From 2019 to 2022 Social Value UK members co-developed an amazing project called ‘Contract for Change’ – a Thought Leadership Group that looked at how to ‘Position, Plan, Procure, and Provide’ for the creation of greater Social Value by organisations. See here for the great work completed.
Social Value UK also previously collated excellent good practice case studies of social value in commissioning, see here.
The aim was to create a broad ‘principles-led’ approach to social value that could be embedded throughout an organisation from organisational strategy all the way down to detailed commissioning and procurement practices. Significant progress was made and lots of excellent work was undertaken including sourcing best practice in social value in procurement and the development of guidance and tools.
Proposed next steps
As a follow up Social Value UK has been in discussion with members and would like to set up a Partnership Procurement Thought Leadership Group – to provide a space for SVUK’s members to continue to support social value and public sector reform. We would like to draw on the work undertaken by the Contract for Change programme but also start a fresh page.
Source: Audit Commission 2007: Hearts and Minds: Commissioning from the Voluntary Sector
The overall aim of the Partnership Procurement Thought Leadership Group will be to support Intelligent Commissioning and the embedding of the principles of social value in public sector commissioning and procurement. SVUK’s expertise and interest is at the interface between the public, private and civil society sectors supporting new ways of working and partnerships. Members from all sectors that are social value practitioners and/ or that bring experience in public sector reform are welcome.
What will it do?
Develop an open, collaborative, cross sectoral community to share and develop good practice in social value and commissioning and procurement building on previous work undertaken
Explore the key policy drivers for social value in strategic commissioning, the contradictions and tensions and opportunities available to improve public services
To produce Social Value UK procurement policy position papers
Increase the skills and knowledge of public sector staff in social value
If you are interested in joining this group then please complete and initial expression of interest form here and we will be in touch to follow up.
Why is this needed?
My first external engagement in my new role as Member Services Director with Social Value UK I attended the Social Enterprise UK Social Value Leaders’ Summit in Manchester last week. With my background in supporting the VCSE to influence commissioning in Leicestershire, developing social impact bonds for government and supporting social enterprises in contract readiness, I was excited and enthusiastic to support Social Enterprise UK on its Social Value journey.
Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) is delivering to its Social Value 2032 Programme and its latest research highlighted that:
Almost a third of council’s still do not have a policy for social value
Nearly half of all local authorities have never provided training on the Act and two thirds have no toolkits or resources to support how it is applied
As many as 31 different approaches to measurement are used and half do not use a calculation tool
More than half never apply social value or provided no information on implementing social value.
The conference was an incredible gathering of amazing social value leaders all in one place. Some key points that I noted were:
Whilst there has been progress in implementing social value in procurement, there is still a long way to go including embedding social value at every stage of the commissioning cycle
Citizens and users are not at the heart of service commissioning, especially the voices of diverse communities and this is due to time and financial pressures – a creative space is needed for co-production
More transparency and accountability in public service commissioning is needed
There is a need for social value data to be used for continuous improvement and innovation
All of these issues are at the heart of the Social Value UK principles and best practices, and we hope to support Social Enterprise UK on its roadmap towards Social Value 2032.
As a company director, accountant, or professional in related fields, you’re likely to be familiar with the concept of ‘true and fair’ in relation to organisational accounts.
Essentially, accounts must: a) contain no falsehoods and b) be accurate.
Social Value International (SVI) has recently commissioned a Legal Opinion from leading barrister, George Bompas KC, to delve into the meaning and implications of maintaining true and fair accounts, particularly in the realm of sustainability.
📽️ Discover how we, at Social Value UK are collaborating with SVI to consider the implications of this Opinion within the UK landscape by watching my video below.
The event for councillors and council staff will run between 1pm and 4pm on March 26th.
As part of Social Value UK’s commitment to seeing a world where every organisation makes more decisions informed by their social impacts, we are launching a Free Online Workshop for local authorities in the UK.
