Social Firms: Working Together For Greater Impact

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Social Firms Working Together For Greater Impact

• Sally Reynolds
• CEO, Social Firms UK
• www.socialfirms.co.uk

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(No Transcript)
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• The only two umbrella bodies in the country
  representing employment initiatives for disabled
  people
• BASE Social Firms UK

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Profiles

• BASE 210 members, merger of NASE and AfSE,
  Workstep significant (DWP), representative of
  supported employment agencies and supportive
  businesses/factories (many LA), fairly
  established sector. Regional practitioner
  networks. Anything else?
• Social Firms UK average 300 members, job
  creation important through enterprise (DTI),
  young sector, rooted in social enterprise, mixed
  membership background. Different regional
  experiences. Anything else?

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Communities of Interest / Members

• Individuals, agencies employers who provide
  supported employment activities (Full),
  individuals orgs with interest in supported
  employment (Affiliates)
• Social Firms emerging Social Firms (Full),
  organisations, groups or individuals wanting to
  develop Social Firms (Associates)

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BASE Aims

• To assist people with disabilities by encouraging
  the provision of support into employment
• To endorse and promote quality standards in the
  delivery of supported employment
• To nurture and encourage the setting up of new
  supported employment services
• To promote the training of supported employment
  personnel throughout the UK
• To provide a regular, detailed information,
  advisory and development service to association
  members
• To liaise and negotiate with national and
  international government and non-government
  organisations to promote the aims of the
  Association

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Social Firms UK Aims

• Raise the profile of the Social Firm sector and
  increase the understanding of the Social Firm
  model
• Promote the Social Firm values of Enterprise,
  Employment Empowerment
• Identify new opportunities and strategies to
  expand the Social Firm sector
• Provide a range of support services to the Social
  Firm sector

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BASE member benefits

• A lobby for sustainable policy and funding
• A dedicated website with the latest news and
  developments
• Access to best practice and support
• A strong national voice with regional
  practitioner networks
• Networking opportunities and a substantial
  discount at annual conference
• Quarterly newsletter
• Involvement in government consultations

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Social Firms UK Member Benefits

• Access to the Resource Centre, officers, members
  forum, specialist tools and resources
• Membership of regional/national Social Firm
  network where applicable
• Discount at annual conference
• Membership of the Social Enterprise Coalition
• Quarterly dissemination service
• Consultation on the development of the sector and
  ability to shape its future
• Discount on subscription to Social Enterprise
  magazine

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Group Task

• Knowing what you know about the two umbrella
  bodies, come up with 3 ways in which we should
  make our work more effective and have more impact
  at national level.
• Knowing what you know about the
  membership/community of interest of the two
  umbrella bodies, come up with 3 ways in which
  they might achieve greater impact by working
  together