Welcome
Welcome to the September issue of the Social Enterprise Business Support Programme newsletter. A lot has happened on the political and economic fronts since May- much of which will greatly impact social enterprise and its support landscape. However, despite this, the component projects of the business support programmes have continued to work hard to develop their products and services. Current Thinking: Coping with the Spending Cuts The topic on everyone's lips these last few months has been the Government's spending cuts and how they will affect the sector. With the budget deficit as it is, we knew the cuts were imminent. But with the focus and emphasis the Government placed on Big Society and the role of social enterprise, we did not expect them to be quite so potentially damaging to our sector. Plans to dissolve the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and major cuts to the Office of Civil Society's budget and strategic partnerships will be hard felt. A wide range of social enterprise support bodies, networks and projects will lose their core funding as a consequence, dramatically affecting the services they can provide and essentially their existence. The question therefore lies as to who, or what, will be left to support social enterprises to start-up, develop and deliver post March 2011? If there is little support or investment from Government, the social enterprise business support landscape is more than likely to diminish and, as much as the Government wants social enterprise to help deliver aspects of Big Society, the sector will be less able to step up. At the sake of using a rather old metaphor; there is a risk that the baby could be thrown out with the bathwater on this one. But we do not necessarily need to accept this fate. The social enterprise sector has a reputation for innovation and resilience, so we need to be proactive and play to our strengths. As Peter Holbrook comments: "Just like nearly all other services funded by government, social enterprise business support services will need to adapt to these more austere times. We will need to demonstrate to Government that we can innovate and deliver more efficient ways of supporting new start ups and creating growth across our movement whilst reinforcing our call that the distinct needs of social enterprises cannot be delivered within a generic approach to business support." As Jon Woolfson, Senior Policy Officer at the Social Enterprise Coalition, adds: "The challenge now for the social enterprise sector is to come up with solutions that are innovative, cost-effective and have the potential to be self-sustaining." The Social Enterprise Coalition is working hard to influence this. Areas of work include: a national survey to capture the impact of cuts on the sector, carried out in partnership with regional and umbrella bodies; CSR submissions; and constant engagement with key Government departments.  The Social Enterprise Business Support Programme The Social Enterprise Business Support Programme brings together the work of two existing business support programmes: the Capacitybuilders funded National Knowledge Management Programme and the Big Lottery funded Investing in Social Enterprise Expansion Programme. The aim is to work in partnership for the creation of effective sector products, services and knowledge-sharing networks, which stimulate and encourage the growth, development and sustainability of social enterprises in England. Project updates can be found below and previous updates are available in the newsletter archive.  National Knowledge Management Programme: National Learning Project Updates THE OUTCOME ASSESSMENT FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISES (OASES)PROJECT
Delivered by: Social Enterprise London (SEL)
Thematic project area: Impact Assessment
Region: London  Having successfully developed and delivered an impact assessment based support programme, SEL will spend the final months of the project focusing on the overall evaluation of the work and the strategic plans for the future. The diagnostic tool and accompanying training programme that they have developed - covered in detail in a new case study - is tried and tested and could benefit many more social enterprises. SEL is therefore keen to roll-out the programme to other regions and is exploring potential collaborations that could enable this. SEL is also keen to take the programme to public and private sector commissioning bodies, to raise awareness of the range of impact assessment tools available and the need to recognise the different approaches in future commissioning requirements. For more information please contact Joyce Francis, Acting Project Manager, Social Enterprise London.
MULTIPLYING SOCIAL CHANGE
Delivered by: Social Enterprise East Midlands (SEEM)
Thematic project area: Scaling-up and sustainability
 The new joint ventures created as a result of this project are developing well and have been a very valuable learning experience for Social Enterprise East Midlands (SEEM). Growing the sector by ‘scaling-up' social enterprises is very topical and the formation of joint ventures has been identified as a successful way to achieve this. This project has enabled SEEM to develop key insight and expertise in this area and a toolkit created through their experience will soon be available to the wider sector. For SEEM in particular, the formation of the joint ventures has also enabled them to develop a trading arm. This is highly advantageous in the current climate as it will help the support body to cope with the anticipated cuts to their core funding, and enable them to become sustainable. This being a great example that other support bodies can learn from. For more information please contact David Kelly, Director of Policy & Strategy, Social Enterprise East Midlands.
