Only a third of councils in England are considering social value when procuring and commissioning services, according to the findings of a new report.
Procuring for Good, published by Social Enterprise UK, found less than half (45%) of councils ‘comply’ with the Social Value Act, with only a quarter of councils having a social value policy in place.
Peter Holbrook, chief executive of Social Enterprise UK said: ‘This research shows that where the will exists, councils in England are using the Act to embed social value into the way they commission services - in many cases going beyond its obligations to create positive change in their communities. This is a credit to the procurement and commissioning teams driving this agenda, they are unsung heroes.
‘Sadly too few councils still see the Act as a duty rather than an opportunity. The Act has been in force for more than three years but is not empowering local authorities in the way it could be, to the detriment of our communities.’
Mr Holbrook is calling for legislative changes to the Act, saying it ‘lacks teeth’ by only asking public sector bodies to consider social value when commissioning services.
The report did find that district councils were less likely to consider social value than larger councils, with 32% making little or no use of the Act.
In response, chairman of the District Councils’ Network (DCN) cllr Neil Clarke, said many district councils have pioneered ‘procurement excellence’ in their areas such as joint-purchasing and shared-service initiatives.
He said: ‘While we recognise that some district councils could do more, we must ensure that the conditions of the Act remain proportionate to ensure that districts can continue to deliver their procurement practices in the most efficient way so that they can continue to deliver those local services that residents and businesses value the most.’
