What a fantastic time we had at the Institute for Social Value conference last week! Our team Alison Beach and Harvey Pipe from Dunhams, Saffron Wilmot and Nicole Rooney from Spokemead and Pippa Pang, heard from many inspiring voices within the housing sector, who shared their honest and valuable perspectives on how fairer systems and social value are reshaping systems, practice and purpose in the UK, and there are certainly many powerful moments we’ve taken away with us!
Penny Anderson, Co-Chair, ISV, reflected on how far the movement has come since 2010, from “just delivering what’s in the bid” to positioning social value as a strategic driver for resilient supply chains and long-term business success – “It’s time to move from awareness to accountability.”
Jess Payne shared “Social value isn’t the same as greenwashing, transparency is the difference.” This session explored what it takes to make social value have impact – culture matters, communication is everything, social value doesn’t just embed itself, instead it takes constant dialogue, transparency, and a commitment to measure and cost initiatives properly.
Julie Cartwright challenged us all to measure social mobility, not just social activity. Then asked some tough but important questions on: How do we tackle equity washing? What happens after the apprenticeship ends? Can we balance long-term social impact with short-term procurement cycles?
Francesca Salussolia shared “We’ve shone the light on social value, now we must lead and implement, or risk becoming victims of our own success (like CSR once did).” A timely reminder that this work isn’t about chasing metrics, but protecting meaning.
A huge thank you to Institute for Social Value for hosting such a brilliant event. It was great to have the opportunity to be part of these conversations that inspire change because that’s what its all about, making a difference. As Isabelle Parasram OBE said: “The structure matters, but without the people, it’s just an empty shell.”
See you next year Institute for Social Value!
