Agenda and minutes

None.

RESOLVED - the minutes of the meeting on the 24 January 2022 have been signed by chair.

To receive an update on Procurement – Social Value.

The chair invited the Team Leader: Procurement Places to present the report on Procurement: Social Value to the committee.

The SV Act was established in 2012 which required Public Sector Bodies to consider social value and benefit to the community in its procurement activities. It was explained that social value can be made up of financial factors and less tangible factors such as “voluntary hours” being given to a specific cause, or support being provided to a particular sector of the community. 

The Team Leader explained how social value is delivered through ‘pledges’ made by those providing goods or services to the Council – these pledges are made during the tender process and would be delivered throughout the lifetime of the contract.

Members received an update on the social value pledges that had been offered during 2021/2022, and the pledges that had been delivered.  Some case studies were presented to the Committee demonstrating the different ways in which social value can be delivered and the impact and outputs that social value can deliver.  The Team Leader also shared what the Council was doing to maximise social value throughout 2022 including the creation of a social value website where contractors could support each other by “swapping” social value needs and offers. .

Members heard that the Procurement team sought social value from all tenders relating to contracts with a value above £10k It was explained that championing social value requirements is a one-team effort with all officers being aware of the need to seek social value when they procure goods, works and services but that overall oversight sits with the procurement team. Each year, officers summarise the pledges received so that they can be recorded and monitored to ensure delivery.

The Team Leader: Procurement Places was interested in scrutiny’s comments on how the system could be improved. Areas that were discussed were how to further define social value and what suppliers can provide to support life aspirations.

Following the presentation from officers there was a discussion, with Members posing a number of questions:

Was the integrity of suppliers looked at before awarding contracts?

The Associate Director for Policy & Governance explained that the integrity of suppliers was a fundamental part of the due diligence that the authority undertook as part of any procurement activity.  This included considering whether or not a prospective contractor’s ethos and values were reflective of those of the council.

When awarding contracts to suppliers out of the Borough, was any assessment undertaken to evaluate the economic impact of awarding contracts outside of the Borough?

The Associate Director: Policy & Governance explained that contracts had to be awarded through a procurement exercise and the authority could only contract with an organisation who had submitted a tender.  However, when contracts were awarded outside of the Borough, suppliers are encouraged to work with the Council to see how they could support people in the Borough for employment in these organisations and how social value will be delivered within the Borough.

As part  ...  view the full minutes text for item BFSC49

The Chair updated the committee on the upcoming items for the 10 May 2022 meeting and that scrutiny are currently working on the next municipal years’ work programme. The Chair suggested that if members have any suggestions for the next years scrutiny work programme to get in touch with Democratic Services.