1. Angela Catley, Rebecca Stanley and David Bingham
Micro enterprise Personalisation, people and possibilities in Nottinghamshire
Angela Catley, Rebecca Stanley and David Bingham

2. Your name Your interest in this workshop
Introductions
Your name Your interest in this workshop

3. What is Community Catalysts?
A social enterprise and Community Interest Company established in 2010
Know that people have assets, skills, talents and imagination (and that these are often hidden)
Works to harness these talents with people and communities to provide high quality small scale local care and support services
Aims to make sure that people wherever they live have a real choice of great services and supports

4. Control
Focus on personal budgets and Direct Payments for people who are FACs eligible for state funded care and support
Up front allocation of money for people to use to meet their needs
People can take money as a Direct Payment or elect to have it managed on their behalf
Self funders and people who are FACs eligible are in the same boat
Simple?

5. The vision
Real choice and control for people who need care and support to enable them to live real lives

6. The reality?

7. Control doesn’t automatically result in choice
If:
There are no services to choose from
There is nothing new to choose from (only what was always available)
Control and choice is made so complex, confusing, unattractive or scary that people would rather ‘get what they’re given’
If there is no information about the choices available
If information isn’t accessible or relevant

8. Micro providers
Are local people providing support and services to other local people
Work on a very small scale (5 or fewer workers – paid or unpaid)
Are independent of any larger organisation
Can be run by anyone including people who use services, their families, community members, ex care workers

9. What do micro providers offer people who need support and services?
Personal and tailored
Co-produced
Flexible and responsive to change
Choice of services that help people to live their lives and meet health and support needs
Help people to link to their community and build social capital
Help people to make their money go further
Local people helping other local people.....locally

10. Community Catalysts and micro providers
We have developed a way to
Find
Engage
Support
Connect
Local people already running something in their area or those with a great new idea
We have worked with approx 26 councils and communities across the UK to help them support micro providers in their area

11. Nottinghamshire micro enterprise project
Nottinghamshire County Council have been working in partnership with Community Catalysts
Creating the right conditions for micro enterprise to flourish
Since July 2010 there have been 188 enquiries made by new, developing and/or established micro providers
Actively working with 50+ micro providers

12. Support given to providers includes
Listening to ideas and giving professional feedback
Advice and practical information on regulation, training and insurances
Signposting to other organisations that can also help
Support to understand legal requirements and any regulations that might apply
Support to understand and operate within a personalised marketplace 12

13. Nottinghamshire micro enterprise project
47 services are delivering a care or support service
43 of these are new and services include:
Flexible personal support in the home and community
Domestic support
Volunteering & employment support
Direct Payment support
Holidays and short breaks
But this list hides a lot. All the services are tiny, most are highly valued and well used, some are quirky and imaginative and offer things that weren’t previously available
Over 600 people receive services and support from micro providers in Nottinghamshire

15. Space Inclusive An Introduction
Space Inclusive is an East Midlands based Social Enterprise set up in 2010 to provide person centred services for young adults with learning disabilities.
Our aim is to provide a transitions service that develops skills to enable people to become more independent and pro active community members.
This can include skills for employment, for supported/independent living or social interaction.
Explain why we set up, our motivation. Briefly talk about why being person centred makes us unique and why it is important to us.
Why transitions service?
Social interaction being the key to helping move people forwards – difficult for people with ASD 15

16. Space Inclusive An Introduction
Our project was informed by our experiences of working in Special Schools. Schools typically provide ‘wraparound care’ in addition to educational provision.
Upon leaving school the nature of available provision changes and this can present barriers to young people with LDD, whether logistical, social, academic or financial.
We feel very strongly that there is a place for a provision that looks at supporting people to develop skills and strategies to help them overcome or manage these difficulties, and that through partnership working we can continue to provide opportunities for people that are appropriate and aspirational.
Discuss wraparound care: working with parents and other professionals, transport, health, social and educational needs.
Expand on barriers eg academic placements may not be able to work with people on social skills, lack of true person centred places?
Partnership working – employment or educational providers – the recognition that no one place can deliver everything. 16

