1. Trafford VCSE Strategic Forum Making the Most of Social Value
Relationship
Contract – deliverables and cash
Partnership Agreement – value exchange, creating value, distribution of value created
Thrive – 50:50 ownership – of what? How do we create tangible value?
Role clarity and responsibilities
Planning, capacity, negotiation & resource deployment
Communications
Meetings: purpose and frequency
PR protocols
Trafford VCSE Strategic Forum
Making the Most of Social Value
Wednesday 18th October 2017

2. Welcome and Introductions
Introductions around the tables
Social Value Icebreaker:
What Does Social Value Mean to Me?
What is the Social Value in the handout examples?

3. Introduction to the Social Value Act Head of Strategic Procurement
STAR Procurement
Introduction to the Social Value Act
Andrew White
Head of Strategic Procurement
STAR Procurement
(t):
(e):
STAR Procurement is the shared procurement service for Stockport, Trafford and Rochdale Councils

4. GMCA, Sustainable Procurement Taskforce.
Social Value Definition
“A process whereby organisations meet their needs for good, services, works and utilities in a way that achieves value for money on a whole life basis in terms of generating benefits not only to the organisation, but also to society and economy, whilst minimising damage to the environment.”
GMCA, Sustainable Procurement Taskforce.

5. Social Value Act
The Public Services (Social Value) Act came into force on 31st January It requires public bodies who commission public services to think about how they can also secure wider social, economic and environmental benefits.

6. Social Value Social Economic Environmental
STAR Procurement is the shared procurement service for Stockport, Trafford and Rochdale Councils

7. GMCA Policy Themes Promote employment and economic sustainability
Raise the living standards of local residents
Promote participation and citizen engagement
Build the capacity and sustainability of the voluntary and community sector
Promote equity and fairness
Promote environmental sustainability
STAR Procurement is the shared procurement service for Stockport, Trafford and Rochdale Councils

8. Example Council Priorities
Supporting the VCSE Sector
Giving our children the best start in life
Access to high quality education for all
Inclusive growth
Tackling youth unemployment
Improving the environment
STAR Procurement is the shared procurement service for Stockport, Trafford and Rochdale Councils

9. Assess Your Organisation
Consider your organisations core values
Social Value works best if it is driven by passion
Focus on the key aspects that matter to your organisation.
Ensure what you do fits in with your organisation
STAR Procurement is the shared procurement service for Stockport, Trafford and Rochdale Councils

10. What Are STAR Doing Simplify Social Value Web-site development
Guidance and Case Studies
Training and Supplier Engagement
Better Procurement Planning
STAR Procurement is the shared procurement service for Stockport, Trafford and Rochdale Councils

11. Relationship Social Value and the VCSE Sector Chris Hart
Contract – deliverables and cash
Partnership Agreement – value exchange, creating value, distribution of value created
Thrive – 50:50 ownership – of what? How do we create tangible value?
Role clarity and responsibilities
Planning, capacity, negotiation & resource deployment
Communications
Meetings: purpose and frequency
PR protocols
Social Value and the VCSE Sector
Chris Hart
Managing Director, Pulse &
Contract Manager, Thrive Trafford

12. Social Value Act and VCSEs
The Social Value Act encourages commissioners of public sector contracts to consider social value through the tendering process
One of the aspirations for the Act was that it would create a more level playing field for organisations in the VCSE sector that want to bid for public sector contracts
It is recognised that knowledge and awareness of the Act amongst VCSEs is generally quite low
There is a general consensus that much more could be made of the Act and of social value as part of commissioning

13. Is it Making a Difference?
Feedback is that the Act can be quite tokenistic
However, we have also seen where it can make a real difference to the VCSE sector
It is at the very least requiring commissioners to consider social value
So although not quite a step change yet in commissioning, it has helped to start re-framing commissioning conversations and in developing positive partnerships with public bodies

14. Challenges and Barriers
Some of the challenges for commissioners:
Public sector spending cuts can mean that councils have less time to consider how best to implement the Act
Difference in thinking between commissioning teams and procurement teams with some more forward thinking than others
Insufficient mechanisms for supporting or monitoring the Act – guidance accompanying the Act isn’t clear enough and there is no central data to monitor its progress

