Local jobs and better pay will help to secure future Council contracts

Rotherham Town Hall
Rotherham Town Hall

A new blueprint detailing how the Council can better use its £300 million annual spending power to support job creation, higher pay and training in Rotherham is to be considered by councillors.

The new Social Value policy aims to ensure that when the Council is buying goods and services, suppliers are encouraged to spend locally, employ Rotherham people, and work towards paying at least the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Living Wage.

If the plan is adopted, every contract the Council tenders with a value of £100,000 or over will be scored as to how it delivers real and sustainable social value. Social value could take the form of:

  • Good local jobs and skills development for local people
  • Young people have the opportunity to develop skills and find worthwhile employment
  • Equality of opportunity for disadvantaged people and communities, including disabled people
  • Strengthened and sustainable community and voluntary sector organisations
  • A strong local economy, including keeping spend in the local supply chain
  • Greater environmental sustainability, including accessible green public spaces

Alongside the cost and quality of a bid, the proposed social value will help to determine who is awarded a contract. The social value of each contract will be monitored and measured and information collated four times a year from suppliers by way of quarterly update to evidence how they are delivering against the contractual commitments made.

The Council will produce a public annual report each year on the Social Value that has been achieved.

For lower value contracts, it is proposed that the Council will ensure, when quotes are invited, at least one will be from the local area, to give local business more opportunities to win those contracts.

The policy also sets out an objective that, wherever possible, the Council will also commit to co-designing services, using the knowledge, experience and expertise of local people and organisations to make the best use of local assets.

Councillor Chris Read, Leader Rotherham Council said: “We have already seen in other parts of the country how councils can choose to spend more wisely, keeping more money in the local economy, encouraging suppliers to pay the real Living Wage and creating local job and training opportunities.

"For the first time, we are setting out a formal, measurable approach to ensure that council taxpayer’s money helps to make our local economy stronger, fairer and more environmentally friendly.”

The Social Value report will be considered by the Council’s Cabinet on 21 October.

View the Cabinet agenda

Published: 9th October 2019