Agenda item

Report of the Chief Executive

Recommendations:-

1.      That approval be given to the Social Value Policy.

2.      That the adoption of the social value portal as the method to measure social value be approved.

3.      That the ‘Keep It Local’ principles be adopted.

Consideration was given to the report which sought approval for the Rotherham Council Social Value Policy and Framework.  The Policy set out the ways in which the Council aimed to maximise the local impact of its spend through its commissioning and procurement processes and work with partners and suppliers.

The key elements of the policy were to:-

·                Raise the living standards of Rotherham residents and commit to working towards the Joseph Rowntree Living Wage.

·                Increase the proportion of the Council’s expenditure which goes to local businesses and providers rather than those elsewhere in the country.

·                Build social value into all Council contracts (in excess of £100,000) and maximise the impact gained from every pound spent and introduce a rigorous system for assessing and measuring social value.

·                Commit to the principle of co-designing services wherever possible.

To achieve this the Council planned to take steps to increase the amount of additional Social Value from its contracts and commissioned services by securing Social Value in every contract above a £100,000 threshold. It would ensure that when the Council invited written quotations – where possible - at least one of the quotes would be from a Rotherham organisation and, where this was not possible, from the Sheffield City Region.

The Council also aimed to increase over time the proportion of its spend with local businesses and organisations and to open up opportunities for more co-designed services through its commissioning and procurement processes. The Social Value Framework, therefore, set out the methodology for measuring Social Value through the procurement process and its framing around six high level outcomes, which were:-

·                Raising living standards for residents.

·                A strong local economy with employment and skills opportunities and a growing business base.

·                Young people have the opportunity to develop skills and find worthwhile employment.

·                Equality of opportunity for disadvantaged people and communities including disabled people.

·                Strengthened and sustainable community and voluntary organisations.

·                Greater environmental sustainability including accessible green public spaces.

Social Value returns would be monitored and reported on an annual basis. The first year of the Policy would be a baseline year with targets set subsequently to increase the amount of Social Value secured and challenged by looking at good practice from elsewhere whilst being committed to maximising that spend.

Cabinet Members welcomed the wealth being brought into Rotherham and this was supported by the principles of the Preston model in the Borough.  This Policy defined the Council’s approach and it was important that the power was used with procurement to shape the local economy for that social good.  Cabinet looked forward to seeing this being taken forward by local businesses

This report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board as part of the pre-scrutiny process who were in support of the recommendations, subject to a Members’ seminar being arranged in respect of the Social Value Policy and a further report being brought back to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board after twelve months of the implementation of the Policy to review its impact to date.

The Cabinet were happy to accept those recommendations.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Social Value Policy be approved.

(2)  That the adoption of the Social Value Portal as the method to measure social value be approved.

(3)  That the ‘Keep It Local’ principles be adopted.