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Social Value Festival 2021 and 2022

Learn about social value, what to expect in tenders and examples from short presentations and slides sets

Access practical advice, inspiring presentations and examples. Over 1000 places were booked for our last Social Value Festival 2021.

Introduction to Social Value and ECC Social Value Priorities

We opened the festival by setting out the context for the week's activities and introducing Social Value and how it can contribute social, economic and environmental benefits to our communities.

Colleagues across Essex County Council and leading experts reflected on challenges and opportunities in the region, as well the role of Local Authorities, Public Procurement, local businesses, 'anchor institutions' (large employers in the county), small businesses and Voluntary Community and Social Enterprises. Please access the recordings by clicking on the speakers' names.

In the second half of this event, we moved to 3 thought-provoking discussions groups each with an expert panel and Q&A. NB: these session were not recorded. Please access the slides available by clicking on the speakers' names.

Breakout session 1 - Social Value: The Opportunity for Vendors looks at the case for social value from the vendor's perspective:

  • Dr Joshua Pritchard, Senior Policy Advisor, Public Sector Markets, CBI
  • Ben Carpenter, CEO, Social Value International
  • Louise Townsend, Head of Social Value and Sustainability, Morgan Sindall

Breakout session 2 - Social Value and the Climate explored how social value can help us to contribute to addressing environmental challenges. Environment is one of the Essex County Council Social Value Priorities. Daphne White, Head Research Innovation and Sector Growth ECC, will moderated the session. The panel speakers were:

Breakout session 3 - Social Value: Creating New jobs and Skills covered Essex County Council's 'Employment, Skills and Youth' priorities and shared a range of employment opportunities. Laura Lee, Head of Procurement, ECC, moderated the session. The panel speakers were:

Session 1: Introduction to the National 'TOMs' method and ECC framework

The Essex County Council Social Value framework, the ECC TOMs, is based on the national framework for social value called the 'TOMs' Methodology, developed by the National Social Value Taskforce and the Local Government Association (LGA). Please access the recordings by clicking on the speakers' names

Keynote: Peter Holbrook CBE, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise UK. (extract) Peter presented the case for social value and gave us a national perspective on the importance of social value in the bidding process.

Panel:

NB: Q&A sessions were not recorded.

Session 2: Social Value at Essex County Council for SMEs

Many small and medium-sized organisations already generate additional social value for their local communities. Learn how Essex County Council now includes an evaluation of social value in its tendering processes and hear from the SME community about the opportunities it provides. This session demystified some of the terms and procedures used and provided details of the ECC Social Value Framework used at ECC - the 'ECC TOMs' (Themes, Outcomes and Measures). Please access the recordings by clicking on the speakers' names.

Keynote speaker: Arnab Dutt, Chair of SV Policy at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), member of UK Government's SME Panel and entrepreneur gave his perspective on the importance of SME's engagement in the Social Value agenda and the opportunities it presents to the sector.

Panel:

NB: Q&A sessions were not recorded.

Session 1: Social Value Webinar for Charities and Social Enterprises

Learn how Essex County Council now includes an evaluation of social value in its tendering processes and the opportunities for the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) community it provides.

Knowing where to start on a social value can often seem like a challenge. Whether you are new to writing social value bids, or an experience practitioner, senior officers and external speakers outlined the framework and procedures used by Essex County Council in its tender process and signpost extensive guidance, tools and examples for you to prepare for the bidding process. Please access the recordings by clicking on the speakers' names.

Keynote speaker: Claire Dove CBE, UK Government's Crown Representative for VCSEs. Claire outlined the importance of social value to public sector spending, the national movement for social value and encouraged Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise organisations to bid for public sector contracts.

Panel:

NB: Q&A sessions were not recorded.

Session 2: Social Value in health and social care

In the afternoon session, we focused on health and social care markets. Please access the recordings by clicking in the speakers' names.

Keynote: Councillor John Spence, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care set out the importance of social value to Essex County Council and Essex residents.

Panel:

NB: Q&A sessions were not recorded.

Session 1 - Social Value for Employment and Skills

There is increasing recognition that better 'spending' though social value is a tool for local, sustainable economic growth. So we opened our last day with a session focused on the employment and skills related TOMs measures, with a panel offering practical advice on how to design your social value offer and measure it using the ECC TOMs.

We explored, with experienced Essex County Council officers, funding schemes, employer pathways, assistance, and tools to support your organisation own development and give back to Essex communities. And presented a supplier perspective about social value creation.

This was a practical session suited to sales staff, HR professionals and social value practitioners. Please access the slides by clicking in the speakers' names.

