What is social value?
Regeneration is about more than just building homes, it is about investing in building the communities around them too.
Social value is a term used to express the wider impacts regeneration can have – not just in terms of money, but also in relation to providing opportunities, spaces and places so that local people can meet, socialise, innovate, grow and learn in an environment that works for them.
All of these things add greater value to everything we do as a Council, meaning we can better support the longer-term wellbeing of our residents and communities.
Our social value outcomes focus on achieving the strategic vision to:
- harness the wider benefit of social value for local residents and businesses
- ensure social value contributes to the long-term wellbeing and resilience of individuals, communities and society in general
- create a coordinated approach to ensure we maximise social benefits in line with the our commitments and priorities
- ensure we are achieving value for money in our activities
By working with key Council teams as well as external businesses like our joint venture partners, our social value strategy aims to help us to set clear objectives and expectations.
It ties together all our related strategies, to make sure we are working in a joined-up way to deliver the best opportunities and outcomes for Havering residents and businesses.
What does it mean for Havering?
It means that through all aspects of our regeneration projects, we are looking for ways to maximise opportunities for local people and businesses.
This can include:
- making sure small and medium local businesses have the opportunity to bid for contracts, and receive support in bidding for work too
- investing in local entrepreneurship – using local suppliers and services so that we boost the Havering economy and reduce the environmental impacts that occur when goods are shipped over long distances
- routinely requiring social value for all procurement contracts over £100k in value across the Council, and adding social value outcomes to smaller contracts wherever possible
- delivering education and skills support for career development – making sure that the jobs and training opportunities available in Havering reflect the needs and aspirations of our residents
- working with community groups and carrying out resident engagement with socially-isolated people to allow us to understand better how we can create opportunities, spaces and places now and in the future
- March 2018 - Council announces Wates Residential as joint venture partner on the 12 Sites Programme
- June 2018 - Community and Conservation Week – Flower beds raised to support residents to grow their own herbs and veg
- October 2018 - Career kick start for young adults
- December 2018 - Wates host Christmas lunch for Romford Salvation Army homeless people and volunteers
- December 2018 - Wates donate £11,500 to Havering Volunteer Centre ‘Stepping Stones’ project
- January 2019 - Wates host the first ‘Meet the Buyer’ event
- January 2019 - Supply Chain Initiative is Launched, local businesses are encouraged to get involved
- February 2019 - Local Businesses Awarded Demolition Contracts for the Solar Serena Sunrise Scheme
- March 2019 - Cookery class held at ‘The Cocoon’ for Havering care leavers
- May 2019 - Popup business school launched, attended by 80 local residents
- May 2019 - Locals graduate the popup business school
- July 2019 - Litter picking event a success!
- October 2019 - Wates sponsor Havering Mind half marathon, Wates staff join in
- Autumn 2019 - Five students join Wates consultancy team for work experience.
- Autumn 2019 - 24 local college students visit Napier New Plymouth and Solar Serena Sunrise.
- Autumn 2019 - Wates visit local primary schools to deliver ‘Site Safety’ assemblies.
- Autumn 2019 - Wates collect food for the Hope4Havering charity and provide hot meals.
- December 2019 - Wates provide Christmas dinner to our most vulnerable residents
- December 2019 - Building Futures Career Programme
- January 2020 - Wates host the final 12 Sites ‘Meet the Buyer’ event
- January 2020 - Wates Giving helps residents back into work
- Spring 2020 - School assemblies to announce the winners of the art Hoarding project at Rainham and La-Salette Primary schools
- February 2020 - National Apprenticeship Week. Dragons Den Event –reaching 280 young people. Reached 65 people at the Marshalls Park career event. National Apprenticeship Week at Havering College – reaching 45 students.
- Spring 2020 - Partnered with the Mayors Construct Academy, East London Hub and with the Havering schools. To support a virtual work experience programme created for year 10 and 11 students
- July 2020 - Free, three-week construction training course for Havering residents
- Summer 2020 - The Wates team support Havering businesses during a workshop hosted by the East London Business Alliance.
- October 2020 - Wates construction book enjoyed by local children
- November 2020 - Wates host a Virtual insight day, 5 Havering students took part.
- February 2021 - Havering’s businesses benefit from local spend by Council joint venture
- Spring 2021 - Going for Gold Workshop, supporting Havering SMEs to grow and scale.
- Spring 2021 - Wates ran a week-long virtual work experience, reaching 10 young people.
- Summer 2021 - Reached a further 6 people via construct a career pre-employment programme.
- Summer 2021 - Wates deliver 3 careers sessions at Havering College reaching 80 students. Programming and Planning, and Modern methods of construction Acro–virtual lab visit demonstrating how PPE is made, procured and tested.
- June 2021 - Community hub revamp complete in time for new opening in June
- February 2022 - New kitchen and funding for Havering association for people with disabilities
- March 2022 - New shelter and social space for Melville Road Allotment
- June 2022 - Queen’s Platinum Jubilee film
- July 2022 - Four years on – a summary of what the joint venture has achieved