"Social value" for the commission of public services

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Chris White MP calls for organisations that "know our communities best, to be involved in the commissioning process"

I was delighted last Friday to see my Private Member’s Bill titled “Public Services (Social Value) Bill” - which seeks to open up our public services to more charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises – pass through its Second Reading in the House of Lords with support from all parties, taking it one step closer to becoming law.

Private Member’s Bills are great opportunities for backbench MPs to influence the national debate and put forward practical measures to help constituents and communities across the country.

My Bill proposes a small but significant change to the way that we commission public services. While it is more important than ever to consider value for money in the public sector, I want public bodies and local authorities to use the wider concept of value – one that includes the additional social, environmental and economic benefits that may be added to a local community over and above the specific service being commissioned.

This is what the Bill means by “social value” and what I want all public bodies and local authorities to consider when commissioning services. I believe that this will ensure we recognise the unique contribution that voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises (VCSEs) can make to delivering public services and create a level playing field for them to bid for and provide the services that we all use.

It is more important than ever that we get those organisations that know our communities best, involved in the commissioning process and combine their strengths with the traditional ethos of the public sector.

While my Bill has received support from the Coalition Government and the Labour Party in both houses, no Private Member’s Bill is easy to pass. I have endeavoured to build the largest consensus possible both outside Parliament and within, in order to ensure that we can advance this concept and put legislation on the statute book that will help VCSEs.

One of the most inspiring parts of this process, for me, has been the hundreds of organisations who have written to MPs, held meetings about the Bill or have commented in magazines and journals about the opportunity it provides. This kind of grassroots support, which is so vital for any Private Member’s Bill to be successful, has ensured that all sides focus on the important task of helping our communities and their organisations and not putting any partisan obstacles in the way.

No Private Member’s Bill can go through without compromises, and I have had to make such compromises in my Bill in order to get support. However the Bill remains ambitious and has the potential to create a culture change in the way that we commission services, something that I hope will spread across the public sector.

There are still further steps to be made in the process, but I am confident that if we can keep this spirit of consensus around the Bill that we can ensure that it becomes law.

This would be a vote of confidence in the voluntary and social enterprise sectors at a time when they are operating in challenging circumstances and I look forward to it passing its remaining stages in the Lords.

Chris White MP has been the treasurer of the social enterprise group since 2011.