Policy Statements
Click on a link and navigate to the topic of interest:
Research and Development
Continual Improvement Programme
General Quality
Data Quality
Health and Safety
Equal Opportunities and Employment Policy
Best Practice
Internet Privacy
Research and Development
Direct 2 Communications long-term survival is dependent on its ability to generate and exploit innovative ideas, bringing to market those products or services that differentiate it from its rivals. While most companies may dismiss this statement as something of a truism, only a few take proactive measures to ensure that every employee has both the means and the will to help the organisation realise its potential.
Our research and development goals are simple: to produce innovative and diverse high quality products, which will fit with customer needs. To achieve this, Direct 2 Communications will invest heavily in staff as well as customer relationship development. A proactive interaction with clients will gain insight of both current and future needs.
Actively encouraging staff at all levels within the organisation to identify opportunities to develop and improve existing services and to work with clients in new ways, will contribute to renewing growth, strengthening competitiveness.
Continual Improvement Programme
A programme of continual improvement is crucial to continuing the value derived from any business system or process. Direct 2 Communications CIP is based on the PDSA cycle. We Plan an improvement based on sound theory, Do it, Study the results and then finally take Action relative to our findings. This cycle is then repeated again and again, securing improvement with each cycle.
We encourage our staff to be the main drivers of improvement. The organisation encourages experimentation and risk, securing gains by recording each system development. Securing improvement in service and morale is a continuous, cyclical process and also the process by which the organisation will develop knowledge.
General Quality
A commitment to Total Quality is the corner stone of Direct 2 Communications business model. The directors and employees, its trading partners and suppliers share a common goal; to not only meet, but to exceed client expectations in delivery of service and quality of products through a process of continual improvement, whilst meeting and exceeding all statutory and regulatory requirements. Our commitments are as follows:
- Direct 2 Communications is committed to supplying the very best customer service, efficiently meeting customers' specific needs with a considered, tailored solution
- We will only accept work within our specific area of expertise. In particular, direct marketing projects
- We will work with full and clear briefs from clients
- We will write quotations, reports and other communications in plain English
- We will meet agreed deadlines
- We will maintain clients' confidentiality in accordance with our confidentiality procedure
- We will conduct research in accordance with all statutory and regulatory requirements
- We will establish an environment that is conducive to performance excellence
- We will continuously strive to improve our products, services, and processes
- We promise at all times to conduct business with professionalism, honesty and integrity
Data Quality
Direct 2 Communications Ltd is primarily a 'data services' company and its success will depend entirely on the quality and accuracy of the data it supplies. Quality of information is of paramount importance. The Directors maintain overall responsibility for monitoring the quality of information through all stages - collection, validation, maintenance and supply.
List research, development and maintenance will be constantly monitored, reviewed and improved, and a multi-faceted approach will be adopted. Validation checks will also be carried out against other comparable files, including updates and cross checks against gone-away suppression files, phone-disk, PAF, MPS, TPS and EPS preference files and the national business suppression file. In the case of consumer lists, the bureau responsible for maintenance of the data will also conduct screening against the electoral roll and mortality files.
Naturally, the company strives to maintain the most accurate lists possible. The company's main focus is on collecting and maintaining data relating to Education, Health and Public Sector organisations and these areas are relatively stable in terms of address data change. Because of the large capital cost in building schools, colleges, hospitals, civic centres etc., the physical address component of the data sets should remain accurate for long periods of time.
These factors when combined with ongoing research efforts enable Direct 2 Communications to offer a formal guarantee of data quality. Any postal returns above three percent of the list volume, presented for our inspection within 30 days of supply, will be credited on a pro-rata basis, without question.
Heath and Safety
The Health and Safety Policy of Direct 2 Communications is to ensure the health, safety and well being at work, of every employee, trainee, contractor or visitor. The company Directors are committed to providing and maintaining a safe place of work, safe systems of work, safe equipment and safe procedures, in so far as is reasonably practicable, and in accordance with current legislation (Heath and Safety at Work Act 1974).
As part of our commitment to the promotion of the health and safety at work we will endeavour to:
- comply with statutory legislation and codes of practice relating to health, safety and welfare at work;
- ensure that all management and employees are adequately, informed, trained and equipped to carry out their work in a safe manner;
- ensure that all employees are made aware of their duty to co-operate with this policy;
- ensure that this policy is reviewed on a regular basis and that relevant amendments are brought to the attention of all employees, trainees, contractors and visitors.
