This theme seeks to assess if we procure responsibly.
At Great Places, generating social value through our supply chain management remains a key priority.
Our Procurement Strategy includes a dedicated objective focused on building a sustainable supply chain that delivers positive economic, social, ethical and environmental outcomes aligned with our organisational ambitions. As part of this commitment, we prioritise the development of local supply chains and work to reduce barriers that may disadvantage Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs). We also embed social value into our procurement processes by applying specific weightings for social value within our evaluation criteria.
We assess social impact by inviting suppliers to make pledges to deliver social value and by evaluating the positive contributions businesses make through a process we refer to as responsible business evaluation. This approach provides a holistic assessment of a supplier’s social impact, including areas such as carbon reduction, compliance with the Living Wage, EDI, and local employment.
Great Places is actively embracing the flexibilities introduced by the Procurement Act 2023 to remove barriers to participation and to prioritise local suppliers. Over the past 12 months, suppliers contracted to deliver services to our customers have committed to £2.3 million in social value pledges. Oversight and scrutiny of these commitments – and the realisation of supply chain benefits – are provided by our Great Value group.
Our Community Investment Team leads the delivery of social value, working in partnership with suppliers to achieve outcomes that reflect local needs. Over the past year, our social value achievements have included:
Throughout the financial year, our supply chain has continued to provide extensive support to our customers and communities – not only through financial contributions, but also by offering time, expertise and resources.
In addition, our suppliers have continued to support our Annual Resilience Fund, which is designed to help build healthy communities. Distributed on a commissioning basis to organisations across our regions, this year’s fund has focused on health and wellbeing, with an emphasis on early intervention, preventative services and community cohesion projects. Thanks to the continued support of our partners, we have been able to assist 20 organisations in delivering services to our customers, including Blackburn CVS, MadLab, Mancunian Way, and Revive Church.
A notable example of our social value activity is the ongoing support for our partnership with Manor Park Primary School, located in our Longridge Shaw Heath Anchor Neighbourhood. This collaboration provides pupils with valuable insights into the wide range of careers available within the housing sector.
In January, approximately 30 Year 5 pupils from Manor Park Primary visited Great Places Housing Group’s head office as part of our Inspiring Futures project. This initiative aims to strengthen the financial resilience of the community and raise the aspirations of its young people. During the visit, pupils took part in a variety of activities designed to introduce them to careers in housing. They also met several of our suppliers -including Emmanuel Whittaker, VPS and Simon Fenton Partnership – who shared insights into roles in property management, quantity surveying, construction and regeneration.
At Great Places, environmental sustainability is embedded within our procurement processes, with one of our four social value objectives being to “Reduce Supply Chain Carbon Footprint.” While our approach to social sustainability is ambitious and largely effective, we recognise that further progress is needed in addressing environmental considerations. Our cross-organisational Sustainability Working Group is currently reviewing our Sustainability Strategy to strengthen these areas.
We routinely assess suppliers on their carbon management plans and their willingness to develop such plans during the contract term. This assessment forms part of our responsible business evaluations, except where it may present a barrier for SME bidders. We also evaluate suppliers based on the proportion of their vehicle fleet that is electric or hybrid.
In addition, we encourage suppliers to commit to carbon literacy training for their employees. This training can reduce individual carbon footprints by approximately 10% and supports more environmentally conscious decision-making.
As part of our ongoing Sustainability Strategy review, we are exploring ways to embed environmental sustainability more systematically into our procurement practices.