TRADING KNOW-HOW - delivered by Social Enterprise West Midlands (SEWM)
Thematic project area: Knowledge Management
Region: West Midlands  Since the project began, a total of seventy social enterprises have benefitted from the five strands of work; reporting improvements in skills, knowledge, collaborative working and business opportunities. Of particular success is the Summer School, which is due to take place for a second time on the 29-30 September and is the subject of a new in-depth case study. The best practice forums have also provided numerous opportunities for additional training - the latest of which is taking place on the 9th September. In terms of raising awareness of the sector and its work, the flagship social enterprises continue to work hard and the study visits have proved popular with both public and private sector bodies. Since May, an innovative online resource for social enterprises has also been launched - providing a continuing resource for the West Midlands' movement. In-depth evaluation of the project will take place over the coming months to establish the lasting impact of the work. For more information please contact Ranjit Bansal, Marketing & Operations Manager, Social Enterprise West Midlands.
THE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE MARK - delivered by the Social Enterprise Mark CIC
Thematic project area: Business Development
Region: Nationwide  Six months on from launch and the Social Enterprise Mark continues to gain support and momentum from across the UK. There are now over 250 Mark holders, with many more in the latter stages of the application process. The focus of the work will now be on strengthening and integrating the brand amongst a wide range of audiences. This is being achieved through the appointment to the Mark Company of Lesley Foster- former Marketing & Communications Manager at GLL - and through increased collaboration with the regional support networks. The Mark Company itself is also going from strength to strength as RISE and SEC continue to work hard on the joint venture. For more information please contact Lucy Findlay, Managing Director, the Social Enterprise Mark CIC.
CATALYZING CONSORTIA - delivered by Social Enterprise North West (SENW) and SELNET (Social Enterprise Lancashire Network)
Thematic project area: Scaling-up & Procurement
Region: North West   The Consortia Advice Team (CAT) continues to support social enterprise consortia and potential members of consortia through their presence at events and workshops. Thirteen consortia are now in existence thanks to the work of the project and it is hoped that further delivery contracts will be won. The project has seen somewhat uneven uptake of consortia activity within the north west region and this is something that is now being addressed. In particular, Selnet and the CAT are increasing awareness-raising and promotional activities in Cheshire and Cumbria, with initial results showing improved interest. The project has found that competitiveness in the current environment is a key factor that discourages social enterprises from joining consortia. This is understandable; however the project will work to breakdown some misconceptions and raise awareness that collaborative working can actually increase a social enterprise's sustainability. For more information please contact Liz Tapner of SELNET.
SELLING ADDED VALUE TRAINING COURSE - delivered by the Social Enterprise Support Centre (SESC)
Thematic project area: Impact Assessment
Region: Yorkshire & Humber  Further training events are scheduled for the remainder of the project, with the next sessions taking place on the 9th and 23rd September. A key point of learning identified by previous sessions is the need to recruit the correct attendees. The course is designed with established social enterprises in mind; those that are at a stage to implement the SROI approach, and so the SESC has invested time in actively marketing the course to the correct audience. The challenge now remains as to how the SESC can reach significantly more organisations so that the approach is more widely adopted. Discussions also continue to take place between the SESC and a private sector health organisation to see how the approach can increase social enterprise involvement in the supply-chain of major facilities management contracts. For more information please contact Dave Smith, Project Manager, the Social Enterprise Support Centre.
