How to develop a Social Value Charter

In the ever-evolving healthcare landscape, the NHS is a major contributor to local communities. Recognising this broader impact, NHS organisations are increasingly turning to the development of Social Value Charters to guide their actions and commitments to enhancing community wellbeing, sustainability, diversity and overall social value.

Understanding social value

When creating a Social Value Charter, it’s crucial to define what social value means within the context of the NHS. Social value encompasses a wide range of contributions that organisations make to society, beyond their core services. It includes fostering cohesion within the community, promoting sustainability, enhancing the wellbeing of the local population and championing diversity. You will tailor your definition to your own mission and stakeholders, but the core principles are rooted in these four pillars.

Pillar 1: Your Place: mapping stakeholders and collaborators

To effectively develop and implement a Social Value Charter, it’s important to identify and engage with key stakeholders across your health and care system. These include the Integrated Care Board (ICB), local authorities, business and industry partners, suppliers, NHS providers and the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector (VCFSE). Collaborating with your stakeholders will create synergy and help maximise the impact of your social value initiatives.

Pillar 2: Your People: leadership and engagement

Individuals are the driving force behind the implementation of a Social Value Charter. Identify dedicated leads who will champion social value initiatives and serve as liaisons, linking your organisation with external partners and stakeholders, facilitating collaboration and ensuring alignment with your vision.

Engagement with a diverse range of stakeholders is essential to capture varied perspectives and ensure inclusivity. This could involve advisory committees, conducting stakeholder consultations and actively seeking input from underrepresented groups. Fostering broad participation will enhance the relevance and impact of your social value efforts.

Pillar 3: Your Vision/Mission: defining your purpose

At the heart of a Social Value Charter is a vision and mission which clearly states your organisation’s commitment to social value. Your vision should inspire and align stakeholders to a common purpose.

Overarching goals may include improving health and wellbeing outcomes, being a catalyst for positive change, fostering collaboration and inclusivity, and supporting local economic growth and resilience.

Pillar 4: Your Principles for Social Value: guiding principles

Building on your vision, outline a set of principles that will underpin your approach to social value. These act as your building blocks for decision-making, ensuring that social value is integrated into all areas of your organisational strategy and operations.

Key principles may include prioritising interventions that improve wellbeing and equity, enhancing environmental sustainability, engaging stakeholders in decision-making, and promoting transparency and accountability.

Your social value priorities: setting targets and outcomes

Your targets and measurable outcomes should reflect your organisation’s commitment to creating positive social impact. Priorities will vary based on local needs, stakeholders’ input and organisational objectives, but may include initiatives such as reducing health inequalities, promoting diversity and inclusion in healthcare delivery, enhancing environmental stewardship and supporting community resilience.

Social value is one of the four core aims of Integrated Care Systems. Developing a Social Value Charter will help organisations seeking to achieve social value. By defining clear goals, engaging with stakeholders and aligning efforts with core principles, NHS organisations can leverage influence and resources to drive meaningful change and create healthier, stronger and more resilient communities.

If you need any help in developing a Social Value Charter for your organisation or ICS, get in touch with us at the Social Value Network on agem.socialvalue@nhs.net