithlocalEducationBusinessPartnershipsandYoungEnterprisetohelpdeliverour‘TaxMatters’programmeinsecondaryschools.TaxMattersisaninteractiveonlinepackage,whichtiesintothenationalcurriculumandusesacombinationofvideos,gamesandquizzestoeducateyoungpeopleabouttheirfuturetaxandfinancialresponsibilities.

National Mentoring Consortium

Wewerenamed‘EmployeroftheYear’forthesecondtimeinthreeyears,inrecognitionofthetimeandcommitmentgivenby55ofourpeopleasvolunteermentorsfortheNationalMentoringConsortium.Thisprogramme,whichrunsin15universitiesacrosstheUK,aimstoenhancetheemployabilityofBAMEstudentsandthosewithadisabilityordyslexiabypairingemployeeswithundergraduates.

Payroll Giving

WetrytomakeitaseasyaspossibleforHMRCpeopletodonatetocharity.MorethanoneintenofourpeoplegivetocharitythroughPayrollGiving,whichallowsthemtodonatedirectfromtheirsalary.In2011-12,thenumberofHMRCpeoplegivingmoneyinthiswayincreasedto8,669–andsince2007,HMRCpeoplehaveusedthisroutetodonate£2.7million.

The Prince’s Trust

WeareamajorsupporterofThePrince’sTrustteamprogramme,whichhelpsyoungpeoplewhoareunemployed,under-skilled,orleavingthecriminaljusticeorcaresystem.In2011-12wewerethelargestsupplierofemployedvolunteerstotheprogramme,providing45percentofemployedparticipants.OurinvolvementisacknowledgedbyThePrince’sTrustasbeingabsolutelykeytoitswork.

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Young Enterprise Challenge

WorkingwiththePaddingtonAcademyinwestLondon,wedevelopedauniquebusinessenterprisepackagebybringingHMRCvolunteerstogetherwithyear10and11studentstoshowthemwhattheycanachieveasyoungentrepreneursandbusinessleadersofthefuture.

Olympics volunteers

WeencouragedHMRCpeopletovolunteeras2012Olympics‘GamesMakers’inrolesthatrangefrominterpreting,firstaidandcheckingtickets,togivingtraveladvicetoLondonvisitors.

Get Britain Working

WesupportedtheDepartmentforWorkandPensions‘GetBritainWorking’initiativebypilotingaprogrammetoprovidehigh-qualityworkexperienceforlong-termunemployedyoungpeople.Theprogrammefocusedonrestoringconfidenceandgivingpeoplewithoutagoodemploymenthistorysomevaluable,transferableworkskills.

Internships

Wetookpartinthe2011WhitehallInternshipProgrammebyofferinginternshipopportunitiesforyoungpeoplefromunder-representedgroups,includingblack,Asianandminorityethnic(BAME)communities,togivethemaninsightintolifeattheheartoftheCivilService.

Mowgli Foundation

InBristol,weworkedwiththeMowgliFoundation,anot-for-profitbodythatencouragesfledglingentrepreneurs.Oneofourseniormanagersmentoredasocialenterpriseleaderinayear-longpartnership,andbusinessadvicestafftalkedtonewbusinessleadersabouttaxandNationalInsuranceata‘speedmentoring’event.

Job coaching for homeless people

VolunteersfromthenorthwestofEnglandandtheWestMidlandsjoinedupwithstaffacrosstheCivilServicetoassistthecharityBusinessintheCommunitywithits‘BusinessActiononHomelessness’programme–actingasjobcoachesforhomelesspeople,equippingthemwiththeskillstogainandsustainemployment.

Work experience in Stockton

StaffinourStockton-on-Teesofficeworkwithalocalhomelessacademytoprovidetwo-weekworkplacementopportunities,whichincludehelpinghomelesspeoplewithCVwritingandmockinterviews.Theprojecthasbeenpraisedbythehomelesspeoplethemselvesforgivingthembacktheirselfrespect.Ithasalsotwicebeenarunner-upintheCivilServiceawards.