Social Value UK Business Services Director and Public Sector Lead Eimear Davis said: “I am thrilled to be able to offer this free session aimed at helping councils embed strong social value practice into their daily operations and supply chains. It is our aim the session acts as the starting point for local authorities to embark on an effective journey towards strong social value management, improving services and the lives of the communities they administrate.
“Social Value reports cannot be limited to tick box exercises or whitewashed by over-claimed figures. Reports should provide effective analysis of services, helping to inform councils to make better decisions.”
Open to members and non-members alike, this session will:
– Explain what social value is and how it can be best applied in the public sector. – Outline the benefits of stakeholder engagement in promoting good wellbeing at work. – Give top tips on how to embed strong social value practice in supply chains and commissioning.
To register, you will need to be a councillor or council member of staff.
Social value measurement should not be about tick boxing, but a genuine investigation into the value created by an activity, product or service. Reports that uncover the intended and unintended outcomes, positives and negative, provide valuable information on how to improve going forward.
Social value must be at the heart of UK planning, procurement and employment if chronic low-productivity and growing wellbeing issues are to be addressed.
Three key areas to bolster UK legislation have been identified by Social Value UK (SVUK) members and are set out in a general election manifesto.
During the annual conference for the UK’s member body for social value professionals earlier this month, SVUK’s Advocacy, Marketing and Communications Lead Matthew Mckew outlined Wellbeing at Work, the Social Value Model and Planning Obligations as target areas for change.
The positions are:
Mandatory, annual SROI (or similar) staff wellbeing reports for organisations employing 50 or more people.
A reformed social value model, including a shift in focus from outputs to outcomes.
Upgraded planning obligations, including SROI forecasts and evaluations for medium to large developments.
The UK will hold a general election by January 2025 and SVUK calls on all politicians to realise the potential of understanding, measuring and responding to social value.
Improving wellbeing in the UK must be high on the political agenda, especially after a Charted Institute of Personnel Development report in September revealed the average number of sick days taken per employee has climbed to 7.8 a year – the highest level since tracking began in 2006-7.
How Can You Support Us?
To achieve our manifesto ambitions, SVUK is establishing a taskforce and requesting support from members.
Pledge your support, back our plans by adding yours or your organisations name to our calls. Please email communications (at) socialvalueuk.org to sign.
Financial support will fund running or attending events, as well as one-to-one meetings with political figures across the UK.
Access to industry and political contacts will ensure our message is heard. We need to strengthen our collective voice and welcome collaboration.
Facilities such as meeting rooms and hot-desks will enable us to take our message right across the UK, connecting with important players. Further, we are going to be running road shows that increase awareness of social value and the important, often unseen role it has. We will initially look to build links with local authorities but want to spread our message across the supply chain.
To be involved, please email matthew.mckew at socialvalueuk.org (NOTE: please use @)
Further blogs expanding on the importance of these three subject areas will follow in the coming weeks.
UK Charity stores created £75.3 billion worth of social value across 2022 in addition to their economic benefits, a Social Value UK assured report has found.
Social Value UK’s chief executive Isabelle Parasram OBE said the landmark report shone a light on the broader value created by organisations’ actions and decisions.
“This report has identified the positive social value created by British charity stores and enabled it to be expressed in financial terms, so that people sit up and listen to the incredible impact on wellbeing organisations have.
“This is a landmark report that I hope encourages more organisations to do the same and the toolkit developed alongside will enable social value creation to be analysed and improved at a local level.”
At a launch in parliament last night (Wednesday 26th) Tim Goodspeed of Morethanoutputs, who worked on the linked toolkit, said the Social Return on Investment Report (SROI) revealed the missing piece in our understanding of the true impact charity stores have on British society.
The analysis was commissioned by the Charity Retail Association, which represents more than 9,000 charity stores across the UK.
The launch was attended by Conservative Minister Stuart Andrew MP of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Labour Party’s Kim Leadbeater MP.
Mr Andrew spoke of the circular connection formed between those touched by the good work of charity stores and future donations, while Ms Leadbeater championed the significant role charity shops could, in her opinion, have in tackling isolation and loneliness.
