Social Value brings rewards to whole community

Bury Council will use its financial muscle to ensure that all communities benefit from ongoing and future investment.

It is set to approve a new Social Value strategy, whereby the local authority will forge closer relationships with partners and contractors to put more emphasis on engaging local businesses and delivering economic, community and environmental benefits.

This will be done through its commissioned spend and wider business relationships, targeted at those communities most in need and in line with the council’s strategic priorities.

Councillor Sandra Walmsley, cabinet member for communities and inclusion, said: “The council spends more than £100 million a year through its contracts. Maximising the social value of this spend presents a great opportunity to bring about truly inclusive economic growth and support local businesses and communities to create a strong sense of place we can all be proud of.

“A key initial area of focus for us will be how we use Social Value to support our role as corporate parents.”

Two examples of Social Value in action:

Radcliffe Community Skills Centre:

This is being delivered by VINCI as a Social Value contribution to the Radcliffe Hub works. It provides an opportunity for young people aged 16-24 not in employment, education or training to learn new skills and gain a Level 1 Award in a construction trade. Some 24 trainees are expected to be supported by January 2025.

The Real Living Wage:

The council was accredited as a Real Living Wage Employer in 2021 payment of the living wage to staff directly engaged on Council contracts has been built in as an expectation within the procurement process

This has improved pay for an estimated 4,000 people, most of them in the private sector who the council commission to provide adult social care. This has improved workforce stability and staff retention, in particular in the home care market which supports more than 800 residents each day and now has a 1-day average wait time for care and support to begin.

The strategy is an integral part of the council’s LET’S vision, as follows:

1. Local - We will strengthen our relationships with local businesses to benefit Bury people and work to increase the proportion of our spend with local suppliers through business development as well as engagement.
2. Enterprising – We will move from our current 5-10% social value contribution to a 20% standard weighting from all contracts with a value more than £25k over the next three years. This will be supported by a strengthened infrastructure to ensure direct and demonstrable contributions are made, linked to an annually reviewed set of priorities and a clear approach to assuring delivery.
3. Together – We will build relationships through the current and potential supply chain and connect business to our voluntary, community and faith sector to shape and deliver a shared approach to Community Wealth Building.
4. Strengths – Following the example set by the council, we will expect a minimum set of standards for those we work with, including payment of the Living Wage, a commitment to the principles of the GM Good Employment Charter and a demonstrable commitment to sustainability and the principles of the Bury Climate Action Strategy.

The report will be considered at next Wednesday's (6 Nov) cabinet meeting.

ENDS

Press release issued: 30 October 2024.