Acting responsibly. Adding Social Value
At SSE Energy Solutions we understand that the activities we undertake have a lasting impact on our customers, our colleagues, and those who live in the communities in which we operate.
Because of this, we believe that acting responsibly and understanding the Social Value that we offer is critical to the way we operate our business on our journey to net zero.
You can find out more about how we add Social Value here. And if you’d like to get in touch with us to hear more, please contact EnterpriseSustainability@sse.com
Did you know?
The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 requires those commissioning public services to put in place a diverse range of activities – one that encompasses not only economic considerations but also social and environmental benefits of projects and programmes on individuals and the community.
When we bid for local authority work, for example, 10% of the score we receive as part of the bidding process (and up to 20-25% for some large projects) is dedicated to Social Value.
We relish the opportunity to measure and monitor the value we create for the economy, environment, communities, and society as part of this process and have now put in place a strategy to do so.
Neil Kirkby, SSE Energy Solutions, Enterprise, Managing Director
“We have a wealth of projects either in the pipeline or under construction across the UK that are helping deliver the infrastructure Britain needs to reach net zero - including those within Greater Manchester, Liverpool, West Yorkshire, and the West Midlands.
“At SSE, we want to make a difference in each of these areas by ensuring we invest in the communities we work in. By creating these regional hubs and bringing green jobs to the areas where we are building energy infrastructure, we’re able to demonstrate our commitment to communities right across the UK.
“If we’re to deliver a Just Transition, it's absolutely essential that we bring in talent from a diverse range of backgrounds as part of that commitment. Our aim is to upskill local talent - whether they be managers, engineers or apprentices - and get them working on projects that are close to them.
“We have aspirations to create even more regional hubs across the country over the coming years and, ultimately, to do three things: unlock investment in low carbon infrastructure, create jobs and deliver the skills needed for net zero.”
Adding Social Value
Alongside operating within SSE’s Just Transition framework - Our commitment to Social Value is embedded in diverse practices that can contribute to a better world:
Sustainable Procurement: We procure goods and services in a sustainable manner, championing ethical practices that go beyond our immediate business interactions.
Training & Apprenticeships: We provide opportunities for training and apprenticeships, empowering individuals and communities through education and skills development.
Local Employment: Our commitment to employing locally not only supports the communities we operate in but also strengthens the community bonds that we share.
Volunteering: We like to actively engage with our communities, making meaningful contributions that have impact beyond our business objectives.
Environmental Stewardship: We believe reducing carbon emissions and minimising our environmental footprint is not just a goal; it's our responsibility.
Our social value strategy is designed to champion a fair and just energy transition through both activity and measurement of improvement. It aligns with three of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and has four key objectives that form the pillars of our activity.
Click on each pillar to find out more about how we deliver on these objectives, which ranges from volunteering right through to our ISO14001 certified environmental management system.
Regional Hubs
Being a community partner means focusing our efforts on working with local people on local projects. Our Regional Hubs initiative has seen us open colleague working spaces in Greater Manchester, Liverpool, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, and soon in the North East. We aim to work with local organisations to offer education, training opportunities and jobs for local talent from diverse backgrounds in areas directly where SSE is delivering energy infrastructure.
Our strategy will help diversify and upskill local workforces where we’ve developed strong relationships with key regional bodies who share our agenda. These bodies include the Green Skills Academy, the Energy Innovation Agency, and Manchester Metropolitan University, as well as the regional combined authorities.
We’re already investing in regional infrastructure projects across the UK including EV hubs and potential solar sites in Greater Manchester. We’re developing two solar and battery sites in West Yorkshire which we aim to feature as part of a local STEM education programme with schools and colleges. And in our West Midlands area we soon hope to launch our first HGV charging infrastructure project.
See recent article in Manchester Evening News
Nehal Mehta
“We want to look beyond what qualifications people may or may not possess and back their potential when bringing people into SSE. That way we’ll get the diversity of talent we need to make net zero a reality. If we are to achieve our net zero goals as a nation, we need to work together and engage with people in their own backyards. We are actively recruiting and are working in partnership with several social value organisations, educational establishments and community groups on innovative ways of bringing people from different backgrounds into our business. The regional strategy will see SSE focus on working with local contractors and suppliers where possible and we plan to open more regional hubs across the country in the coming months.
At SSE, we’re determined to prove that greener also means fairer and that decarbonisation is an agenda which benefits us all in more ways than just the obvious. If we’re to deliver a Just Transition, it's essential we take the communities we work in with us. It's fundamental that we become a trusted partner of the community so together we can bring in local talent from a diverse range of backgrounds.”
Measuring Social Value
Our new Social Value Portal (SVP) measures, manages and reports the Social Value generated all in one place. This helps our senior management, business development, and sustainability teams clearly articulate the value Enterprise’s business activities contribute to our local communities and identify areas to further enhance our social focus.
The National Themes, Outcomes and Measures (TOMs) Framework is a social value measurement standard across the UK. It has financial ‘proxy values’ to help organisations quantify the created social value.
How we ask our colleagues to play their part
We have identified 43 TOMs as our key metrics covering; jobs, innovation, growth, environment and social aspects. We believe that everyone in our business can create positive social value by taking their part in existing initiatives within our business, which include
Volunteering to support local community projects or for environmental conservation and sustainable ecosystem management initiatives
Providing ‘support into work’ assistance to unemployed people through career mentoring, mock interviews, offering CV advice and careers guidance
Becoming a STEM ambassador and organising site visits for schools or local residents
Mentoring as part of the SSE Barnardo's Works 6 month programme or the Career Ready 4 week internship
Delivering curriculum related activities in schools and collages by becoming a STEM ambassador
Donations through our Give as you Earn initiative or in-kind contributions of time to local community projects
Providing business advice to VCSEs (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises) and (Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) on topics including for example finance, legal, HR and safety, health and environment.
Hosting employer fairs to encourage local employment in the local area
