I wrote a piece for Social Enterprise Magazine today, featured on their homepage, which highlights an issue I think people need to hear about at the moment ...
Showing posts with label Route Map for Local Authorities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Route Map for Local Authorities. Show all posts
Monday, 14 February 2011
Social enterprise is still a good news story
I wrote a piece for Social Enterprise Magazine today, featured on their homepage, which highlights an issue I think people need to hear about at the moment ...
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Breaking out of the Bunker
In the last few weeks I have had a growing number of conversations with local authority leaders, CEO’s and officers interested in outsourcing. Driven by financial constraints local authorities of all political denominations are looking at social enterprise with renewed interest. What strikes me is how little they are able to talk to each other, their peers or anyone really, about their plans. There are often good reasons for this silence, such as due process and press management, but the result is folk making some very daunting decisions with minimal support or access to experienced advice.
Since SEL has set up the Transitions training which gives local authority staff that want to set up as standalone service providers advice and support, each session has been heavily oversubscribed. In fact we haven’t got any places left on the program until the 31st January which gives you some indication of the demand. Our consultants are all out and about meeting with local authority managers, and again one is struck by the innovative thinking that is being adopted by some boroughs, and also how hard it is for them to gain a sense of being part of a growing movement.
Well having just come from yet another bunker, full of lovely people doing their utmost to “ac-cent-uate the positive and e-lim-inate the negative” I am here to report that other than the handful of boroughs touting the line “War, what war?” the vast majority are planning to outsource a significant number of services. You cannot predict which boroughs by their politics, nor can you predict which services, I have been surprised on both counts. But this year is going to see a fundamental shift away from direct provision which in my view will dwarf the changes we saw after the introduction of Compulsory Competitive Tendering.
My hope is that as folk start emerging into the light they will be reassured by the company they keep, and in the meantime I at least can say, “you are not alone.”
Since SEL has set up the Transitions training which gives local authority staff that want to set up as standalone service providers advice and support, each session has been heavily oversubscribed. In fact we haven’t got any places left on the program until the 31st January which gives you some indication of the demand. Our consultants are all out and about meeting with local authority managers, and again one is struck by the innovative thinking that is being adopted by some boroughs, and also how hard it is for them to gain a sense of being part of a growing movement.
Well having just come from yet another bunker, full of lovely people doing their utmost to “ac-cent-uate the positive and e-lim-inate the negative” I am here to report that other than the handful of boroughs touting the line “War, what war?” the vast majority are planning to outsource a significant number of services. You cannot predict which boroughs by their politics, nor can you predict which services, I have been surprised on both counts. But this year is going to see a fundamental shift away from direct provision which in my view will dwarf the changes we saw after the introduction of Compulsory Competitive Tendering.
My hope is that as folk start emerging into the light they will be reassured by the company they keep, and in the meantime I at least can say, “you are not alone.”
Friday, 15 October 2010
Making a transition
This week SEL held its first Transitions training for public sector staff to learn more about setting their service up as a social enterprise. Hot on the heels of our Transitions document launched three weeks ago this might be the first form of training of its kind and as such I really wanted to know how it went. Our Matt Jarratt put the program together and carried out the training on Wednesday and so I have asked him to tell us all about it her on my blog. So Matt whenever you're ready....
"Social enterprise used to be accused (by those who knew little about it) of being harmless, ‘all things to all people’ and a fluffy sideline to the real business of running business and public services. Not anymore. Now it’s subject to the full glare of public scrutiny as our movement is asked to step up and deliver arguably the most radical reforms to public services since 1948.
However whilst the ideas around public services being re-established as social enterprises are bold and well stated, what’s been lacking, in our eyes, is a service which really gets into the nuts and bolts of how and why a social enterprise emerging from the public sector actually works.
What are the implications for the strategy and management of the service? Does it really create efficiencies? How does a social enterprise model of delivery impact staff, communities, other services within the council and, most importantly the people who use the service? How can the chutzpah and entrepreneurialism of the social enterprise movement be developed and harnessed through what will almost always be a convoluted, sometimes controversial development process?
To address this, SEL has developed Transitions, a training package for local authorities exploring these issues in detail, and on Wednesday we delivered it for the first time.
Aimed at local authority workers (of all levels), it’s an intensive introduction to social enterprise – it includes detailed policy context, the attributes of the entrepreneur, the challenges associated with the approach, and (the bulk of the course), a step by step guide to establishing a social enterprise business out of a public service department.