The project was put together by three social value consultants, Mr Goodspeed and Nicola Lynch of LynchPin Support, who worked on the toolkit, and report author Charlotte Österman of Pax Tecum Global Consultancy.
An SROI is an analysis of impacts on wellbeing using quantitative and qualitative data gathered through surveys and focus groups that engage relevant stakeholders. In this case donors, customers, staff and volunteers.
The report was independently assured by Social Value UK, on behalf of the global standard-setting body Social Value International.
Mr Goodspeed outlined how the SROI did not start with a list of questions based on how charity shops hoped to have impacted people but instead asked more simply “what changed for you?” and “what changes when you have an interaction with a charity shop?”.
Ten outcomes resulted, with the most important for staff, volunteers, customers and donors being the positive feeling generated by “giving back” to others or the planet.
Alongside the assured SROI report, the consultants delivered a toolkit for individual charity shops and charity retail chains to assess how they create social value at a local level.
The report recommendations were to use the analysis to demonstrate the “immense social value” created by charity shops and to use the outcomes identified in it to maximise the positive social value created in future.
Last week The Times reported the government has considered tax breaks for employers using occupational health schemes, in a bid to reduce the UK’s welfare bill.
But Social Value UK wants to see more assertive action taken, calling for the government to legislate for organisations to submit accounts centred on staff wellbeing.
This would recognise the importance of social value – impact on people – alongside traditional financial accounting.
It would further maximise the impact of such occupational health programmes, as organisations would review and most likely improve outcomes, rather than just receive tax breaks for simply running one.
Beyond this, it would see employers understand the positive and negative impact of their decisions on staff, encouraging more proactive responses to employee wellbeing.
SVUK encourages organisations to embrace such legislation and ultimately see a return on investment through reduced staff sickness, better retention and improved productivity.
The benefit to the government would be reduced numbers of people needing state support – the primary reason the government is considering such tax breaks.
The government’s concern, The Times reported, is the growing recognition of mental health conditions has led to an increase in GPs writing fit notes recommending reduced hours or extended periods of time off work.
The government said this was driving up the welfare bill – around £144 billion this year – with Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride wanting to redesign fit notes to ensure time off goes hand-in-hand with support back to full-time employment.
SVUK’s demand for staff wellbeing accounts in firms employing 50 or more staff forms part of a wider forthcoming General Election Manifesto, compiled through engagement with our cross-sector and industry members.
Wellbeing programmes underpinned by good social value practice would reduce stress and other mental health conditions before they develop or worsen.
Embracing this change is essential if the UK is to improve overall productivity.
SVUK CEO Isabelle Parasram OBE said: “Our proposed change would see organisations report on staff wellbeing, simultaneously uncovering areas they can improve to reduce causes of absence or termination of employment.
“We would further encourage these accounts to be validated to ensure they follow our Eight Principles.
“For employers it’s a win-win. Embracing good social value practice reduces staff sickness and improves retention, all positively impacting their bottom line. We have a skills gap in this country and it’s becoming more expensive to recruit, so it is invaluable to employers to retain the staff they have.”
SVUK’s Social Value in Perspective: A Well Workplace Campaign highlighted the massive returns involved in investing in employees’ wellbeing.
Waste management company and SVUK member SUEZ implemented a wellbeing programme three years ago, using SVUK and Social Value International’s shared principles, to terrific effect.
The scheme led to the number of long-term sick days for poor mental health dropping markedly.
The British Heart Foundation found in 2016 that physically active workers take 27% less sick days, with reduced stress and improved morale.
But it’s not just a healthy workforce that benefits an organisation.
SVUK recommends using the SROI Framework or equivalent for staff wellbeing reports, as it uncovers both intended and unintended outcomes. It further avoids over-claiming and tick boxing, meaning the reports are useful to employers rather than a mere formality.
However, as a not-for-profit organisation, we encourage and support organisations to find a framework that suits them.
