Social Value Case Study: Morgan Sindall Property Services

Briefly introduce yourselves and summarise Morgan Sindall Property Services as an organisation.

I’m Helen Sheen, and I’m the Head of Social Value for Morgan Sindall Property Services.

We provide integrated asset management for housing associations and local authorities, focusing on improving the living conditions of residents and leaving a legacy in the communities we serve. Using data, we provide actionable insights for our clients which helps to inform investment decisions, improve customer experience, identify vulnerabilities in communities and protect the environment.

With over 1,150 employees, we focus on a culture which puts people at the core of everything we do, encourages innovative thinking, and puts our customer first.

What was the background and context to working with HACT? What was the initial challenge Morgan Sindall Property Services faced?

For us, we wanted to be able to show in a tangible and robust way the benefit and impact that our social value programme was bringing to our residents and communities, highlighting the activities that have maximum wellbeing generation. This has allowed us to use this information to support our work winning agenda and be able to programme activities that we can show create impactful support in communities.

Key to us was demonstrating that we are continuously improving our year-on-year wellbeing valuation, by creating tangible social value activity. Using the HACT methodology allows us to do this.

Why HACT?

For many of our clients, including those who work with the social housing sector, the fact that the HACT methodology quantifies the wellbeing impact to the communities in which they operate, in a meaningful and transparent way, is what they, and we, wanted to align with.

In addition, I previously worked at a G15 housing association, which did some work on the HACT UK Social Value Bank in its infancy, it has been great to see it develop, and I was keen to use it at Morgan Sindall Property Services as well. We appreciate wellbeing in communities is critical, even more so, with the recent cost of living crisis and emphasis on mental health.

Creating wellbeing, and opportunities for community cohesion, social mobility and economic resilience has never been more important.

How has your work with HACT influenced your processes for impact measurement?

We find the HACT measurement approach really helps with forward planning and setting out our focus and objectives, as the data can provide insights into where we need to put our efforts or rethink our activities, so we are constantly evolving according to the needs of our communities.

We want to be able to show that our social value is delivering the maximum wellbeing for our communities, and using the HACT approach is one way that we can evidence that along with our case studies, our annual social value report and our social media presence. For example, apprenticeships and training programmes generate significant wellbeing. Residents are moving into work and making connections, which is going to have a massive impact, not only their wellbeing, but the wellbeing of their family and their community.

This helped shape the idea for our annual Apprenticeship Academy, which creates wellbeing impact not only through the creation of jobs, but also by the additional training and skills workshops that attendees engage with. HACT is now informing our decision making, as much as helping us to report it.

We also find it a straightforward process; all my team have been trained to use the UK Social Value Bank and Social Value insight and have found it very user friendly. With the external validation process we can be sure that our reporting is robust and correct, and that gives confidence to our clients.

Are there any next steps in place?

All my team have been trained to use the UK Social Value Bank and Social Value insight and have found it very user friendly. With the external validation process we can be sure that our reporting is robust and correct, and that gives confidence to our clients. Our wider organisation is looking to use the HACT approach as their social value calculator of choice.

We’ve been in talks with HACT with regards to a new bolt-on (the built environment bank) which will allow other parts of our business, including our construction and infrastructure arms, to use the HACT calculator.

In conclusion…

• HACT’s methodology has enabled Morgan Sindall Property Services to showcase the tangible benefits and impacts of their social value programs.

• By providing actionable insights, HACT has supported Morgan Sindall Property Services in forward planning and decision-making. This has allowed them to strategically focus their efforts on areas that generate maximum wellbeing for communities.

• HACT’s approach has directly contributed to significant wellbeing outcomes through initiatives such as Apprenticeship Academy.

• The successful implementation of HACT’s tools has led to discussions about expanding their use across other parts of their business, including construction and infrastructure.