The chains that have reduced social value to a mere piece of legislation need to be broken, because when they are, the potential for growth is unlimited.
This is the message to all local authorities in Social Enterprise UK’s latest report Front and Centre – Putting Social Value at the Heart of Inclusive Growth. The think-tank says councils are missing the point when they view the Social Value Act 2012 as a tick-box exercise, instead of an opportunity to impact every service offered.
The Act asks the public sector to consider securing broader social, environmental and economic benefits when commissioning a service. Although the sector is asked only to consider this, there are many examples of councils that are going out of their way to do it.