Let's Talk Social Value

In this episode of Let’s Talk Social Value , Sarah Stone is joined by Ben Carpenter, CEO of Social Value International (SVI), the global member-led network with a mission to change how the world accounts for value. Together they explore how the social value movement is evolving worldwide - beyond procurement and compliance - towards systems change that helps organisations measure what really matte...

In this episode of Let’s Talk Social Value , Sarah Stone is joined by Emma Jones, the UK’s Small Business Commissioner, to explore the real impact of late payment on SMEs - and what’s changing. Explore how late payment impacts SMEs and supply chains, upcoming legislation, 60-day payment terms, and why prompt payment is critical to delivering real social value. We hope you enjoy this episode. If yo...

In this episode, Sarah is joined by Jacob Hill to explore why businesses should rethink how they approach hiring people with convictions. This honest and practical conversation challenges common misconceptions about risk, trust, and employability. Jacob shares why inclusive recruitment isn’t just a moral argument, it’s a commercial one, and how giving people a second chance can strengthen teams, i...

In this episode of Let’s Talk… Social Value Strategies , Sarah Stone is joined by Helen Longfils , Group Director of Social Value at Mitie , to explore how social value can move beyond CSR and deliver meaningful, measurable impact. Helen shares how Mitie developed its Plan Thrive social value strategy, why good jobs are central to thriving communities, and how a theory of change helps organisation...

In this Bitesize episode of Let’s Talk Social Value – Stories and Insights , Jacob Hill, interim CEO and board member at the Institute for Social Value (ISV), talks about stepping into the role and what he has learned so far about the organisation and the wider sector.  The conversation explores how ISV supports social value practitioners, organisations and technology providers, and how it connect...

In this episode, Sarah sits down with Kathy Walker, Co-Founder and CEO of StartUp Sherpas , an edtech company delivering remote work experience and career readiness programmes through their own digital platform. Kathy shares how StartUp Sherpas is helping to bridge the gap between the skills young people learn in school and the skills employers need in the modern workplace. She explains why the tr...

In this episode, Sarah sits down with Dr Richard Milburn, Visiting Lecturer in War Studies at King’s College London and UK representative for the Pole Pole Foundation, a gorilla conservation charity in Eastern Congo. Richard shares how he applies behavioural science and creative problem-solving to tackle complex challenges in conservation, peacebuilding and social value. He explains why he sees co...

In this episode, Sarah speaks to Angela Halliday, Director of Social Impact at Sodexo, who plays a key role in guiding Sodexo’s approach to social value.  Rather than delivering social impact directly, Angela acts as an internal consultant - educating, enabling, and empowering Sodexo’s workforce to drive change.  Listen in to find out about why embedding social value into business operations is mo...

In this episode of Let's Talk Social Value , Sarah interviews Angela Benson and Sarah Hinchliffe from the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP). Sarah Hinchliffe, founder and Chair of the APMP UK Social Value Working Group, and Angela Benson, a board member and global head of bid management, share their insights into how bid professionals are shaping the future of social val...

In this episode of Let's Talk Social Value, Sarah interviews Catherine Manning, Head of Impact Practice at Impact Reporting and the Programme Director and driving force behind the social valuation tool, MeasureUp. They explore how social value measurement is evolving to focus on real impact rather than just compliance; the opportunities this provides for meaningful decision-making, the role o...

In this episode of Let's Talk Social Value, Sarah interviews Lindsay Maguire, Deputy Director for Procurement Reform at the Cabinet Office.  They discuss how the new Procurement Act is reshaping government contracts; the opportunities that provides to prioritise social value, the flexibility of new procurement legislation, and how aligning procurement can help achieve broader social goals.  L...

In this episode, Sarah sits down with Holly Onstenk, Vice Chair of the Young Professionals in Social Value Network to hear about how the YPSV started, and has now evolved into a community with 500 members working social value.  Sarah and Holly discuss the challenges of breaking into the social value industry, addressing the lack of training, qualifications and mentorship opportunities. They explor...

