News: Rotherham Council's local spend up by £77.3m in five years
Rotherham Council is keeping more money in the local economy after increasing the amount of money it spends locally to more than £122m.
The Council’s Annual Social Value Report shows that local spending has risen by £77.3m, from £44.8m in 2019/20 to £122.1m in 2024/25, bringing greater benefit to residents, communities and the local economy.
The report, which recently went before the council's Cabinet, also shows that social value commitments secured through Council contracts now stands at £41.6m. Validated delivery of social value stands at £23.7m, having increased by 92% compared to the previous annual report.
Social value means securing wider benefits for local people and communities when the Council buys goods, works and services. This can include creating jobs and apprenticeships, supporting local businesses, helping community organisations and reducing environmental impact.
Legally the Council is only required to consider Social Value in its Services contracts where the estimated value is greater than £189,330. However, Rotherham's social value policy goes beyond this standard ensuring all contracts and tenders over £100,000 include social value measures.
Since the Council introduced its Social Value Policy in 2019, contracts have helped to secure or retain 454 full-time equivalent jobs for local people and deliver 1,169 weeks of apprenticeships. They have also provided 4,985 hours of personalised career mentoring and employment support, alongside 728 staff hours supporting local schools and colleges.
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The Council has also continued to work with partners through the Rotherham Together Partnership to improve how social value is planned, delivered and measured across the borough.
Leader of Rotherham Council, Cllr. Chris Read said: “We want every pound the Council spends to deliver the greatest possible benefit for Rotherham.
“These figures show what that means in practice – creating jobs and apprenticeships, supporting local businesses, developing skills and helping community organisations.
“We have made strong progress, but there is more to do. Our priority now is to make sure every commitment delivers meaningful and lasting benefits for local people.
“Over the next year, we will strengthen how we monitor contracts and continue working with our partners to focus social value on the needs and priorities of Rotherham’s communities.”
The report includes a numner of case studies, including Sanderson Building Services, a Rotherham-based company who spent £45,000 with 16 local suppliers, including eight local SMEs, on one contract and has built a strong partnership with Maltby Learning Trust, supporting careers events, work experience placements and employer engagement activities.
Family-run Rotherham business, KCM Waste Management has embedded social value into its everyday operations, spending locally and recruiting eight local people whilst supporting local people who were previously unemployed and those facing barriers to work.
Mears and Equans run large contracts for the council and have become key partners in supporting inclusive growth across Rotherham. Alongside creating jobs and apprenticeships, they have championed opportunities for care leavers, supported more inclusive recruitment practices and worked with their supply chains to maximise the delivery of social value throughout the borough.
Through the Council's partnership with Go4Growth, a range of procurement readiness support has been made available to help local businesses develop the skills, knowledge and confidence required to access public sector and anchor institution supply chains. Work with Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber includes sector specific Meet the Buyer events and monthly digital promotion of local supply chain opportunities.
In addition, the council has set up a feasibility service to allow business owners to explore employee ownership and is launching the first business support programme designed and delivered specifically for social clubs in the country.
Go4Growth website
Sanderson Building Services
KCM website
Images: Equans / RMBC
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The Council’s Annual Social Value Report shows that local spending has risen by £77.3m, from £44.8m in 2019/20 to £122.1m in 2024/25, bringing greater benefit to residents, communities and the local economy.
The report, which recently went before the council's Cabinet, also shows that social value commitments secured through Council contracts now stands at £41.6m. Validated delivery of social value stands at £23.7m, having increased by 92% compared to the previous annual report.
Social value means securing wider benefits for local people and communities when the Council buys goods, works and services. This can include creating jobs and apprenticeships, supporting local businesses, helping community organisations and reducing environmental impact.
Legally the Council is only required to consider Social Value in its Services contracts where the estimated value is greater than £189,330. However, Rotherham's social value policy goes beyond this standard ensuring all contracts and tenders over £100,000 include social value measures.
Since the Council introduced its Social Value Policy in 2019, contracts have helped to secure or retain 454 full-time equivalent jobs for local people and deliver 1,169 weeks of apprenticeships. They have also provided 4,985 hours of personalised career mentoring and employment support, alongside 728 staff hours supporting local schools and colleges.
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The Council has also continued to work with partners through the Rotherham Together Partnership to improve how social value is planned, delivered and measured across the borough.
Leader of Rotherham Council, Cllr. Chris Read said: “We want every pound the Council spends to deliver the greatest possible benefit for Rotherham.
“These figures show what that means in practice – creating jobs and apprenticeships, supporting local businesses, developing skills and helping community organisations.
“We have made strong progress, but there is more to do. Our priority now is to make sure every commitment delivers meaningful and lasting benefits for local people.
“Over the next year, we will strengthen how we monitor contracts and continue working with our partners to focus social value on the needs and priorities of Rotherham’s communities.”
The report includes a numner of case studies, including Sanderson Building Services, a Rotherham-based company who spent £45,000 with 16 local suppliers, including eight local SMEs, on one contract and has built a strong partnership with Maltby Learning Trust, supporting careers events, work experience placements and employer engagement activities.
Family-run Rotherham business, KCM Waste Management has embedded social value into its everyday operations, spending locally and recruiting eight local people whilst supporting local people who were previously unemployed and those facing barriers to work.
Mears and Equans run large contracts for the council and have become key partners in supporting inclusive growth across Rotherham. Alongside creating jobs and apprenticeships, they have championed opportunities for care leavers, supported more inclusive recruitment practices and worked with their supply chains to maximise the delivery of social value throughout the borough.
Through the Council's partnership with Go4Growth, a range of procurement readiness support has been made available to help local businesses develop the skills, knowledge and confidence required to access public sector and anchor institution supply chains. Work with Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber includes sector specific Meet the Buyer events and monthly digital promotion of local supply chain opportunities.
In addition, the council has set up a feasibility service to allow business owners to explore employee ownership and is launching the first business support programme designed and delivered specifically for social clubs in the country.
Go4Growth website
Sanderson Building Services
KCM website
Images: Equans / RMBC
