A representative from the University of Northampton to provide details of the Social Value Framework.
6:05pm to 6:25pm
Minutes:
The Chair introduced the agenda item and explained that the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee had received a presentation on Social Value at previous meetings from the Director of Corporate, and the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and introduced Jay Baughan from the University of Northampton who would be delivering a presentation on the Social Values Framework.
At the Chair’s invitation, Jay shared that he attended the previous meeting and had since designed a framework to support and fund the voluntary, charity and social enterprise sectors and extract social impact research. He explained that it was a collaborative exercise that included the NHS, Police, and other organisations to secure procurement, which would benefit these underfunded and under resourced charity and funding groups.
Jay Baughan delivered the presentation on Providing a County Framework which Defines, Sustains and Measures Socioeconomic Development within Northamptonshire.
The Chair thanked Jay for his presentation and invited members to ask any questions. Members requested more information on how the initiative would work and how income would be generated. Jay responded that to some extend there was an element of buy-in as there was a business membership fee that was required but money would be split between the four thematic pots and shared amongst the community. In terms of generating income, Jay explained that many businesses had a requirement in their contract to deliver a contribution to social value, and the initiative honed in on this requirement by managing this in the procurement stage of contact agreement and helped to reengineer and channel this money to the right place. Members asked if the Changemaker Incubator had charity status and Jay confirmed that they did obtain charity status.
The Chair emphasised the positives of the social value approach as it created more investment in the community and encouraged businesses to deliver greater social good and the Changemaker Incubator helped drive the alignment of funds to where it was needed in the community.
Members expressed concerns that if businesses were allocating a percentage of profits to the social sector then they may raise prices to customers so residents would be paying more to cover the cost. Members were also concerned that local businesses would miss out if they could not cover the cost of the business membership.
Members asked when the meetings relating to social value would take place and who was invited. Jay responded that meetings would take place at the University of Northampton and there was an open invitation for organisations in the voluntary, charity and social enterprise sector to attend, and the purpose of the meetings was to ensure that suppliers were informed and increase transparency regarding social value spending. Access to the social value framework was available for everyone.
Members felt that the social value concept could be better explained as it is not a new concept, as it reimagines the idea of people coming together to give a little for the greater good.
The Executive Director of Finance asked how the four thematic pots would be funded and how contributors would benefit. Jay responded that each supplier would commit to an amount of money for the lifespan of their contract. The Executive Director asked a supplementary question on how the framework would harvest the money contributed and how they made sure that businesses put in. Jay answered that they allowed businesses to present their case, and they would inform the Council on the amount of money received and commitments would be detailed in their statement of social value.
Jay confirmed that we allow them to present that back to you – amount of money we receive, statement of social value. As for benefits, he shared that this was already a part of their business contract as part of their social value commitment in the procurement process. Businesses would also receive data such as metrics to demonstrate their social value commitment as well as marketing and PR benefits from publicity.
The Chair thanked Jay for attending the meetings and Members for their contributions. The Chair concluded the discussion and informed Members there were no recommendations, and the presentation was for information only.
RESOLVED:
1) That the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee received and noted the presentation on Providing a County Framework which Defines, Sustains and Measures Socioeconomic Development within Northamptonshire.