As the author of the training (as well as the accompanying Transitions guide, launched last month), I must admit I was very relieved that the 11 senior local authority managers who came appeared to find the session valuable. Its 6 ½ hours of hefty, at times challenging material. Creating a new business out of a local authority department requires the energy and spirit to take on an often strong headwind of legislation and early opposition; a clear eyed focus on the impact of the move on staff and service users; the confidence to take independent advice; the rigour to understand and develop the market and the vision to develop an outstanding service. We cover all these things, it’s fun and exciting to deliver, but not necessarily comfortable.
But that seems to me to be the point – social enterprise isn’t comfortable. The most successful social enterprises are run by people who don’t take ‘no’ for an answer, who set a clear vision and deliver on it, and who exploit the market in order to deliver on sometimes extraordinarily challenging social aims.
Social enterprise isn’t right for every public department or individual, and we are careful in the training to emphasise that we’re not dogmatically attached to social enterprise for its own sake. What we are attached to is the principle that decisions on this should be taken on merit and projected outcome (following careful research and consultation), not on ideology or principle.
After a few necessary tweaks to the structure, SEL is now going to deliver Transitions to however many local authorities and local authority workers are keen to receive it. Exciting times."
"Social enterprise used to be accused (by those who knew little about it) of being harmless, ‘all things to all people’ and a fluffy sideline to the real business of running business and public services. Not anymore. Now it’s subject to the full glare of public scrutiny as our movement is asked to step up and deliver arguably the most radical reforms to public services since 1948.
However whilst the ideas around public services being re-established as social enterprises are bold and well stated, what’s been lacking, in our eyes, is a service which really gets into the nuts and bolts of how and why a social enterprise emerging from the public sector actually works.
What are the implications for the strategy and management of the service? Does it really create efficiencies? How does a social enterprise model of delivery impact staff, communities, other services within the council and, most importantly the people who use the service? How can the chutzpah and entrepreneurialism of the social enterprise movement be developed and harnessed through what will almost always be a convoluted, sometimes controversial development process?
To address this, SEL has developed Transitions, a training package for local authorities exploring these issues in detail, and on Wednesday we delivered it for the first time.
Aimed at local authority workers (of all levels), it’s an intensive introduction to social enterprise – it includes detailed policy context, the attributes of the entrepreneur, the challenges associated with the approach, and (the bulk of the course), a step by step guide to establishing a social enterprise business out of a public service department.
As the author of the training (as well as the accompanying Transitions guide, launched last month), I must admit I was very relieved that the 11 senior local authority managers who came appeared to find the session valuable. Its 6 ½ hours of hefty, at times challenging material. Creating a new business out of a local authority department requires the energy and spirit to take on an often strong headwind of legislation and early opposition; a clear eyed focus on the impact of the move on staff and service users; the confidence to take independent advice; the rigour to understand and develop the market and the vision to develop an outstanding service. We cover all these things, it’s fun and exciting to deliver, but not necessarily comfortable.
But that seems to me to be the point – social enterprise isn’t comfortable. The most successful social enterprises are run by people who don’t take ‘no’ for an answer, who set a clear vision and deliver on it, and who exploit the market in order to deliver on sometimes extraordinarily challenging social aims.
Social enterprise isn’t right for every public department or individual, and we are careful in the training to emphasise that we’re not dogmatically attached to social enterprise for its own sake. What we are attached to is the principle that decisions on this should be taken on merit and projected outcome (following careful research and consultation), not on ideology or principle.
After a few necessary tweaks to the structure, SEL is now going to deliver Transitions to however many local authorities and local authority workers are keen to receive it. Exciting times."
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Is it fear of flying or fear of falling?
I write poleaxed by fear. Ever since my children were born I have developed a phobia of flying. Prior to that I was fearless, I even enjoyed paragliding but since Joe's birth fourteen years ago I have really struggled to get on a plane. The upshot of this is that our family carbon footprint, at least as far as flying is concerned, is pretty low, as we have only flown twice. I do however believe passionately that social enterprise is a global movement and as such travel to see who is doing what, is a must. If possible we really should compare notes and draw inspiration from our colleagues around the world. That is what organisations like SEL are for, to bring the best examples of social enterprise development worldwide to the door of London's movement, and to promote the wonderful work taking place in the capital to an ever increasing international audience.
It is social enterprise day in South Korea tomorrow so I am off in a couple of hours to address a social enterprise symposium and give a few interviews. Without doubt London is seen as the global capital of social enterprise, but I know for a fact that South Korea is a real hotspot for social enterprise and I am looking forward to seeing how they do it there.
My mouth is dry, my heart is pounding and I feel sick, and let's face it, silly. But thanks to Diazepam I will get on that plane. Let's hope once my knock out drops kick in, it's the right plane.