THE SEASON PROJECT - delivered by Co-operatives South East
Thematic project area: Networks
Region: South East  The SEASON project has reaffirmed Co-operatives South East's belief in the value of networking between advisors as a way to develop advisors' skills and in turn create a stronger support service. The project continues to actively recruit new members to the network and plans for a SEASON network website are still being developed. This would compliment the previous work on the project as it would provide a central location where advisors could connect and where local social enterprises could source their expertise. The creation of a website could potentially also enable the SEASON network to link to advisor networks in other regions - creating a national online ‘network of networks'. In light of impending spending cuts and the possible effects on support bodies, virtual networks and resources such as this could become a key aspect of the social enterprise business support landscape. For more information please contact Jo White, Executive Director, Cooperatives South East.
DEVELOPING SOCIAL ENTERPRISES - Delivered by the North East Social Enterprise Partnership (NESEP)
Thematic project area: Scaling-up & Procurement
Region: North East
 The Developing Social Enterprises project is being managed by NESEP and bases its learning on opportunities for developing and growing social enterprises through social franchising. There are two main aspects to the project. Firstly, NESEP is looking at further developments and potential markets for social enterprises wishing to expand through replication or social franchising. The project aims to clarify the process and provide consistent and easily accessible knowledge and information. The North East is piloting and expanding training for business advisors, potential franchises and expanding new areas for replication opportunities. Secondly, in response to the barriers to accessing public sector contract opportunities, NESEP is working with VONNE (the North East's VCS body) to further develop a database. The database will hold information on third sector suppliers in the region and will allow the public sector to search locally or regionally for social enterprise suppliers. The database provides a matching service for contract opportunities and private partner/supply chain consortium development areas. For more information please contact Karen Woods, CEO of the North East Social Enterprise Partnership . The Social Enterprise Knowledge Exchange  The Social Enterprise Knowledge Exchange (SEKE) is at the heart of SEC's National Knowledge Management Programme. Formed in 2008, it is a community of practice where the CEOs of the regional social enterprise networks meet on a quarterly basis to share information, expertise and good practice from their regions and projects. The latest meeting of the SEKE group took place in July in Leamington Spa at the Bath Place Community Hub. As would be expected, discussions mainly focused on the predicament that the movement currently finds itself in and how we should react to this. In terms of the value of the SEKE group itself, the results of a survey conducted by SEC identified that the existence of the group had improved trust and collaborative working between the regional networks. There are still areas where further collaboration could benefit the sector, and so the SEKE group will now focus their attentions on this. The next meeting of the SEKE group will take place in October in Brighton. If you have any points that you'd like the SEKE group to discuss, please contact your regional social enterprise network. The Knowledge Sharing Workshop on Business Support Projects On the 12th July 2010, the Social Enterprise Coalition ran a free one-day workshop which brought together delivery partners from a wide range of Capacitybuilders and Big Lottery funded social enterprise business support projects. The workshop consisted of morning presentations and Q&A sessions, followed by an afternoon of group discussions on various thematic areas of business support. Over thirty project managers from across England attended the event and it proved to be a valuable opportunity for them to meet and network and to share expertise and experience. With key speakers from the sector, it was also an opportunity to join in conversation on the challenges facing the social enterprise business support landscape and how these can be planned for and overcome. A full summary of the event can be found here.  Investing in Social Enterprise Expansion (I-SEE) Programme: Project Updates SOCIAL FRANCHISING SUPPORT - delivered by the Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC)
Thematic project area: Scaling-up  Over the last three months, SEC has been focusing on implementing its research strategy for this project. The initial plan was to focus solely on social franchising and to map the current level of ‘activity'; successes, problems experienced and case studies from each. However, the research soon unearthed interesting examples of other growth models such as licensing, consortia, mergers and joint ventures - something which has greatly contributed to SEC's understanding of the subject area. As the first stage of research draws to a close, 22 key case studies have been produced and the full report with analysis is due to be complete later this month. Although understanding of other models will be valuable for future/additional work, SEC has decided to remain focused on the social franchising and licensing model for this project. Follow up research is planned to look further at the scaling up landscape across England and to understand the scope of business support in this field. Also in the pipeline for this project is to make resources available for Social Enterprises that enable them to make informed choices on what the potential route may be for their organisation and which also signpost potential options for support and networking. More news will follow in October on those resources and research. For more information please contact Craig Carey, Projects Manager, Social Enterprise Coalition
EXPANSION OF THE SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS - delivered by the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE)
Thematic project area: Scaling-up  This project continues to deliver great results and as well as increasing the reach of its innovative action-based support package, it is also providing key insight into social franchising. So far, two of the five proposed new schools have opened and have welcomed their first cohorts of students. Results from these schools have been excellent - especially Yorkshire and Humber where the new fellows are already winning awards. The SSE is keen to continue this success through the remainder of the project and more information on this project can be found in a new case study. For more information please contact Larissa Litchfield, Funding & Contracts, School for Social Entrepreneurs.
