Demonstrating Social Value in Social Care
In the evolving landscape of social care, demonstrating tangible social value is no longer optional; it’s essential. Social care organisations that prioritise social value not only contribute to positive societal change but also gain a significant competitive advantage. By integrating social value into core operations, providers can strengthen their reputation, improve tender success rates, and ensure compliance with increasingly stringent regulatory expectations. We explore how to effectively implement and showcase your commitment to creating meaningful social impact
What Is Social Value?
Social value refers to the additional benefits an organisation can bring to the community, economy, and environment through its operations and activities. For social care providers, this could mean offering meaningful employment opportunities, supporting community well-being, reducing environmental impact, and collaborating with stakeholders to address social challenges.
Social value is about the wider impact an organisation has on the community, the environment, and the economy. For example, it might involve looking at local issues, such as air quality, and considering actions that contribute to improvements not only locally but also nationally and globally. Small steps taken locally can lead to significant positive changes, such as reducing carbon emissions and helping the UK move closer to the 2050 National Net-Zero target.
What Social Care Providers need to consider
Being socially conscious is a great asset to any organisation, and this is becoming more valued within society, as people are becoming more aware of companies that have a social impact, so much so that for some, this can be a big influencer of deciding whether to use your services.
Social value is important because it helps organisations increase the positive impact they have at a local level while contributing to national and global goals. In the social care sector, providers already demonstrate immense social value through their care for service users, their families, and the wider community. By formalising and expanding on these efforts, organisations can achieve measurable outcomes that benefit everyone.
Moreover, being socially conscious is a great asset to any organisation. As society places greater emphasis on the social impact of businesses, organisations with strong social value plans are increasingly preferred by service users and stakeholders. In some cases, this can be a deciding factor for choosing services.
When it comes to winning new business through public sector contracts, social value can make a big difference in whether your tender succeeds or fails. Under the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, it is mandatory for public sector commissioners to consider social value when purchasing services. A strong social value plan with clear aims and objectives that align with local and national strategies will set your organisation apart and position you as a trusted partner in driving social change.
While the concept of social value is widely recognised, many social care organisations struggle with:
• Defining their social value offer in a clear, measurable, and impactful way.
• Quantifying specific contributions, such as apprenticeships, volunteering hours, or work placements.
• Addressing carbon reduction requirements, including creating a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP), which is now mandatory in many contracts.
• Establishing processes to measure, evaluate, and govern their social value commitments effectively.
Some key features of our Social Value Service
Defining Your
Social Value Offer
We work closely with you to articulate your social value commitments, aligning them with your organisation’s strengths and community needs.
Together, we create a comprehensive and compelling social value profile that resonates with commissioners.
Quantifying Social Value Contributions
Using industry best practices, we help you determine the tangible elements of your social value strategy. For example:
● How many apprenticeships can you offer?
● How many hours of volunteering or community support can you commit to
● How many work placements can you facilitate?
Carbon Reduction
Planning
With many public sector contracts requiring a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP), we provide guidance to:
● Calculate your Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions.
● Develop a realistic and impactful carbon reduction strategy.
● Establish evaluation and reporting processes to demonstrate progress.
Measuring and Evaluating
Social Value Impact
We assist in creating a robust framework for measuring and evaluating the outcomes of your social value strategy, ensuring transparency and accountability for the entire organisation.
Governance and
Leadership Support
To embed social value as a core element of your organisation, we help you:
● Develop governance structures to oversee social value initiatives.
● Identify a dedicated social value lead at Board level.
● Align social value goals with organisational objectives for long-term impact.
Sustainability
Policy Creation
Once your social value plan is established, we can help you create a sustainability policy to embed these principles into your organisation’s operations. This ensures your ethos is shared throughout your team and demonstrates your commitment to making a difference.
Ready to take your social value strategy to the next level? Contact Insequa today to learn more about how our Social Value Planning services can support your organisation in achieving its goals.
Why Insequa?
With our proven expertise in supporting social care providers, Insequa is uniquely positioned to help you navigate the challenges of social value planning and integrate it seamlessly into your operations. By partnering with us, you not only enhance your tender submissions but also demonstrate your commitment to making a difference where it matters most.
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