New resource from the Considerate Constructors Scheme to capture the social value created through construction

London, United Kingdom, 16 March 2016: Building Social Value – a simple way to report on the social value created through construction – has been launched by the Considerate Constructors Scheme for all Scheme registered sites, companies and suppliers.

Building Social Value has been developed by the Scheme in conjunction with a number of leading construction companies and industry clients across the UK:  Basildon Borough Council; Kier Group plc; Land Securities Group plc; and Morgan Sindall.

By using the Scheme to carry out the report, contractors and clients recognise that gaining a professional, third-party report will help them to evaluate the impact of their construction sites in creating social value.

Scheme Monitors will visit construction sites and record the social value created, using the Social Value Monitoring Checklist. The Monitor will then produce a Building Social Value report, based on the results gathered from the Checklist.

All sites, companies and suppliers undertaking Building Social Value will then have the opportunity to publicly demonstrate their commitment to creating social value by displaying Building Social Value posters.

Since the Social Value Act came into force in 2013 there has been a requirement to focus on how the construction industry creates social value. While the act applies to the public sector, many private clients are also taking into account social benefits when awarding construction contracts.

Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive Edward Hardy said: “Construction activity produces huge amounts of social value for local communities, the local economy and the environment. It is, however, difficult to define, capture and report on this value creation. Building Social Value will provide construction, clients and the public with a much-needed understanding of the extent to which a particular construction project has created opportunities for long-term social value.”

Clive Johnson, Group Head of Health and Safety at Land Securities commented: “We greatly value this service, as do our extensive supply chain. It gives us a cost effective and independent means of measuring social value from our many developments across the UK. I would recommend all clients to take advantage of this facility if they wish to play a leading role in delivering the best possible social value to the communities they conduct their businesses within.”

Basildon Borough Council Asset Strategy Manager, Daniel Greenwood added: “Social value plays a central role in all our procurement activity and having a consistent and robust way to measure outcomes has been a constant challenge. Building Social Value really adds confidence that projects are delivering on our promises to the community.”

Click on the link to find out more about Building Social Value: www.buildingsocialvalue.org.uk.