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Appendix 2 - ESCC draft SV Policy - Proposed Edits for SVM

Committee report · Place Scrutiny Committee · Thu 27 Nov 2025 · East Sussex County Council · agenda item 22

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The draft Social Value Policy sets out how East Sussex County Council will build economic, social and environmental benefits into its procurement and contracts, under the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012. p6

The policy is based on four themes — Sustainability, Social, Economic and Environmental — linked to the Council's priorities of driving sustainable economic growth, keeping vulnerable people safe, helping people help themselves, and making best use of resources. p7p8

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  • p6This policy is aimed at all Officers that commission, procure or contract manage on behalf of East Sussex County Council. It documents how the Council will incorporate Social Value into procurements and contracts to ensure that benefits are being maximised for residents and communities. Introduction Social Value has been a priority for the council for some time. Our suppliers have been helping to deliver apprentices, community value and engaging with skills initiatives for many years. In 2012 the government brought into law the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 (the Act) to require the application and consideration of social, economic or environmental benefits when commissioning and procuring goods, services and works. The Act requires the Council to consider: 1. How what is proposed to be procured might improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the area where it exercises its functions; and 2. How, in conducting the process of procurement, it might act with a view to securing that improvement. The Act is a tool to help Commissioners maximise value gained from their procurement project. It drives better commissioning by encouraging Officers to engage with their local providers and communities to design better services, often finding innovative solutions to difficult problems.
  • p7What is Social Value, and why should we consider it ? Social Value · Is not just ‘social’ – it means generating social, economic and environmental impact · Involves a measurable change for the better · Is achieved by sharing resources and working together · Redefines ‘value for money’ from cost-saving to value adding The term ‘Social Value’ is increasingly used across all sectors to describe the total positive impact of an organisation or a project in the area in which they operate. At East Sussex County Council, we don’t just deliver services. Increasingly we work with communities to design solutions together and support existing projects and initiatives with our resources, networks and expertise where possible. Social Value in this context means working together and using all our resources to maximise our impact. The key benefits of embedding Social Value into the Council’s culture include: · Delivers better value for money by requiring our suppliers to do more than just deliver the core services. · Increases local spend by rewarding local organisations or those that employ a local supply chain (especially with the use of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)/Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs). · Increases opportunities for disadvantaged people and promotes social mobility. · Promotes a more responsible supply chain. · Leads to greener / cleaner areas and cities. · Leads to greater innovation and long-term thinking. · Helps to address specific skills gaps within a variety of sectors. Our Vision Our ambition is for Social Value to be weaved into the Council’s ways of working and deliver real benefits to our communities and residents through Good Commissioning , Good Procurement and Good Contract Management . East Sussex County Council’s Priorities and Social Value Social Value is based upon the four main pillars of Sustainability, Social, Economic and Environment.
  • p8These are intrinsically linked to the Council’s four overarching priority outcomes of: · Driving sustainable economic growth · Keeping vulnerable people safe · Helping people help themselves · Making best use of resources now and for the future

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