Next steps

Social Value is still a relatively new concept for some organizations here in Gloucestershire and beyond. We are still learning about how to best utilise social value to bring about the most positive impacts for communities and the planet. We see huge potential in social value to bring about real change and are excited to continue working with our suppliers to deliver more, more targeted and better, social value each year. 

Over the last three years, we have been focused on delivering internal training and developing resources to embed consideration of social value at each stage of the commissioning and procurement process, provide effective governance and ensure that commitments are monitored during contract management.

The publication of this report marks a new phase of our social value work, in which we want to communicate more about our social value strategy and raise awareness of social value and the difference it can make to communities.

We have recently reviewed and adopted the Social Value Portal’s 2024 version of the TOM System that we think offers an even more comprehensive set of social value measures for our suppliers to commit to.  We have carefully selected the measures we believe offer a good range of options for organisations to deliver locally and that will be most beneficial to Gloucestershire. 

This year, we will publish a Social Value toolkit targeted primarily at organisations bidding for contracts and suppliers delivering contracts for the council, which offers guidance on how to work with us to best deliver social value that is tailored to local needs. 

This will be a jumping off point for wider engagement with the business community and local VCSE (voluntary, community and social enterprise) sector.  Having got the basics in place, we now need to ensure that social value is not merely about ticking boxes or making promises, but is delivering tangible benefits, whether that is for our environment, through sustainable economic growth, or to people’s wellbeing, and is targeted at the groups who need it most.

This cannot be achieved by operating in isolation but requires collaboration across the Council and with many other local partners.

We look forward to continuing on our social value journey and remain committed to learning as we go.

Report author – Hannah Riley
Additional input from: Grace Eccleston, Pete Carr, GCC suppliers