SRAG Summit 2 of 2025: Proving There’s No Innovation Without Collaboration
March 21, 2025Posted by:
Cardiff, 20 March 2025 - “There is no innovation without collaboration.” That sentiment resonated as more than 100 businesses, policymakers, and leaders in social value gathered for the second Social Recruitment Advocacy Group (SRAG) Summit of 2025 at the Parkgate Hotel.
The shared sense of purpose being discussed proved that inclusive recruitment is no longer a conversation about “why” - it’s about “how.” SRAG Chair, the Rt. Hon. Anne Milton drove the day with her usual blend of warmth and determination, helping this milestone event to cover a huge range of angles on how social recruitment is driving real business results while closing long-standing skills gaps.
The Summit theme was how businesses are taking the lead - from SMEs to some of the UK’s largest employers. Organisations shared their commitment to making social recruitment the standard, not the exception. And in true SRAG fashion, collaboration was at the heart of every conversation.
As Kenny Boyle, Chief Executive Officer of PeoplePlus said, “Our collective effort is what makes social recruitment and social impact way more than just a good idea. It’s a corporate strategy that works, and it’s striking how the SRAG Charter aligns with the new Social Value Model – it’s almost as if we all knew what we’d being doing in developing it over the last 3 years!”
Presentations That Proved Social Value Is Changing Everything
Attendees were treated to a series of insightful presentations that highlighted both the policy landscape and practical action.
- Professor Jane Lynch from Cardiff University set the scene with an engaging overview of the NPPS Social Value Model and how it interplays with the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act. She challenged employers to think beyond compliance, asking whether social value could become their next innovation driver.
- Matthew Howe, Head of Volume Recruitment at BT Group, shared a compelling case study on BT’s work in Merthyr Tydfil supporting young people at risk of becoming NEET. His message was clear: “Social recruitment is now a proven solution to some our toughest hiring challenges.”
- Fabienne Bailey and the team from Gateway Training outlined how apprenticeships and skills-based qualifications are giving employers the tools to diversify their talent pipelines. Fabienne’s focus on accessible, skills-led recruitment struck a chord with attendees eager to find new approaches to inclusive hiring.
Hefin David MS, Member of the Senedd for Caerphilly, delivered a keynote that brought home the importance of fair work in Wales. He called on businesses to think boldly about social recruitment as part of the solution to economic inactivity and community development.
The panel discussion, Is the Social Value Model a Game Changer or a Box-Ticking Exercise, provided a blend of employer, policy, academic and strategic insight from:
- Professor Jane Lynch, Cardiff University
- Peter Lee, Head of Learning & Development and Social Recruitment Lead at Omni Facilities Management
- Thomas Wilkinson, Group Operations Director at Barcud Shared Services and Astari
- Emma Grigson, Director of Employer Engagement at PeoplePlus
Anne Milton guided an honest, forward-thinking meeting of minds. Peter Lee spoke about OMNI Group’s journey to embedding social value into their operations, while Emma Grigson highlighted how policy and practice are aligning, as expressed through the SRAG Charter Mark. Thomas Wilkinson explored the procurement implications for organisations working across both Wales and England, emphasising the future-proofing opportunities of adopting the Social Value Model.
The consensus? Social value is no longer optional. As Emma Grigson put it, “We are now at a point where socially responsible recruitment is a key performance indicator - not a ‘nice to have.’”
Celebrating Commitment: Charter Mark Awards
One of the most anticipated moments of the day was the Charter Mark Awards ceremony, presented by Kenny Boyle.
Huge congratulations were extended to:
- Sodexo, who achieved SRAG’s first Ambassador status award in acknowledgement of their uncompromising decision to make social impact a priority for the whole organisation – not a concern of the few.
- AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group, awarded Silver.
- Knoops and Omni Facilities Management, both achieving Bronze.
These awards reflect each organisation’s commitment to embedding social recruitment principles and continuously raising the bar for social value delivery, and it is a privilege to grow together in the SRAG.
Angela Halliday, Director of Social Impact UK & Ireland at Sodexo, accepted the Ambassador award and shared their journey to embedding social impact into the core of their business. “At Sodexo, social value isn’t just an initiative, it’s how we do business,” Angela told attendees. “This isn’t a finish line. It’s the beginning of a deeper commitment to inclusive employment.”
The Partner Carousel: Innovation in Action
The event concluded with SRAG’s partner carousel, where delegates moved between partner-led sessions to explore practical social value solutions. This summit carousel featured:
- RISE UP
- Sacyr
- Genius Within CIC
- Gateway Training
- Inspiration for All
- The Association of Accessible Employers (AAE)
Each mini-consultation session showcased how employers can deliver on their social recruitment commitments through neurodiversity support, apprenticeships, community engagement, and inclusive workplace cultures.
Members and guests were invited to sign the Social Recruitment Covenant, which launched in Westminster last November. With 100s of signatories already - including Lidl, Amey, Ikea and Openreach - the Covenant is rapidly becoming the standard for UK employers who want to demonstrate measurable social impact.
As the SRAG Summit closed, attendees were invited to upcoming events hosted by Bedford College Group in July, Sodexo at St James Park in October, and Milestone in Oxford in December.
Kenny Boyle summed up the day with a rallying call: “We’ve seen today how collaboration fuels innovation. If we continue working together, there’s no limit to the impact we can have.”
And as one participant commented before leaving, “Social recruitment isn’t just good for people - it’s good for business. That’s the SRAG difference.”
March 21, 2025Posted by:
