SuDS+ Innovation Forum 4: Social Value
The fourth SuDS+ Innovation Forum brought together professionals from diverse fields, including representatives from SuDS+, Karbon Homes, Project Groundwater, Aurora Engagements, and JBA Consulting, to explore the theme of social value. This online forum emphasised the importance of embedding social value into projects, moving beyond traditional priorities like flood mitigation to focus on community resilience and improved quality of life.
Key Highlights:
Resilience and Social Value: Institutional vs. Community Perspectives
Ed Rollason from Northumbria University (SuDS+) discussed the contrasting approaches to resilience. Institutional frameworks often rely on structured, top-down systems, while communities operate through adaptive, grassroots responses. Ed emphasised the need for a blended approach, aligning institutional resources with community-driven solutions to create meaningful societal resilience.


What is Social Value?
Sarah Fitton of Aurora Engagements and FCRIP’s Project Groundwater underscored the importance of co-creating solutions with communities. Groundwater flooding, though often overlooked, poses long-term challenges that require innovative, community-focused approaches. Sarah highlighted the UK Green Building Council’s definition of social value, stressing its role in improving quality of life and building project legacies that resonate with diverse community needs.


Karbon Homes: Embedding Social Value
Jess Alexander and Stacey Dobson from Karbon Homes shared practical insights into how the organisation has embedded social value into its operations over the past decade. Their approach includes:
- Incorporating social value into procurement processes, with contractors pledging resources for community benefits.
- Using frameworks like TOMS (Themes, Outcomes, and Measures) to evaluate and deliver social impact.
- Focusing on issues such as food security to create meaningful, lasting change.
Karbon Homes is already working with the SuDS+ team in Stanley South.

Challenges and Opportunities:
- Embedding Social Value: Many organisations struggle to integrate social value effectively, often treating it as a compliance requirement rather than a transformative tool. Educating teams and building institutional understanding is critical.
- Bridging Gaps: There is a need for roles or organisations that can link resilience, resources, and communities to ensure sustained impact.
- Flexibility and Legacy: Projects must allow for adaptive approaches and focus on outcomes that leave a lasting legacy for communities.
Moving Forward:
The forum concluded with a call to action for continued collaboration and knowledge sharing, ensuring that social value remains central to project planning and implementation.
For more information on past forums, visit Stanley SuDS Innovation Forum.
Slides from this forum can also be viewed below: