Start in Salford: measuring social value
Because of our work: Social value now lies at the heart of Start in Salford’s monitoring and evaluation. With this new focus and its new name, Inspiring Minds, it can bid even more widely and successfully for work.
Start in Salford is a social enterprise and registered charity providing arts-based therapy for people with mild to moderate mental health problems. The charity is well established and delivers contracts for the CCG and Local Authority as well as major funders such as the Big Lottery.
Partners in Salford are committed to implementing the Social Value Act of 2012. This states that any public contracts must incorporate demands that tenderers demonstrate the added social value of their work. Therefore, the team wanted to incorporate social value into its already strong monitoring systems.
Stage one: social value, staff and strategy. We enjoy a strong relationship with Start in Salford through multiple contracts. We suggested that all staff should be involved in this project; developing their understanding of the importance of social value. We also discussed how this social value exercise should be extended into a new business strategy.
Stage two: a 360-degree approach
- We worked with staff in a series of six workshops designed to build their understanding of social value and their role in gathering data for ongoing reporting.
- Start in Salford’s clients also contributed to the exercise by taking part in focus groups. These built a complete understanding of the real social value of the charity’s work and helped to ensure that we were measuring every aspect of value it adds.
- We also interviewed external stakeholders, such as the local public health team, to assess their approach to social value.
- Equipped with a 360-degree understanding of the Start in Salford’s work, we collaborated with its team to develop a new business strategy to determine the range and scope of the services it will offer until 2025.
Stage three: two reports. We produced two reports, one focusing on social value and a second on a new business strategy with clear aims and challenging objectives.
Results. Social value now lies at the heart of Start’s monitoring and evaluation, meaning they are well placed to build on their successful track record of securing public contracts. The work led to a successful Local Sustainability Fund bid to develop a new social value tool and marketing support. As advised in our business strategy, the organisation now has a new name, Inspiring Minds, which encourages commissioners to see the organisation as a potential provider for services further afield.
The (social value) report is excellent and shows a real passion to demonstrate the true impact we make. The business strategy has brought Trustees, staff and volunteers closer together still to reach new goals.