Social Value pioneers unite to combat ‘value washing’ and promote authentic impact

Manchester, [4 September 2024] –  Three leaders in UK social value, Social Value Business, Social Value Quality Mark CIC and Impact Reporting Ltd, are announcing a national partnership with a shared aim – to help clients combat ‘value washing’. This is a growing concern akin to ‘greenwashing,’ where organisations make deceptive claims about their social impact, thereby eroding public trust.

Richard Dickins, MD, Social Value Business and Social Value Quality Mark, says: “Our clients are genuinely spreading a positive impact by investing in their employees, customers and communities. They deserve to stand out for high standards of ethical, socially focussed business.  Through this partnership, we will combat value washing by championing social value which is meaningful, legitimate and accurately reported.”

Traditional measurement approaches tend to prioritise activity (or outputs) over actual value delivered. For example, it is relatively simply to measure the amount an organisation invests in employee wellbeing campaigns or the number of Mental Health First Aiders trained. It is harder to measure the happiness and wellbeing created as a result – but it’s exactly this type of value that the partners are keen to prioritise through the launch of a joint educational campaign.

This will include a series of podcasts, webinars and case studies aimed at helping Social Value and CSR professionals make informed decisions about how and what to measure.

Matt Haworth, co-founder of Impact Reporting adds: “We want to help organisations make the shift to measuring what matters, and as a result be more credible, transparent and rigorous with their reporting. Because Social Value Business, Social Value Quality Mark and Impact Reporting work across all recognised frameworks – from Local Multiplier and TOMs to Social Return on Investment and the Unit Cost database – we are not bound by the limitations of one approach. Our campaign will demystify social value measurement and make it more accessible to all.”

This ethos will be woven into every aspect of the partnership, offering clients access to a comprehensive range of specialist services, including social value development, advanced measurement techniques, in-depth training, and transparent reporting.

Organisations committed to genuine social impact can learn more by visiting www.socialvaluebusiness.com and www.impactreporting.co.uk.