Social Value Statement

Social Value is already an integral part of North Tyneside Carers’ Centre culture and ethos e.g. in employing/training staff and volunteers locally to deliver our services; utilising local venues and community services to deliver our activities and working with partners with Social Value at their core.

We have an internal Social Value measurement tool which enables us to monitor and evaluate our Social Value across all services. As such Social Value is embedded within our organisation; led by senior management and trustees.

Social Value also forms an integral part of staff training/induction, KPIs and continuing development. We will work with the Council throughout the duration of this contract to support:

• Investment in local people by promoting and paying the Living Wage ourselves and working with delivery partners/supplies who also uphold Living Wage.
• Identifying opportunities/partners locally to work with us to offer volunteering for young and adult carers.
• Advertising our own volunteer/staffing recruitment locally and through the council’s job brokerage services, using effective recruitment practice to engage candidates from disadvantaged groups.
• Supporting carers and their families who we work with; and our own staff and volunteers to understand their own role in supporting both the local economy and its environmental sustainability.
• Encouraging carers and their families through referrals, information and support to access and use community facilities.
• Working with carers and their families to identify new opportunities to raise awareness of caring in local communities to reduce stigma towards disabled people and support other areas of inclusivity within our community.
• Use of wider initiatives to enable the carers we work with to develop coping strategies to be increasingly resilient when not directly using our services;
• Implementing a robust environmental management policy which enables us to reduce waste, be energy efficient and promote environmental protection and conservation in all of our activities
• Building healthy living/wellbeing advice and support within our programmes, signposting individuals out to other services and activities to the improve health and wellbeing of carers.

Co-ordination and Reporting:

Responsibility for the co-ordination and reporting on our Social Value delivery plan will be held by our Operations Manager.

We will ensure any external training providers either include Social Value as part of their CSR or we will discuss ideas for inclusion during feedback from staff/volunteers.

Reporting on Social Value will be an integral part of the monitoring and evaluation of North Tyneside Carers’ Centre’s service provision for young and adult carers and as such reporting will be carried out as part of our quarterly monitoring each year. This will ensure an efficient and seamless approach to social value as a core part of our service delivery and development.

Social value will also be incorporated within weekly team meetings and our monthly management meetings during outcome/output reviews to ensure compliance with the social value delivery plan and North Tyneside Carers’ Centre’s organisational social value framework

Delivery Partners:

We will actively network with other local pro-social value organisations (corporate, public services and charities) to develop long-term, sustainable partnerships which will actively support and enable the ongoing development of our services for adult and young carers. We will seek new partnerships which will enhance/increase:

• Understanding of an inclusive community to reduce stigma towards disability, gender, ethnicity etc;
• Opportunities for unpaid carers to access volunteering/work experience;
• Local economy through social activities including refreshments/café facilities post gym, library visits etc.
• Knowledge and understanding of climate change and how local families can reduce their carbon footprint whilst improving their own finances. E.g. recycling, insulation, fuel efficiency.
• Promotion of North Tyneside Living Wage and those who hold recognised quality marks.

Widening the scope of our delivery partners will offer carers and their families more choice to meet their needs.