I Can Make It welcomes comments made by Penny Mordaunt the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work on 13th July, in a speech to Localis, an independent cross party think tank.
In the speech, Penny Mordaunt commits the government to:
“Using the social value act, encouraging bids from providers, who have a real focus on boosting employment, training and skills for disabled people as part of their bids. Public money can and must deliver the widest possible range of benefits wherever it is spent.
We are looking across central and local government to share examples of where procurement has successfully led to wider benefits for disabled people, and I’m committed to making this the way government does business by default, staring with DWPs own contracts.”
We welcome the minister’s statement, which we hope will lead to real action on using the social value act to its full potential.
Our Hertfordshire Champion, Bethany Young, adds:
“As the champion for I Can Make It in Hertfordshire, I am pleased to see the potential for Social Value in procurement recognised by the government, through this speech. This momentum will be vital in successfully meeting our regional goals for the campaign. I hope that proactive change in procurement practice will empower disabled people to pursue their own choice of career and opportunity.”
Bethany came to our offices for an induction meeting on 14th July and will be continuing her excellent work in Herts by representing the campaign at a Procurement Board meeting at Hertfordshire County Council next week.
As mentioned in our last update the coming week will be a busy one for the campaign. On 27th July Philip Connolly will be meeting Racheal Morgan, Procurement Manager for the West Midlands Combined Authority, together with Rahul Tooray, our Champion for I Can Make It in Birmingham. However, we will be campaigning with the confidence that our arguments are being heard and reflected elsewhere, and we’re looking forward to some positive changes being made.