The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2013 requires us to look at the bigger picture when we commission services. We must consider opportunities for further social, economic and environmental benefits. This is to maximise the value of public money spent and benefit the community as a whole.
This approach helps us to get the most benefit from our contracts. We look to our suppliers as experts in their fields. They deliver services on our behalf. In this role, they can tell us what more they can provide to make a real difference to North Somerset residents.
North Somerset Council has adopted something called Themes, Outcomes and Measures’ (TOMs). This was created by the Local Government Association’s National Social Value Taskforce. TOMs is a method of classifying and evaluating Social Value. The methodology is linked to our Corporate Plan.
Linking these two together, we have created the NSC TOMs. It gives
- bidders direction on what the council is seeking to achieve and;
- provides the council with a way to evaluate and measure aspects of the procurement and contracting process
To create our social value policy, we consulted with the Federation of Small Businesses. We incorporated their advice and guidance to provide clarity to suppliers and staff. We want to be clear about how realise strong social value outcomes through our contracts.