Equal Opportunities and Employment Policy
Direct 2 Communications is an Equal Opportunities employer. We will seek to recruit personnel from all ethnic backgrounds. Social responsibility and inclusion are cornerstones of our business ethic and as such we will actively encourage a multicultural, inclusion centric working environment, which supports and encourages all under-represented groups and values diversity.
Subject to statutory provisions no applicant for employment will be treated less favourably than another on the grounds of sex (including gender reassignment), marital or parental status, race, ethnic or national origin, colour, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or age.
Ability to meet the requirements of the selection criteria and perform the job, will be the primary consideration. Entry into employment and progression within will be determined only by personal merit and by the application of criteria related to the duties and conditions of each particular post, and the needs of the organisation.
If any employee considers that he or she is suffering from unequal treatment on any of the above grounds, he or she may make a complaint, which will be dealt with through the formally agreed procedures for complaints or grievances or the procedures for dealing with bullying and harassment, as appropriate.
Direct 2 Communications will take active steps to promote good practice. In particular it will:
- Promote equality of opportunity
- Promote good relations between people of different racial groups, between women and men and between disabled and non-disabled people
- Have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination on grounds of race, sex, disability, and all other grounds set out in the statement on equal opportunities
- Subject its policies to continuous assessment in order to examine how they affect all under-represented groups, especially ethnic minorities, women and the disabled, and to identify whether its policies help to achieve equality of opportunity for all these groups, or whether they have an adverse impact
- Monitor the recruitment and progress of all staff, paying particular attention to the recruitment and progress of ethnic minorities, women and disabled staff
- Take positive action wherever possible to support this policy and its aims
Direct 2 Communications will meet all statutory obligations under relevant legislation and, where appropriate anticipate future legal requirements signalled under EU Directives. The policy is guided by:
Equal Pay Act (1970)
Sex Discrimination Act (1975)
Race Relations Act (1976)
Disability Discrimination Act (1995)
Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001)
Human Rights Act (1998)
Race Relations (Amendment) Act (2000)
EU Equal Treatment Framework Directive (2000/78)
In addition, we follow the Codes of Practice issued by the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Commission for Racial Equality, together with the Codes of Practice on Disability and Age Diversity. These Codes although not legally binding (though they are admissible as evidence in Employment Tribunals) Direct 2 Communications supports them fully. The policy will be amended as appropriate to meet the demands of future legislation.
Best Practice
The company follows the Best Practice guidelines set out by the Direct Marketing Association and Advertising Standards Authority. These include:
Best Practice in Use of Data for Direct Marketing
Best Practice in Data Enhancement
Best Practice in Direct Mail
Best Practice in Response Handling
Best Practice in Email Marketing
Best Practice in Recruitment
ASA - CAP Codes
Drafts of these documents are available for inspection by clients at any time.
Internet Privacy
Direct 2 Communications has created this Privacy Statement in order to demonstrate its firm commitment to privacy. The following discloses the information gathering and dissemination practices relating to its web sites.
The Data Protection Act: Under the Data Protection Act 1998, we have a legal duty to protect any information we collect from you. We do not pass on your details to any third party unless you give us permission or the company is legally obliged to do so.
Provision of E-mail Addresses: Direct 2 Communications may use email addresses to provide a customised view of the Web Site for each customer and, to gather statistical information regarding the use of the Web Site for internal use only. Direct 2 Communications will not disclose your email address to any third parties without first obtaining your permission.
User Information: Our web sites may use cookies and JavaScript tracking code to gather anonymous information about visitors' usage patterns, in order to improve the navigation of the site, the presentation of its content, and the quality of its services. The information collected does not include personal details such as your name, age, phone number, postal address or email address, nor does it allow personal identification of a user.
External Links: Our web sites may contain links to other sites. Direct 2 Communications is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such web sites.
Security: Measures are in place to protect against the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information under our control.
Direct Marketing and User Surveys: As our web services expand, there will be more opportunities to enhance the services provided to you. We may also offer you the opportunity to participate in surveys, carried out by Direct 2 Communications or its agents, that help our research into the types of service we offer. Please note that any information you provide will only be used within the Direct 2 Communications group. It will never be supplied to third parties without first obtaining your consent unless we are obliged by law to disclose information.
Contacting the Web Site: If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this Web site, you can contact our Web Content Manager by emailing info@direct2communications.com. You can make comments and give us your feedback in the same way.
