Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report
Summary
We have a clear purpose at Settle – to give residents a firm foundation on which to build their lives. To achieve this purpose, we have a clear plan made up of four strategic themes that we’re focused on delivering by 2030:
- being relentlessly resident focussed;
- being a responsible social business;
- providing safe and warm homes;
- and meeting housing needs.
Working with our partners and residents we improve neighbourhoods and life outcomes for residents by investing in both the quality of new and existing affordable homes and places. This Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report demonstrates how Settle recognises our responsibility not only to our residents but also the wider community and the environment.
We understand that our operations have a significant impact on the world around us. Therefore, we strive to conduct our business in a manner that promotes positive environmental stewardship and fosters social inclusivity.
The themes in this report are aligned with six of the Sustainable Development Goals, which are the United Nation’s Blueprint and an ‘urgent call for action by all countries’ to collaboratively address key global challenges such as poverty, hunger, health, inequality and climate change by 2030.
We commit to reporting annually on our achievements using the Good Economy’s sector-wide Sustainability Reporting Standard.
Environmental
At Settle we take our responsibility for the environment seriously and ensuring the homes we own and manage have thermal comfort. One of our ambitions of our 2030 corporate plan is that we want to provide homes and places residents are proud of and help create a more sustainable future for the neighbourhoods where we work. We will continue to play our part in the national programme to decarbonise our economy, support residents in fuel poverty and invest in green spaces within our neighbourhoods. While we are closely aligned to Government sustainability targets, as a social purpose organisation we are committed to going beyond these and working in an environmentally sustainable way across all we do.
Tackling Climate Change
We know that 93% of organisational carbon emissions originate from our housing stock. With responsibility for over 10,000 homes, our strategy for building, retrofitting and maintenance will is key to managing these emissions. Our approach is “fabric first” and we have committed £3.2m over the next financial year to sustainability improvements. During 24/25 we spent more than £4.8m on energy efficiency and sustainability improvements.
In March 2023 we were awarded funding through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, as part of our Greener Herts partnership with B3Living, Dacorum Borough Council and Watford Community Housing. Our funding has enabled us to improve the energy efficiency of 423 homes and support our journey to achieve EPC C in 100% of our properties by 2030. The consortium was shortlisted for a Net Zero award for partnership working demonstrating the excellent work undertaken. The funding for the consortium and Settle as part of DESNZ Wave 2.1 will complete 31st March 2026.
We will continue to deliver sustainability and energy efficiency works to homes on completion of Wave 2.1 through the Warmer Homes Fund 3.0. Settle has secured £10.9 million grant funding which will improve an additional 1000 homes.
Our resident Green Panel which supports Settle by reviewing and setting outputs for our sustainability work, continues to go from strength to strength. Penny a resident on our panel is quoted in publications saying, ‘Settle’s Green Panel’s objective is to encourage Settle residents to live in a more eco-friendly and sustainable way to benefit both their communities and the planet in an environmentally conscious way of life.” The panel discusses sustainability topics that are important to them and holds us to account for our progress in achieving sustainability. They will be heavily involved in the scrutiny of Wave 3.0
Good data is key to understanding the Net Zero challenge, so we continue to monitor the emissions associated with our housing stock and organisational practices. We are now in the fourth year of undertaking the SHIFT (Sustainable Homes Index for Tomorrow) accreditation. We have achieved Silver previous financial years and await accreditation this year mid-summer 2025. The analysis helps us to identify where we can continue to progress, and w have a clear plan in place to achieve SHIFT Gold status by 2027.
Social
As a well-run social business, our role at Settle goes beyond being a landlord. Whilst delivering on our core purpose, to give residents a firm foundation on which to build their lives, we also re-invest surplus into achieving a wider social impact in the communities we serve.
We celebrated Green Week in June 2025, key highlights included:
- Detailing the work done on the 423 homes to make them warner, more comfortable and more energy efficient.
- Highlighting that that our teams recycled 95.8% of waste collected across our neighbourhoods equating to 57 tonnes of waste.
- Trialling and electric van for our facilities team.
- Adding benches at our office made from recycled materials
- Donating recycled clothes to our charity of the year Herts and Essex Air Ambulance.
- Events for colleagues, including a lunchtime session on how we’re continuing to embed sustainability across the business, setting up our own gardening club and a second-hand swap shop.
Affordability and Security
We provide homes at up to a 56% discount to local market rates across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and South Cambridgeshire and 81% of our homes are set at social rents. Rent price increases are in line with the government set rent standard for all our social and affordable homes. We have also implemented an in-house money advice team in the 24/25 financial year to support residents gain access to funds, supporting their ability to pay bills and be more energy efficient.
Building Safety and Quality
As of April 2025, 100% of homes have an in-date, accredited gas safety check and are compliant with a Fire Risk Assessment, which is carried out as required every three years. Our planned maintenance work is underway; this year, we have spent £15.6m on improvements to doors, windows, boilers, kitchens, lifts, bathrooms, roofs and adaptations.
Resident Voice
At Settle, residents are at the heart of everything we do. We involve residents in decisions that affect their homes, neighbourhoods, and the services we deliver making sure their views shape real change. Strong communities are built not just through providing good homes, but by listening to the people who live in them, acting on feedback, and working together to create places people are proud to call home.
