The report, by Professor Richard Tomlins, examines UK, European and global trends in thinking on social value and its measurement.

With the rhetoric and budget of the new UK government so firmly focussed on new build, home ownership and reducing the housing benefit bill, housing providers could be forgiven for thinking that social value is off the agenda. However, the Scottish Government is consulting on the implementation of more rigorous social value requirements as part of public bodies’ commissioning processes.

Across the European Union, momentum is building for increased legislative and regulatory requirements in respect of social value and for greater clarity and purpose in terms of social value measurement.

And in other parts of the UK government, and in private commercial sector companies across the world, the focus on ‘social value impact measurement’ as a means of building or maintaining competitive advantage in terms of public opinion and customer demand is growing.

HouseMark’s report, launched at their Value For Money Scotland club on 29 October, suggests that now is not the time for housing to take its eye off the ball in this area. It is their view that social value remains as important as it was before the May election and the July emergency Budget. And it would appear that many other governmental, regulatory and commercial organisations share that view.

Read the report: Social Value Today.

For more information:

T: 0131 240 5212

E: monika.gouws@housemark.co.uk

@HouseMarkLtd