Social value

Image: Social value activities

Reimagining places for people to thrive.

Social value is a golden thread that runs throughout our business. We believe that giving opportunities for people to thrive is just as important as new buildings and infrastructure.

Our Social Value Strategy

We care about the good we as a business can do for the economy, for our communities, and for society. Launched in 2020, our five-year social value strategy has three key themes:  

Challenging inequality

Helping those furthest from the workforce.

We want to change people’s lives for the better, and support groups who face barriers to work. For example, those who’ve been through the criminal justice system, and ex-service individuals. Our Residential, FM and Developments businesses are accredited with the Living Wage Foundation to champion the real Living Wage.

Image: Inspiring and educating young people about this sector

Inspiring the next generation

Inspiring and educating young people about this sector.

We want to diversify and widen our talent pool, and more young people to discover the brilliant careers in the built environment. Since 2020, we’ve engaged 80,000 young people and hope to reach 100,000 by 2025. We run education outreach programmes to young people from primary school through to college. Our aim is to support them to raise aspirations, develop their potential and learn about the world of work. This includes assemblies and workshops in schools, and work experience through our T-Level placements, and summer programme.

Image: Supporting and scaling up social enterprises

Supporting thriving communities

Supporting and scaling up social enterprises.

Social enterprises are businesses which trade for a social or environmental purpose. We have spent over £31m with social enterprises since 2020 and are targeting £45m by 2025. Through our ASSETS programme Wates employees support social enterprises to scale, mentoring them to develop and grow their businesses. We’re a founding partner of the Buy Social Corporate Challenge, a consortium of businesses who together want to spend £1bn with social enterprises by 2026.

Interested in a Social Value job at Wates?

Senior SHE Advisor

Location: Newmarket

Job Type: SHEQ

Application Deadline: 04-12-2025

Shape the future. Drive change. Build safer.Are you passionate about safety, health, and environmental excellence?At Wates Construction, we’re on the lookout for a forward-thinking Senior SHE Advisor to join our dynamic team. We work across multiple sectors, pushing boundaries in design, delivery, and sustainability — and we’re looking for someone just as passionate about excellence and innovation in health, safety, and environmental leadership.ABOUT THE ROLEAs a key member of our SHE (Safety, Health & Environment) function, you’ll provide expert support, advice, and coaching at a regional business level. You’ll work closely with Business Unit Directors, Operations Directors, and supply chain peers to ensure our SHE policy is not only understood—but actively embedded in everything we do.As our Senior SHE Advisor you will: Championing SHE standards across multiple projects and regions. Coaching project leads and regional leadership on risk identification and mitigation. Leading investigations into incidents and guiding teams on best-practice techniques. Reviewing project RAMS and plans to ensure they’re robust and fit for purpose. Promoting the use of Airsweb for incident reporting and action tracking. Supporting bids and pre-construction planning with a strong focus on risk awareness. Building a network within the regional supply chain to influence SHE deployment. Presenting SHE dashboards and incident analysis at regional board meetings. WHAT WE OFFER Competitive salary & profit share scheme Flexible working Car Allowance / Company Car (subject to Role/Grade) Travel covered to any of our sites (subject to HMRC advisory rates) Extensive corporate benefits including, Private Medical, Pension 8% employers’ contribution, Health and Wellness programme, 26 days holidays + bank holidays and much more… Excellent range of learning and development activity to support your career progression. Industry leading family leave benefits to included 26 weeks fully paid maternity, 12 weeks fully paid paternity.To find out more about LIFE AT WATES please click on the following link https://www.wates.co.uk/careers/We are always looking for a variety of new talent to join our teams, to help us grow and innovate as a business. Although you may not have all of the skills listed, many of them may be transferable to other roles within the WATES Group.If you would like clarity on any of our vacancies, discuss career opportunities in strict confidence or need anything to make our recruitment process easier, please contact our In-House Recruitment Team directly or via recruitment@wates.co.uk and one of us will get in touch as soon as possible.As a responsible and inclusive employer, we are committed to equality and are proud to have been recognised for this through a range of accolades including gold accreditation with Investors in People, we are also a Disability Confident employer. Being a family owned, business means we understand and value long term relationships.