While I am gone, the lovely SELittes will be preparing the launch of the social enterprise Route Map for Local Authorities and getting more young people fantastic jobs in social enterprise through our Future Jobs Fund program which, because it started early on in the year has been allowed to run until the program's termination early in 2011.
The statistics, out today, that there are 70 graduates applying for ever job vacancy stopped me in my tracks. For those who haven't had time to think about it, this is very, very bad. Firstly, that statistic refers to graduates, what about all those young people without further education? Secondly those young people are starting their post education life with heavy debts and profoundly limited job prospects. This means that even if they had an entrepreneurial idea and felt like working for themselves, with a student loan hanging round their necks and no assets, they are unlikely to be able to borrow more money to develop the idea. Lastly, it means that having failed to get many of last years graduates into jobs we are on course to end up with the highest levels of graduate unemployment in the developed world, authors of our own lost generation.
So what we need are jobs, and businesses to create those jobs if we are to capitalise on the creativity, optimism and energy that most young people possess in spades. What ever the Coalition Government come up with in terms of getting young people into inspiring jobs, we at SEL will do all we can to help. Through the Future Jobs Fund we have learned 3 important things. Firstly, if social enterprise is singled out for job creation, it performs well. Secondly, that financial incentives to create jobs work well for social enterprises because they are typically under capitalised. We have found that once the social enterprises take the young people on, they offer them permanent jobs at the end of the program because by then they have become invaluable. Lastly, and this is key, there are job opportunities in social enterprise and a will from ethically motivated employers to do their bit.
The recession is a global phenomena so I am interested to learn more about how South Korea is handling their economic setbacks, particularly in terms of jobs creation. If my experience of other South East Asian economies is anything to go by, they will be thinking long term and planning not just 5 years, but 2 generations hence.
There are some things that Governments should prioritise no matter what, and I think employment for young people should be right up there at the top of the list. After all without young people like my nephew Tom, graduating with a solid 2:1 from Newcastle University this week, getting his opportunity, who is going to pay the tax that covers health, education and the retirement for folk like me? Each generation needs the last, and letting the young fall away from the bottom of the ladder ends, history tells us, badly.
It is social enterprise day in South Korea tomorrow so I am off in a couple of hours to address a social enterprise symposium and give a few interviews. Without doubt London is seen as the global capital of social enterprise, but I know for a fact that South Korea is a real hotspot for social enterprise and I am looking forward to seeing how they do it there.
My mouth is dry, my heart is pounding and I feel sick, and let's face it, silly. But thanks to Diazepam I will get on that plane. Let's hope once my knock out drops kick in, it's the right plane.
While I am gone, the lovely SELittes will be preparing the launch of the social enterprise Route Map for Local Authorities and getting more young people fantastic jobs in social enterprise through our Future Jobs Fund program which, because it started early on in the year has been allowed to run until the program's termination early in 2011.
The statistics, out today, that there are 70 graduates applying for ever job vacancy stopped me in my tracks. For those who haven't had time to think about it, this is very, very bad. Firstly, that statistic refers to graduates, what about all those young people without further education? Secondly those young people are starting their post education life with heavy debts and profoundly limited job prospects. This means that even if they had an entrepreneurial idea and felt like working for themselves, with a student loan hanging round their necks and no assets, they are unlikely to be able to borrow more money to develop the idea. Lastly, it means that having failed to get many of last years graduates into jobs we are on course to end up with the highest levels of graduate unemployment in the developed world, authors of our own lost generation.
So what we need are jobs, and businesses to create those jobs if we are to capitalise on the creativity, optimism and energy that most young people possess in spades. What ever the Coalition Government come up with in terms of getting young people into inspiring jobs, we at SEL will do all we can to help. Through the Future Jobs Fund we have learned 3 important things. Firstly, if social enterprise is singled out for job creation, it performs well. Secondly, that financial incentives to create jobs work well for social enterprises because they are typically under capitalised. We have found that once the social enterprises take the young people on, they offer them permanent jobs at the end of the program because by then they have become invaluable. Lastly, and this is key, there are job opportunities in social enterprise and a will from ethically motivated employers to do their bit.
The recession is a global phenomena so I am interested to learn more about how South Korea is handling their economic setbacks, particularly in terms of jobs creation. If my experience of other South East Asian economies is anything to go by, they will be thinking long term and planning not just 5 years, but 2 generations hence.
There are some things that Governments should prioritise no matter what, and I think employment for young people should be right up there at the top of the list. After all without young people like my nephew Tom, graduating with a solid 2:1 from Newcastle University this week, getting his opportunity, who is going to pay the tax that covers health, education and the retirement for folk like me? Each generation needs the last, and letting the young fall away from the bottom of the ladder ends, history tells us, badly.
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