Social value For Thirteen, social value is about increasing the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the people we work for and the communities we work alongside.
We support a wide range of people who face challenges in their lives and provide services for homeless people, ex-offenders, people with mental health issues, people recovering from substance misuse, families, women and young people. We also offer services to support people experiencing domestic abuse and tenants who need support to stay in their home. In 2020/21 over 4,400 people were being given that ‘little extra help’ each month:
This year we have become an early adopter of the Sustainability Reporting Standard for social housing. The first version of this Environmental, Social and Governance “ESG” reporting approach was developed based on a review of existing ESG investor questionnaires, workshops with subject matter experts, from partner investors to housing associations, and wider consultation. Thirteen’s first report will be available in October 2021. The environmental and governance elements of the framework are reported elsewhere in this document.
• Employability services were supporting approximately 750 people • Extra care were providing services for around 2500 people • Support services were helping 630 people • Money advice were providing specialist financial advice to around 480 people and the Universal Credit Team 272 people.
We recognise that explaining what we mean by social value and therefore demonstrating what we are delivering is sometimes difficult. Work with colleagues and our customers suggests that it is best explained by saying that it is about understanding the difference we are making. Measurements we have used are primarily tangible outcomes. These are the hard facts of what we have done and what it achieved. We also use the HACT (Housing Associations Charitable Trust) Calculator, which allows us to translate some of the social value we generate into the equivalent proxy, monetary value - a universal language that many partners, commissioners and funders understand. This translates to the following achievements during 2020/21, which have had a direct, positive impact on our customers:
Together we: • Helped customers ‘gain’ £2.04m in unclaimed benefits and helped with better budgeting, and helped with arrangements with creditors • We supported 386 people into employment or apprenticeships • We supported 177 people into training or education.
The Gross Value Added (GVA) impact of our activities is £139m in the North East and £180m in the UK. By building 316 affordable homes, we contributed £37m of GVA to the North East and £41m to the UK. This does not, however, tell the whole story. Over 98% of our homes are provided at social or affordable rents. We are helping to provide long-term homes that are genuinely affordable to those on low incomes. Our rents are between 29% and 48% less than that charged by the private rented sector. Almost all our homes are provided as a secure tenancy giving security of tenure and making a difference in people’s lives and ability to find work, access informal and formal local support networks and services and build family lives.
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