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JOBS


Ready to Work ProgrammeVolunteersinGreaterManchesterworkedwithBusinessintheCommunitytoidentifybarrierstohomelesspeoplesustainingemployment.Workingdirectlywithparticipatingbusinessesandwithhomelessclients,theyprovidedcoachinginCVwritingandinterviewskills,showingagroupofhomelessclientsthe‘human’faceofgovernment.

Business Enterprise in WolverhamptonSixHMRCvolunteerssupportedaBusinessEnterprisedaywithmorethan100year9students,helpingthemtopreparefortheirGCSEsubjectchoicesandtobuildtheirskillsandconfidence.Theycoachedtheyoungpeoplein‘Dragon’sDen’styleactivitiesandjudgedtheirpresentationsattheendoftheday.

Maths skills

WorkingwiththeirlocalEducationBusinessPartnership,ourvolunteersdeliveredamathseventtopupilsatCroftCommunityPrimarySchoolinWalsall,showingyoungpeoplehowmathsskillsareimportanttofuturecareerprospectsandopeningtheireyestopotentialcareerpaths.

Trade Your Way

HMRCstaffbuiltonexistinglinkswiththeYoungEnterpriseprogrammebytakingpartinChildren’sBBC(CBBC’s)‘TradeYourWay’nationalroadshow.HostedbySairaKahnfrom‘TheApprentice’,itvisitedParkPrimarySchoolinBristol,wherestudentsparticipatedinenterprise-inspiredworkshopstogaintoptipsandadviceonhowtomaketheirbusinessideassucceed.

Inspiring the Future

Morethan160ofourpeoplesigneduptosupport‘InspiringtheFuture’;aprogrammecoordinatedbytheEducationandEmployersTaskforcethathelpsyoungpeopletoachievetheirpotential.Volunteerssharetheirjob,careerandeducationexperiencesthroughgivingtalkstostudentsatstateschoolsandcolleges,toraiseyoungpeople’saspirationsandhelpthemmakeinformedcareerchoices.

Supporting disabled students

StafffromourGloucesterofficefacilitatedatrainingdaytohelp90studentswithmildtoseverelearningdisabilitiesdevelopemployabilityskills.Attendeesreportedimprovedconfidence,communicationandteamworkingskillsandabetterunderstandingofHMRC’sroleincollectingthemoneythatfundstheUK’spublicservices.

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Public duties

Atotalof551HMRCpeoplefromthemostjuniorgradestoseniorcivilservantsservedtheircommunitiesasschoolgovernors,magistratesandthroughothervoluntarypublicduties,suchasmembersofaLocalAuthority,PoliceAuthorityorChildren’sPanels(Scotland).

Helping children out of a difficult place

SeveralvolunteersfromourEastKilbrideContactCentreservedonChildren’sPanelsinSouthandNorthLanarkshireandtheGlasgowarea,hearingmorethan50caseseach.Children’sPanelsareindependentlaytribunalsinScotland,whichmakevitalanddifficultdecisionsaboutvulnerablechildreninneedofcareandprotectionorwhohavecommittedcriminaloffences.

Supporting charities

Ourpeopleraised£883,291in2011-12forourthreecentrally-supportedcharities.ThebiggestsinglebeneficiarywasTheCharityforCivilServants(CCS),whichreceived£760,528.TheCCShelpsaround10,000formerandcurrentcivilservantseachyearbyprovidingthemwithfinancialsupport,adviceandinformation.Afurther£1,149wasraisedforTheLifeboatFund,whichsupportstheworkoftheRNLI.

Children in Need

Ourstaffdonated£121,614totheBBC’s2011ChildreninNeedappeal.390HMRCstaffinthreecontactcentresalsovolunteeredtheirowntimetotakemorethan9,500callsfromthepublic,raisingafurther£318,519.

