Embedding Economic Social Value Through Local Spend in Adult Social Care
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Economic social value has moved from a supporting narrative to a core consideration in adult social care commissioning. Commissioners now expect providers to demonstrate how public funding contributes to resilient local economies, stable services and sustainable workforce models. Local spend is one of the most tangible ways providers can evidence this.
Within the Knowledge Hub, economic social value connects closely with broader social value expectations and workforce sustainability considerations explored across the workforce and training content. Together, these themes reflect how financial decisions directly affect care quality.
Local spend is not about preferential purchasing at any cost. It is about making informed procurement choices that balance value for money, quality, continuity and community impact.
What Local Spend Means in Adult Social Care
Local spend refers to the proportion of organisational expenditure directed towards suppliers, services and labour markets within the local or regional economy. In adult social care this often includes recruitment agencies, training providers, maintenance contractors, catering, transport and professional services.
Providers that manage local spend effectively typically start by mapping where money is currently going. This creates visibility of reliance on national suppliers, single-provider risks and missed opportunities to strengthen local partnerships.
Why Commissioners Care About Local Economic Impact
Commissioners are accountable for demonstrating wider public value. This includes showing that contracts contribute to local employment, business sustainability and community resilience rather than extracting value from the area.
During tender evaluation, commissioners increasingly look for:
• Evidence of current local spend baselines
• Clear, realistic improvement commitments
• Assurance that local suppliers meet quality and safeguarding standards
• Links between procurement choices and service outcomes
Generic promises without operational detail are rarely sufficient.
Local Spend and Service Resilience
Local supply chains can significantly improve service resilience. Shorter supply chains reduce response times, improve accountability and make it easier to resolve issues quickly.
For example, local maintenance providers can respond faster to urgent property issues, reducing environmental risks. Local training partners can adapt provision quickly to reflect service needs. These operational benefits directly support continuity of care.
Governance and Oversight of Procurement Decisions
Economic social value must be embedded within governance rather than delegated entirely to operational teams. Boards and senior leaders should receive regular information on procurement risks, supplier performance and local spend trends.
Effective oversight includes:
• Approved supplier frameworks with quality thresholds
• Regular supplier performance reviews
• Risk assessments for critical dependencies
• Clear escalation routes where supplier failure could affect care
This ensures that local spend decisions support, rather than compromise, safety and compliance.
Demonstrating Impact Over Intent
Commissioners are increasingly focused on outcomes rather than commitments. Providers should be able to explain how local spend has contributed to workforce stability, reduced disruption or improved service responsiveness.
When embedded properly, local spend becomes a practical delivery mechanism for economic social value rather than a standalone narrative used only at bid stage.
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