SOCIAL VALUE
Exploring strategies for generating social value
Mike Horrocks, a Senior Project manager in the Major Capital Projects Team at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, discusses some of the ways that social value can be embedded effectively in healthcare estate management, with examples from work undertaken by the Trust.
The concept of social value has gained significant traction within the healthcare sector over the past decade, not least in the management of healthcare estates. Social value refers to the broader social, economic, and environmental benefits that organisations can deliver for the communities they serve. For NHS hospital Trusts, embedding social value in estate development and management practices is not only a legal requirement, but also a strategic necessity. This article explores the various strategies that NHS hospital Trusts can employ to generate social value from their estate management practices, with a particular focus on the journey we have started – but by no means completed – at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT). We round off with a brief guide to key pieces of legislation, and some simple steps that you can put in place to embed social value within your health estate management teams and processes.
Community engagement As with most conversations that lead to something good, the most fundamental starting point is a desire to engage. Active community engagement isn’t easy. It requires us to accept that we must learn more about the local communities around us, their needs, and the problems they face, and how we involve them in the planning, development, and operation of healthcare facilities to improve what we deliver. We must facilitate, listen, and then lead with confidence. At RCHT we have worked closely with our
Communications team to actively involve a wide range of local stakeholders in the planning process for our new Women and Children’s Hospital (to be constructed under Wave 1 of the NHP), ensuring that the facility will address the unique needs of women and children in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. It is a start that will not only enhance the
THEMES Theme 1
Theme 2
Theme 3 Theme 4
Theme 5 COVID-19 recovery Tackling economic inequality
Fighting climate change Equal opportunity
Wellbeing
relevance and effectiveness of the healthcare services provided, but also fosters a sense of ownership and pride amongst our local community. Sustainability is a critical component of social value.
NHS hospital Trusts can significantly enhance social value by implementing ‘green’ building practices and aiming for Net Zero carbon emissions. This includes using renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, and reducing waste. There is no shortage of guidance for Trusts and staff working at all levels, including: n Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service1 outlines the NHS commitment to achieving Net Zero
POLICY OUTCOMES Help local communities to manage and recover from the impact of COVID-19
Create new businesses, new jobs, and new skills Increase supply chain resilience and capacity Effective stewardship of the environment
Reduce the disability employment gap Tackle workforce inequality
Improve health and wellbeing Improve community cohesion
March 2025 Health Estate Journal 53
A computer-generated image of the front entrance to the new Women and Children’s Hospital.
Figure 1: The social value themes (drawn from the Government Commercial Function’s Guide to using the Social Value Model).
Courtesy of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
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