If you support our cause, consider being a member or contact matthew.mckew@socialvalueuk.org to learn how you can support our forthcoming general election manifesto.
Railway firms and the government must value the wellbeing of passengers when considering feedback on planned ticket office closures.
Industry body the Rail Delivery Group has announced closed to 1,000 ticket office closures at all but the country’s busiest train stations, over the next three years.
Trade unions, charities and representative groups have all warned of unmanned stations and negative outcomes for groups such as the elderly, disabled and women.
Politically-neutral membership body Social Value UK is urging the train operating companies (TOCs) and government to heed stakeholder feedback, in line with our first principle.
To progress on such a fundamental business decision without using social value practice could be catastrophic for both the industry and country. The consultation should not be a mere formality, with a decision already taken.
Social Value UK chief executive Isabelle Parasram OBE said: “As our eight principles outline, you must listen to those likely to be impacted by a decision, understand what matters and then be responsive to the feedback you have gathered.
“Not only is it the right thing to do, but it makes business sense. Our members report first-hand experience of improved productivity, customer relations and bottom-line results when social value practice is done right.”
The Rail Delivery Group has argued only 12% of tickets are bought in-person and the government said savings must be found after a 20% fall in fare revenue since the pandemic.
But should the proposed changes lead to stakeholders being unwilling or unable to access the railway, the TOCs should be alive to the significance. As so often the case, it is an example of where both stakeholder wellbeing and financial interests align.
Privately-owned and nationally-owned TOCs run the railway network across Great Britain as part of a franchise system, subsidised by the government.
The public consultations on ticket office closures are being run by each TOC in their service area.
Responses warning of negative outcomes should be heard by both the TOCS – who stand to lose revenue – and the government, which should be supporting improved citizen wellbeing.
Some TOCs have said more platform-based roles will be created, but trade unions have warned of redundancy notices being issued.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all seen developments in recent years, with more wind farm in the pipeline.
Yet, England has largely been bereft on new wind farms since 2015 when then Prime Minister David Cameron introduced planning application reforms.
Signalling a shift in position, the UK Government recently published updated guidance on how to increase community backing for future wind farms in England and has just ended a public consultation on how to further win support for these developments by using best practice engagement.
SVUK firmly believes the Social Return on Investment Framework is the best solution to improving the likelihood wind farms win approval from local authorities, given its emphasis on engaging with those people (stakeholders) most likely to be impacted.
Our globally-recognised SROI model goes beyond just engaging with local people, but analyses the priorities of stakeholders and the relative importance they place on the changes they are likely to experience.
By using SROI Forecasts, wind farm developers could take into account residents and other key players’ concerns, adapting their plans to better account for the perceived unintended impacts of their proposals.
SVUK’s primary focus is impact on people – social value. But given our ability as a country to meet Net Zero ambitions will impact our future wellbeing and quality of life, as a national body we support in principle the development of more renewable energy hubs.
This does not mean every wind farm proposal will be appropriate, but SROI forecasting is our best opportunity to evaluate the wider impact of such a developments, beyond their proposed energy generation and environmental footprint (accounted for through existing legislation).
SVUK CEO Isabelle Parasram OBE
SVUK CEO Isabelle Parasram OBE said: “Energy companies and local residents would benefit alike from SROI forecasting, because it encourages closer engagement and collaboration. We know wind farm developers have proven in other areas of the UK they can get this right and such legislation change would only see more profitable results for both energy firms and our local communities, in the form of more successful, appropriate planning applications.”
“Greater emphasis on social value accounting would help to distinguish the developers who look to invest and enrich communities, giving them the chance to prove their commitment to improving the wellbeing of the people they impact.
“We emphasise the SROI or equivalent approach because it’s ground-up engagement style, based on our eight principles, captures unintended consequences alongside intended outcomes of a project.”
For further details email: communications@socialvalueuk.org
Below is a copy of our response to the UK Government consultation:
Positive social value practice is the answer to the government’s desire to increase the number of onshore wind farms in England, embedding the highest, most productive standard of public engagement to the planning process. The government should be looking to use SROI (Social Return on Investment) forecasts and evaluations as the gold standard for best engagement practice. Ensuring everybody can readily see the true value of a wind farm development. Social value is impact on people and there is no stronger impact on people than the ability to live on a safe, hospitable planet, which is why SVUK welcomes the move to increase renewable energy generation over fossil fuels, as part of the government’s Net Zero ambitions. To successfully reintroduce the building of wind farms to England after the 2015 planning application changes, the government recognises it must embed strong stakeholder engagement – the first of our shared principles with Social Value International (SVI). We are extremely heartened to read the Best Practice Engagement Guidance but believe it can be adjusted to ensure the best Social Value outcomes for all and positive results for the applicants. As the government states, developers should properly engage with nearby residents to create a flow of communication, articulating exactly what change will take place – SVI Principle 2. We suggest these changes should be described both from the developer’s perspective and from the point of view of different stakeholder groups – which may include the local community, wider country, potential employees, customers and service users. It is essential to understand that the same intervention might bring about different outcomes and impacts for people depending on their background, living conditions, specific needs, etc. We support the use of the varied methods for stakeholder engagement recommended in the consultation document but would like to stress the need to make the engagement as representative of local residents as possible, keeping in mind that those most likely to experience unintended negative outcomes are often those harder to engage. Such an open and inclusive approach to stakeholder engagement would reveal why some people have reservations about onshore wind developments in their local area and go some way to resolving the issues blocking their development. To optimise wind farm projects and planning consultations, the social value measurement should not be limited to outputs (power produced, etc), but outcomes and thus must also account for negative impacts – intended or otherwise. But this works both ways, there will also be unintended positive outcomes. This is key if we are to avoid issues of tick boxing – the social value world’s equivalent of greenwashing – and to ensure a ground swell of support for these developments. Developers should recognise what holds value for the stakeholders. This could be done by either establishing the relative importance of outcomes for different stakeholder groups through an appropriate system of weighting/ranking, or through financial proxies. The latter translates stakeholder value into monetary units and can make it comparable with the cost of construction and/or benefits for the residents and other stakeholder groups. Developers should seek to be transparent, i.e. demonstrate the basis on which their analysis may be considered accurate and honest, and take steps to report and discuss it with stakeholders – Principle 6. This chimes with the government’s guidance on page 15 of Community Engagement and Benefits from Onshore Wind Developments Good Practice Guidance for England: “The engagement plan needs to be flexible and remain responsive. Adapting the plan to provide bespoke information about local concerns is important”. Further, as outlined in SVI Principle 7, all developers should verify their results using an assurance service, such as the Report Assurance service provided by not-for-profit outfit Social Value UK
Finally, stakeholder consultations alone are not enough – developers should be responsive to the feedback they receive and use it to inform their decisions in line with Principle 8. This enhances the government’s guidance and could be key to achieving successful planning approval for later wind farm applications by the developer. Renewable energy firms, through their environmental impact statements, have become accustomed to working around wildlife and fauna challenges. This curtesy should be extended to local communities. We recognise many firms improve road infrastructure and in more rural settings, communications, but the true impact on stakeholders must be assessed from their point of view, not the developer or shareholder. Although this creates a powerful list of requirements for energy developers to adhere to, we believe it will result in more positive outcomes for all and are aware of existing industry examples of social value practice success. Planning applications are less likely to be met with objections if stakeholders feel listened to and firms take informed decisions. A critical issue for renewable energy developers is a shortage of skills and this too can be overcome with proper stakeholder engagement and support, creating a sustainable workforce for maintenance and further projects. We believe Social Return on Investment (SROI) forecasting and evaluation is how developers should meet the engagement requirements being put forward by the government. Minimum requirements must include education and skills, health, financial independence, wellbeing, job quality and adequate feeling of engagement. Social Value UK would be happy to work with the government to collaborate on an appropriate framework or adapted SROI model, should it be needed, and to offer verification and validation to ensure reports are robust. As a not-for-profit organisation connected to global standard-setter Social Value International, Social Value UK is in an ideal position to accurately adjudicate on SROI forecasts and evaluations prepared for wind farm developments. By using the SROI framework, the government could be assured of a level playing field and greater chance for equal replication of standards across England, regardless of the local authority involved.
