Capacity builders Social Enterprise Programme: South East England

Consultation on Draft Portfolio

Social Enterprise in Capacity Builders

Capacity Builders (CB) is a ‘non-departmental public body’ set up to build the capacity of the Third Sector. As well as including social enterprise support across its programmes (the total programme budget is £88.5 million for the period 2008 -11), the distinct support needs of social enterprise are recognised in the creation of a Social Enterprise Programme (SEP) (budget £6m. over 2008 -11 to be split over the nine English regions and a national knowledge management programme). The full SEP Prospectus can be viewed at: http://www.capacitybuilders.org.uk/Resources/7/l/m/Social%20Enterprise%20Prospectus.pdf

Each of the English regions has a Social Enterprise Network who will act as strategic partners for the Programme. Se²partnership is now established in the South East as a partnership of organisations and networks who exist to support the development of social enterprise. A social enterprise company, Social Enterprise South East, has been set up to co-ordinate the activity of the partnership. For more information go to www.se2partnership.co.uk

The regional SEP will involve up to five projects to be delivered as part of a ‘portfolio’ to a total budget of c.£520,000 over three years. Whilst this will be a joined up, coherent programme, in terms of accountability some of the projects will be led by Social Enterprise South East directly and others will be led by our partners each of who will directly contract with CapacityBuilders.

An immediate task is to consult with colleagues and bring together a Portfolio of activity to deliver the aims of the Programme. This document summarises our views of the state of social enterprise support in the Region, needs and opportunities and possible activities to best deliver the aims of the SEP. We are now circulating this around regional colleagues to seek your views before submitting a final portfolio by the 22^nd Sept. Some guide questions are included at the end of the document - responses are requested by the 10^th Sept.

The Social Enterprise Programme

Capacity Builders say that the aim of the programme is to catalyse the transformation of support for social enterprises.

Programme Outcomes

1. Organisational Effectiveness

Support services are better able to provide social enterprises and entrepreneurs with the resources, knowledge and support they need to increase their effectiveness in delivering a triple bottom line (people, planet, profit).

2. Voice & Influence

Support services are able to enhance market opportunities for social enterprise and influence the development and delivery of policies and programmes.

CB investment cannot provide core funding for providers of support for social enterprises, nor can it fund specialist providers to duplicate services provided by others, replicate the support offered by Business Link or create new business support products. Investment will strengthen existing provision rather than create new organisations, building capacity of support where there are currently weaknesses. As with all CB funds it is not intended to directly fund font line delivery of services but instead fund the improvement of infrastructure support.

The support environment, needs and opportunities

The regional support environment for social enterprise involves a number of different types of organisations and approaches:

1. National Specialist Social Enterprise agencies with presence in the Region

• Development Trusts Association (South East)

• Social Firms UK

• Co-ops South East

Each of these organisations has built up a breadth and depth of experience in their specialist field, which it is important to retain. These three specialist agencies are members of se²partnership

2. Business Link

Business Link is the Government’s multi-channel support service for businesses of all sizes, including social enterprises, for all phases of growth, from start-up to succession.

Business Link services are currently undergoing radical reform, with a move to a new model of delivery where Business Link provide information, diagnostic and brokerage services rather than directly providing advice. Business Link in the South East is a member of se²partnership

What’s the need…? Recent research reported social enterprise’s perception of the support provide by Business Link as ‘largely positive’. However It also noted 70% who expressed a view that the service could be improved.

OTS Programme – RDA investment

The Office of the Third Sector (OTS) is spending £200,000 in each of the next two years through Regional Development Agencies to improve Business Link’s capacity to broker business support for social enterprises. This programme has so far funded a research study –and over the next two years will include:

• A series of social enterprise visits, awareness raising events and sector workshops

• A part subsidy towards the cost of professional assessment for social enterprise advisors.

• A part subsidy, via a voucher scheme, to help social enterprises and social entrepreneurs pay for business support.

3. Networks

One way social enterprises gain support is through networks. They can have a key role to play in providing channels of communication and in influencing wider policy and practice to enhance market opportunities for social enterprise. Small networks allow members to share learning and solve problems, while larger networks can introduce members to new contacts, provide inspiration and, at a critical size, can help generate new business and influence markets.

The Region has 10 local Social Enterprise Networks (SEN) in Bucks, Milton Keynes, East Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Kent & Medway, Oxfordshire, Surrey, West Sussex, Berkshire and Brighton & Hove. All these networks are members of se²partnership

What’s the need….? Evidence from the CEEDR/ Shared Intelligence report with regard to County (local) networks is that there would .. “be positive benefits to be accrued by the networks offering a more consistent and comparable set of activities. Currently the levels of resource do not allow for this…”

4. Social Enterprise Advisors

There are a number of people around the region who act as social enterprise advisors, at least for some of their working week. They include people based in the above organisations, within VCS and independent consultants. A cohort of 40 of these advisors recently participated in a programme to achieve a new accreditation (NVQ 5 in social enterprise support).

What’s the need…? The immediate needs, as evidenced in notes of a recent advisors network, are for improvements to referral mechanisms and for continuous professional development (CPD).

5. Others

Plus there are a host of other organisations who are active in the region who provide an aspect of social enterprise or social entrepreneur support – UnLtd, Novas Scarman, enterprise agencies, voluntary and community sector support organisations, local authorities, private sector support such as lawyers, accountants, chambers of commerce, consultants, Pro-bono support from corporate organisations etc.