Blood donors

108peoplebasedinourEastKilbrideofficedonated86pintsofbloodduringasinglevisitbytheNationalBloodService.StafffromourBentonParkViewofficeinNewcastlewereinvitedtoaspecial‘thankyou’ceremonyatStJames’ParkbyNHSBlood&Transplantinrecognitionofthe2,200unitsofblooddonatedbystaffthereoverthepastfiveyears.Oneblooddonationcanpotentiallysavethelivesofuptothreepeople.

Christmas cheer

HMRCstaffinthesouthwestofEnglandco-ordinatedacampaign–‘PantsforChristmas’–acrossanumberofgovernmentdepartmentsbycollectingclothing,blanketsandtoiletriesforhomelesspeopleandsupportingover25charities.Atthesametime,staffinourofficeatBootle,agreednottosendChristmascardsbutspendthemoneyinsteadonhelpingthehomelessbydonatingfoodandblanketstoashelterinLiverpoolovertheChristmasperiod.

Milestones TrustBrianHearn,avolunteerfromourLocalCompliancebusinessarea,usedhisspecialistITskillstohelptheMilestonesTrust–acharitythatsupportspeoplewithlearningdisabilities,mentalhealthneedsanddementia–tosetupamarketingdatabase.Brianbeganvolunteeringpriortoretiring;somethingweencourageourpeopletodoasawayofcontributingtotheirlocalcommunityastheymovefromworkintoretirement.

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Our corporate responsibility commitments for 2012 to 2015

Ourcommitmentisto:

For our customers ImprovethecustomerexperienceandtheUKbusinessenvironmentby:

• reducingthecostsonourcustomers• makingourproductsandprocesseseasierforthemtoaccessandsimpler

touse• answering90percentofcallstoourcontactcentresfirsttime.

For our people Developstrongleadershipandcreateaworkingenvironmentthatmotivatesourpeopletogiveoftheirbestby:

• improvingourprofessionalismanddevelopingtheskillsandconfidenceofourleadersandmanagers

• continuingtodevelopadiverseworkforce.By2013,weexpectourseniorgradestocompriseatleast35percentwomen,8.6percentdisabledstaffand5.1percentBAMEemployees.We’lllooktoincreaseeachofthoselevelsbyfivepercentby2014-15

• identifyingthepeopleandlocationsweneedforthefuture;buildingonaculturethatsupportsourpeopleanddrivestransformationalchange.

For the environment Achievethe2015targetssetforallgovernmentdepartmentsby:

• reducinggreenhousegasemissionsby25percentfromourestateandbusiness-relatedtravel(from2009-10levels)

• cuttingtheamountofwastewegenerateby25percent,bringingwaterconsumptioninlinewithbestpractice,andreducingdomesticflightsby20percent

• procuringsustainablyandreducingtheenvironmentalimpactofoursupplychain.

For our communities Encourageourstafftoparticipateinvolunteeringthatbringsusclosertoourcustomers,andsupportfundraisingcampaignsby:

• givingatleast15,000daysofstafftimeforvoluntaryactivityduringtheperiod2012-15(includingatleast100volunteerleadersperyeartothePrince’sTrustteamprogramme)

• retainingGoldQualityMarkstatusfromtheInstituteofFundraisingbyhavingtenpercentormoreofourstaffdonatingtocharityviaourpayroll

• continuingtosupportfundraisingcampaignsforTheCharityforCivilServants,theLifeboatFundandtheBBC’sChildreninNeedappeal.

Issued by HM Revenue & Customs © Crown Copyright 2012

Thisinformationisalsoavailableinalternativeformats,includinglargeprint,Brailleandaudio,onrequest.Pleasecontactcorporate.communications @hmrc.gsi.gov.uk

Ifyouwouldliketocommentonthisreport,pleaseemail corporate.communications @hmrc.gsi.gov.uk

mailto:corporate.communications%40hmrc.gsi.gov.uk?subject=corporate%20responsibility%20report%202011-12




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