Introduction in to Social Accounting & Audit

Building Confident Communities, in Partnership Introduction in to Social Accounting & Audit Louise Robson Customer Focus Service Manager

WHAT IS IT? • Measure things not easily measured. • An annual self evaluation process that gives a picture of the business then independently verified by the Social Audit Network (SAN) • Triple bottom line (environmental, economic, social) • Looks at the social impact of what we do • Identifies and engages with the people we affect in our day to day jobs – ‘do you make a difference?’ Building Confident Communities, in Partnership

Something to always keep in mind? St Leger Homes Vision • To deliver Excellent Value for money in all that we do. • To ensure we are Customer Focused by engaging with our tenants and customers and involving them in decision making and service delivery. • To have Quality Homes in Quality Neighbourhoods where people want to live • To be a catalyst for change and become a housing provider of choice, an employer of choice and a partner of choice. Our Values (FEEL) • Fairness • Excellence • Empowerment • Local Does your organisation have a clear vision and set of values? Building Confident Communities, in Partnership

St Leger Homes Social Objectives Building Confident Communities, in Partnership

How did we decide our objectives? No - Our Chief Executive did not sit in a dark room and come up with all the ideas and objectives on her own or with her Senior Management Team Yes – everyone in the organisation was given the opportunity to have their say on where they felt they made a difference Yes – we then held workshops with all levels across the whole organisations to get their ideas and views, these people are now our ‘social accounts champions’ Building Confident Communities, in Partnership

Have a chat about what your objectives might be? Do you know? How many tenants were consulted / involved / trained by your organisation last year? How do the teams and staff in your organisation know they make a difference to the tenants they provide a service for? How your stakeholders or partners view your organisation? How many community projects your organisation helps with? How satisfied your tenants are with the services your organisations provide? Building Confident Communities, in Partnership

How did St Leger Homes tackle the process? We looked at what we could ‘Prove!’– account fully for and report on your organisation / project’s social, environmental and economic performance and impact… We looked at what we might ‘Improve!’– provide the information essential for planning future actions and improving performance; and We looked at ‘Accountability!’ – be accountable to all those you work with and work for.. Building Confident Communities, in Partnership

What did we do to get all that information?… We don’t want to make it.. “Something else I need to add to my list of things to do”… We want it to become the norm and we make use of information already gathered, for example: • Reports • Consultations • Training • Speak to you and your teams to find out ‘What you do’ Building Confident Communities, in Partnership

What did we do to get all that information?… • Narrative information that describes clearly what has been done; which will be backed up by… • Quantitative data which give the countable facts and figures about what has been done, and… • Qualitative information that tells us what the stakeholders think about performance and about the impact of your organisation – their voices “OUTCOMES” Building Confident Communities, in Partnership

Outcome Indicators? • What has happened as a result of your actions? • What difference has it made? • Usually more qualitative… • Records the change… • Requires consultation with stakeholders… Building Confident Communities, in Partnership

End result and process? • Full report (this years 101 pages!) • Validation panel • Social audit statement • Celebrate • Communicate • Start all over again… Building Confident Communities, in Partnership

Its not easy is it?… What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of doing a Social Audit? Building Confident Communities, in Partnership

Introduction in to Social Accounting & Audit