6. Peer to peer

Last, but not least, many social enterprises report that the most effective support comes from other social enterprises. There are a number of models that have been effective including;

• Profit Net developed by the University of Brighton – action learning sets for entrepreneurs.

• Micro Coach – developed by Social Enterprise East of England.

“Micro Coaches has fulfilled a need and enabled progress to be made. There is a positive and measurable impact on the business and on the personal development and skills of its manager”

Needs & opportunities emerging from research & practice

Although Capacity Builders request us to provide analysis based on needs, it is entrenched within the social enterprise approach to look at opportunities – some of these can be drawn out by building on the successes of some recent initiatives and research in the sector.

• Several research & development programmes have been undertaken on the potential for structured replication in encouraging growth of social enterprise including excellent progress in the region led by for example Social Firms UK and the Wood Recycling Network.

• SEEDA commissioned research into the potential for social enterprise to particularly contribute in specific market areas or to strategic regional needs – for example in rural infrastructure, coastal tourism and affordable housing.

• The need for increased evidence of social impact is widely acknowledged, most recently by the OTS. There has been some work done in the region, notably at the University of Brighton, and nationally on different approaches to measuring and demonstrating social impact.

Project Portfolio: suggested projects

1. social enterprise advisors – Continuing Professional Development, referral and accreditation systems

Likely Key activities/ milestones

Development of regional social enterprise advisors network Programme of learning events of the network on relevant business topics Development of a Continuous Professional Development programme for advisors – exploring the possibility of achieving credits towards accreditation through attending learning events. Work with Business Link to further enhance referral mechanisms.

Synergies and links

This project could link closely to aspects of the OTS programme, including the voucher scheme and sector workshops Good practice exists already in the Co-ops network. A national register for social enterprise advisors has been discussed and exists in part through SETAS – this project would be required to link to these initiatives.

Project team ?

One or two partners lead (one sub regional + one specialist?)+ se2 exec team support and potential links to national

2. Ensuring consistency of quality and effectiveness across social enterprise support organisations (focussing on sub-regional networks)

Likely Key activities/ milestones

Develop a regional framework which identifies a common offer across all sub regional networks – linked into the regional partnership. Provide resources from the programme to each network to enable them to implement this as part of their own action plans. In this context build in consistent QA practice Programme to recruit new entrants to the social enterprise sector via local community groups Promotional campaign focussing on the wider third sector – and public sector partners to raise awareness of the added value and distinctiveness of the social enterprise approach.

project team?

By it’s nature will involve most se2partners, possibly to be co-ordinated by Social Enterprise South East

3. Increase the investor and contractor understanding of the added value of social enterprise

Likely Key activities/ milestones

Fund and co-ordinate a pilot programme of social impact assessments with social enterprises in the region using two or three different approaches (SROI, SIMPLE, Social Audit) Incorporate the learning in promotional strategies Track the progress of organisations gaining contracts and investment. facilitate training in social impact and approaches develop case studies and broker relationships around sub contracting larger social enterprises to larger contractors

Synergies etc (other points from Delivery Guidance p. 13)

Could enable consultants from the SIMPLE programme to put their learning into practice. Opportunity to feed into national work sponsored by the OTS

project team?

One or two partners lead (two sub regional?) se2 exec team support & working with social enterprises

4. Encourage and facilitate peer to peer support, mentoring and networking, replicate successful social enterprise models and share good practice on social innovation

Likely Key activities/ milestones

Design, promote and deliver a peer to peer learning, coaching or mentoring network. Develop case studies on replicable good practice and promote by web site or wider. Design and implement a regional framework for business replication. Support one or more pilots as demonstration project(s) Work with investors and social enterprise bodies to raise awareness of opportunities to scale up.

Synergies & links

Potential learning links with other peer to peer project being developed in other regions/ nationally.

project team?

Either the exec team or a cluster of partners could lead on the project.

5. Deepening and sharing market intelligence on emerging markets and models of delivery – social enterprise approaches to: Affordable housing Post Offices, village shops and community hubs. Developing social enterprise approaches to coastal tourism.

Likely Key activities/ milestones

Building on previous research, map the opportunities for housing associations, Community Land trusts, Housing co-ops etc. Run an event or events to raise awareness of the opportunities Provide networking support, information and referral to support bodies. Work with investors, developers, spatial strategists and local communities Bring together key experts to review progress and spot potential opportunities Work with partners to develop and promote exemplar projects Formulate a plan for replication which can be shared and further developed with national colleagues through the learning project.

Synergies & links

National Empowerment white paper

project team?

A number of partners could contribute depending areas of interest and expertise – and location (i.e Coastal communities)

Consultation questions

A few suggested prompt questions:

1. Do you agree with our summary of the state of social enterprise support and the areas of need?

2. Please give your level of support for each of the proposed projects - 1,2,3,4 & 5

3. Are there any areas that we have missed (bear in mind Annex B of the SEP prospectus on which the project priorities are based)

4. Are there any projects where you think the evidence or the rationale doesn’t ring true?

5. Please make any recommendations for people/ organisations who you think ought to be involved in the design or delivery of these activities

6. Do you have Comments on the SEP or Capacity Builders in general (we might not be able to act on these comments but we can feed them back to CB for you).

Thank you. Please respond by 10^th Sept.