Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive

Recommendations:-

That Cabinet:

a)    Note the progress achieved with procurement through the Social Value Portal in the first year of operation of the Social Value Policy.

b)    Receive a further procurement progress report when the second year of operation is complete.

c)    Note the research work and findings around local markets and suppliers, building the knowledge base.

d)    Agree the strategic approach to “Social Value by Design” to embed existing best practice within the Council including the production of a Social Value Commissioning Toolkit.

e)    Support the approach to Community Wealth Building as set out in this report with priority actions for the year ahead taking forward:

i)               Real Living Wage accreditation.

ii)              Achieving Social Value aligned to working towards “Excellent” under the Equality Framework for Local Government.

iii)            Progressing the Rotherham Together Partnership Social Value Charter into the development of Anchor Networks.

iv)            Work with the Mayoral Combined Authority to promote and develop Social Value for the Sheffield City Region.

f)      Agree to hold a workshop event in the summer of 2021 to explore further Community Wealth Building options.

g)    Support engagement in the CLES Community Wealth Building Centre of Excellence.

Consideration was given to a report which provided an update on progress and achievements since the adoption of the Council’s Social Value Policy in October 2019. The report also made recommendations for the next steps of embedding social value within the Council and working with partners and suppliers together with a better understanding of local markets and innovative developments driven by research and networking. The Policy focussed on:

·        Building on the first year of operation through the Social Value Portal and better understanding of local markets.

·        Social Value by Design – embedding Social Value into the core processes of commissioning both within the Council and working in partnership.

·        Community Wealth Building and Anchor Networks – innovations and developments in the local economy across a range of stakeholders.

·        Priority Actions for the coming year.

Since the adoption of the Policy in October 2019, 2 critical areas of development had been undertaken.  These were the implementation of the Social Value Portal to support the evaluation, measurement and ongoing monitoring of social value commitments for the procurement of all contracts with a value below £100k and the adoption of a Social Value Charter with a commitment by partners to pursue Social Value.

The Council was using the Social Value Portal to capture and measure the nature and amount of Social Value achieved through Council contracts. This had been operational for one year during which time 18 procurement exercises and awards of contracts had be achieved as part of what was an ongoing programme as existing contracts expired and other one-off projects as identified.

Resolved:-

That Cabinet:

1.  Note the progress achieved with procurement through the Social Value Portal in the first year of operation of the Social Value Policy.

2.  Receive a further procurement progress report when the second year of operation is complete.

3.  Note the research work and findings around local markets and suppliers, building the knowledge base.

4.  Agree the strategic approach to “Social Value by Design” to embed existing best practice within the Council including the production of a Social Value Commissioning Toolkit.

5.  Support the approach to Community Wealth Building as set out in this report with priority actions for the year ahead taking forward: 

i)        Real Living Wage accreditation.

ii)      Achieving Social Value aligned to working towards “Excellent” under the Equality Framework for Local Government.

iii)     Progressing the Rotherham Together Partnership Social Value Charter into the development of Anchor Networks. iv) Work with the Mayoral Combined Authority to promote and develop Social Value for the Sheffield City Region.

6.  Agree to hold a workshop event in the summer of 2021 to explore further Community Wealth Building options. 

7.  Support engagement in the CLES (Centre for Local Economic Strategies) Community Wealth Building Centre of Excellence.