Panel: 

Jayne Rumary, Commissioner for Skills Development at ECC moderated the session, click here to access the panel discussion. The panel speakers were:

NB1: Q&A sessions were not recorded.

NB2: we have lots of information and factsheets about the range of employment and skills schemes available, in the Employment and Skills section of this Catalogue. 

Session 2 - Social value in the Technology and Digital Sectors

We closed the festival with a session focused on the technology and digital sectors to learn how Essex County Council includes an evaluation of social value in its tendering processes and the guidance available to suppliers to prepare. Please access the recordings by clicking in the speakers' names.

Keynote speaker: Henry Rex, Associate Director at TechUK. Henry shared views on social value from the tech sector.

Panel:

  • Glen Ocskó, Head of Local Government at Made Tech, closed the panel session, talking about his views on Social Value as an SME working in the design and digital world.

NB: Q&A sessions were not recorded.

Essex County Council’s Social Value Fest 22

Welcome to the on-demand page about the Social Value Fest 22!

If you wish to bid for local authority contracts, you can expect tenders to include questions about social value: how the way you deliver the contract impacts or benefits local jobs, businesses, communities and the environment.

Essex County Council’s second, social value festival was a free, 4-day learning event for any organisation that wants to learn about social value, bid for ECC contracts or benefit from the social value offers that suppliers make to our local communities.

The 2022 event was packed full of practical advice on how to approach social value and climate matters and provides many examples that can be adopted or used to inspire new ideas. The content is suitable for organisations of any size and type.

Schools, colleges, universities, SMEs and charities too can find out what ECC’s suppliers are committing and how to access their offers such as careers advice, business advice and staff volunteering time.

Social Value Festival 22 Week:

18 July Day 1:

Social Value Fest 22 Launch: Social Value Update for bidders, suppliers and partners  11:15 – 13:15
Slides are available here.

  • Updates to the way ECC measures social value and climate questions
  • Aimed at SMEs, vendors wishing to supply ECC, Essex schools, college and university careers advisors, charities

Keynote: Peter Holbrook CBE, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise UK

Breakout 1: Community Marketplace Basics: What to Expect in the Community Marketplace page of the Social Value Catalogue  - Samantha Butler
Slides are available here.

Breakout 2: Climate Basics: What to Expect on Climate in ECC Tenders - Sarah Howard
Slides are available here.

Breakout 3: ECCTOMs Basics: What to Know About the 'TOMS' Method of Scoring Social Value in ECC Tenders - Emma Woof
Slides are available here.

19 July Day 2: A Focus on... Preparing Your Organisation for Bidding and Reporting 14:00-16:00

Keynote: Campbell McDonald, Chief Executive Ownership at Work, (member of National Social Value Taskforce Steering Group and the Cabinet Office’s Small Business Panel)

A Focus On... Preparing Your Organisation for Bidding  - Emma Woof
Slides are available here.

  • Aimed at any vendor wishing to supply ECC
  • Provides an overview on how ECC evaluates and Social Value advice on how to prepare and where to find further help and guidance

A Focus On... Reporting  - Emma Woof
Slides are available here.

  • Exploring the new ECC Social Value reporting tool and how any supplier will be expected to report on SV after the contract is signed

20 July Day 3: A Focus on... Examples of Social Value 11:15 – 15:15

  • A day full of examples to adopt or to inspire your own social value activities
  • Including: Employment and skills schemes (apprenticeships and much more), Armed Forces Covenant and careers advice

Keynote:

  • Dr. Joshua Pritchard, Senior Policy Advisor, Public Sector Markets CBI
  • Richard Puleston, Director, Policy, Essex County Council

21 July Day 4: A Focus on....Climate: – what we need, how to start and how to bid 11:00 – 17:00

  • 2022 Climate ‘ECC TOMs’ - the new climate measures in the Essex County Council (ECC) set of social value metrics
  • Practical advice on Carbon Reductions Plans
  • Introducing our Climate Action Business Advice Packs – including guidance, advice and funding opportunities

Speakers:

  • David Brambley-Crawshaw, Policy Advisor Cabinet Office (Responsible for Carbon Reduction Plans policy)
  • Nathan Goode, Climate Working Group Lead, National Social Value Taskforce.
  • Leigh Broadhurst, Environment and Sustainable Development Lead, SUEZ
  • Bishop Roger, Climate Commissioner, Essex County Council

If you have any questions about ECC social value approach or if you need information on this website in a different format, please email social.value@essex.gov.uk . We’d appreciate your feedback too, let us know how we can make this web page better.

Last updated: 16/09/2022