Social Value in Perspective: Driving Equality to Solve the Workforce Shortage
There are quite literally millions of people in the UK with a criminal record, often creating a barrier between them, employment and a second chance. SVUK sat down with Offploy founder Jacob Hill to understand some of the challenges, misconceptions and advantages of employing somebody who has fallen foul of the law.
Jacob is a board member of SVUK and his vision is for a world where everyone feels safe from crime – something we can all agree would have a positive impact on people or, in other words, be a positive social value outcome.
What issue do you hope to address?
Employers want to hire people with criminal convictions but often don’t know where to start. This a particular problem considering there are over 11 million people with convictions in the UK, including 1 in 3 adult males between the ages of 18 and 52. It means millions face the challenge of gaining meaningful employment, while there are simultaneously hundreds of thousands of vacancies post Brexit and Covid.
We are on a mission to support those at risk at offending, supporting them to access greater opportunities and achieve their full potential.
This means as well as supporting employers, we also support a whole range of socially excluded people through mentoring and advice services, ensuring that committing a crime is not their only option in life.
Why is this an issue?
Crime affects everyone including taxpayers of state services, the families of defendants, future generations and of course, the victims.
Employment, along with other areas of our support such as housing and health advice, is one of the greatest ways to reduce reoffending.
“Employers and the wider British economy is facing the strain of low unemployment with vacant roles likely costing our economy billions per year. Hiring from this talent pool, as more and more great employers like those on the Employer’s Forum for Reducing Reoffending are already doing, will be a sure way to fill some of those vacancies and keep our economy growing.”
When did you begin to address the issue? What’s the background?
I started Offploy after I was in trouble with the law for drugs, which resulted in a 28 month sentence. As the son of two police officers and my region’s young entrepreneur of the year, nobody – myself included – expected me to end up in that situation. Like my fellow inmates, it was a waste of talent and life.
I was inspired by those I met inside who wanted to redeem themselves and earn another chance in life, so on release, I started Offploy.
Fast-forward seven years and we are now a national team of 30. We have supported almost 4000 socially excluded people through our services and more employers are actively hiring people with convictions.
Credit: Offploy CIC
What are the benefits to employers?
Employers who have actively hired people with convictions have seen lower turnover, increased retention, increased reputation and access to untapped talent.
Polling commissioned by the Ministry of Justice found that over 90 percent of businesses who employ ex-offenders said they are reliable, good at their job, punctual and trustworthy.
Improved customer reputation, considering 81% of people think that businesses employing ex-offenders make a positive contribution to society.
Can this be adopted/replicated easily by employers?
Employers do not need to go through lengthy processes to hire people with convictions. We recommend they just get started, ask for advice and speak to others who have already walked this path.
Without any obligation, Offploy offers a free confidential 30-minute advice service for HR and CSR managers interested in hiring people with convictions. You can book a call in here.
What happens if this issue is not addressed? What’s the human impact?
Society is becoming more divided. Our government is attempting to hire 20,000 more police officers and building 20,000 more prison places. There are over 1.1 million job vacancies in the UK and crime has increased on our streets by over 8%.
Employment reduces reoffending, so hiring people with convictions not only helps fill our talent gap and make us a more productive economy, but also a safer one.
Be curious, ask questions and above all, approach every applicant with a fair mind in order to find your next great hire.
How do people looking for employment come to Offploy? And what is the process for them in getting a job?
People looking for employment after serving a criminal conviction are typically referred to Offploy by their probation officer or DWP Work Coach. Once they’ve been referred, the candidates begin a nine-step journey with Offploy’s team of Social Employment Advisors, many of whom have themselves had a criminal conviction. This process includes guidance on thinking about:
Career goals,
Sharpening CVs,
Crafting tailored cover letters,
Preparing a disclosure letter to explain convictions,
Correctly filling out application forms,
Anticipating interview questions, preparing questions for the interviewers, advice on dressing appropriately, and maintaining a positive and respectful demeanour throughout.
