Social Value Policy - Why are we doing this?
By accounting for social value directly through spending decisions and procurement processes, South Ribble Borough Council can further deliver on their primary functions and corporate priorities through maximising benefit for the community that they have been established to serve.
Requiring suppliers to deliver social benefits while they deliver the main element of the contract means that there is a magnified benefit for the council. Incorporating social value into commissioning and procurement process can make a tangible difference to people in the community, to service delivery and to the council’s spending plans as a whole.
Adoption of this policy can provide the following benefits:
-
encouraging a diverse base of suppliers- Promoting supplier diversity; including the participation of small and medium sized enterprises (SME's) and 3rd sector organisations, and local suppliers in general.
-
promoting fair employment practices - Ensuring workforce equality and diversity within supply chains, promoting and encouraging fair working practices in general including promoting and encouraging our contractors and suppliers to pay the real Living Wage
-
meeting targeted recruitment and training needs - Offering a range of apprenticeship, training and skills development opportunities as well as employment opportunities.
-
community benefits - Maximising opportunities for organisations to participate in the council's supply chains and encouraging suppliers to make a social contribution to the local area
- ethical sourcing practices - Ensuring compliance with UK, EU and international standards, promoting fair trade and fair pricing policies, tackling corruption, child labour, animal welfare, blacklisting of union members and similar social issues
- promoting greater environmental sustainability - Minimising waste and pollution, supporting carbon reduction initiatives, furthering energy efficiency and other sustainability programmes. South Ribble Borough Council place great importance on the climate emergency / green agenda, and are fully committed to being carbon neutral by 2030.