We are actively committed to equality
of opportunity and value diversity, and ensure this is a core
principle in the delivery of our work and services. We actively
seek social research commissions that we believe will promote
and contribute to the aim of social inclusion and greater equality
of opportunity in access to services.
Specifically and as a matter of standard
practice we:
Use imaginative ways of reaching socially
excluded groups in our research, both quantitative and qualitative
Ensure that the research design, format
and environment promotes an atmosphere in which people from
all backgrounds and communities feel welcome and their views
valued and respected
Design questionnaires and other research
tools in a format and style that is jargon free and accessible
Use Associates where we feel that their
background and life experience will encourage greater openness
from respondents
Use a research approach that gives people
the opportunity to openly and confidentially describe their
experiences and views on accessing and using services
Disaggregate findings so that the
differing needs and experiences of diverse groups in the
community are identified
Environmental Statement
We undertake
research that involves:
Desk research
Field research
Preparation of reports
In the process of carrying out the desk research
and preparing reports, information is transmitted and drafts
circulated for comments using email wherever possible, to
minimise the use of paper.
Paper documents are produced on standard
photocopying paper or laser grade paper that is 100% recycled
with a minimum of 80% post consumer waste. Double-sided printing
is used. Every effort is made to recycle paper and use it
for draft documents.
The covers of the final version of the report
are in machine sealer varnished water miscible (ie water not
solvent based).
In carrying out fieldwork we travel by
public transport wherever possible.
Health and Safety Statement
(As SPN is an ‘association’
of freelance consultants this policy is not enforceable but
is recommended as good practice and accepted as such.)
Aims :
To aspire to a culture of health and
safety
To ensure SPN and any Associates working
with us understand the need to maintain a safe working environment
in their individual office bases and whilst undertaking
fieldwork.
Responsibility of SPN consultants
They must:
Take individual care for their health
and safety both in their office and in the field
Develop a personal concern for theirs
and others' safety
Be aware of their responsibilities to
other people who may be affected by their work
Comply with the boundaries of SPN’s
Public Liability insurance requirements
When necessary comply with the statutory
duties and requirements of customers whilst undertaking
fieldwork, for example participating in any emergency practices
Be aware of any risks or hazards relating
to their work and where appropriate undertake a risk assessment
of their working area
Have an awareness of any prolonged use
of computer equipment and access regular eye checks
Keep accessible First Aid material and
instructions for use
Lone working
They must:
When working in the field ensure that
where possible meetings are held in public places
When conducting home visits to interview
individuals to let colleagues know the time and place of
the visit and contact a colleague or family member when
the visit is concluded
Not arrange meetings that may compromise
their own and others' safety
Carry a mobile phone
Transport
They must:
For environmental purposes use public
transport when possible
Not put themselves at risk whilst on
public transport, e.g.they should travel in train compartments
that are occupied by others, stand in well lit areas
When travelling by private transport have
breakdown cover
Reporting of injuries, diseases and
dangerous occurrences
Any such occurrences are reported in
accordance with contractual requirements
As self employed individuals it is their responsibility
to take care of their health
Quality Statement
We fully recognise the need for regular communication
and progress reporting to clients. Close liaison and discussion
enriches the investigation being undertaken, ensures the work
remains on course, and helps us to meet client needs.
Quality assurance of work for clients
is achieved through:
Ensuring that all members of the team
understand the overall objectives of the work, and their
contribution
Regular monitoring of progress
Close liaison with clients
Being responsive to client feedback and
refining or reshaping the work where appropriate
All reports are read in draft by members
of the team who are not its author before being presented to
the client.
We are on the National Council for Voluntary Organisations list
of approved consultants. We are members of the Social Research
Association and Social Services Research Group and are guided
by their policies on research ethics.
For
the majority of survey interviews, data entry and data processing
we use Quality Fieldwork & Research, who have their own
internal quality assurance systems (details of which can be
provided).
For interviews that need to be recorded we
use digital recordings that are stored for the lifetime of
the project and then destroyed. When transcription is necessary
we use Liber8ing. This company has its own internal confidentiality
agreement and in addition we initiate a specific confidentiality
agreement for each contract.
Ethics statement
We understand and take seriously our
responsibilities to society, our funders and employers, our
colleagues and our research subjects. In practice this means
we:
Maintain high standards in the collection
and analysis of data and the impartial assessment of findings
Do not compromise our commitment to morality
and to the law, and maintain standards commensurate with
professional integrity
Take precautions to protect our safety
and security when conducting field research
Ensure that subjects’ participation
in our research is as fully informed as possible and voluntary
On the award of each contract for work we,
at our own initial project planning meeting, address the potential
ethical issues raised in the course of this research and how
we propose to respond to them. A note of this is made and
reviewed at future planning and monitoring meetings during
the course of the project.
Diversity
Statement