STRENGTHENING SOCIAL ENTERPRISE RETAIL SKILLS IN RURAL AREAS - delivered by the Plunkett Foundation
Thematic project area: Business Development  Having created a new strategy for supporting established community shops and updating their suite of support tools, the Plunkett Foundation has spent the last few months introducing and implementing these changes, with great results. The team of advisors have embraced the new strategy and their approach has been energised. In terms of the shops themselves, the changes have improved the resources, information and advice available and initial feedback has been very encouraging. The online support network, http://www.plunkett.uk.net/, has also proved a success and has enabled the Plunkett Foundation to facilitate peer to peer networking opportunities. This has been a great opportunity to witness the value of knowledge exchange between peers and has allowed the Plunkett Foundation to gain even greater insight into the needs of the communities- something they can use to further improve the service they provide. The remainder of the project will see the Plunkett Foundation continue to monitor and develop their support package. For more information please contact James Alcock, Community Retail Manager, Plunkett Foundation.
THIRD SECTOR CONSORTIA DEVELOPMENT - delivered by REalliance CIC
Thematic project area: Scaling-up & Procurement  Over the summer months, REalliance CIC has continued to work closely with the recycling consortia in London, Surrey and Manchester. In London and Surrey the three new consortia partnerships are continuing to thrive and for LCRN especially there was some exciting news. In early July, they were awarded a £7.5 million contract to deliver recycling services across the London boroughs - an excellent result and one which could potentially lead the way for other social enterprise consortia to deliver public services. In Surrey, the proposed plan for a collaborative partnership between REalliance and SCC has been submitted and REalliance is currently awaiting news. Finally, in Manchester, work continues to take place to ensure the suitability of the scheme across all areas of the city, a move which will hopefully result in an increased number of Manchester-based consortia over the coming months. For more information please contact Emma Hallett, Programme Manager, REalliance CIC.
REDEVELOPMENT OF THE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE TRAINING AND SUPPORT (SETAS) WEBSITE - delivered by Coin Street Community Builders
Thematic project area: Knowledge Management
  Since the SETAS website was soft launched in April 2010, Coin Street Community Builders has continued to work with their steering and advisory group to manage and further develop the site. Focus has shifted from a marketing strategy based on attracting support providers, to one based on attracting support seekers. The priority now is to ensure the website is intuitive and effective in helping social enterprises source advice and training, ahead of the scheduled official launch on Social Enterprise Day in November. In order to raise the profile of the website, key collaborative partnerships are being initiated across the country and, in a time when funding cuts may jeopardise the existence of current support services, it is hoped SETAS will lead a new generation of online resources. For further information please contact Harjinder Nijjar, Training & Business Advisor, Coin Street Community Builders or visit the SETAS site.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR NHS RIGHT TO REQUESTERS - delivered by the Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC)
Thematic project area: Business Development
This project aims to provide support to the NHS ‘Right to Requesters' and so the proposed changes to the NHS and Right to Request agenda halted proceedings for a time. However, the project has now gained new momentum and the team at SEC with the help of two leadership professionals is working hard to complete the research/design stage and begin delivery by the end of this year. The support programme will focus on Right to Requesters who have already established their social enterprises and who are now seeking continued leadership development (opposed to Right to Requesters in the early stages of social enterprise start-up). SEC's research identified early on that this target group will differ enormously in terms of organisation size, level of knowledge and turnover, and that any support curriculum delivered would need to be flexible enough to account for this. Careful consideration and planning has been invested in this and the first draft of the leadership framework is now complete. The next stage of the project is to test this curriculum through a pilot series of workshops with social enterprise leaders from the health and social care sector - something which SEC will be actively recruiting for in October. For more information please contact Craig Carey, Projects Manager, Social Enterprise Coalition
