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Welcome to the Social Value UK Newsletter!
Dear Members,
A warm welcome to our monthly newsletter! Here, you'll find information on key developments, activities, events, and our member spotlight section.
This month, we will be hosting our Getting Started with Social Value training on 11th June and our Social Value and SROI training on 17th June. There are only limited places available for both courses, so early booking is advised.
Our Thought Leadership Group meetings will continue in June. Please see more information on our Social Value in Education and Social Value in the Built Environment TLG dates below.
Due to popular demand, we have increased the number of our networking Lunch and Learn sessions to one per month. Our session for 13th June is now fully booked, but please email ebony.hanna@socialvalueuk.org to add your name to the waiting list. Also, if you can no longer attend the session, please let us know so someone else can take your place.
Enjoy this month’s newsletter, and we hope to see you at one of our events very soon!
Best Wishes,
The Editorial Team.
A message from our CEO, Isabelle Parasram OBE!
Unlock Your Potential! Join Our 'Getting Started with Social Value' Course.
Open to all sectors, this short course equips you with essential skills in social value and impact management. Learn to apply the Principles of Social Value, craft compelling stories of change, and boost your confidence and credibility in social impact. Covering all eight principles, this course sets you on our Professional Pathway to enhance your practice and optimise your social value. Join us and start making a bigger impact today!
Click HERE to register.
Register for our 'Online Social Value & SROI Practitioner Training.'
Since 2008, Social Value UK's flagship training course has led social value practice. Accredited by Social Value International and the CPD Certification Service, it equips you with the tools to measure and maximise social value. Ideal for public bodies, charities, and private businesses, this training helps you make a greater impact. Join us and lead the way in social value!
Still unsure? Check out testimonials from our February 2024 participants:
“The training was clear and well presented. The assignments made the social value map easy to follow when it might otherwise be overwhelming. Having recordings has been hugely useful to go back over some parts that I struggle more with”.
“I feel I ended up with lots of new knowledge and tools to improve how we are looking at impact measurement, data collection and decision-making within my organisation. Understanding the standards and principles is a great guide for how we move forward.”
Click HERE to register.
Join Our 'Unlocking Social Value Potential' Workshop - Exclusively for SVI and Joint Member Network Organisational Members!
Discover how to enhance your impact management framework in our "Unlocking Social Value Potential" workshop. Engage with fellow SVI members in breakout discussions to explore current practices, stakeholder engagement, and impact measurement. Learn to use Social Value Principles to refine your strategies and maximise your organisation's social value. Open exclusively to organisational members of SVI and Joint Member Networks. Don't miss this opportunity to increase your impact!
Click HERE to register.
Spotlight on Our New SROI Trainer: Welcome Adam Richards, Specialist in Sustainable Development and Impact Management.
Meet our new SROI Practitioner Trainer, Adam Richards. A pioneer of SROI methods and co-designer of the SROI training with Social Value International, Adam is an Advanced Accredited Practitioner Level 4—truly exceptional! Check him out!
"I've realised over the years why I do what I do. Growing up, like many people I saw the results of decision-making that focused exclusively on financial value. As a child I didn't realise this, I was just aware of the consequences - effects on people being seemingly irrelevant and communities decimate, many of which have still not recovered.
I've been involved in social value/SROI education and training now for around 20 years and an SVI Accredited Trainer for almost ten of those. I'm still driven to support others to develop their practical skills to embed impact management because I've seen the results. I know people's lives can be improved and organisations can create more value from their resources.
When I work with people and organisations in different parts of the world, I am regularly reminded that whilst we must respect the unique situation of people, we have an effective framework of internationally-applicable standards. The Principles of Social Value work - they can capture the stories of individuals and communities and translate these into a language that can support improved decision-making.
The Accredited training is an important part of this. People can learn what is required and get under the skin of the Principles to see how they can be applied to their situation. We already know what is valuable - and it's not just financial returns. We know that effects on people's lives and how our choices affect the environment are crucial. And we have the means to embed these within decision-making. Ultimately, to change how the world accounts for value, we need communities of transformational professionals who can embed the practice of impact management."
Register for the upcoming SROI Practitioner Training course to learn from our new expert. Ensure you're on the right track toward best practices in social value accounting, so you can change the world for the better, the right way! Sign up HERE.
Upcoming Assurance Rounds
Report Assurance Round 2 - Opens Monday 1st July, 2024.
Assurance Achievements
Congratulations to One Wirral CIC who have successfully achieved Level 1 of the Social Value Management Certificate!
Click HERE to understand more about their organisation and why they chose to embrace the Principles of Social Value.
Is your organisation interested in achieving the Social Value Management Certificate? The next application period opens next month, starting from June 3rd and ending on June 14th. For further details and access to the application form, click HERE.
