Tag: social value pioneer

Social Value UK is proud to announce Forever Consulting as a Social Value Pioneer! Ahead of their joining, Social Value UK spoke to Forever Consulting about their social value journey so far.

Tell us a bit about your organisation and what you are trying to achieve…

Forever Consulting provides social and economic research and consulting services across the UK and Ireland. We work with public, private and third sector organisations who are looking to achieve true social value through regeneration, development, procurement and public service. We do this by providing robust, independent and evidence-based advice. We believe that becoming a member of SVUK will strengthen our credibility and help us to identify new partners and clients. We also want to help develop the thinking and practice in this area, based on our own unique insights and experiences.

Why do you think social value is important? In your organisation, your industry or in wider society?

Forever Consulting is owned by a Community Foundation where we say “community is our cause”. Social value sits at the heart of everything we do and all surpluses raised from our consultancy work are reinvested in grass roots community activity. Social value is what we exist to achieve, and we help others achieve it through our consultancy work.

Does your organisation have a background in social value/social accounting/SROI? e.g. have you already completed any reports? Are there any projects that you have started since you joined Social Value UK? Are there any specific projects you are doing at the moment that are related to social value/social accounting/SROI?

For many years, our team have conducted Green Book Appraisals, which place an emphasis on Cost Benefit Analysis. We have also begun to use SRoI extensively over the last five years, recognising the subtetlies between both approaches, where they align and where they don’t. We use SRoI for both appraisals and evaluations, usually for assignments where SRoI is a more appropriate method for considering the value for money of a project or programme. We have conducted many SRoI and CBA studies, most often for public and third sector clients. We also advise on the social value of built environment projects, for developers, infrastructure providers or housing associations. Usually, we are asked to measure the social value that can be achieved and explore how a project could be adapted to achieve even greater value for money.

What are your plans for your SVUK membership?

We want to make use of evidence and resources which may be available, benefit from shared learning and should resources allow, we would like to secure SVUK accreditation for our SRoI work that we do.

Forever Consulting are very pleased to begin our membership to Social Value UK. Social value sits at the heart of everything we do. We are looking forwards to sharing ideas, experiences and learning with other like-minded professionals.

For more information, please contact:

Claire Lawless, Director, via Claire@foreverconsulting.co.uk

Social Value UK is proud to announce Kineara as a Social Value Pioneer! Ahead of their joining, Social Value UK spoke to Kineara about their social value journey so far.

Tell us a bit about your organisation and what you are trying to achieve…

Kineara is a Community Interest Company, with over 9 year’s experience working alongside organisations, individuals and families. We support people deemed ‘vulnerable’ whilst experiencing challenging times in their lives. The main aim of Kineara’s work is to help identify internal and external barriers that prevents a person from sustaining their tenancy, obtaining or maintaining employment, socially excluded or children not reaching their potential through education.

Our aim is to help identify, address and remove barriers from people’s lives and environments that negatively impact their wellbeing.

Why do you think social value is important? In your organisation, your industry or in wider society?

Social Value is important if you understand the value of people, communities and the environments. It is vital for Kineara to develop a holistic and systemic comprehension into the value of our work in people’s lives and the communities we serve. Developing a deeper knowledge into the wider social, economic and environmental impact of our work will be a helpful process for Kineara to undertake. This will enable us to be strategic in how we deliver future services, highlight areas for further improvement and development. Therefore strengthening our social impact

Does your organisation have a background in social value/social accounting/SROI? e.g. have you already completed any reports? Are there any projects that you have started since you joined Social Value UK? Are there any specific projects you are doing at the moment that are related to social value/social accounting/SROI?

We are currently delivering a health and housing project with Southwark Housing, Southwark Law Centre and Urban Health Trust. The aim of this project is to work with ‘vulnerable housing ‘ living within the PRS (Private Rented Sector). We have completed a halfway evaluation.

What are your plans for your SVUK membership?

Learn, develop, grow, connect with other service, share, influence policies and become more impactful

Kineara is delighted to be apart of Social Value UK, we are excited to gain a greater understanding and insight into the value and impact of our work.

For more information, please contact:
Melanie Singhji at msinghji@kineara.co.uk

Social Value UK is proud to announce QRO Solutions Ltd as a Social Value Pioneer! Ahead of their joining, Social Value UK spoke to QRO Solutions Ltd about their social value journey so far.

Tell us a bit about your organisation and what you are trying to achieve…

QRO Solutions Ltd was established in the year 2000 to provide Automatic Number Plate Recognition Systems to the UK Police market. In 2016, QRO Solutions Ltd was acquired by Petards Group Plc with a vision to grow the product and market through organic growth and financial investment. QRO are keen to establish connections in the community, in order to add value learnt within many years of business.

Why do you think social value is important? In your organisation, your industry or in wider society?

QRO feel that they could contribute to the way we account for value in order to arrive at better equality and a more sustainable environment.

