Social value charter - stakeholder engagement

Social Value is a measure of additional benefits that can be generated for the local area through the way that the public sector commissions, and contractors deliver, services or works. For example a care provider may provide value through promoting care provision as a positive career choice in schools or colleges which in the longer term will assist with local recruitment to the sector; or a building contractor may commit to the creation of local employment and training opportunities and extend this into the supply chain; or an advice services provider may provide volunteering opportunities.

Social Value also provides a way of demonstrating that public money is being spent well and on the things that matter most to our communities. It requires commissioners to consider, at a very early stage and through discussions with local people and their representatives, what (and how) additional value or improvements can be generated.

More detail on Shropshire's approach to Social Value can be found on the main council website.

The Social Value Charter for Shropshire is a set of guiding principles and simple commitments that organisations operating in Shropshire are invited to adopt, whether they are public sector commissioners, service providers, voluntary, community & social enterprise organisations or businesses. Through making these commitments we aim to improve the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of Shropshire.

Charter signatories will commit to the Charter principles and must demonstrate either how they are currently delivering Social Value in accordance with these principles or how they plan to achieve compliance in accordance with a timetabled plan.

The Charter is aligned to the Shropshire Council Social Value Commissioning & Procurement Framework, the Cogs Shropshire Procurement Charter and other related frameworks.

It is our long-term aspiration that future commissioning and contracting decisions made by signatory organisations will take full account of the principles of this Charter by being incorporated into new contracts and procurement policies.

The proposed Social Value Charter Mark will be awarded to organisations who have been awarded contracts for goods, works and services by Shropshire public sector commissioners and who have demonstrated, through contract monitoring, that they are delivering good Social Value. The initial focus will be on Economic Value generated through contracts and a set of measures is proposed in the attached document.

This engagement exercise will run for a 12 week period from 26 September 2016 and will end on 18 December 2016.

The Social Value Group would like to engage with and seek feedback from stakeholders on the Social Value Charter and on the range of measures by which Charter signatories will be able to demonstrate compliance and achievement of the Social Value Charter Mark. The initial focus of the Charter is on ‘Supporting the Shropshire Economy'.

Click on the 'How to get involved' tab at the top of the page to access a short online survey and provide feedback.