Roll-out of the Micro Coaches Programme - delivered by Social Enterprise East of England (SEEE)
Thematic project area: Peer Support
 The first year of the Micro Coaches project was focused on further developing the programme and preparing for a national roll-out. With this stage complete, the remainder of the project will now focus on successfully licensing it to other regions. Work on this has already begun with encouraging results. Social Enterprise East of England has now issued licenses to seven regional support networks and these networks have began the preparations for delivery in their regions. The programme looks set to achieve success and more information can be found in a new case study. For more information please contact Michele Rigby, CEO, Social Enterprise East of England. New Programme Case Studies  THE OASES PROJECT: THE CREATION OF AN INNOVATIVE DECISION MAKING FRAMEWORK WHICH ENABLES SOCIAL ENTERPRISES TO CHOOSE THE CORRECT IMPACT ASSESSMENT TOOL. EXPANSION OF THE SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS: INCREASING THE REACH OF THEIR INNOVATIVE SUPPORT PROGRAMME THROUGH SOCIAL FRANCHISING. THE 'GROWING YOUR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE' SUMMER SCHOOL: A SUCCESSFUL AND REPLICABLE MODEL OF SUPPORT FROM THE WEST MIDLANDS. MICRO COACHES: THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL PEER SUPPORT PROGRAMME FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISES.
Key Issues Surgery: Knowledge Management Tools We are pleased to introduce two Knowledge Management tools in this issue of the newsletter: After-Action Reviews and Knowledge Harvesting. Through a key partnership with TFPL, we have produced a template for each tool that you can now download and adapt as required for use in your organisation. After-Action Reviews (AARs) An AAR is a structured meeting or conversation designed to carefully review and evaluate a particular activity - such as a piece of work or an event that has taken place. The reflections drawn out are then used to consider how best to plan future activities. In this way, AARs enable us to learn from successes and avoid repeating mistakes. The AAR template can be found here. Knowledge Harvesting ‘Knowledge Harvesting' is not as technical as it sounds. It is a conversation/interview based process aimed at capturing and recording the knowledge that resides in peoples' heads; knowledge that is highly valuable to others and that the individual in question may not even realise they have! The Knowledge Harvesting template can be found here. Events Social Enterprise and Public Service Reform: A right to request and a right to bid Thursday 23rd September 2010, Manchester Conference Centre, Manchester M1 This conference will draw on the experience of large-scale organisations which are already taking the social enterprise route to added value and end-user satisfaction. You will also share how to achieve more with limited budgets and changing the nature of service delivery. Speakers include:
Ian Charlesworth, Commercial Director, The Social Investment Business
Peter Holbrook, Chief Executive, Social Enterprise Coalition
Paloma Tarazona, Chief Executive, Fevecta (Federation of Worker Co-operatives, Spain)
Andrew Burnell, Chief Executive, City Health Care Partnership CIC View the agenda and register online at www.neilstewartassociates.com/se242 Additional events taking place in your region: London North East South East Yorkshire and Humber North West East Midlands South West West Midlands Social Enterprise Coalition Resources Big Lottery Capacitybuilders Capacitybuilders Improving Support webiste SETAS website Business Link | 
"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." George Washington CarverWhat is Social Entrepreneurship?Statement of Faith
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