Homeless Enterprise & the Big Society Ethical Enterprise & Employment (3xE) Network SHiP Conference, Brighton Hilton Metropole 3 rd February 2011

How did we get here? Many funding streams for community/social enterprise lost Widening gap between rich and poor Banking crisis Services cut Unemployment rising Competition for jobs and homes increasing

The Big Society State power versus ‘people power’ Reducing the state - breaking dependency

The strategy of the Big Society Empowering local communities by: Opening up public services to the private sector Promoting social action

The theory Pushing power down to the lowest levels More transparency Nudging not nannying

The practice Big Society Bank Big Society Network – 5000 community organisers 4 vanguard communities Office for Civil Society

Funding Cuts to local authorities by 27% Cuts to welfare bill by £18bn £470m over 4 years to help civil society £100m for ‘transitional ‘ help’

Can everyone participate? Capacity - depends on education, income, family, environment, knowledge, confidence, time, energy… all are distributed unequally Access - organisations have boundaries drawn by kinship, law, friendship, duty, tradition, geography, politics, and class…. they include some and exclude others … some are much more powerful With acknowledgements to Anna Coote, New Economics Foundation: presentation to 3xE Christmas social Dec 2010

Can everyone participate? Time Participating in the ‘Big Society’ takes time. Some have much more control over their time than others, especially low earners with big family responsibilities. Capacity, access and time are all unequally distributed, so it will be much harder for those who are already disadvantaged to participate in the ‘Big Society’ or to benefit from it.

Overcoming barriers to the employment of homeless people Create, Leeds Winter Willow Midland Heart Matt 25 (Adullam Homes Housing Association* Shekinah Mission STRIDE* Paint It (Framework Housing Association*

Ethical, Enterprise and Employment (3xE) Network Supporting homelessness sector organisations to create enterprise opportunities Promoting social enterprise as a route to work for people who have experienced homelessness Diagnostic needs assessments, action planning, tailored training, peer learning Good practice, referral and supply chain development

Ethical, Enterprise and Employment Network Membership is free Funded by the Big Lottery –Budget £894,699 over 4 years ( ) Established in 9 English regions 220 Members – over 100 diagnostic assessments carried out 3 Team members: Co-ordinator, Advisor, Membership and Information Officer

3xE Network services Website E-newsletter Diagnostic needs assessments Business planning Training Tailored learning visits Peer learning Regional policy seminars Supply chain development

How has 3xE helped homelessness sector organisations develop social enterprise? Consultancy – funds to pay consultants of their choice to develop business planning, eg: Shilhay, Exeter Training – training courses to address skills gaps, eg: Connection Crew, London Training – workshops in marketing and legal structures in Nottingham, Exeter & London Good practice visits – eg:Midland Heart, Birmingham Web-site development – eg: First Fruit, London

Training Training workshops: marketing, legal structures; financial forecasting, ‘Putting the business into social enterprise’ ‘Are you ready for social enterprise?’; other topics relating to social enterprise by arrangement delivered regionally Support for attending social enterprise training delivered by regional infrastructure bodies and other providers in your region; sector-related training

Policy seminars 3xE organises policy seminars on topical themes important to social enterprise, eg: Social Impact Bonds, Leicester, April 2010 PRS lettings agencies, Birmingham, November 2010 The Big Society and homelessness enterprise, London, December 2010

3xE Network Jenny Turner, Social Enterprise Consultant & Facilitator