How to Evidence Social Value in Home Care Bids
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In today’s commissioning environment, social value is not a “nice-to-have” — it’s a scored requirement. For domiciliary care and home care providers, demonstrating social value in tenders can make the difference between winning and losing a contract.
1. Understand the Commissioner’s Priorities
Before you write a single sentence, review the tender documents carefully. Are they focused on local employment, environmental sustainability, or community engagement? Tailoring your examples to their stated priorities is essential.
2. Use Measurable, Local Examples
Vague promises like “We will employ locally” don’t score well. Instead, say: “In the past 12 months, 85% of our new recruits have been residents of the commissioning area.” Concrete, localised data shows you understand the community.
3. Link Social Value to Service Outcomes
Commissioners want to see that social value activities enhance the core service. For example, partnering with a local volunteer group to offer befriending services can reduce isolation and improve wellbeing — a measurable social care outcome.
4. Evidence and Monitoring
Explain how you will track your social value commitments and report them back. Use tools like service user surveys, feedback forms, and regular reporting to the commissioner to keep them engaged in the impact you are delivering.
5. Avoid Overclaiming
Overpromising can damage credibility. Stick to realistic, achievable commitments that you have the capacity to deliver. If you need ideas on how to structure these commitments in tenders, the Knowledge Hub has a wide range of resources to guide you.