Social Value Statement
The Public Services (Social Value) Act, which came into force on 31 January 2013, requires ‘people who commission public services to think about how they can secure wider social, economic and environmental benefits.’
This policy outlines Dakota’s approach to the measurement and management of the UK’s Social Value principles for the following reasons:
- To enable best practice as an organisation
- To be responsible and accountable to our stakeholders
- To manage and maximise the economic, environmental, and social wellbeing of our activities
- To build a more responsible, community-focused supply chain
Scope of the Policy
This policy applies to Dakota and all our business divisions:
- Dakota Integrated Solutions Ltd
- Dakota Healthcare
- Dakota Voice
- Dakota Care
Stakeholders
At Dakota, we are committed to delivering social value to help improve the economic, social, and environmental wellbeing of our stakeholders.
We understand that sub-groups within each stakeholder group may experience different outcomes and have different requirements to the rest of the group, dependant on the industry and local area. As such, the list of Dakota’s stakeholders will be reviewed annually by Dakota’s Senior Management Team.
In addition to the stakeholder groups that are traditionally accounted for (such as funders, board and central government), Dakota’s stakeholder groups and intended beneficiaries include:
- Our employees
- Clients
- Partners
- Suppliers
- Local and central government
- Legislative bodies
- National Health Service
- Hospitals with a new digital initiative
Code of Conduct
Dakota supports the activities, vision and goals of the Responsible Business Alliance (“RBA,” formerly known as Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition or EICC) as well as the application of the RBA’s standards in maintaining and improving social, economic and environmental performance.
We are committed to conforming to the principles of the RBA Code of Conduct and encourage our business partners and suppliers to implement the same principles in their operations and supply chains (see our Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement).
Social
Dakota aims to improve the resilience of the communities we work with by:
- Providing products, services and solutions that comply with industry specific standards
- Sharing our expertise, training, and resources with our partner organisations so they can support different stakeholder requirements
- Being an equal opportunities employer (see our Equal Opportunities Policy Statement)
Economic
As part of Dakota’s commitment to the geographical areas in which we operate, we recognise our obligation to support the local economy.
We offer annual purchasing contracts that safeguard against price increases and enable our healthcare clients to benefit from fixed pricing, as well as stock holding facilities.
In the event that our suppliers increase their prices, Dakota strongly believes it has a duty of care to our customers to provide advance notification of any price increases.
Environment
Dakota aims to improve its approach to ensuring that the products, services and solutions we provide minimise the impact on the environment (see our Environmental Policy Statement)
As a provider of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), Dakota adheres to the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS).
As part of our developing Carbon Neutral Strategy, we aim to:
- Have well-maintained buildings and facilities
- Use renewable energy
- Recycle, reuse and repair items
- Promote public transport, walking and cycling
- Reduce waste and consumption
- Limit noise pollution
Procurement
In addition to the services we are commissioned for, Dakota strives to provide a streamlined, consistent and standardised approach to the procurement of goods and services.
The economic, social and environmental considerations form a significant part of the selection criteria that Dakota uses when choosing suppliers (see our Ethical Trading Policy Statement).
As such, we aim to undertake a responsible approach to the evaluation and selection criteria of all goods purchased by, and services provided to, Dakota. This approach to ethical procurement principles is applied to 100% of contracts, and also includes the following criteria:
- Assessing all external procurement and supply chains for modern slavery risks
- Considering whether our suppliers pay their taxes, pay the national living wage, promote Corporate Social Responsibility and have robust sustainability policies
- Seeking local providers and suppliers as a preference
This Social Value Policy Statement is kept under regular review to ensure that we adhere to best practices at all times. Any changes and updates to the policy can be found on this web page. The policy was last updated January 2024, and authorised by:
Keith Hardy
Managing Director
Dakota Integrated Solutions
Philip Jarrett
Commercial Director
Dakota Integrated Solutions