Can procurers help promote employability in their local area?

Social Value is a big discussion topic at the moment with NHS England implementing policy notices to ensure that this is embedded into the NHS Procurement process.

In January, NHSCS’s Managing Director, Alyson Brett was on the panel alongside other healthcare professionals for the HSJ webinar on how ICSs can best build economic and social value among their populations. You can read more about this in a recent HSJ article here.

Insightful discussions were had throughout the webinar with a key theme of the webinar being on how procurers can support the local area with improving opportunities for work and how focussing on social value will create a positive movement where procurement are a part of Sustainability and Social Value initiatives. Alyson Brett gave an example of our Digital Dictation and Inventory Management Services Frameworks which used a 30% evaluation weighting for Social Value with 5% of that going to tackling economic inequality where:

• Suppliers incentivised more employers in a wider range of industries to participate, and clarify the benefits to apprentices, including pay progression pathways.
• Suppliers set targets for reducing skills inequalities, in line with public preferences, through a process of consultation.
• Suppliers adopted a living wage for staff to eliminate in-work poverty.
• Suppliers asked to detail how, through the delivery of the contract, they will ensure that there is a skills policy that focuses on increasing the average level of skills of the workforce and reduce inequalities in the way skills are distributed among the population, keeping the supply of skills aligned and responsive to market needs.

“In summary, when people think about Sustainability and Social Value, they still are focussed primarily on net zero and the carbon agenda. I think it will be interesting to see how Employability and other aspects of Sustainability and Social Value develop and become key factors in improving health outcomes as a whole.”

Alyson Brett, Managing Director, NHS Commercial Solutions

To watch the webinar, click here

Alternatively, if you want to contact us for advice on how best to approach Sustainability and Social Value, you can contact our Sustainability and Social Value Manager – Karen Amber on karenamber@nhs.net.