Rationale for question

Social exclusion can result from a series of often interrelated problems, such as poverty, discrimination, lack of education/training, ill health, family breakdown or lack of decent housing. It leads to marginalisation from employment and from wider social networks. A widening gap between the highest and lowest income groups is an indication of social exclusion, with corresponding disparity access to goods and services and unequal life chances.

Businesses can help to promote social inclusion in several ways, for example by providing business-based training and support in the workplace. This might include work schemes to bring the long-term unemployed back into the workforce or support for those recovering from mental ill health. A businesses can develop internal structures that promote social inclusion such as a recruitment process that does not stigmatise mental illness or homelessness. Another route is to work in partnership with outside organisations that work to reduce the alienation of certain groups.

Benefits to the company of promoting social inclusion include developing links with local organisations, greater engagement by the workforce, raising the public profile of the company, and building a more thriving community in which to conduct business.

Defining Terms

'Social exclusion' relates to the alienation or disenfranchisement of people from mainstream society. This can prevent some people from accessing services, such as healthcare, or undertaking activities, such as employment, that other people can do. It is often connected to a person's social background, educational status, mental and physical health and living standards and how these factors might affect their access to various opportunities.

'Social inclusion' is the converse. They are processes that enable people to overcome the factors that affect their social exclusion, such as training programmes, anti-discrimination laws and regulations, and advocacy services. Social inclusion is also sometimes used to refer to positive action taken to include all sectors of society in planning and other decision-making, such as community consultation exercises.

For the purposes of this question, efforts to promote social inclusion refer to those taken in the community in which the company primarily operates. If a company has overseas operations, efforts to promote social inclusion in those areas may also be discussed.

Primary and Secondary answer requirements

ANSWERING YES

Companies must:

1. explain their rationale for promoting social inclusion, as defined above; and
2. describe how they do it.

ANSWERING NO

Companies must:

1. explain why they do not or cannot answer YES to this question, listing the business reasons, any mitigating circumstances or other reasons that apply.

Companies may:

1. assess whether this issue is likely to affect them more or less in the future; and
2. mention any future intentions regarding this issue.

DON'T KNOW is not a permissible answer to this question.

NOT APPLICABLE is not a permissible answer to this question.

NO ANSWER YET is only permissible under extraordinary circumstances and then for only a limited period.