Delivering social value is a core responsibility for any organisation working with Government. Those delivering public contracts must ensure public spending creates wider economic, social and environmental benefits, generating long-lasting opportunities for local communities and the people who live there.
I am proud that social value is integrated into our culture at Maximus. From creating jobs for local people to supporting SMEs to build more inclusive workplaces, delivering social value is integral to the services we deliver.
That’s why I also welcome the Government’s new Social Value Model, which challenges public sector organisations to think more strategically about the role their commissioning can play in creating economic opportunity and improving local outcomes. The model encourages organisations to no longer just think about how they can meet social value requirements, but to place employment, skills and opportunity at the heart of procurement and contract delivery. It moves away from a perception of ‘tick box’ solutions to more locally responsive approaches.
I have led the Maximus team dedicated to driving social value since May 2024 and am proud of the lasting impact our delivery is having across local lives and communities, drawing on insights and expertise from colleagues across the business.
Whether it’s an Employment Advisor delivering careers support in schools, a Nutritionist sharing healthy living guidance to disability support groups or the volunteering and mentoring delivered by our teams to support grassroots charities and local suppliers – everyone contributes, and is encouraged to do so.
Building local employment pathways
The new Social Value Model prioritises the need to address localised skills shortages and create more definitive routes into employment. With a national economic inactivity rate of 20.9%, delivering long-term training opportunities and employment pathways is a clear national priority. Achieving this involves working with local employers to find ways to break down complex employment barriers, as well as partnering with training providers to help people gain sector-specific skills relevant to key local industries.
Our ongoing social value commitment in West Yorkshire shows how more innovative thinking can equip local people with the qualifications, skills and confidence to move closer to employment. Across our delivery in the region, we worked closely with apprenticeship and work experience provider CareerBay to help them establish the CareerBay Academy – an initiative designed to strengthen early careers support for local residents.
The Academy provides free employability training alongside a growing suite of early‑career resources, including CV‑building sessions and practical skills workshops, helping learners gain the confidence and capabilities they need to move into sustainable employment and thrive in the workplace.
Tackling youth unemployment
The new Social Value Model also encourages organisations to co-design opportunities that improve access to training, work placements, apprenticeships and training opportunities. This is significant progress for the one million 18- to-24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) across the UK.
We regularly see that many young people find it difficult to find work due to a lack of experience, qualifications or confidence, meaning targeted support is essential to break down these often-interconnected employment barriers. We have delivered a range of social value projects specifically aimed at bridging the gap between education and employment, developing new pathways, with each scheme co-designed with local students. This includes our work experience programme, which has supported over 150 young people, as well as our apprenticeship schemes.
Recognising the need to support clinicians of the future, some of our work placements help A-Level students from deprived areas to take that next step towards studying medicine at university. Through our programme, students gained the opportunity to meet with clinicians from our local teams, gaining crucial experience and insight to enhance their CVs.
Transforming local communities
As well as improving local employment outcomes, the new Social Value Model reiterates how social value can benefit the wider community through supporting employers, addressing localised skills shortages and driving investment into local talent to boost the economy.
Taking a localised approach enables us to address each community’s unique challenges and opportunities – and it’s the people who live there who are best placed to identify their community’s needs. Collaboration is key. That’s why I’m proud that we co-design programmes with councils, voluntary organisations and other partners, embedding local needs into every decision.
At the heart of this is our Community Partnership Network (CPN), which brings together over 300 local and national organisations, including skills providers, housing associations and health specialists, to provide joined-up opportunities and services for local people.
We are also strengthening local engagement through our Local Impact Fund, which has awarded more than £338,000 to local causes, as well as the Maximus Foundation, which has donated over £650,000 to a range of charities, each nominated by our own colleagues. Our local teams are part of our social value commitment too, contributing more than 3,800 hours to volunteering efforts.
And our impact doesn’t end there – we continuously develop our responsible sourcing and ethical procurement policies, partner with thousands of SMEs and voluntary sector organisations across the UK, and recently launched our “Masterclass” webinars to support SMEs and VCSEs through practical insights and strategies.
Strengthening social value further
I’m excited by social value’s new direction and the opportunity it offers for greater innovation and collaboration. By embedding social value into every decision, the new Social Value Model highlights the importance of creating intentional, long-term impact that transforms employment outcomes for local people.
At Maximus, I’m privileged to lead a team that works across our business and with partners to deliver and measure meaningful change. We continue to strive to build out our efforts in every community that we deliver, creating better outcomes for communities and commissioners through one simple goal: to leave every place stronger than we found it.
