Health and social care services are a vital part of the fabric of our communities – but they are often overlooked as an opportunity to deliver additional Social Value.
Bristol City Council is a forward-thinking council that has gone above and beyond to unlock additional Social Value when procuring health and social care services, taking its budget further to benefit the city’s residents.
Let’s see how the council has embedded Social Value in health and social care and measured impact in partnership with Social Value Portal.
Bristol’s Social Value vision
Bristol City Council’s 2021 Social Value Policy lays out its Social Value ambitions. It wants to consistently go beyond the minimum requirements of the Social Value Act 2012, integrating Social Value into all decisions and deriving maximum value from each public pound spent.
The Policy identifies three overarching Social Value goals:
- Reducing poverty and inequality: Supporting small and medium enterprises, creating high-quality, sustainable jobs, and unlocking skills development opportunities.
- Enhancing community economic and social wellbeing: Supporting community groups and enterprises, promoting active citizenship and physical and mental health, and creating high quality homes and public spaces.
- Increasing the city’s resilience and environmental sustainability: Reducing pollution and waste, while creating a more ecologically resilient and biodiverse city.
Bristol’s health and social care services
When it comes to health and social care, Bristol City Council is leading the way on Social Value, tracking delivery though the Social Value TOM System™ – the leading Social Value measurement standard.
With the Social Value Portal team they have created a set of TOM System Measures to help Bristol’s suppliers amplify their Social Value commitments and activities according to local need.
In a testament to the dedication of the council and partners, Bristol’s health and social care programmes have delivered £5.3 million of additional Social Value to date – a figure validated by our experts for the highest standards of robustness.
So, how exactly have these contracts projects delivered Social Value? Let’s look at some examples.
Help When You Need It
Bristol City Council’s ‘Help When You Need It’ service encompasses a range of support schemes for different groups, including those with mental health issues, learning difficulties and autism, physical needs, and HIV, as well as carers, women in need and older people.
The council has embedded Social Value requirements into these contracts – and the various suppliers delivering the contracts have risen to the task. Help When You Need It has so far delivered a total of £2.6m in Social Value.
St Mungo's is committed to getting better outcomes for the local people we work with. Reporting on Social Value using the TOM System helps to evidence that, as well as demonstrate how we work out our responsibilities to Bristol City Council and local Social Care in a tangible way. From supporting our clients to work with local progression coaches (helping them engage better in their communities), to supporting local businesses by procuring services within Bristol, Social Value covers a diverse range of areas we may not have otherwise thought about evidencing back to Bristol City Council.
Catherine Layfield, Service Manager at St Mungo's
Much of this Social Value was generated by small tweaks to suppliers’ delivery models, or initiatives undertaken to support the community.
Here are 10 of the most popular Measures from the TOM System used on these contracts to deliver Social Value:
- Employing local people
- Working with local businesses in the supply chain
- Working with Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprises (VCSEs)
- Engaging people on health interventions and community wellbeing initiatives
- Using zero emissions vehicles on the contract and saving car miles and travel time
- Demonstrating commitment to practices which improve staff wellbeing
- Volunteering
- Training opportunities for staff at Levels 2, 3 or 4+
- Employing people who were previously long-term unemployed, or not in employment, education or training (NEET)
- Supporting unemployed people (over 24 years old) into work
At Keyring we have found Social Value Portal great for demonstrating the small changes that have a big impact. By employing local people based in neighbourhoods we have reduced travel time; people use bikes or walk, improving their mental and physical health. Spending with small locally owned businesses has created a network of spaces where the people we support feel really welcome. By being ambitious about employment, we've helped people stay in work, or prepare for work by volunteering, gaining skills and confidence. So far we have offered over 70 hours of employment support to Bristol citizens.
Susan Norton, Area Manager at KeyRing Living Support Networks
Our focus on Social Value delivery has helped us drive staff wellbeing initiatives, improving morale, work-life balance, and delivery for clients. We have also enriched our workforce by giving opportunities to unemployed or temporarily employed individuals, and those with diverse ethnic backgrounds and learning styles. Meanwhile, we’ve been able to boost our green and sustainable delivery by choosing local and small enterprises, resulting in higher quality services and a gain for the local economy.
Sabrina Massaroni, Service Manager at Rethink Mental Illness
Deaf Equipment Services
The health and social care space holds numerous opportunities to deliver Social Value over and above core contract requirements – some in surprising places.
For instance, Bristol City Council’s Deaf Equipment Service, delivered by the Centre for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People, might not initially have looked like a major Social Value opportunity.
However, the supplier found various ways to generate additional positive impact. These included hiring talent for the contract from the local workforce, providing jobs for individuals for disabilities, and engaging local people in health interventions and community wellbeing initiatives.
The result – an impressive £27,467 delivered in Social Value.
Giving employment opportunities to Deaf and hard of hearing people and recruiting locally are key values for us. Our Equipment Service works in conjunction with key community initiatives as we support new Deaf and hard of hearing people (and their friends and families) in various ways, including reducing isolation and loneliness – a vital intervention to reduce strain on health and wellbeing services.
Justin Smith, CEO of Centre for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People
Domestic Abuse Services
Another standout performer for Social Value was Bristol City Council’s domestic abuse support services.
The supplier, Missing Link, contracted local businesses in the supply chain, created work placements for local people, and provided level 2+ training courses and equality, diversity and inclusion training for new staff on the contract.
These initiatives came together to produce an amazing £286,926 in Social Value.
The TOM System has enabled us to focus even more on our commitment to support local business and communities, by assisting us with clear targets to recruit from the local community and prioritise local businesses when sourcing safe and reliable contractors.
Sarah O’Leary, CEO, Missing Link, Next Link and Safe Link
Looking forward: Bristol’s adult social care single framework
As an early Social Value leader, Bristol City Council has continued to innovate with its adult social care single framework.
Having previously used multiple frameworks to procure adult social care services, the council struggled to embed Social Value consistently. But the new adult social care single framework, covering everything from residential care to individual service funds, will:
- Embed Social Value requirements across multiple authorities with a 20% weighting
- Enable bidders to set indicative Social Value targets per £100,000 of contract value
- Help the council standardise its assessment and contractualisation of Social Value
The future of Social Value at Bristol City Council
Social Value Portal will work closely with the council to generate impact across its health and social care contracts, and its wider delivery of public services.
Bristol City Council has shown true dedication to Social Value and a spirit of innovation which is translating to real improvements to local lives. We are very excited to continue working with the council across its Social Value initiatives.
Cindy Nadesan, Strategic Account Manager at Social Value Portal
Ready to take your next step?
With local government budgets under unprecedented pressure, Social Value is much more than a legislative requirement – it’s a tool to support the public while making the public pound go further.
Learn more about how Social Value Portal can set you up for success with a discovery call with one of our experts.
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