Social value relates to the positive value businesses can create for the economy, communities and environment. In 2021/22 the Trust had approximately £450 million of expenditure on non-pay spend. We can therefore have a significant impact by choosing to work with local, ethical and sustainable suppliers.
As of April 2022, all procurements include a minimum 10% net zero and social value weighting in the tender process. This means that along with cost and quality of the service, suppliers are also assessed against social value criteria, such as how they are reducing their carbon emissions, their polices and producers on modern slavery in their supply chain, how they support their staff health and wellbeing and work they do to support charities and local small businesses.
This is requirement forms part of a larger national ‘net zero supplier roadmap’, which has actions up to 2023. For more information on this, please go to the Greener NHS website.
Social Value Portal
We have recently signed up to the Social Value Portal, which will make it easier to measure and assess suppliers social value contributions. This is part of a wider Cheshire and Merseyside project to measure social value in our supply chain across the region.
For more information about the Social Value Portal, head over to their website.
Cheshire and Merseyside Social Value Award
The Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership developed the Cheshire and Merseyside Social Value Award in 2020. The award aims to help organisations deliver and recognise their corporate social responsibility and social value work. In November 2020, the Trust successfully achieved the Cheshire and Merseyside Social Value Award, the joint first NHS organisation to obtain the award. In order to embed social value within our organisation and our supply chain, we have since asked all of our suppliers based in the North-West and North Wales to also apply for the award. We also ask new suppliers of large contracts to apply for the award.