Governance and corporate social responsibility

Governance

The Board is committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance and to ensuring that values and behaviours are consistent across the Group. Download the latest corporate governance report.

Statement of compliance

The Board is accountable to shareholders for maintaining high standards of corporate governance and for ensuring that values and behaviours are consistent across the Group. The Board confirms that, without exception, the Company complied with all relevant provisions of the Code throughout the year ended 31 December 2017 and following disclosures provide a detailed description of how the Company has complied with the principals set out in the Code in the 2017 financial year.

Diversity

The Company recognises the benefit of having a diverse workforce, and is committed to building and sustaining inclusivity and diversity throughout the Group. Alongside the Group's Diversity Policy (see link below) which applies to the whole Group, the Company has established its own approach to achieving similar diversity and inclusivity on the Board in the Board Diversity Policy.

Corporate social responsibility

The Company is committed to building a sustainable and profitable business while continuing to operate responsibly with honesty, integrity and fairness.

Our Board of Directors is ultimately responsible for establishing high ethical standards of behaviour, effective corporate governance and defines our strategic and financial objectives. Corporate responsibility remains central to delivering our strategy and the Chief Executive Officer is the Director with specific responsibility for corporate responsibility matters and oversees the processes and measures used to manage the Group’s social, environmental, ethical, health and safety and associated internal controls.

The Group has implemented a number of policies covering anti-bribery and corruption, business ethics, whistle-blowing and diversity which support our approach to corporate responsibility. The effectiveness of these policies and procedures are monitored and reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that they align with our Group strategy.

We require all of our employees to conduct themselves to the highest level of ethical conduct in their business activities and to comply with relevant laws, regulations and standards of market practice in all jurisdictions where the Group operates. We do not permit bribery, illegal or corrupt business practices and we provide a procedure for employees to raise any malpractice concerns in an appropriate forum without fear of recourse.