Rebecca Roebuck’s Post

How would you utilise this support to enhance people practices?

Yesterday in a AtkinsRéalis social value round table that lasted 85 minutes, I made 104 bullet points. Now, this isn’t a comment about my damn fast note taking (although, come on, it’s impressive and yes, the cramp in my hands the end was so real, thanks for asking). It’s about how much needs to be said about social value. My take aways as someone who isn’t a social value practitioner, but just had the privilege of listening to a round table of some of the top voices in this space: - Empower people: so much of the conversation kept coming back to empowering and I think it can be applied to most of the 104 bullet points. - Skills: Giving people skills to give meaningful feedback through experiential learning. This possibly was my favourite point. I think people’s biggest frustration at times is when they can’t communicate their ideas and feelings but helping people understand how to, so they get to contribute to their community is incredibly powerful. It was also mentioned that there is a knock on effect where it helps people communicate their own abilities, improving CVs and job prospects. - Address the power imbalance: leave organisational agendas behind and actively listen to communities and take action where needed. There was even an interesting comment about the term behaviour change implying a power dynamic. - “Communities are solution seekers” - loved this! Build on what already exists and involve community groups. Empower people in communities to become researchers to get authentic and honest feedback. - What’s in a measurement: there is so much to cover here, but the main thing was one size does not fit all and we need to think beyond numerical statistics. - Become storytellers: maybe tied favourite point…use storytelling as a measurement. There are often existing rich tapestries in communities, and working with them to reach their goals builds on them further. - Data: While what is true in one community, isn’t necessarily true for another, there is a lot of impactful research available. It’s not always where you think - I had an incredible moment after the event where I went up to Shelley and asked her if she had read Invisible Women, because I recognised some of the research she was citing about women’s toilets and she confirmed it was what she was referring to. Charities also hold a lot of valuable data so engage with them on a local level. - Social value on everyone’s agenda: It’s not just comms and engagement officers who should be exploring community views but everyone at each stage of the process, including, and vitally, leadership. I could go on…and I mean ON, but there are people who have far better insight and voices than I do and I hope you seek them out! My last point though, is to engage your marketing teams to help them tell these stories. Some of my favourite projects have been working with Steph Bortoli ( a social value hero). We all know the best things happen when we all collaborate. #LREF #marketing

Engaging with local communities in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects is crucial for creating lasting impact. To ensure genuine involvement and avoid tokenism, companies must prioritise community collaboration and empowerment. By actively listening to community needs and involving residents in project planning, companies can tailor initiatives that address real issues and foster trust. Incorporating community voices from the project's inception is key to meaningful engagement. When local residents are part of the decision-making process, it demonstrates a commitment to authentic partnership and ensures projects are relevant and impactful. Empowering communities through capacity-building programs further enhances the sustainability of CSR efforts, enabling residents to drive change within their neighborhoods and beyond. By valuing community insights, involving residents in decision-making, and empowering them through skills development, companies can create a positive ripple effect of change. Building relationships based on collaboration and respect leads to impactful CSR initiatives that uplift communities and foster shared prosperity. Let's champion community-driven CSR projects that make a tangible difference and empower communities together! 🌟🤝 #CommunityEmpowerment #MeaningfulCSR

🌍 Celebrating Social Enterprise Day: Making a Difference Together 🌟 Today, we honour Social Enterprise Day, a powerful reminder of how businesses can drive social change while fostering sustainable growth. At the heart of every social enterprise is a commitment to solving societal challenges—whether it's promoting mental health, addressing financial inequality, or fighting for climate justice. This day is not just a celebration of innovative solutions but also a rallying call to amplify our collective impact. 🔑 Here are three reasons why social enterprises matter now more than ever: 1️⃣ People-First Approaches: Unlike traditional profit-driven models, social enterprises prioritise community wellbeing, proving that success and social good can go hand in hand. 2️⃣ Resilience in Action: From local initiatives to global movements, these enterprises tackle the world's toughest issues with creativity and adaptability. 3️⃣ Driving Inclusion: They create meaningful opportunities, often for marginalised groups, empowering individuals and strengthening communities. As a part of the social enterprise community, we at MHScot Workplace Wellbeing CIC are proud to be a force for good in workplace mental health education. We believe in challenging outdated workplace norms and embracing compassionate leadership to build healthier, happier work environments. ✨ Let’s take this day to celebrate the incredible work happening across the sector and reflect on how we can further support social enterprises in creating a more equitable world. 📢 How can you support social enterprises? Shop social! Find your local social enterprises and choose products or services that make an impact. Advocate for policies that support inclusive, sustainable business models. Share your favourite social enterprises in the comments to spread the word! 💬 What does Social Enterprise Day mean to you? Let’s keep the conversation going. #SocialEnterpriseDay #SocialImpact #WorkplaceWellbeing #SocialResponsibility #PeopleFirst

SME Tip #35 is all about Embracing Social Responsibility. Engaging in community initiatives and supporting social causes can significantly enhance your small or medium-sized enterprise's (SME) reputation and deepen connections with consumers who prioritize social responsibility. Here’s how you can effectively embrace this approach: ✅Identify Relevant Causes: Choose social causes that align with your business values and resonate with your target audience. This alignment ensures authenticity in your efforts, which is crucial for building trust with consumers. ✅Partner with Local Organizations: Collaborate with local non-profits or community groups. These partnerships can amplify your impact and provide valuable networking opportunities. ✅Communicate Your Efforts: Use your platforms to share stories about your involvement and the impact of these initiatives. Transparency about your activities and their results can enhance consumer trust and loyalty. ✅Encourage Employee Participation: Foster a culture of giving back by encouraging employee involvement in community service. This not only boosts morale but also strengthens your team's commitment to your company’s values. ✅Measure Impact: Regularly assess the impact of your social responsibility programs to understand their effectiveness and areas for improvement. This data can be vital for refining your strategies and reporting back to your community and stakeholders. By incorporating these strategies, your SME can not only contribute positively to societal challenges but also attract and retain consumers who are increasingly making purchasing decisions based on corporate social responsibility. #mdconsultingcompany #DrMaria

