Social impact
Our approach to social impact
Discover how we can help you to deliver community benefits through your projects.
What is social impact?
Social impact refers to the positive change that buildings, infrastructure, and public spaces can bring to environmental, economic, and social well-being. It's about enhancing quality of life through thoughtful development.
We often use the term 'community benefits' to capture how these efforts address the needs of the community and contribute to its overall improvement.
The Social Value Act 2012 'requires the public sector to ensure the money it spends on services creates the greatest economic, social and environmental value for local communities.'
Scotland's adoption of the Community Wealth Building
The Scottish Government integrates the Community Wealth Building into economic developments to advance the wellbeing economy goals outlined in Scotland's National Strategy for Economic Transformation.
This approach was introduced to empower communities throughout the lifecycle of built environment projects, ensuring that they:
- Maximise community benefits through procurement by promoting fair work and utilising local supply chains
- Strengthen local workforce participation in projects
- Enhance the flow of local investments
Every built environment project should prioritise community benefits as a way to create lasting, sustainable legacies for communities, local economies, businesses, and the environment.
Themes, Outcomes and Measures
We’re a founding member of the National Social Value Taskforce and, in partnership with Social Value Portal, helped to develop the Social Value TOM System.
The TOM System is a set of economic, social and environmental performance measures that underpin every project.
To give you everything you need to evidence the true impact and success of your built environment projects, we rigorously measure the TOM System as part of your actively managed framework, and report on your performance.
Collaborating with the industry
Our ethos of collaboration is demonstrated in our commitment to working in partnership with industry-leading organisations to drive change, and define social value best practice within the built environment.
Community benefits & SMEs
Since 2006, we have invested into worthwhile community projects that have benefitted people in communities across Scotland.
Recognising the vital role SMEs play in our economy, we actively create opportunities for small and micro-businesses to grow and succeed through our social impact initiatives. Our frameworks ensure that the supply chain is paid promptly and in full, enabling businesses to reinvest, train, hire, and expand—keeping money in the local economy and supporting regional growth.
To further demonstrate our commitment to enhancing community benefits, we established the Community Legacy Programme. This initiative, shows the collaboration between our team at SCAPE Scotland, and our partners, with the aim to improve the health, wealth, and wellbeing of local communities.
Social impact in action across Scotland
91% local labour, 58% local spend achieved through our SCAPE Scotland Construction framework with McLaughlin & Harvey
£9,267 local skills utilised through the supply chain via our SCAPE Scotland Consultancy framework with AtkinsRealis
100% fair payment delivered via our SCAPE Scotland Civil Engineering framework with Balfour Beatty
Embed social impact into your construction
We’re dedicated to driving industry change, and social value best practice within the built environment. Contact us to get your construction project started today.