Social value examples for care providers: commitments that score marks

Why your current social value response is not scoring

Our social value guide covers the principles — what social value is, how it is evaluated, and how to structure your response. This article is the next step: specific, copy-and-adapt examples for care providers.

Social value typically carries 10-20% of tender marks. The difference between a weak and strong response can be 15+ marks out of 20. Most care providers lose marks not because they lack social value activity, but because they describe it vaguely.

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The TOMs framework: what it is and why it matters

National TOMs (Themes, Outcomes, Measures)

The National TOMs framework, developed by the Social Value Portal, is the most widely used measurement system in UK public procurement. Many commissioners explicitly reference TOMs in their tender documents.

Five themes:

1. Jobs — promoting local skills and employment
2. Growth — supporting responsible local business
3. Social — healthier, safer communities
4. Environment — protecting and improving the environment
5. Innovation — promoting social innovation

Each theme contains outcomes, and each outcome has specific measures with proxy values (a monetary figure representing the social return per unit).

How TOMs work in practice

Each measure has a unit and a proxy value. For example:

• NT1: Number of local direct employees (FTE) hired on contract — proxy value: £28,272 per person per year
• NT4: Number of apprenticeships on contract — proxy value: £17,455 per apprentice per year
• NT13: Volunteering hours — proxy value: £16.76 per hour

You commit to specific numbers, multiply by proxy values, and present the total social value in pounds. The higher your total (within credibility), the better your score.

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Vague vs specific: the scoring gap

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Social value commitments by sub-sector

Domiciliary care

Employment:

• Recruit care workers from the communities they serve (state target %)
• Offer flexible hours to attract parents, carers, and career changers
• Partner with local colleges for NVQ pathways
• Commit to above-NLW pay (state the differential)

Local economy:

• Source vehicles, uniforms, and supplies from local businesses (state %)
• Use local training providers rather than national chains
• Pay all local suppliers within 14 days

Environment:

• Route optimisation to reduce mileage (state projected reduction)
• Low-emission fleet transition with timeline
• Digital care records to reduce paper (state current % digital)

Community:

• Free first aid training for families of service users
• Staff volunteering at local community groups (state hours/year)
• Annual community health awareness event in partnership with [named organisation]

Supported living

Employment:

• Recruit support workers locally, with emphasis on people with lived experience
• Career pathway from support worker to team leader to registered manager
• Work experience placements for local college students (state number/year)

Community integration:

• Support service users to volunteer in the local community (state target hours)
• Community access programme: regular activities in local venues (sports centres, libraries, cafes)
• Host community open days to reduce stigma around supported living

Local economy:

• Service users supported to shop locally (food, clothing, household items)
• Property maintenance via local contractors (state % of spend)
• Partnership with local social enterprises for meaningful activity

Environment:

• Energy efficiency in supported living properties (insulation, smart heating)
• Waste reduction and recycling programmes involving service users
• Walking and public transport prioritised over car use for community access

Children’s services

Employment:

• Recruit residential workers from the local area (state target %)
• Apprenticeships in children and young people’s workforce (state number)
• Mentoring programme for care leavers entering employment

Education outcomes:

• Support young people to achieve educational milestones (state targets)
• Homework clubs and tutor access (state hours/week)
• Partnerships with local schools and colleges for enrichment activities

Community:

• Young people participate in local community projects (conservation, charity events)
• Host training for local foster carers on managing challenging behaviour
• Partnership with youth organisations ([named] for sports, arts, or Duke of Edinburgh)

Innovation:

• Peer mentoring programme: young people who have stabilised in placement support new arrivals
• Digital skills programme for young people approaching independence
• Collaboration with local employers for work experience and apprenticeship pipelines

Patient transport

Employment:

• Recruit drivers and passenger assistants from the local area (state target %)
• Offer LGV/PCV training to local unemployed people (state number/year)
• Career progression from passenger assistant to driver to fleet coordinator

Environment:

• Electric or hybrid vehicle targets with timeline (e.g., 40% EV by Year 2)
• Carbon offset for residual emissions (state mechanism)
• Anti-idling policy to reduce local air pollution near hospitals and care homes

Community:

• Volunteer driver scheme for non-eligible patients in partnership with [organisation]
• Free transport for community health events (state number/year)
• School visits to promote road safety and careers in transport (state number/year)

Health outcomes:

• Reduced DNA (Did Not Attend) rates by improving transport reliability (state target %)
• Patient experience surveys with action on feedback (state frequency)
• Accessibility improvements beyond minimum standards (state specifics)

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Building a social value matrix

Present your commitments in a table. This makes it easy for evaluators to score and verify.

Example format:

Theme	Commitment	Measure (TOMs ref)	Year 1 target	Year 2 target	Year 3 target	Proxy value	Total SV
Jobs	Local FTE recruitment	NT1	12	14	14	£28,272	£1,130,880
Jobs	Apprenticeships	NT4	2	2	2	£17,455	£104,730
Growth	Local supplier spend	NT10	£45K	£48K	£50K	N/A	£143,000
Social	Staff volunteering hours	NT17	200 hrs	220 hrs	240 hrs	£16.76	£11,061
Environment	CO2 reduction (fleet)	NT31	3.2t	5.0t	6.5t	£70.43/t	£1,035

Total social value over 3 years: £1,390,706

Adjust numbers to your contract size and operational reality. Commissioners will challenge figures that look implausible for the contract value.

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Reporting against commitments

Commissioners evaluate not just what you promise, but how you will prove it

Build reporting into your response:

• Frequency: Quarterly reports minimum, with annual summary
• Format: Dashboard or table showing committed vs actual for each measure
• Variance: Explanation when actual falls short of target, plus corrective action
• Evidence: Supporting documentation (recruitment records, invoices to local suppliers, training certificates, mileage data)
• Review: Annual meeting with commissioner to review performance and adjust targets

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Measurable vs vague: a quick test

Before submitting, check every social value statement against this test:

1. Is there a number? “We will recruit locally” fails. “85% of staff from within the local authority area” passes.
2. Is there a timeline? “We plan to transition to electric vehicles” fails. “40% EV fleet by end of Year 2” passes.
3. Can you evidence it? “We support local charities” fails. “200 staff volunteering hours per year with [named charity], tracked via HR system” passes.
4. Is it proportionate? Promising 50 apprenticeships on a 20-person contract fails the credibility test.

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Cross-references

• Social value in tenders: what commissioners actually want — the foundational guide to social value strategy
• Carbon reduction plan for care providers — detailed environmental social value evidence
• Tender writing service — professional support including social value strategy and drafting

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