Focussing on impact to maximise social value across Hertfordshire

We generated social value by employing locals, developing skills, volunteering, and supporting local businesses through our supply chain.

As part of our Client Service Term Contract with Hertfordshire County Council, we generated social value that had a positive impact on local communities. We did this through employing local people and developing their skills; volunteering and fundraising for schools and good causes; and considered carefully how we spend money with our supply chain.

Location

United Kingdom

Client

Hertfordshire County Council

Local employment and skills development

As part of our commission with the council, we had a robust cohort of early careers professionals who were actively engaged in skills development programs. Apprentices make up 5% of our full-time equivalent employees. And within this group, 20% were from an ethnic minority, 30% were female and 30% were existing employees retraining.

One of our apprentices at Hertfordshire County Council, Matthew Turner, was highly commended at the 2023 Highways Awards. As a STEM ambassador Matthew had worked closely with several local schools, giving his time and expertise to promote the world of engineering to the next generation of talent.

We wanted Matthew and all our apprentices to become well-rounded engineers. So, as well as developing their technical skills in civil engineering, project management and surveying, we embedded social value – and, as an integral part of this, sustainability– into their training. Working with a mentor, they learnt the importance of creating a positive legacy for their local communities, and how to make the most of their opportunities to do this.

Percentage of full-time WSP employees who are apprentices

5%

Percentage of apprentices from an ethnic minority

20%

Percentage of apprentices who are female

30%

Volunteering to inspire future generations

Our team in Hertfordshire regularly made a difference through volunteering, much of which was focused on local schools. We supported Monks Walk School in Welwyn Garden City by providing work experience at our client’s offices in County Hall, Hertford, for a week during July 2023. Then, in the autumn, we supported the school’s careers interview workshop, where 16-year-old students were able to benefit from the expertise of our business services lead. These sessions were aligned to the Hertfordshire Skills Framework. Developed by Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Hertfordshire County Council Services for Young People and the University of Hertfordshire, the framework aimed to improve young people’s work-readiness and the careers guidance they received from schools by connecting them directly to local employers.

Our voluntary work with schools also enabled us to promote the value of degree apprenticeships and careers in local government. We were able to show students that there are opportunities available to do valuable, meaningful work in their own communities. And we worked with the Hertfordshire Apprenticeship Alliance and East of England Local Government Association Apprentice of the Year programme to promote apprenticeships in the public sector.

We were also keen to engage with students outside mainstream education, such as those at St Luke’s School in Redbourn – a special educational needs school for children aged 7-16. In October 2023, nine WSP volunteers helped tidy the garden at St Luke’s and in 2024 we will offer work taster sessions for its students.

Raising money – and spending purposefully

Fundraising offered a further opportunity to support good causes in Hertfordshire and during 2023 we raised over £1,000. Our fundraising included a Halloween bake sale for Mudlarks, a Hertford-based charity that supports adults and young people with learning disabilities and mental health concerns. We had also baked in aid of the Phoenix Group. Based in Stevenage, this charity works with deaf children, young people and their families to offer activities, training and support. And for the last three years our end-of-year raffle has supported the Pepper Foundation, which raises funds to provide hospice care at home for children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.

Although as a consultant we didn’t have a large supply chain, we were mindful that the way we spent money locally could make a difference too. We sought out smaller, local suppliers and encouraged them to work with us. This meant we did everything from ensuring we held our Christmas party at a locally owned venue, to purchasing office lunches from a local caterer. If we purchased a service that charged back to the council, such as topographical surveys, we searched for local suppliers who offered our client social value, as well as value for money.

Helping others to deliver local social value too

Our deep-seated approach to social value required additional commitment, but we believed it was the right way to make the biggest difference for communities in Hertfordshire. And we were keen to promote best practice around the country. Lin Harrington, Social Value Lead for E&E: Ground and Water, represented Hertfordshire on the Local Government Social Value Champions Network. This group shared ideas to help embed social value as a mindset throughout local government –something we were proud to help influence through our work in Hertfordshire.