After the interview, candidates are also coached on seeking feedback to improve their chances of success in future applications. The overarching goal is to help these individuals secure sustainable employment and build meaningful careers, with Offploy’s team supporting them every step of the way.
How does Offploy support those gaining employment once they are hired?
We believe in more than just securing employment for those with criminal convictions; we’re committed to providing sustainable solutions and continuous support. From the outset, we equip our candidates with vital skills to not only find a job but to overcome adversity and challenges that may arise. Our programme is crafted to empower them to source their own employment opportunities in the future, fostering independence and resilience. And our support doesn’t end when a job placement is secured. Our door remains perpetually open for those we place into roles, ensuring they have a continuous lifeline of light touch support to lean on. We recognise the path to sustained employment isn’t always a straight one, and we are here to help navigate that journey, enabling them to stand firmly on their own two feet, confident and equipped for long-term success.
How does Offploy support the organisation employing those with a conviction?
We equip businesses with our tailored suite of employer services, training, coaching, and consultancy services that ensure the fair, consistent, and safe hiring of individuals with criminal convictions. To maintain a safe and sustainable recruitment, we follow our Seven Steps approach, including building a supportive culture, policy development, risk management, appropriate job marketing, interviews and vetting, onboarding support, and finally, measuring and managing social impact. Our strategy is about more than just filling vacancies, it’s about introducing diversity, resilience, and improving staff morale, enhancing ESG and ED&I credentials, and ultimately, reducing reoffending rates.
What are some of the misconceptions?
“People with criminal records can’t work.” People with criminal records can and do work. In fact, there are an estimated 12.1 million people with criminal records in the UK, many of whom are in sustainable employment and meaningful careers 1 .
“Nobody would want to hire someone with a criminal record.” There are organisations that advocate for the employment of people with criminal records and provide support to employers willing to hire such individuals. For instance, Offploy addresses the UK’s recruitment challenges by empowering HR and CSR Managers to access an untapped talent pool of ex-offenders.
“People with criminal records aren’t reliable.” People with criminal records can be reliable employees. By employing ex-offenders, businesses can boost staff morale, retention, and their reputation.
Can you give examples of some of the employers you have worked with?
We operate a highly confidential service with many of our employers currently dipping their toe in. As not to rock the boat too much we’d like to talk about the great work of some well-known brands in order to assure the reader that they haven’t gone out of business since embarking on this mission:
Timpson: The retail company, known for its shoe repair, key cutting and engraving services, has been a leader in providing employment opportunities to ex-offenders. They’ve established training academies within prisons and offer job placements upon release, with ex-offenders making up around 10% of their workforce.
Greencore: As one of the UK’s largest food manufacturers, Greencore has established an ‘EmployAbility’ programme specifically for ex-offenders, providing skills training and work opportunities within the company.
Greggs: The high-street bakery chain runs a scheme in partnership with national charity the Prison Reform Trust. Their initiative, ‘Fresh Start’, offers work placements and potential employment opportunities to people with criminal convictions.
Virgin Trains: In collaboration with the charity RIFT Social Enterprise, Virgin Trains launched a programme to support ex-offenders into work. The scheme provides training and job opportunities across the rail company.
Barclays: Barclays’ AFTER programme helps former military service personnel, including those with criminal convictions, to find employment. It offers work placements, direct employment opportunities, CV and interview coaching, as well as supporting other organisations to hire veterans. While the programme is not exclusively for ex-offenders, it does make a substantial contribution to this area.
