Press Centre

Press Centre

An Act that Stands Up for Social Value

31st January 2013

ResPublica Advisor Chris White MP writes for Conservative Home

Today the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, also known as the Social Value Act, which I introduced over two and a half years ago, will be officially implemented across public sector bodies including NHS Trusts, local authorities and central government departments.

The Act is short and simple. But it seeks to change the way that public sector bodies design contracts so that they consider what additional social, economic and environmental well-being they can produce in the way that they deliver the services that we all use. It builds on a number of principles which the Conservative Party articulated in the run up to the General Election.

Firstly, it seeks to focus public service delivery on outcomes rather than inputs. Public services should not just be about the amount of money you spend, but what you achieve with that money. The Social Value Act asks public sector commissioners to think carefully about the contracts they are designing and to see how we can get as many positive outcomes for our communities as possible through the way that we deliver public services.

Secondly, it is hoped that the Act will benefit social enterprises, charities and community organisations who I believe are best placed to deliver many of our public services. In opposition, we rightly sought to champion the potential that exists in civil society and the social enterprise sector to improve our public services. These organisations are rooted in the very communities they serve, and this makes them best placed to develop tailored solutions to deal with some of our most pressing challenges. In designing contracts which take account of social value, I believe that more of these organisations will have the opportunity to win public service contracts and show what they can achieve.

Thirdly, the Act asks public bodies, such as local authorities, to consider consultation when deciding how social value can be implemented in public service contracts. I strongly support the Government’s Localism message, but that doesn’t just mean devolving powers to local authorities, it must also mean devolving powers to local citizens as well. In asking public bodies to take this step, I hope the Act will encourage more co-operation in the development of public services, so that services respond to the needs and aspirations of citizens, rather than being given to them as a fait accompli.

The Government, and particularly the Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd, have got behind this Act and are planning to integrate social value into the new Commissioning Academy, which is also due to be launched today. The Act has also received support from the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats, so I hope will form the basis for a long term consensus on the future of public services.

Crucially, the Act received the support of civil society organisations and the social enterprise sector and was championed by Social Enterprise UK, NCVO, ACEVO, NAVCA and a variety of other organisations. They have pressed for this Act as a means for their members to show what they are capable of delivering in public services and I am glad that parliamentarians listened to their voices.

However this is a step on a journey. A radical change in the way that we design our public services is not going to occur overnight and it will require persistent engagement over a long period of time with commissioners, sector organisations and policy makers.

But as we look forward, I believe that the Social Value Act is an example of how we can make progress. A criticism has often been that the rhetoric on public services reform or support for civil society has not been followed through in practice – the Social Value Act is an example of those beliefs being put into practice. While changes in procurement may not be the most headline grabbing of news stories, we should not be afraid to publicise these achievements.

Most importantly, small measures such as this can make a big difference for communities on the ground and I will be continuing to look closely at this Act’s implementation to ensure that we are getting the outcomes it intended.

Today, however, is an opportunity for us to celebrate the Act and show that with effort and patience, we can deliver on its principles.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

Food security, accessibility, and sustainability should be categorised as a publ...

Food security, accessibility, and sustainability should be categorised as a public good says new report by the Lifelong Education Institute   The Lifelong Education Institute’s latest report ‘Hungry to Learn: Lifelong Learning Pathways for the Agri-food Sector’ raises concerns over the neglected potential of the agri-food sector in the UK, and especially around the gap between its skills requirements and the available skills provision by agri-food education institutions....

THINK TANK CALLS FOR A BEHAVIOUR REVOLUTION IN SCHOOLS

A new report, Behaving to Learn, by the think tank ResPublica challenges the Government to be bold and drive a revolution in behaviour management across state schools to improve the outcomes for children and the lives of teachers....

New collection of essays by Conservative MPs offers fresh ideas for tackling pov...

PRESS RELEASE EMBARGOED | 24th MAY 2023 00:01 For Media Enquires please contact mike.mavrommatis@respublica.org.uk...

Playing by The Rules | Press Release

PRESS RELEASE New independent regulator needed to protect English football clubs and give working-class fans a greater voice Ahead of the much-anticipated publication of the Government White Paper on the creation of a new independent regulator for English football (IREF), think-tank ResPublica warns that it must not be an ‘owners’ and directors’ charter’ and must ensure that the game’s fans are treated as highly-valued stakeholders and given a greater voice at both club and national level....

How smart solar at scale can power UK’s economic recovery

In its latest report, ‘Smart Solar at Scale: Meeting the UK’s net-zero emissions and clean growth targets’, ResPublica argues that the energy sector can play a central role in powering the UK’s economic recovery, post-Covid-19....

Press Release
  • Comments Off on ResPublica Report | Size doesn’t matter, small places must not be left behind in the devolution process.
ResPublica Report | Size doesn’t matter, small places must not be left behind...

The Government’s focus on metro-regions has meant that mid-sized cities, towns, districts, and counties have been locked-out of the devolution process....

Phillip Blond on LBC with Shelagh Fogarty

Listen to Shelagh Fogart from LBC, interviewing ResPublica’s Director, Phillip Blond, on the need to reform NHS Services....

Press Release
  • Comments Off on ResPublica Report | How to improve the Health and Wellbeing of the UK population
ResPublica Report | How to improve the Health and Wellbeing of the UK population

A new report launched today by the independent think tank ResPublica, set out how we can properly refigure our public health system in the light of its successes and failings in the Covid-19 epidemic....

Press Release
Election pledges will not meet the UK’s future skill needs

The next Government must unleash the potential of the UK’s workforce to compete in the 21st century economy.  ...