Does your organisation have a background in social value/social accounting/SROI? e.g. have you already completed any reports? Are there any projects that you have started since you joined Social Value UK? Are there any specific projects you are doing at the moment that are related to social value/social accounting/SROI?

Any Social Value impact has not been measured or quantified. Currently QRO aim to utilise local suppliers for manufacture of goods and components where possible. QRO aim to recruit locally where possible.

What are your plans for your SVUK membership?

QRO would like to contribute more actively with the community and to help promote QRO’s activities in this area.

QRO believes that a company with a higher purpose is more profitable than those that just think
about the bottom line.

For more information, please contact:
Gary Austin at Gary.austin@grosolutions.co.uk or Anna van der Helm at Anna.vanderhelm@grosolutions.co.uk

Social Value UK is proud to announce Sodexo as a Social Value Pioneer! Ahead of their joining, Social Value UK spoke to Sodexo about their social value journey so far.

Tell us a bit about your organisation and what you are trying to achieve…

Sodexo’s mission is to improve Quality of Life by contributing to the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries where it operates. Our employees live our values by demonstrating Service Spirit, Team Spirit and Spirit of Progress. We are a company that delivers Quality of Life services by focusing on positive outcomes, and driving progress through operational excellence, responsible business practices and by investing profits into sustainable practices. Innovation is key to our commitment to meet society’s expectations, as is measuring and evidencing the social impact that we make for our people and the places where we operate.

Sodexo is committed to putting Social Value at the centre of its services and offers. This translates to a genuine, tangible commitment by Sodexo to ensure that we bring to life our Quality of Life Services in all that we do. We will apply business practices and policies that hold Sodexo to account in delivering a positive impact; measuring, reporting and evidencing our achievements.

Our aim is to lead the way in creating a positive impact for our planet and society; being selected as both an employer and partner of choice due to our societal, environmental and ethical commitments when doing good business, in a good way!

Why do you think social value is important? In your organisation, your industry or in wider society?

Sodexo value the things that matter and are committed to creating value in all that we do – for our people, our planet, our places and our partners. We are dedicated to working across private, public and third sector partners and stakeholders in delivering Quality of Life Services that create a long-lasting, social impact. Our achievements are not only measured internally, but we publish our achievement externally, holding ourselves to account by evidencing the value add we deliver and the impact we create.

Our Social Value Strategy reflects the world that we live, work and play in – the challenges we now face and our continued commitment to create a healthier, greener, safer and prosperous society across the UK and Ireland. Sodexo take seriously their role in supporting society and our planet with the challenges we collectively face.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic touched every aspect of our lives in both our work life and personal life and in too many cases affecting the health & wellbeing, finances and relationships across the world. As this crisis caused trauma, suffering, loneliness and turmoil to many of us, and continues to do so, Sodexo also recognises that the crisis has also presented an opportunity to work in new ways, prioritising our business and people in tackling the most significant challenges facing our people, planet, places and partners – leaving a lasting, positive impact as a result of our approach. As such, we revisited the way in which we bring to life of mission to improve Quality of Life by focusing our energies on four impact pathways:

• Our People – by enabling our employees, customers and community citizens to thrive

• Our Planet – by fostering a culture of environmental responsibility through protecting and enhancing our planet

• Our Places – by adopting a needs-led approach to creating equity for all across our communities

• Our Partners –by taking an inclusive approach to creating resilience and growth amongst our partner network

Does your organisation have a background in social value/social accounting/SROI? e.g. have you already completed any reports? Are there any projects that you have started since you joined Social Value UK? Are there any specific projects you are doing at the moment that are related to social value/social accounting/SROI?

Our social and ethical principles guide us in our day-to-day business and has been part of our DNA since 1966. However, today, our operating environment, our employees and our consumers demand more than ever before from Sodexo, and as such, Sodexo are committed to improving the way in which it not only creates social value, but how it ensures its actions leave a lasting positive, social impact. We have trialled ways of measuring SROI by using the TOMs framework, and applying the social value portal. At this time, Sodexo are exploring ways in which this can be done in house using its corporate reporting platform, SEA.

What are your plans for your SVUK membership?

Our aim is to optimise our membership by improving the way I which we demonstrate our social value commitments through practice, evaluation and innovation. The membership provides an opportunity to increase our teams’ knowledge bank, network, share best practice and influence the way in which representatives across private, public and third sector can work together in creating an eco-system that share collective goals and aims in delivering wider societal, economic and environmental benefits through all they do.

“As a Pioneer member of Social Value UK, we are delighted to be part of the growing network of businesses committed to operating with purpose and responsibility. Since 1966, we have been delivering wider societal, economic and environmental benefits for the communities we serve. At Sodexo we recognise that we must all go further, go deeper if we are to truly make a lasting, social impact on society and our planet. We know by coming together, we can make a difference, we can create a better tomorrow for all.”

Angela Halliday, Director Social Impact UK&IE

For more information, please contact:
Angela Halliday, Director Social Impact UK&IE at angela.halliday@sodexo.com or Socialvalue.UKandIE@sodexo.com