Social Care Value Act 2012

Dear Andrew Bell,

 

Thank you for making a request for information to the London Borough of
Enfield, received on 16/04/2023.

 

We are aiming to respond to your request within 20 working days of receipt
of your request and will let you know if we hold the information you
requested and whether or not we can release it under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.

 

We are now making an initial assessment of your request and we will
contact you if any clarification is needed.

 

If you have any queries regarding your request, please contact us at
[1][Enfield Council request email] quoting the reference number
above.

 

Kind Regards

 

Complaints and Information Team

Enfield Council  

Environment and Communities Department

Enfield council

Silver Street

Enfield

EN1 3XY

Email:[Enfield Council request email]

 

From: Andrew Bell <[FOI #972165 email]>
Sent: 16 April 2023 17:15
To: complaintsandinformation <[Enfield Council request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Social Care Value Act 2012

 

Dear Enfield Council,

I would like to request the following information under the Freedom of
Information Act (2000) regarding the use of Social Value in your
organisation’s commissioning processes for care and accommodation services
for Children Looked After.
1. The Social Value Act 2012 requires commissioning authorities to give
consideration at the pre-procurement stage to how what is to be procured
may improve the social, environmental and economic well-being of the
relevant area over and above the core delivery of a contract; how any such
improvement might be secured; and the need to consult.
Does your organisation give consideration to Social Value in commissioning
the following services? 
• Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs) 
•
Residential children’s homes and/or parent and child units 
• 16+
semi-independent accommodation 
• Accommodation services for unaccompanied
asylum-seeking children
2. If so, what Social Value/added value outcomes does your organisation
seek to achieve from either procurement exercises or contracts for these
services?
3. How does your organisation communicate its required Social Value
outcomes to service providers (e.g. face-to-face engagement, building
Social Value requirements into service specifications, including Social
Value questions within the quality section of Invitations to Tender,
etc.)?
4. If your organisation includes Social Value questions within Invitations
to Tender for these services, approximately what weighting is given to
these questions?
5. How are Social Value outcomes/returns measured and evaluated within
your contract management processes for these services?
6. What impact, if any, has been achieved for your local area as a result
of including Social Value within your organisation’s commissioning process
for these services?
7. What financial return, if any, has been achieved as a result of
including Social Value within your organisation’s commissioning process
for these services?

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Bell

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show quoted sections

Classification: OFFICIAL

Dear Andrew

 

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request received on 16^th April
2023, where you requested information about Social Care Value Act 2012. 
Please find the response to your request below.

 

The Council holds the information requested.

 

 1. The Social Value Act 2012 requires commissioning authorities to give
consideration at the pre-procurement stage to how what is to be
procured may improve the social, environmental and economic well-being
of the relevant area over and above the core delivery of a contract;
how any such improvement might be secured; and the need to consult.
Does your organisation give consideration to Social Value in
commissioning the following services? 
• Independent Fostering
Agencies (IFAs) 
• Residential children’s homes and/or parent and
child units 
• 16+ semi-independent accommodation 
• Accommodation
services for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

 

The Council’s Contract Procedure Rules state that Social Value must be
considered for all contracts over the relevant Procurement Threshold.  The
Council’s Sustainable and Ethical Procurement Policy sets out what the
Council looks for through Social Value.

 

 2. If so, what Social Value/added value outcomes does your organisation
seek to achieve from either procurement exercises or contracts for
these services?

Outcomes are set out in the Council’s [1]Sustainable and Ethical
Procurement Policy, which align to the [2]Council's Plan

 3. How does your organisation communicate its required Social Value
outcomes to service providers (e.g. face-to-face engagement, building
Social Value requirements into service specifications, including
Social Value questions within the quality section of Invitations to
Tender, etc.)? 

 

As part of the pre-procurement phase, social value elements are often
considered early through market engagement. The Council has a
[3]Sustainable and Ethical Procurement Policy & an [4]Equalities and
Diversity in Procurement Supplier Guide on the Council intranet that is
included within its market engagement and/or tender documentation as
appropriate. Our [5]Contract Procedure Rules also state that a 10%
weighting of the award criteria should be considered for contract
opportunities over the relevant Threshold. The Council is making sure that
the requirement is embedded into service specifications and included in
the award criteria where appropriate.  

 

 4. If your organisation includes Social Value questions within
Invitations to Tender for these services, approximately what weighting
is given to these questions?

 

If social value is applied, it is suggested that a minimum weighting of
10% should be allocated to this element where relevant and proportionate –
this is considered on a case-by-case basis.

 

 5. How are Social Value outcomes/returns measured and evaluated within
your contract management processes for these services?

 

Evaluation is carried out through responses to social value award criteria
question(s) through the procurement process. Social Value elements are
uploaded into the ‘Social Value Portal’ for tracking.  The portal applies
a proxy monetary value, and tracks delivery. The Contract Manager ensures
that suppliers upload their deliverables into the portal on a quarterly
basis for measurement. Currently the award criteria questions are aligned
to the [6]TOMs (themes Outcomes and Measures) methodology. 

 

 6. What impact, if any, has been achieved for your local area as a result
of including Social Value within your organisation’s commissioning
process for these services?
 7. What financial return, if any, has been achieved as a result of
including Social Value within your organisation’s commissioning
process for these services?

Q6 & Q7 The social value portal has not been fully rolled out and no
contracts for this service area are in the SVP and therefore no impact or
‘proxy monetary value’ can be given. Currently the Council is using the
TOM’s (themes, outcomes and measures) methodology for tracking and
recording.

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the
right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be
submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your
original letter and should be addressed to:

 

Complaints and Access to Information Team

Email – [7][Enfield Council request email]

 

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF

 

Ram Ramasubramanian

Head of Access to Resources Integrated Service

020 8132 1340

07583 025 497

 

Classification: OFFICIAL

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