We at I Can Make It hope that everyone had a nice festive break and you are having a productive start to January.
We are proud to announce that we will shortly be releasing the first edition of a toolkit that will complement organisations’ existing commissioning and procurement practices and seeks to embed Social Value and promote the creation of employment opportunities; matching people with disabilities to them. As a result, we hope that it will equip local authorities with the confidence to ask for more social value, and suppliers with the confidence to deliver it.
This toolkit was made in consultation with Bristol City Council with special thanks to Jacqueline Miller at the council for her excellent work on developing it. If there are any individuals or organisations who would like to contribute case studies of people with disabilities in work, or further information on any of the subjects covered, to future versions of the toolkit then do let us know. We know the practice of social value is expanding and evolving so there are case studies out there!
Otherwise we are looking forward to making further progress in creating new job opportunities later this month when I Can Make It will be exhibiting at the Government Commercial Function Senior Leaders Conference and presenting at the West Midlands Combined Authority Social Value Taskforce Group in Birmingham. Also on the 31st of January our Policy and Development Manager Philip Connolly will be making a presentation on how disabled people can fill the skills gap to the Infrastructure Client Group, a panel of experts from many different industrial sectors that is organised by the Institute of Civil Engineers. We are also in contact, and continuing to work in partnership, with Liverpool City and Hertfordshire County Councils.
In the meantime don’t forget about our job pledging event I Can Make A Pledge which will be held on 20th March 2018 at the Financial Times offices in London. ‘Save the date’ messages have gone out however if you would like an invitation then please e-mail icanmakeapledge@disabilityrightsuk.org or telephone 0330 995 0400.