15. Challenges and Barriers
Some of the barriers for VCSEs:
Increase in larger contracts and rigid procurement processes – smaller VCSE organisations may struggle to respond to larger tenders on tight timescales
Limitations in expertise – many smaller VCSE organisations may not have the experience or resource to respond to tenders, especially if previously grant funded
Austerity measures – can mean that public bodies have less time to engage with local stakeholders and provide guidance on procurement

16. Measuring Social Value
In addition to these barriers, there is an ongoing challenge for both commissioners and VCSEs in how to measure social value
It is not easy to define
This is not helped by a lack of consistency in measurement approaches available
Takes time, resource and skills that may not be available
There is a need therefore for greater guidance and support in how to approach social value and in measuring this
Beyond these barriers, the ongoing challenge of how to measure social value is also an issue.
difficulty of defining social value in
large range of measurement approaches available
and the lack of relevant expertise in some VCSE organisations.
There is a general call for greater guidance on how to approach measurement and more training and guidance around this issue from central or local government.
The most effective route to implementing and measuring social value was felt to be keeping it simple and focusing on the local community strategy so that there could be a measurement against local need.
There is a high level of consensus about what could improve the Social Value Act.
Specific suggestions include:
– Extending it beyond services to include goods and works.
– Lowering thresholds so it applies to lower value contracts.
– Making it compulsory so that commissioners have to do more than just
consider social value.
– More support, guidance and monitoring to accompany the Act.
However, one for social value to really take hold in an area, there has to be the right set of local conditions.
Local areas need a clear place-based approach where local authorities display
strong leadership and develop a clear social value strategy in partnership with
a thriving and engaged local VCSE sector.
It is in these circumstances, where commissioners and local organisations are equally committed and working together on local priorities, that social value can be most successfully embedded into the commissioning process.
Please to say in Trafford therefore that is where we are AB

17. Local Leadership
For social value to really work in an area therefore, there needs to be the right set of local conditions:
Clear place based approach appropriate to the local area
Public bodies that are able to provide strong leadership
Development of a clear social value strategy that works in partnership with the sector
With an equal commitment between commissioners and local organisations to work together on local priorities, and with social value firmly embedded into the commissioning process, we should be able to deliver the greatest impact

18. Relationship The Trafford Approach:
Contract – deliverables and cash
Partnership Agreement – value exchange, creating value, distribution of value created
Thrive – 50:50 ownership – of what? How do we create tangible value?
Role clarity and responsibilities
Planning, capacity, negotiation & resource deployment
Communications
Meetings: purpose and frequency
PR protocols
The Trafford Approach:
Trafford Council, Social Value Guidance
Adrian Bates
Partnerships and Communities Manager, Trafford Council

19. Trafford Social Value Group
Improving the current position –
vague question = vague answer
Social Value Group – cross-council and with partners
Role – develop the process, raise awareness, support delivery, build relationships
Supporting commissioners and suppliers to deliver social value for the benefit of Trafford

20. Trafford Council: Social Value Guidance
Social Value Guide, training, case-studies, website
Still to do … collate social value contributions, challenge our own social value and engage more businesses to scale-up the impact

21. Q & A
Discussion/ questions and answers with the presenters

22. Break Out Session 1
What opportunities and challenges does Social Value present for the VCSE sector as suppliers?
Does the Trafford approach make it better?

23. Break Out Session 2
What opportunities and challenges does Social Value present for the VCSE sector as benefactors of social value?
How do we enable greater brokerage and support from suppliers to the VCSE and communities?

24. Feedback and Next Steps
Please provide feedback from each of your groups
What next steps and actions do we need to take away from today?

25. AOB Thrive Trafford VCSE Sector Survey: 
Provisional Trafford VCSE Strategic Forum Dates 2018:
17th January
18th  April
11th July
17th October
Planned Theme for January: Health and the Transformation Fund, to be delivered in partnership with NHS Trafford CCG