In 2024/25, we launched our Engagement Framework and our Inclusion, Support and Accessibility Statement, setting out our commitment to ensure every resident, regardless of background, need, or circumstance, can take part in ways that suit them. The framework was co-created with residents and colleagues, and an Equality Impact Assessment was completed by one of our vulnerable residents to make sure it’s truly inclusive and fit for purpose.
We placed particular focus this year on growing our digital engagement through Settle Connect. At the beginning of the financial year, 120 residents were engaging with us online. By March 2025, that number had grown to over 1,500. Across the year, Settle Connect recorded 11,192 visits and 1,369 contributions. It has become a key platform where residents influence services, share views on policy, and see the direct impact of their feedback.
We also brought together our quarterly Big Door Knock and Neighbourhood Action Weeks, helping us reach more people in the communities we serve. We spoke with over 600 residents during the year, and their insights have directly shaped our Neighbourhood Plans and the local improvements we’ve made as a result.
Our resident panels continued to grow and evolve. We welcomed a new resident chair to our Voice of the Resident Panel and recruited three new independent Operations Committee members, two of whom are Settle residents. With around 70 applications for these roles, the interest and appetite for residents to influence our work is clear.
We also launched our Colleague and Resident Panel, made up of Settle colleagues who live in Settle properties. This group provides a unique perspective on service delivery and experience and is already focused on important topics like the stigma in social housing. Our Green Panel is also developing its plans, supporting our SHIFT sustainability work and encouraging environmentally responsible changes across Settle and our communities.
To make sure we continue to improve how we engage, we regularly measure resident satisfaction through Tenant Satisfaction Measures and transactional surveys. We track trust checking whether residents feel heard and that we’re acting on their feedback and monitor participation across our engagement activities to make sure we’re reaching a wide and representative group of residents.
Placemaking
Regenerating neighbourhoods remains a key priority for us. In Letchworth, we’ve submitted plans for the regeneration of the Campfield Way, Highover Way and Icknield Way area. We’ve worked closely with our Resident Steering Group (RSG) throughout the planning stages, and this partnership will continue right through the project. To keep connected with the community, we host weekly coffee mornings – giving residents a space to chat, ask questions and share their views as the plans progress.
Colleague Wellbeing
At Settle, we put colleague wellbeing first. We believe that when colleagues feel supported and well, they’re best placed to deliver great services for our residents.
Colleagues can access annual wellbeing benefits to support their interests and activities outside of work. Our 'Together We Care' champions keep wellbeing on the agenda throughout the year, organising activities across our offices and online from meditation and mindfulness to our standout Wellbeing Week each January. We also mark key awareness days to keep conversations about mental health and wellbeing open and active.
Mental health continues to be a priority. Colleagues are regularly reminded of the help available including access to our trained Mental Health First Aiders, the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), and confidential support services. Our Men’s Mental Health group, set up by colleagues, has created a safe and supportive space to talk, share, and break down stigma.
We made a change to our health cash plan provider this year, switching to Westfield. The move gives colleagues access to a wider range of services and more generous cover, and we’ve already seen stronger engagement and uptake. It’s also delivered cost savings compared to our previous provider.
Our social purpose is central to how we work. Each year, colleagues take part in two paid Giving Something Back days, supporting local charities and causes. Through our Big Door Knock and Neighbourhood Action Days, colleagues get out into our neighbourhoods, spending time alongside residents and strengthening community connections.
We were proud to support our charity partner, It’s Never You, who provide vital help for families of children with cancer. Colleagues raised over £3,000 through raffles, lunches, and a Settle donation linked to our annual engagement survey. It’s another great example of how colleagues live our values and make a difference together.
We also continue to listen closely to colleague feedback. From Team Briefs and Homefest to surveys and everyday check-ins, we’re creating space for colleagues to have their say, feel heard, and shape the future of Settle.
Supply Chain
Through procurement of contractors and suppliers, Settle considers how additional community or public benefit can be delivered by the supply chain. One of the objectives included in the Settle Procurement Policy is:
Maximising public benefit – consider the extent to which the contract can deliver greater benefit, for example by considering social value and environmental benefits that could be achieved by the contract, or by collaborating with other Contracting Authorities to maximise the use of resources.
This means that the project team carrying out the procurement considers the social value benefits which could be delivered through the contracts. Settle will:
- Incorporate economic, social and / or environmental criteria in-to the contract specification which is proportionate and relevant to the main purpose of the contract,
- Allocate a proportion of the quality evaluation score to “social value” criteria, so long as this is relevant to the subject of the contract,
- Engage with customers on procurement matters and involve customers in the procurement process for appropriate contracts.
Contractors may make social value contributions by offering up time to carry out activities such as renovations of social spaces, offering work experience or placements, or making a financial contribution via a rebate on a percentage of the contract value.
Settle also receives rebate from some of the procurement consortium frameworks we utilise such as London Housing Consortium. Any monies paid back to Settle are added to our Social Purpose Fund and utilised to deliver community benefit projects.
Settle Procurement Panel provides oversight and ensures that social and environmental value is factored into procurement decisions.
Governance
Details of Settle’s Governance, structure and membership can be found in the Strategic Report.
Sustainable Reporting Standard Metrics
Environmental Reporting
Social Reporting
Governance Reporting
