Plans are in place for social enterprises to provide almost £900m worth of community services a year, as a result of the government’s Right to Request scheme.
This equates to 10% of the value of community services currently provided by PCTs.
Right to Request was introduced as part of government plans to restructure the NHS, and gave frontline staff, employed by PCTs, the opportunity to set up their own social enterprises.
The government predicts over 25,000 employees will transfer to new staff led enterprises in 2011.
Minister of State for Health, Simon Burns, said: “frontline staff are best placed to provide the most efficient services”, and the government aims to “create the largest and most vibrant social enterprise sector in the world”.
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Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Thousands of entrepreneurs already involved in social care
Over 6.000 social enterprises are delivering health and social care services according to the Social Enterprise Coalition, the UK wide body representing social enterprises and related organisations.
The number is set to rise following the government’s Right to Request programme, which invited NHS staff to set up employee led businesses to provide health and social care.
The move forms part of the government’s vision for the future of the NHS, as outlined in the White Paper ‘Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS'.
The scheme closed to further applications last September, in preparation for changes to commissioning of community services from April this year.
Changes include removal of commissioning responsibilities from PCTs, and handing over delivery of community services to new Community Foundation Trusts and social enterprises.
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Catalyst for community enterprise
Support is available to providers and commissioners seeking to change their practices and processes in response to the personalisation agenda, from micro enterprise specialist Community Catalysts.
Community Catalysts works with local authorities, PCTs and other organisations, to stimulate and support the development of micro services in their area.
Advice and hands on support is available in the form of:
Community Catalyst Chief Executive, Sian Lockwood, will be addressing the JIP’s Transforming Adult Social Care (TASC) summit on 3 February 2011 – see details in Mobilising Community Capital article.
Telephone: 01423 790126, Web: http://www.communitycatalysts.co.uk/
Community Catalysts works with local authorities, PCTs and other organisations, to stimulate and support the development of micro services in their area.
Advice and hands on support is available in the form of:
- mapping existing micro providers – identifying service providers not already known to councils and PCTs through in depth research and market scoping
- engaging with providers to gain more information about their service and the resources they need to flourish
- providing a detailed and comprehensive database of the range of micro providers in the area and the resources needed to work together
- allocating a micro enterprise co-ordinator to work with councils
- working directly with local micro enterprise to help them flourish
- access to and support to implement a Quality Marking system - enabling councils and organisations to accredit providers; users to make informed service choices and providers to demonstrate the safety and value of what they offer.
The organisation is currently working with Dudley Metropolitan Borough and Telford and Wrekin Councils, and a further 11 councils in the UK to encourage the growth of existing and emerging service providers as one aspect of market shaping. It is also working with a number of larger organisations to explore the potential for their staff and users to establish new and exciting enterprises.
Community Catalyst Chief Executive, Sian Lockwood, will be addressing the JIP’s Transforming Adult Social Care (TASC) summit on 3 February 2011 – see details in Mobilising Community Capital article.
Telephone: 01423 790126, Web: http://www.communitycatalysts.co.uk/
Community consulted on Staffordshire’s plans for enterprise
Staffordshire Health and Social Services are consulting with residents on proposals to set up a community enterprise that will represent the views and interests of service users.
Steered by the Engaging Communities project, a partnership of organisations involved or interested in social care and health, the new organisation would be led by people from the community bringing with them their skills, remits and networks.
The brief for the new enterprise includes finding effective ways to involve the people of Staffordshire in services, to avoid duplication and reduce the likelihood of people being asked the same or similar questions by different organisations, and to help health and social care organisations make better decisions based on the experience and views of residents.
The project is in the process of seeking views on the proposal.
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Steered by the Engaging Communities project, a partnership of organisations involved or interested in social care and health, the new organisation would be led by people from the community bringing with them their skills, remits and networks.
The brief for the new enterprise includes finding effective ways to involve the people of Staffordshire in services, to avoid duplication and reduce the likelihood of people being asked the same or similar questions by different organisations, and to help health and social care organisations make better decisions based on the experience and views of residents.
The project is in the process of seeking views on the proposal.
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In business for learning in Coventry
Brandon Wood Farm in Coventry, a vocational training service in Coventry, has set up a number of social enterprises to help adults with learning disabilities gain work experience and learn new skills.
Backed by Coventry City Council, the farm has set up enterprises offering employment opportunities in horticulture, catering and woodcraft.
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Supporting small enterprise in Dudley
Dudley Borough Council has appointed a coordinator to help local people set up small health and social care services.
Lorna Reid from consultancy, Community Catalyst, has taken up the two year appointment.
Lorna is also working with existing service providers finding it difficult to progress, and other providers wanting to diversify in the field of social care.
Help will be given to ensure entrepreneurs operate safely, legally and offer good quality services.
Telephone: 01384 811744 or 0758 411 756,
email: lorna.reid@dudley.gov.uk .
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Lorna Reid from consultancy, Community Catalyst, has taken up the two year appointment.
Lorna is also working with existing service providers finding it difficult to progress, and other providers wanting to diversify in the field of social care.
Help will be given to ensure entrepreneurs operate safely, legally and offer good quality services.
Telephone: 01384 811744 or 0758 411 756,
email: lorna.reid@dudley.gov.uk .
Read more
Embracing social enterprise in social care
Social enterprise has received the thumbs up from government in its vision for the future of adult social care.
Published in November 2010, 'A Vision for Adult Social Care: Capable Communities and Active Citizens’, sets a new agenda for adult social care in England.
Emphasis is on making services more personalised, preventative and focused on delivering the best results for people who use them.
Pointing to personal budgets as a catalyst for change, whereby people will be in charge of purchasing their own care, the government wants to see a more diverse range of organisations, including social enterprises, providing services.
Local authorities have been given responsibility for shaping and stimulating a social care market in which new service providers can do business.
As part of the market shaping process, councils and their NHS partners have been told to move away from using block contracts to commission services, to increase the use of personal budgets, including direct payments, and to support the growth of a market in services that people want.
Government is considering how to deal with barriers, in particular to social enterprise, that prevent a dynamic and varied market.
The purpose is to create an even playing field for providers, especially small set-ups that struggle with formal tendering processes, but can offer specialist and valuable solutions.
Read more
Published in November 2010, 'A Vision for Adult Social Care: Capable Communities and Active Citizens’, sets a new agenda for adult social care in England.
Emphasis is on making services more personalised, preventative and focused on delivering the best results for people who use them.
Pointing to personal budgets as a catalyst for change, whereby people will be in charge of purchasing their own care, the government wants to see a more diverse range of organisations, including social enterprises, providing services.
Local authorities have been given responsibility for shaping and stimulating a social care market in which new service providers can do business.
As part of the market shaping process, councils and their NHS partners have been told to move away from using block contracts to commission services, to increase the use of personal budgets, including direct payments, and to support the growth of a market in services that people want.
Government is considering how to deal with barriers, in particular to social enterprise, that prevent a dynamic and varied market.
The purpose is to create an even playing field for providers, especially small set-ups that struggle with formal tendering processes, but can offer specialist and valuable solutions.
Read more
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