Unlocking Social Value

We create strong, sustainable places for our communities.

One of the many ways in which we do this is through our Unlocking Social Value programme.

What is social value?

Social value measures the wider impact activities and investments have on the wellbeing of communities.

It goes beyond the cash value and looks at the benefits our support brings to our customers lives.

This could be helping customers find jobs, improving a community centre so more people can enjoy it, or investing in local services so people are able to do more.

The partnerships we have with our contractors and suppliers mean we can work with them to identify how we create opportunities that maximise social value for our customers and communities.

Through our procurement process we ask contractors and suppliers about the social value they can bring to benefit our customers and communities. 

In most cases, they demonstrate how they will support our social value work by pledging against a set of key measures. Their response is then assessed as part of our selection process.

We work in partnership with our contractors and suppliers to deliver the social value that forms part of their contract, making sure the opportunities our spend creates help our communities.

For us, social value is about more than measurement. It’s about linking the opportunities created through our investment to the work of our teams and the needs of our communities.

We use The National TOMs (Themes, Outcomes and Measures) which shows the wider benefit our activity has on local communities, the economy and the environment, looking at things like economic growth and employment, innovations and resilience.

Our latest Unlocking Social Value Report

We're delighted to share our Unlocking Social Value report for 2023/24.

This report highlights some of the contributions that they have delivered in the last year and celebrates the difference they have made to our customers and communities.

Download our report Download Plain Text Social Value Report

Recent social value activity

We want to say a big thank you to all the contractors and suppliers provide our customers and communities with the support they need to build strong foundations for life.

Here are just some of the recent examples:

The social value of volunteering

Volunteering can come in all shapes and sizes. 

As part of their social value commitments, contractors and suppliers often pledge volunteering time to support our communities. 

That's what BDS (Northern) Ltd did when they helped West Northumberland Foodbank.

Find out more

Unlocking the value of apprenticeships

As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we wanted to showcase how our Unlocking Social Value programme has helped provide apprenticeship opportunities that have helped young people and adults into employment.

Unlocking the value of apprenticeships

8x8 Delivers Silver Surfing Safety

Volunteers from our friends on the phone service, Silver Talk boosted their digital skills thanks to the experts at leading cloud contact centre and unified communications platform provider 8x8. 

As part of our Unlocking Social Value programme, 8x8 provided an hour long webinar session for ten of our Silver Talk volunteers at our Stanley Skills Hub in November.

8x8 Delivers Silver Surfing Safety

Help us ensure we're delivering exceptional value for money

Here at Karbon Homes, we believe in delivering high quality products, systems and services to our customers.

We want to have our customers' voice as part of procurement so we can get your thoughts on the process.

Help us ensure we're delivering exceptional value for money

North Shields baby bank hub receives vital funding for upgrades

A North Tyneside baby bank, which supports struggling parents amid the cost of living crisis, has received a vital funding boost to upgrade its hub. 

North Shields baby bank hub receives vital funding for upgrades

Unlocking social value helps transform Mindstars’ offices in North Shields

Thanks to a partnership between Karbon, and Straightline, one of Karbon’s planned maintenance contractors, Mindstars’ offices on West Percy Street in North Shields, have benefitted from new external and interior doors, freshened up paintwork and the fitting of two new kitchens, creating a warmer space for colleagues and visitors to enjoy. 

Unlocking social value helps transform Mindstars’ offices in North Shields

Putting the spotlight on social value

To mark social value week, we wanted to share a selection of our most recent social value projects to highlight the ways in which our contractors and suppliers are supporting us to build healthy and sustainable communities which offer more opportunities for the people who live there.

Putting the spotlight on social value
Recite Me