In this episode, Sarah talks to Andrew O'Brien & Hana Kapetanovic from Demos, one of the UK’s leading think tanks, to explore their ground breaking report, Taming the Wild West: How Technology Can Charter a New Frontier for Social Value. In this  interview, Andrew and Hana share their insights about the evolving role of technology in shaping the social value landscape, challenges in creat...

In this latest episode, Sarah had the pleasure of hosting Isabelle Parasram, CEO of The Institute for Social Value.  Isabelle speaks about the launch of The Institute for Social Value (previously Social Value UK) and its aims moving forward - supporting companies to tackle social value washing will be one of the areas of focus for its work. Isabelle and Sarah also discuss the future of social valu...

We've recently been lucky enough to have a conversation with Lindsay Maguire, Deputy Director for Procurement Reform Implementation at the Cabinet Office, and can give you a sneak peak of next month's podcast episode right here! Lindsay reminded us that the Cabinet Office currently have a short stakeholder survey open, which will help inform development of the new NPPS, designed to promp...

Listen in as Sarah talks to Lorraine Cox, Director of STAR Procurement and Chair of the National Social Value Taskforce.  Lorraine talks about the importance a social value offering plays when bidding on a public sector tender, and the ways in which the upcoming Procurement Act will change the tendering process. We hope you enjoy this episode. If you have a topic you'd like us to discuss or y...

Join Sarah in this episode as she talks to Rachel Searle, from Foundation Scotland, about community benefits. Discover what they are, how they are administered, who has the power to make the decisions, and the significant positive impact they can have on a local community. We hope you enjoy this episode. If you have a topic you'd like us to discuss or you would like to be considered as a gues...

Listen in as Sarah dives deep into the world of NHS procurement with Alastair Clay,  Sustainable and Social Value Manager at the NHS North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative.  Together they discuss how to approach social value in your tenders to create maximum impact, what the NOE CPC is looking for from suppliers in terms of social value and the 4 golden words you need to know for cr...

In this latest episode, Sarah talks to Steve Hill, Commercial Director of Auticon UK, a global IT consultancy and social enterprise whose mission is to improve the employment prospects of neurodivergent people.  We’ll hear about the additional value that employees with autism can bring to the table, especially in sectors such as IT, as well as hearing what organisations can do to transform their w...

In this episode, Sarah interviews Nicola Lynch, a Level Three Advanced Practitioner in Social Value. Nicola is a Social Impact and Evaluation specialist and is one of only a handful of accredited Social Value & SROI trainers in the UK.     We’re going to take you on a journey that will really make you think about your own understanding of social value, how we measure social value, and the impl...

In this episode, Sarah interviews Rachel Stancliffe, CEO of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare.  Listen in as we dive into sustainable healthcare with Rachel Stancliffe, CEO of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare.  With a significant portion of healthcare’s carbon footprint stemming from within the procurement chain, Rachel guides us through the comprehensive strategies and training the Centr...

To coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, Sarah talks to Sadie Besley, Randstad’s Divisional Managing Director for Professional Talent Solutions about flexi apprenticeships. A relatively new offering, we find out how they differ from traditional apprenticeships and what makes them work in certain industries.    Allowing learners to take on short term placements at multiple companies and provi...

In this episode, Sarah interviews Peter Coy, Social Value Implementation Lead at the Ministry of Defence. Tune in to learn about the Ministry of Defence's (MoD) commitment to social value through its dedicated Social Value Centre of Expertise. Uncover the broader scope of social value, spanning areas like social mobility, veteran support, and environmental impact, as the MoD operates beyond a...

In this episode, Sarah meets with Rebecca Phillips, from  the Careers and Enterprise Company, which is the national body for careers education in England. We’ll be finding out why employers need to develop early years careers education programmes and engage with schools, to help combat sector-wide skills shortages and secure a talent pipeline that they need. We'll also discuss why it’s import...

In this episode, Sarah interviews Susan McPherson, the author of " The Lost Art of Connecting .” Susan McPherson is the founder and CEO of a US-based, B-Corp certified boutique communications consultancy, McPherson Strategies , specialising in impact communications for corporations, foundations, NGOs, and social enterprises. The interview covers various topics related to Susan's work and...