Sustainability continues to be a hot topic in the care sector – and rightly so. No longer just a ‘nice to have’ box ticked, it’s tied directly and inextricably to standards of care, with the CQC bringing sustainability into its criteria for the first time last year.

The CQC’s sustainability quality statement says: ‘We understand any negative impact of our activities on the environment and we strive to make a positive contribution in reducing it and support people to do the same’. The CQC is looking for evidence of green initiatives, carbon reduction, recycling measures and structured staff training.

At Hartford Care, we are committed to building a sustainable future. We are already achieving this through the continued investment in our existing homes, improving our green credentials across the board, and by ensuring our new homes are energy efficient. Our newly built homes which opened in 2023 – Harlow Hall in Aldershot and Cotswolds Rise in Swindon – were designed with sustainability in mind, with significant renewable energy elements including solar panels, heat pumps and battery storage systems. Our homes currently under construction in Alton and Southampton, as well as newly-acquired homes in Fordingbridge and Eastleigh, all have the same principles with industry-leading sustainability credentials and will be rated BREEAM Excellent.

We have already invested over £8 million in reducing our carbon footprint and futureproofing our existing homes. We are undertaking refurbishment projects, including installing loft and cavity wall insulation, and changing all lighting to low-energy LEDs. All new home extensions are being built using energy efficient structural insulated panels (SIPs), a technology used in Passivhaus design, which requires less time and trades onsite, resulting in less travel and wastage during the build process.

Further sustainable initiatives have been put in place, including electric vehicle charging points being installed on all newly built care homes and extensions, a car sharing scheme for team members, new recycling facilities and a rewilding biodiversity programme.

We are constantly exploring new ideas in energy saving technology and we’re currently investigating the benefits of smart thermostats and voltage optimisation. The latter would mean that as electricity is drawn from the grid, anything that isn’t used – rather than going to waste – is stored and then sold back to the grid, saving both cost and waste.

While we’re adding substantial social value to the communities in which we operate, there are also significant financial benefits to prioritising sustainability in the care sector. Over the last 24 months, our energy usage is down by 13%. We expect this to fall to around 50% once the solar energy, installed in a number of our homes, starts to benefit us. On average, where already installed, around 30% of each homes’ energy is now being produced from the solar panels, ground source heat pumps and air source heat pumps.

This is great news for Hartford Care; the costs we save can be ploughed back into the business to enhance our service offering and ultimately, reinforce the high quality of care we already offer our residents.

Every Hartford Care team member – across all our homes and head office – is educated on our sustainability journey. Our residents are also included and kept up to date of everything going on and play their part too. This grassroots effort, where everyone comes together in every care home, collectively makes small, everyday wins, in-turn supporting our larger goal.

With sustainability increasingly at the forefront of many people’s minds, it’s also becoming more important to our residents and their families when they are looking for a home. It is a powerful selling point and is increasing our desirability for environmentally conscious families. Potential new recruits are also showing an interest and prioritising sustainability, this means investing now helps us to continue to attract the best talent while meeting the expectations of residents and families.

Sustainability matters for all. To create a better future and environment for us all – and future generations – to live in, with the potential to provide significant financial benefits going forward, which will be profound for the future of the care sector.