If you’d like to be further involved with our Social Value In Perspective campaign, please email our Advocacy Lead, Matthew Mckew via matthew.mckew@socialvalueuk.org
Matt Eamer, founder of me&you said; “I’m excited that my creative agency can support Social Value UK in its mission to raise awareness and understanding of social value. We’ll be creating visuals and graphics to help bring Social Value in Perspective to life, making the themes accessible for new audiences.“
Social Value in Perspective: Driving Equality to Solve the Workforce Shortage
A conviction can be life changing and when we consider the social value an organisation creates, offering a second chance to somebody could be monumental.
But, with one in six people in the UK having a conviction on their record and more than a million job vacancies open, creating this form of positive social value has potential huge up sides to British employers.
It’s a question the government has been grappling with too, amid a Conservative manifesto pledge to reduce immigration.
Hospitality, manufacturing, health and social care are particularly feeling the strain, and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found this year a third of UK businesses were struggling to address skills gaps.
When we consider a conviction, we may think of the more extreme examples of law-breaking, but many of 11 million people in the UK to fall foul of the law, committed low-level, non-violent crimes.
The Ministry of Justice has evidence from employers such as Marks & Spencer that ex-offenders place a higher value on having a job because of a desire to stay out of prison. They also demonstrate higher levels of loyalty and employers benefit from reduced staff turnover.
With so many individuals sitting under the title of ‘ex offender’, taking a different approach to recruitment and considering these candidates more seriously, may help organisations to navigate their staffing woes.
“We’ve started working with ex-offenders and people coming towards the end of their sentence because it allows us to secure a pipeline of talent coming into our business,” Greene King spokesperson Greg Sage told the Ministry of Justice.
“In the hospitality industry there is a nationwide shortage of kitchen staff – kitchen managers and chefs particularly – that we at Greene King are not immune to.”
Social Value UK will be exploring how to safely and effectively employ those with criminal convictions throughout June as part of our Social Value in Perspective campaign.
We’ll be discussing the stigmatism around criminal records and the benefits associated with giving somebody second or third chance.
The Cook Kitchen’s Head of RAW Talent and Apprenticeships Annie Gale said: “There are three secret ingredients to doing this effectively.
“Put good support in place, assign partners so that each party does what they are good at and isn’t beyond their capacity, and grit – it doesn’t always work and that’s okay. Keep learning and go again.”
We are indebted to our member Offploy for their support on our Equalities-focused campaign and will be introducing you to their brilliant work later this week,
If you’d like to be further involved with our Social Value In Perspective campaign, please email our Advocacy Lead, Matthew Mckew via matthew.mckew@socialvalueuk.org
Matt Eamer, founder of me&you said; “I’m excited that my creative agency can support Social Value UK in its mission to raise awareness and understanding of social value. We’ll be creating visuals and graphics to help bring Social Value Perspectives to life, making the themes accessible for new audiences.“
Recruitment has become an increasing challenge for UK organisations, with little sign of the situation easing.
The British Chamber of Commerce revealed in April that a survey of 5,000 businesses found 80% attempting to recruit faced challenges, with hospitality and manufacturing firms most likely to report difficulties.
They further reported six in ten firms surveyed were actively trying to recruit staff.
The Federation of Small Business reported a similar situation last August, while a report in the House of Commons Library found Human Health and Social Work was drastically affected by high vacancies.
Social Value, at its heart, is impact on people and so as we look for solutions to this crisis, there can be no greater avenue than social value practice.
Organisations tend to be directed by their financial accounts – for good reason – and in the last decade or so there has been more attention on environmental footprint.
But, it is our stakeholders – our customers, service users, staff and community – who have a key role to play in the success or demise of an organisation.
Social Value International: 8 Principles
It is therefore vital that we recognise barriers unintentionally or otherwise erected to exclude many people from employment opportunities.
Earlier this year the Social Value in Perspective campaign revealed how our members have used the SVUK and Social Value International principles to embed more effective wellbeing programmes, leading to reduced sickness and improved workforce retention.
This month marks the launch of our second tranche of work, this time focusing on how social value practice can improve equality in the workplace.
We’ll cover the more discussed issues such as the gender pay gap and racism, while also delving into less discussed areas, such as employment for those with convictions.
