Social Value: A Commitment to the Communities we Work Within
Our Social Value Strategy sits at the heart of our Group Sustainability Policy. Our Group Sustainability Policy recognises that three pillars – Economic, Social and Environmental – must be addressed together to ensure a sustainable business. Through this strategy, we aim to leave a positive legacy and benefits to the communities that we work within.
A key part of our approach to delivering social value in the communities that we work within is to offer apprenticeship, employment and training opportunities – this is a core part of our offer to our customers and the communities that we work within.
Our Social Value Manager works closely with each project team, customer, local authority and key stakeholders, adopting a ‘bottom-up’ approach to developing a social value strategy that will meet the community’s needs. By using our standard reporting tool and KPIs we are able to demonstrate the impact and social value created.
Our Social Value success, however, is greater than meeting KPIs and reporting on the value we create. On each of our projects, our social value strategy can be described in terms of real opportunities making a real difference to people’s lives.
Social Value in Action
The Redbrick Estate Project in the London Borough of Islington is a circa £20m project located in Old Street EC1. Delivered through the Islington Council Housing Framework, the project consists of building 55 flats, 2 retail units and a brand new community centre. An important part of this scheme was the implementation of a Social Value plan that included KPIs around employing local people and upskilling new and existing workers.
In the first few months of the project, the Project Manager identified the need for a Site Administrator to work in the office and to support the Design Manager, the Commercial Manager and himself. He was keen to make this a flexible role in order to possibly attract a local parent who wanted to work every day but reduced hours.
We created a Job Description and advertised the role with the Islington Council Employment Team and began the recruitment process. After a thorough recruitment process, in June 2018 we successfully employed a woman who lived within walking distance from the site.
Beki is from the EC1 area and had been out of work since 2013 due to starting a family. She had prior experience working in an office environment, but due to the long break began by working with Islington Council to undertake a voluntary position for 4 months before applying for this role. The part-time nature of this role perfectly suited Beki – she works 5 days a week but is still able to care for her family. The site also has the administrative support of some that are also local and knows the area very well. Beki has now been an integral part of the Redbrick Team for just under 1 year.
Elisha Sempa, Social Value Manager