17. Personalisation
Our starting point is always with the individual; Where do they want to be? What do they like? What skills do they have? What are realistic outcomes for them?
This is central to the ethos of personalisation. The user or their representative should be enabled to exercise choice and control over the support they receive. And the council’s commissioning arrangements and contracts should aim to incentivise providers to achieve this.
Discuss the personalisation agenda and what this means for different providers – essentially an open market place.
Second paragraph paraphrases 2010 Putting people first Advisory note on Personal budgets. 17

18. Successful partnerships
We currently work with a number of partners who help us to ensure the best possible outcomes and that we are able to offer opportunities of a high standard.
Current employment partners include University Hospitals, Nottingham; East Midlands Airport and Nottingham City Council Sport and Leisure.
In addition we work in partnership with other organisations including micro providers and providers of specialist activities.
What do we expect from employment partners and what do we offer them?
Examples – UKSA, Notts Arts Support Service, Disabled Riding Assoc.. Etc, why? 18

19. Where we fit…
People choose to come to our provision because they feel that we can support them to move forwards.
We have referrals from any number of places; CLDT’s, NHS teams, colleges, Connexions/Futures, other micro providers and self-referrals.
Each individual has their own story. They may have found previous provision difficult to engage with, have been out of provision for some time or may be looking to supplement their existing provision such as a college course.
Emphasise the importance of choice.
Referrals = partnership working. How do we work with partners? Examples of partners? 19

20. Case study Adam
Adam has found it difficult to engage in any projects since he left school. Now 21, he is able to utilise his passion for bicycles with the support of Space Inclusive.
We have given Adam a place to work on his bicycles, the support and encouragement he needs to stay focused on a task in the workshop and provided a place for him to have the opportunity to interact with his peers. Working with us, Adam now runs a business enterprise using the Internet to sell both completed bikes and bike parts that he has reconditioned.

21. “Space Inclusive fills a need not otherwise catered for within the age group. They are doing a wonderful job and we are delighted they have succeeded in engaging our son!”
Trish and Keith Jacobs

22. Case study James
James is very self motivated and is actively seeking paid employment. He works with Space Inclusive two days each week, which adds structure and motivation to his schedule, broadens his social experiences and supports him with home skills related opportunities.
He has recently begun to write on a freelance basis for The Left Lion magazine and we have supported him into part time employment at East Midlands Airport.

23. “I enjoy coming as I am treated as an adult and individual, it has a down to earth approach to learning and is fun too”
Brendon 21

24. Case study Cameron
Cameron attends Space Inclusive for three days each week. During this time, we work with him to maximise his social opportunities. This is something that Cameron can find challenging, as his ASD can limit social interaction severely at times.
Through supporting and encouraging him in different situations we have helped Cameron discover new interests and skills. We have also found that his ability to communicate and enjoy being around others continues to develop, enabling access to future opportunities.

25. Barriers faced by micro (and other developing) providers
Tendering and procurement that defines the service model and discourages imaginative approaches
Focus on traditional ‘registered’ or ‘approved’ service models
Disproportionate or inappropriate regulation and rules
Finding and contacting potential customers
Knowing what people want to buy
Where to get practical advice, services and information
Affordable, appropriate insurance
Unclear and mixed messages about what is needed
For established providers - serving existing users in established ways whilst trying to plan for the future 25

26. The result
Many good things close
Providers who offer services in impersonal ways gain contracts (and status)
It is unattractive or impossible for new, innovative and quirky providers to enter the market
Local authorities are seeking diverse, flexible, personal and responsive services but operate systems that favour large, traditional providers 26

27. Issues to resolve
PBs only really offered as Direct Payments or managed funds – other options not worked out at scale
Strong links to ‘approved’ provider systems – these can sometimes ‘reward’ the wrong kind of practice
DP systems geared towards people employing own staff
Market shaping activity produces imaginative and quirky service options (but the system inadvertently kills them!)
Quality issue not tackled strategically
Brokerage and advice not available or only able to ‘see’ traditional service options. Limited investment in new roles/skills
Limited work on aggregation and collaboration – instead a focus on each individual

28. Linking it all together
Challenging times
Thinking in terms of ‘lives’ rather than services helps
Lots of opportunities and existing assets
Real potential for local people to provide local services for other local people
Need imaginative ways to assure quality that really work for the new market
Must acknowledge and tackle barriers if real transformation is to happen

30. Open discussion and questions

31. For further information
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