SVUK 'Thought Leadership Group' Updates.
Built Environment - The Social Value of Housing.
The Thought Leadership Group (TLG) on Social Value in the Built Environment, continues to be Social Value UK’s longest running Thought Leadership Group, lead by our member and partner RealWorth.
In the first Social Value in the Built Environment TLG session of 2024, RealWorth with speakers will discuss the social importance of affordable, good quality housing and the social risks associated with poor quality housing. In conversation with the Big Help Project's Alexandra Molton, RealWorth's James McGowan will introduce topics such as the social impact of fuel poverty, energy efficient homes and post-occupation measures that developers and housing providers can introduce to their properties to increase the social value for their tenants. If you work in the field of housing, social provision or the built environment, we encourage you to sign up to this webinar-style session.
More about the TLG HERE. To sign up, click HERE.
Social Value in Eduction.
The Social Value in Education thought leadership group aims to raise sector level awareness of the Principles of Social Value and expand the capability of schools and universities to measure and make better decisions. We believe the education sector should thread social value assessment and impact management throughout educational levels and lifelong learning opportunities.
Join us for our next meeting on Wednesday 12th June from 12:00pm - 1:00pm. Please contact membersupport@socialvalueuk.org to get involved. Discussions will revolve around how case studies can support organisations to include, measure and report on social value and the importance of including social value modules in the school curriculum.
'Placing Social Value at the Heart of Public Sector Commission' - Blog by Natasha Jolob.
While progress has been made in integrating social value into procurement, significant gaps remain, as can be seen from rising social issues such as poverty, inequality, homelessness, and a mental health crises.
Building on our previous project, ‘Contract for Change' we are launching the Procurement Thought Leadership Group with a mission is to embed social value principles at every stage of the commissioning cycle. The aim is to support public sector reform and influence policy through sharing social value best practices and thought leadership. We invite members and non-members with expertise in social value and public sector reform to join us in this important initiative. Share your insights, support skills development, and help shape policy to maximise social impact.
Click HERE to read more.
'Lunch and Learn' Member Networking Session.
Due to the popularity of this member networking event, we have added an extra session on Thursday 13th June. Ruth Skidmore of Meeting Place, a PR and Comms agency focusing on using the built environment for good will present 'Time, place, space’ - how we can create inclusive and equitable engagement strategies that deliver social impact.
This session will explore how we can use creative approaches to capture the stories of local people and meet their needs through place creation. She will share best practice, lessons learnt and give opportunities for sharing ideas and challenging current systems.
Date & Time: 13th June, 12:30pm-1:30pm.
Registrations are currently full, but please check back for potential openings as the event approaches. Click HERE to enrol.
'Strategic Workshops' - Happening 18th June & 24th July, 2024.
These workshops aim to put the business case of social value forward to decision-makers and influencers, whilst also demystifying what social value is and the landscape of tools and approaches available. The workshop is interactive and tailored ensuring that the conversation fits around your organisation and offers some practical solutions and next steps. The workshop is designed for senior management and board-level stakeholders, but anyone working to implement social value across their organisation is welcome to join.
Click HERE to register.
'Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting - Change of Company Name' Blog.
Kindly click HERE to explore our blog, presenting a unique resolution transitioning 'Social Value Network UK' into the 'Institute of Social Value.'
'Member Consultation - Survey & Consultation Session' Blog.
We want to hear your views on Social Value UK’s affiliation with Social Value International. Click HERE to find out more.
Sodexo’s 'Starting Fresh' Programme
Sodexo’s Starting Fresh programme encourages more businesses, including its own, to proactively recruit skilled and qualified people with criminal convictions. This programme not only addresses skills gaps, but also offers valuable employment opportunities for individuals leaving prison – driving social mobility and positive social impact.
In less than a year, Starting Fresh has supported 620 prison-leavers into employment within six months of release, working in partnership with organisations such as Superdrug, Marriott Hotels and Iceland. Employers are getting involved by participating in or even hosting recruitment days in their local prisons where they have the opportunity to meet candidates close to their release date and learn more about the skills and qualifications they have gained during their sentence.
If your business is interested in learning more about recruiting ex-offenders proactively, you can visit Sodexo’s information hub which includes case studies; information on skills training and qualifications in prisons; a downloadable business toolkit; FAQs; and other useful details for potential employers.
Additional News
Work with us!
Are you passionate about creating social value and making a real impact? Our Member Services team is expanding, and we're seeking dedicated members to join us in skilling up and growing the social value movement. We are offering exciting opportunities to co-produce and co-deliver tailored workshops, our Navigating the Social Value Landscape course, Peer-to-peer support initiatives, and Quality Assurance services. Join us to collaborate, inspire, and make a significant impact.
Click HERE for more details.
