Mantell Gwynedd is a County Voluntary Council based in northwest Wales. They have been members with Social Value UK since 2014 and established Social Value Cymru in the same year. Social Value Cymru provides social value support, advice and consultancy services to third sector organisations across Gwynedd and beyond.
Mantell’s activities are varied and numerous including developing and supporting volunteering, representing the third sector and collaborating with partners, supporting organisations with their governance, financial and engagement arrangements, referring individuals to relevant services, a social prescription service in the Arfon area and giving guidance for organisations on how to measure their social value…… and much more!
As an organisation, Mantell Gwynedd wanted to ensure that the principles were embedded into the organisation and develop a culture of impact management. Social Value is becoming an integral part of the governance and management of Mantell Gwynedd on a strategic and operational basis. Crucially, we are able to measure, monitor, consider and assess our activities from the perspective of users and partners; and to plan our future activities in order to maximise the positive effect on people we work with or offer a service to them.
The first project that we measured was our social prescribing project, and we have produced an annual social impact report on this project since 2016. Having engaged with stakeholders it was clear that the outcomes that needed to be managed were loneliness, mental health and physical health. The indicators used for managing these are a subjective wellbeing scale which demonstrates the change that people have experienced through the support. Some objective scales have also been used such as reduced GP visits. In the 2022-23 report, 93% of those who completed the service said they felt less alone. The benefits of measuring and managing the impact of this project are:
- The social Prescription SROI’s have enabled us to better understand the outcomes to individuals using the service.
- Applying the principle of ‘value what matters’ allows us to better understand what is most important for our users and informs our decision making
- The principle of ‘do not over claim’ has helped us to understand where we create most value and also identified where we can collaborate better with others
- The continued need and demand for the project is clear and based on the social impact information collated. The number of referrals to the project through various NHS departments demonstrates that the Community Link Officer is taking pressure off the local health board while building a solid foundation of trust with the healthcare professionals.
Mantell has held a Level 1 Social Value Management Certificate since 2019 and during the period from 2020 through the period of Covid restrictions, the organisation built on its frameworks and plans in order to put more thorough operating methods in place across all the company’s activities. Following the submission of the application for Level 2 in October 2023, a detailed assessment was carried out by SVI, and Mantell was awarded a Level 2 Certificate on 11 December 2023.
This has been a long process, and we still have much to do to ensure that we have truly embedded the principles across all out activities. What was unexpected was how the process has helped staff to better understand the impact they have within communities and how this has motivated them to be involved in measuring impact themselves.
The SVI method allows organisation to capture the real story of change without limitations. It gives us the whole story including anything negative or unexpected that happens through our activities, which allows us to better plan and make more informed decisions.
“In the long run, implementing Level 2 Social Value is a means for Mantell to use the input of real people to influence and improve our activities for the benefit of users and partners.” – Trystan Pritchard, Mantell Gwynedd Chairman and Social Value Champion on the board
Learn more about Mantell Gwynedd and the work they do here.
Find out more about the SVMC here.