Community engagement versus social value: what's the difference? It can be difficult to understand the difference between community engagement and social value, especially when the terms seem to be used interchangeably. However they are actually quite different, here are our thoughts... 🤝 Community engagement is fundamentally about nurturing relationships, encouraging inclusivity, and enhancing collaboration and trust within a community. It's about actively listening to grasp the community's needs, communicating effectively, collaborating on solutions, and empowering individuals to have a say in the decision-making process. 💰 Social value is about showing the specific, quantifiable benefits a business offers to society, often linked to public sector procurement demands. Its goal is to generate social, economic, or environmental benefits, like creating jobs, supporting community projects, and developing infrastructure projects, to fulfil contractual commitments. Social value is often measured through frameworks and metrics that assess the impact of these initiatives, ensuring transparency and accountability in delivering promised benefits. Although they overlap, community engagement and social value have distinct goals and require different approaches. Interested in finding out more about how a community engagement strategy can help your business? Follow us for more insights, tips, and updates. #communityengagement #socialvalue #ESG #CSR #makingadifference

Are you tired of feeling stuck in the grind of social impact work and getting the same results year after year? 🌟 I used to think certain challenges were just part of the job too. But trust me, there's a better way. 💡 Check out my latest article, where I challenge the status quo and share insights on how upgrading social impact technology can revolutionize your approach. It's time to focus on what truly matters: inspiring your team and making a real impact. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gFRJAQUT Deed #socialimpact #employeevolunteering #employeegiving #esg

Business for Social Responsibility, a nonprofit consultancy focused on sustainability, published a social justice guide for companies on Wednesday, aiming to “establish a framework for change.” The guide is made in collaboration with BSR’s Center for Business and Social Justice, which works with the private sector to advance social justice and equity. The resource examines existing frameworks for corporate social issue engagement (such as the Global Reporting Initiative and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures), how companies engage on such social issues, and how these frameworks and engagements are taken into account when devising corporate strategy.

I thoroughly enjoyed attending the Social Value Portal Conference 2024 a couple of weeks ago. It reinforced how Social Value is integral to achieving global and national goals, especially as the importance of embedding social impact into organisational strategies becomes clear in a time when resources are limited. My key takeaways were: ✅ Keep Social Value Commitments Simple: don't over commit, focus on what is needed and use the evidence requirements to guide an offer. 🗨️ Start with Practical Exercises: Like our Social Value and Engagement Team is doing here at JBA Consulting, get everyone together in a room - aim to capture the true capabilities of teams and the wider organisation. Allign with discipline leads and the wider business to identify what makes us unique. 🤸 'More passion, more energy' Olivia Sutcliffe: It is an important time to be involved in this sector and entry level to board level representative is crucial. It is not just a nice to have. We are in a time when retirees are coming back to support firms with their social value transitions and where social impact is on risk registers. If we aren’t embedding social value into our strategies, we risk losing work and attracting talent. Supply chains increasingly want to align with ethical practices, and young professionals are looking to work for companies that prioritise social responsibility. 🔓 Winning Work with Social Value: We need to embed social value policies into bids early. This isn't just an add-on or an appendix, it should be a core part of the strategy else the risk of failure will increase. This involves knowing your clients, planning for social value and transitioning from bid to delivery. 🧩 Challenges for Labour: Devolution has to accommodate different outcomes in different places – this is key when aiming for a national solution. The new generation of metro-mayors has the energy to drive these place-based solutions Nick Forbes CBE. Devolution brings a focus on the doorstep, as Lorraine Cox FIoL succinctly pointed out. 📚 Public Procurement and Social Value: A national social value register would be ideal, but for now, buyers need to know what good looks like in terms of social value and how to deliver it. Preparedness from the supply side is key to demonstrating impact – but get creative Andrew de Whalley! Whilst quantitative measurement is necessary, this only gives half of the picture, real life stories are vital! I really enjoyed seeing great examples in the West Midlands Shah Begum Carol Glenn and was impressed with how Social Value UK are collaborating with their Stakeholders in their transition to an Institute Isabelle Parasram OBE Lauren Jones Fran Boorman 👏

More businesses are realising the significance of monitoring their social impact 🌱🌎 There's no one-size-fits-all approach; from B Corps to personalised strategies to track, to signing up to recognised platforms like below, companies are seeking ways to reflect their activities for social good 👍🏻 Here are 6 areas you might want to explore depending on your industry and requirements: 🔹 Thrive 🔹 Toms 🔹 Social Value UK 🔹 Social Value Portal 🔹 Loop 🔹 Hact What are you using to support and track your social value journey❓ Get Synergised guides businesses through a Discovery and Strategic Phase to integrate corporate social responsibility and tracking into their business strategies and plans. If you are a business looking to enhance community engagement beyond just seasonal efforts, here are three ways to engage with Get Synergised Consultancy Services: 1️⃣ Book a discovery call via email to explore our three-stage strategic process benefiting businesses nationwide in fortifying and tracking their corporate social responsibility and ESG social goals. 2️⃣ Subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates on our work in social impact and community empowerment for businesses - [email protected] 3️⃣ Consider joining the With Purpose Platform if your business operates in Cambridgeshire. Connect effortlessly with nonprofit partners to achieve your social objectives - link here - https://lnkd.in/eQgnjxaG 💼🌍#SocialImpact #CSR #CommunityEngagement #ESG