Social Value Advisor

Location: Oxford

Job Type: SHEQ

Application Deadline: 03-12-2025

Wates are looking for a Social Value to join our team focussing on high profile, technically complex projects across multiple sectors. If you are passionate about social value with proven technical skills looking for an opportunity to challenge the norm, bring fresh new ideas and elevate yourself within the industry then join us and help to create tomorrow together. This is a great opportunity to progress your career as part of a talented, diverse, and supportive team. ABOUT THE ROLE Our Social Value Advisors are a valuable part of our business and has a focus on day-to-day engagement with community organisations and delivery against project targets. Working closely with the Social Value Manager the Social Value Advisor will support in the delivery of Social Value activity for each allocated site/contract within a region.  As our Social Value Advisor you will: Be responsible for coordinating and delivering Social Value activities in line with project KPIs, including managing discreet projects (e.g. careers fairs, work experience). Be responsible for sourcing and training Social Value / Social Enterprise / Work Experience / Safeguarding / D&I / Wellbeing / Charity champions and initiatives at project level Be responsible for data collection, including providing support to site based Social Value Champions, at the beginning and end of Social Value activities. Ensure that all data is recorded and GDPR compliant and support with KPI monitoring. Collate and develop content for social media and website, creating case studies to support the regional Comms plan. Work with the Social Value Manager and collaborate with the Comms team to produce content for internal and external publication. Be responsible for identifying community groups and associations. Work closely with these groups and lead engagement initiatives, empowering community groups to support with co-design. Ensure that stakeholder opinions are taken into consideration to drive or shape key decisions on community projects Communicate the value of engaging in Social Value related initiatives at project level to influence colleagues to participate. Communicate with external delivery partners to maintain and develop the Social Value programmes within the locations of allocated sites/contracts. Communicate with Group Social Value lead and Social Value colleagues across the Group to share and implement best practice in Social Value and to identify opportunities for collaboration when working in similar geographic areas. WHAT WE OFFER Competitive salary & profit share scheme Flexible working Car Allowance / Company Car (subject to Role/Grade) Travel covered to any of our sites (subject to HMRC advisory rates) Extensive corporate benefits including, Private Medical, Pension 8% employers’ contribution, Health and Wellness programme, 26 days holidays + bank holidays and much more… Excellent range of learning and development activity to support your career progression. Industry leading family leave benefits to included 26 weeks fully paid maternity, 12 weeks fully paid paternity. (*Subject to role…….) To find out more about LIFE AT WATES please click on the following link https://www.wates.co.uk/careers/ We are always looking for a variety of new talent to join our teams, to help us grow and innovate as a business. Although you may not have all of the skills listed, many of them may be transferable to other roles within the WATES Group. If you would like clarity on any of our vacancies or to discuss career opportunities in strict confidence, please contact our In-House Recruitment Team directly via recruitment@wates.co.uk and one of us will get in touch as soon as possible. As a responsible and inclusive employer, we are committed to equality and are proud to have been recognised for this through a range of accolades including gold accreditation with Investors in People, we are also a Disability Confident employer. Being a family owned, business means we understand and value long term relationships.

SHE Advisor

Location: Redditch

Job Type: SHEQ

Application Deadline: 15-12-2025

WPS are seeking an experienced SHE Advisor!Are you passionate about safety, health, and the environment? We’re looking for a proactive and knowledgeable SHE Advisor to join our team and help drive excellence across our regional operations. in the Midlands (travel is a must for this role) 🔍 Key ResponsibilitiesCompliance & Governance Ensure full compliance with SHE legislation, CDM regulations, and internal policies. Maintain and enhance SHE Management Systems (ISO 14001, 45001). Conduct audits, inspections, and risk assessments. Lead incident investigations and produce root cause analysis reports.Operational Support Provide expert SHE coaching to project teams, directors, and supply chain partners. Monitor site safety and environmental performance. Review RAMS and project plans for SHE compliance. Champion behavioural safety initiatives and deliver toolbox talks.Strategic Engagement Contribute SHE expertise to bids and pre-construction planning. Promote a positive SHE culture through campaigns and training. Liaise with HSE and other regulatory bodies as required.🎓 Qualifications & SkillsEssential NEBOSH General or Construction Certificate NVQ Level 4 or equivalent in Health & Safety Strong understanding of SHE legislation and construction practices Proficiency in Microsoft Office and SHE platforms (e.g. Airsweb) Excellent communication and coaching skills Willingness to develop knowledge around the Building Safety Act 2022 & BSRDesirable Membership of IOSH or IIRSM (Tech IOSH or higher) ISO 9001/14001/45001 Internal Auditor qualification Experience in social housing, refurbishment, or high-rise retrofit projects Familiarity with PASMA, IPAF Knowledge of asbestos regulations (Control of Asbestos at Work, HSG 264)If you’re ready to make a real impact in a dynamic and supportive environment, we’d love to hear from you.