Liverpool City Council has set up a social value taskforce to ensure that the Social Value Act is used by commissioners in the city.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, announced the news yesterday at a Social Value conference in Liverpool . He said: “Spending from the public purse should be working hard for people and communities, not for private profiteers. The Social Value Act gives commissioners, for the very first time, the green light to choose providers that are committed to delivering community prosperity and wealth, like social enterprises and charities. It has the power to bring about a cultural shift in commissioning practices by local authorities and other pubic bodies.”

In a bid to implement social value its commissioning practices, Liverpool City Council and The Liverpool Fairness Commission have also committed to procuring services from organisations with a smaller gap between highest and lowest paid staff, social enterprises, and providers that can demonstrate clear local benefits.

Claire Dove MBE, CEO of Blackburne House and chair of the Liverpool Fairness Commission, said:
“There are great examples of councils across the country – particularly in Liverpool – already using the Social Value Act and creating social value in their work. But social enterprises need commissioners and public bodies who haven’t caught up with the Act to fully embrace it. It could open the door for social enterprises like Blackburne House, organisations that have a strong track record helping vulnerable people and delivering services that create lasting community prosperity.”

The Social Value Act came into force this year.

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