WET News

wwtonline.co.uk | MARCH 2019 WET NEWS 5 A t a time when expectations on the water industry are intensifying, there is a growing need for companies to demonstrate what they can deliver for the people they serve. The idea of social value is not new, but it is growing in importance, and water companies are well placed to recognise the added benefits they can bring to their communities through recruitment practices, educational programmes and projects that help to regenerate local areas or improve the environment. Many contractors will already have extensive experience in delivering social value but, as AMP7 looms, the idea is becoming more integral to the procurement process and, increasingly, members of the supply chain will be expected to document and measure their commitment. SOCIAL VALUE Social value, which forms part of the broader idea of corporate social responsibility or corporate citizenship, has been gaining ground for some time and involves the identification of added economic, social or environmental benefits. It might include seeking a more diverse workforce that better represents the community it serves, or giving up time to visit schools, or raising money for charity, or implementing a sustainable drainage project that not only improves flood resilience but also enhances the Core values • With social value becoming a key issue across the water sector, how do contractors ensure they measure up? By Robin Hackett IN FOCUS SOCIAL VALUE local area, or recycling materials onsite to reduce carbon footprint as well as traffic through the area. "I think all major contractors are looking at this and have been for a number of years now," Alasdair Reisner, chief executive of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA), says. "At the end of the day, we're moving from a world that focuses on the cheapest way of doing a job to a world where, hopefully, the focus is on how we can deliver the best possible outcomes." It is likely that many working in the industry are implementing some of these practices without any real awareness. That's partly down to a cultural shi‰ that has seen several approaches established as business as usual for the leading companies; it's also partly because many of the ideas, such as driving recruitment within local communities, are just good sense. "It's part of our MO. It's what we do," Kier head of group corporate responsibility Gareth Rondel says. "We do so much of this stuff day in, day out and a lot of our teams don't even realise what they're doing. It's just ingrained into them." With growing concern about climate change and the industry facing a skills crisis, there are plenty of reasons for the wider focus on social value, and it is reaching a stage where some shareholders and investors are beginning to take a keen interest. The Social Value Act, which came into force in 2013, has also played an important role, requiring people who commission public services to think about how they can also secure wider social, economic and environmental benefits. "We've seen a much stronger drive on this across the broader infrastructure sector in the last few years, partly driven by the Social Value Act," Reisner says. "I think this drive for social value just starts to make that idea of helping local communities part of the wiring of the industry – it means it happens by default rather than by accident." One of the most straightforward ways the industry can boost communities is through the local multiplier effect: the more localised the As part of an AMP6 project, Esh-Stantec worked with Meadow Well Connected, a community hub serving the two highest areas of deprivation in North Tyneside, to minimise disruption "We do so much of this stuff day in, day out and a lot of our teams don't even realise what they're doing. It's just ingrained into them" Gareth Rondel, Kier

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