Community & Social Responsibility

Our goal is to maintain a continuing commitment to behave ethically and to contribute to the economic development of the community both within our local area and also realising our effect on the world, beyond profit making. We strive to improve the quality of life of our workforce, the local community and society generally.

As a firm we conduct ourselves and our transactions in a honest and transparent way, having procedures in place and full training given to all staff on Anti money laundering, corruption, bribery and unfair competition.  

All Partners and staff within our firm are fully trained upon induction and expected to uphold our policies and procedures relating to this policy.

Brewer Harding & Rowe are always looking to support local events within the community. We are committed to our local area supporting and making positive social and financial contributions where we can. Our policy includes charity work, sustainable business practices, fair treatment of all workers and compliance with the law. Again this year we have helped many local charities being very involved with The Care for Kids 10k Run, the North Devon hospices 40 for forty and Everything Ellie.  We have been supported in our fundraising by many other local businesses and many of our in house team. All of these endeavours help us to achieve our goals and play our part within the local community.

Again, this year we have engaged with local counselling support to help within our team and also we have a trained counsellor in-house who helps within the legal sector on a wider scale, thus supporting mental health and well being within our workforce and further afield.

We always source locally, ethically and responsibly where possible thus trying to keep all of our trade within the local area. This not only supports local smaller business but makes a huge difference to those within our local community.

Below are some of the ways in which we have implemented our Community and Social Responsibility aims and commitments:

Support for local community events:

Other local community events we sponsor:

• Bideford Water Festival
• North Devon Show
• Braunton Village Fair
• Braunton Christmas Lights
• Braunton Tug of War - The Black Horse
• Simpkin Edwards Big Quiz for local charities

Support for sporting events:

• Sponsorship and support of Barnstaple Rugby Club
• Sponsorship and support of Surf Life saving
• Sponsorship and participation in fund raising golf day at North Devon Golf Club
• Sponsorship and participation in estate agent and solicitors cricket day
• Sponsorship and attendance at local point to point meetings

Supporting local education:

• Summer student programme for local Law students & graduates
• Student Apprenticeship programme for aspiring solicitors, we are currently training students undertaking a 2,3 and 6 year programme.
• We have hosted a free employment seminar to help local companies understand employment law and how this may relate to them.

Supporting local and national charities:

• Christmas toy bank appeal
• Law Care – free counselling service for all in the legal profession
• Save the Children – Christmas Jumper Day
• Wear it Pink – breast cancer fundraiser

Environment

Brewer Harding & Rowe are environmentally aware and committed to reducing our negative impact on the surrounding environment. We have a dedicated environmental action group specifically formed to identify and implement further improvements to help the firm become more ecologically friendly. We raise awareness of the importance of being an environmentally aware business with members of staff attending sustainability training. 

The firm is also proactive in sourcing Greener energy quotes to supply all offices, and purchasing sustainably produced products where possible. Brewer Harding & Rowe mostly uses two local recycling companies, Perry’s Recycling and Coastal Waste. These companies recycle different types of waste and can recycle all waste removed from our premises. Within our offices, we currently recycle the following waste:

Paper & Cardboard

While the firm recognises it will never be able to run paperless, any paper we need to dispose of is recycled. We are also proactively reducing the amount of paper we use in the following ways

• Communication is sent by email rather than printing and sending through the post.
• We prefer to store documents in digital format, rather than print.
• Paper products such as magazines, waste paper, junk mail and cardboard are all recycled.
• In the future we aim to send wage slips electronically, rather than paper copies.

Plastic, Glass and Other Waste

As well as recycling plastic, we also promote the reduction of its use. For example, staff bring in their own drink bottles to fill up rather than using single-use plastic cups. On rare occasions, there is waste that the recycling companies we use are unable to accept, in these circumstances, we seek out specialists who can recycle those items. Printer cartridges and computer equipment is an example of this.

Trading with eco-friendly companies to recycle our printer cartridges and provide us with environmentally considered equipment. In the past we have also used Citrus Digital and Printeco Greensource Solutions who provide us with certificates for trees planted in the local area to assist in putting back what we take out, and contribute money they have raised for chosen charities.

Supporting our staff:

As well as supporting our local community, charities and events Brewer Harding & Rowe also like to host social events for staff to promote interaction and create a better working environment. We are also involved with the development of staff offering local career opportunities. These are some of the ways we encourage team-work and development.

• Regular staff breakfasts, team meals and drinks and the Christmas party provide good opportunities for staff to come together, interacting and maintaining good working relationships.
• Staff Quiz Nights and our annual barbeque allow staff to get together to eat food, drink, socialise and compete for the various trophies or wooden spoon awards!
• All staff are invited to sponsored events to ask if they would like to become either involved in helping with or attending the event. Often vouchers are given to staff for free coffee and cake/free parking/car passes.
• We are supporting individual development through our appraisal system for all staff & Fee Earners.
• We support staff by keeping in regular contact throughout maternity leave, illness, bereavement and other personal issues and offering home visits where necessary.
• We have recently had 2 Trainee solicitors qualify, having done Training Contracts with us, both are now employed within the Firm.
• We have an additional 2 employees currently training, one who will qualify in the next month and one who will qualify next year.
• We have an additional 2 members of staff completing their LPC's who will then begin on Training Contracts.
• We have 2 members of staff currently enrolled onto the Solicitors Apprenticeship scheme, an in house trainng programme with support from an online provider to help them navigate the SQE programmes whilst training in house.
• We also have 2 Alevel students who will be joining us in September, both doing the Solicitors apprenticeship scheme on a 6 year programme.

We believe in having a good work/life balance and encourage all staff to lead an active and fulfilled life, outside of work, encouraging and supporting them with their interests and hobbies where possible.

Responsible management of the firm:

This as important part of our policy and we take great care in the areas of:

• health and safety and well-being of our staff and looking after each other
• risk management
• client confidentiality
• conflicts of interest
• money laundering and the prevention of financial crime
• equality and diversity
• Trained sign language staff to aid deaf clients – deaf awareness
• Trained dementia aware staff
• Trained ‘Solicitors for the Elderly’ staff
• Training undertaken in dealing with vulnerable clients
• Ramps supplied to all offices to help disabled clients where disabled access is limited
• Introduction of ground floor interview room in Bideford this year
• Mental Health training to all management dealing with HR
• Home visits undertaken during sickness where/when needed
• Appointments offered outside the office for staff with mental health issues
• Keeping staff involved whilst absent due to sickness/maternity leave
• Retirement books sourced to help older staff plan for the future
• Referral to outside agencies where needed eg. private mental health assessments, reports to help us & employees to endeavour to return to the workplace. Continued support available to all staff where/when needed
• Law Care information given to staff with problems at home and one to one meetings offered
• Local agency information and referrals to the correct agencies given
• Where family problems/abuse arises - referral to one of our solicitors to help and the ability to speak at any time where needed
• On line health and safety checks for all