This Social Value Conversation is with Susan McPherson, CEO and Founder of McPherson Strategies, and Author of ‘The Lost Art of Connecting’. We discuss the ESG and social impact landscape in the US, being a B-Corp, and we explore Susan’s ‘Gather, Ask, Do’ methodology, and how it can be applied to create meaningful connections and positive stakeholder engagement.

We met with Founder of Recruit for Spouses, Heledd, to find out more about the B-Corp certified social enterprise RFS and how they work to support the partners of serving members of the UK Armed Forces, their unique barriers to employment, and how organisations can engage with RFS to tap into a diverse and resilient talent pool.

Financial wellbeing is a critical aspect of overall wellbeing. More and more employers are becoming interested in financial wellbeing as a driver of productivity, employee engagement and employer differentiation in the marketplace.

Paul Fox, Regional Partnerships Manager at the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), shares five actions that organisations can take to support their employee’s financial wellbeing, why it’s important to promote and support financial wellbeing, and how the MaPS can help.

So, what is a wish list? What are the benefits to your business, the public sector, and the communities they serve? We will answer this and share examples of public sector bodies who have implemented wish lists.

Carol shares Solihull's procurement process and what she needs to see in a social value question, what she doesn't want to see and what she wishes suppliers would do more.

There are many ways tech suppliers can produce benefits that enhance society and support the technology sector across the UK. We've put together a list of seven things you can do to deliver meaningful social value to get you started.

When it comes to social value, it can be challenging to know where to start. Are you doing the right things? What more could you do as a business? Don’t worry; we have got you covered. We have free resources that give practical ideas to create social value and help you understand what ‘good’ looks like.

Suppose you’re the person facing the barrage of social value questions alone. You know what a difference getting this right could make for your company. If only you could get someone senior to focus on it long enough to be effective. We have two magic words for you: ‘Business Risk’.

To score full marks, you need to show not only what you will do to achieve the outcomes they’re looking for but also that you understand the challenges (i.e. what the outcomes mean). This is a critical step that a lot of suppliers miss.

A decade on, we spoke to the three key people behind the Act: Chris White, the MP who proposed the Bill and shepherded it through Parliament; Andrew O’Brien, his then Parliamentary Aide who played a key role behind the scenes and suggested social value as a potential topic for the Bill in the first place; and Mark Cook, a leading expert in sustainable procurement and the lawyer who helped to draft the legislation and negotiate its path through the Cabinet Office.

We love the idea of Community Benefits – the ambition and legislative push to ensure that local communities reap wider rewards from the money spent by their local authority is to be applauded. However, over the past several years, it has become clear that the benefit isn’t always reaching the intended community despite the best intentions.

Here are our top red flags that social value isn’t working for your business. You may want to rethink your approach if you recognise any of these.