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CIC 34

Community Interest Company Report

Enterprising Opportunities CIC Kent Enterprise House

The Links Herne Bay

Kent CT6 7GQ

Company Number: 1937728

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CIC 34 Community Interest Company Report

PART 1 – GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPANY’S ACTIVITIES In the space provided below, please insert a general account of the company‟s activities in the financial year to which the report relates, including a fair and accurate description of how they have benefited the community or section of the community which the company is intended to serve.

Covering the 12 month period from April 2009 – March 2010

The objectives of Enterprising Opportunities CIC are to support, promote and develop Kent based social enterprises creating meaningful learning and employment opportunities for disadvantaged groups, particularly in areas of deprivation and growth regeneration. Enterprising Opportunities CIC currently owns and supports All Seasons (Kent) Ltd, a domiciliary care provider, and Learn to Care, a training and NVQ assessment centre. It also runs other smaller projects which support education and maximise independence for vulnerable individuals. Enterprising Opportunities CIC works in partnership with a registered Charity – Kent Enterprise Trust. It does this through a number of means including financial support such as Gift Aid and pro-bono infrastructure support including HR, Marketing, Finance and IT. The CIC works in partnership with the Charity to develop social enterprise ventures including hosting and supporting the Kent & Medway Social Enterprise Network CIC. The majority of our work is in the most deprived areas of Kent in particular; Folkestone, Thanet, Herne Bay, Canterbury, Isle of Sheppey, Dartford and Swale. Other social activities include:

Acting as an umbrella body for 3rd sector organisations for the CRB.

Key staff offer training and support in the 3rd

sector and in particular social enterprise to improve and promote sustainable income streams in

the sector. We also deliver training and promotion events to public sector commissioners and managers to stimulate interest and understanding about social enterprise.

We offer a care navigator service which provides information, advice and guidance to many disadvantaged people in Thanet

We provide a social care brokerage service in East Kent, partnering with learning disability providers MENCAP and fellow CIC, Skillnet.

We are active members of the „Mindful Employer‟ charter, showing that we are welcoming and accommodating of people with mental health needs.

We have created a comprehensive environmental plan in conjunction

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with staff, which includes a green pledge and travel plan to improve our positive environmental impact.

We run a „Fit for Life‟ scheme in house which encourages our staff and stakeholders to be more active, promotes mental wellbeing and now to be healthier at work.

We provide Skills for Care administration support in the Kent region, aiding partnership working in the health and social care sector. In addition, we run TSI funding contracts.

Consultancy provided through the “Office of the Third Sector” supported the management teams to analyse effectiveness in relation to marketing activities as well as giving support in measuring our Social Impact. Each business division reviews its mission and values as part of the annual update of the Business Development Plans. The process involves teams with a cross section of employees. In July 2009 the whole organisation moved into a new built office building, Kent Enterprise House, a Hub providing support and office space for third sector organisations. This is also a greatly improved working environment for employees which gives further opportunities for growth and support to the community. We have strengthened the relationship with our work and support for Kent and Medway Social Enterprise. The CEO chairs a local district Social Enterprise group who are helping to support and educate charities and voluntary groups to promote the need to look at more sustainable income streams. We are members of the Mindful employer Network. “Mindful Employer is aimed at increasing awareness of mental health at work, providing support and information, and making it healthier to talk about. It aims to provide support for businesses in recruiting and retaining valued and talented members of staff”. Health, Work and Wellbeing project awarded to us at the end of March (funded by the government health, work and wellbeing challenge fund) states that: “the organisation recognises that wellbeing and performance are linked and have committed to the Health, Work and Wellbeing project. This will include a number of programmes based in the workplace including yoga, nutritional advice sessions, massages, and stress management courses”. Entry to Employment As at 31st March 2010, 297 people were employed in the company:

56 from Enterprising Opportunities and Learn to Care

215 from All Seasons

Of those recruited during 1st April 2009 to 31st March 2010, we have employed:

15 people from the Job Centre

24 people through the Future Jobs Fund programme

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1 person with learning difficulties

7 people with Skills for Life needs In addition, 6 of our employees are over 65, helping those over retirement age remain in meaningful employment. We have grown links with local schools, colleges and universities and have offered 7 student placements. To further support entry to employment we are supporting Canterbury College in their “Routes into Work” programme. The aim is to train 30 people by the end of 2010 in order for the participants to come off JCA and be placed into active employment. Internal Training Opportunities Enterprising Opportunities has a robust and effective staff support system in place to ensure individuals are supported to plan continuous professional development activities and to maintain technical competence. Training and development is funded by the company and the majority of it is provided by Learn to Care or local training providers.

51 still on programme working towards a qualification

17 Community Care Workers have achieved their NVQ Level 2

3 Community Care Workers have achieved their NVQ Level 3 Learn to Care The positive culture of individual development and progression ensures Learn to Care is able to respond to the changing needs of learners and employers. 475 people were given learning and development opportunities through Learn to Care during 2009/10 of which 217 were enrolled on a nationally recognised NVQ programme; out of this 88 completed. Therefore we have strengthened the Health and Social Care workforce enabling employers to meet and exceed the Care Quality Commission requirements which enhances the quality of life of vulnerable adults in Kent.

114 still on programme working towards a qualification

63 Community Care Workers have achieved their NVQ Level 2

25 Community Care Workers have achieved their NVQ Level 3

Our Assessors are able to give support to a large number of learners with literacy needs. This activity helps in raising skills and supports progression with employers who historically have a low level of skills within their workforce. This is being strengthened by developing support with numeracy and IT by bringing in external support. 149 learners in employment were supported to gain a first level 2 qualification and of those 3 learners supported to achieve a literacy qualification at GCSE level. In total 65 employers were supported over the 12 months (including 50 small, 9 medium and 6 large). Employers in the deprived areas included 5 in Folkestone, 17 in Thanet, 7 in Canterbury, 11 in Herne Bay, and 5 in Swale.

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Learn to Care received the Matrix accreditation, which assesses our ability to provide information, advice and guidance to learners. All Seasons As a domiciliary care provider, our principle aim is to support people to remain living independently in the communities; this includes signposting to and support with accessing community resources. We pride ourselves on working with the most vulnerable people in the community including those with high complex needs and we are developing further specialist services. and The recruitment of the long term unemployed, disabled or disadvantaged gives an opportunity to match the individual service users to the skills of the employee at the same time as giving important employment and learning opportunities. We actively worked with the Job Centres to recruit these disadvantaged groups. As an example, a carer with learning needs will work alongside a more able employee for guidance, support and development. The carer Employee Representative Group (ERG) is progressing well. This consists of staff members from each geographic area that meet regularly to discuss common issues and put forward suggestions for improvement. This has been very successful in achieving a united, bottom-up led approach for all of our staff. PART 2 – CONSULTATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS – Please indicate who the company‟s stakeholders are; how the stakeholders have been consulted and what action, if any, has the company taken in response to feedback from its consultations? If there has been no consultation, this should be made clear. (If applicable, please just state “A social audit report covering these points is attached”).

The main stakeholders the company work with are;

Clients and where appropriate their families, advocates and representatives

Employers

Learners

Employees and non executive directors

Kent Enterprise Trust

Contractors – KCC, LSC, Skills for Care, Primary Care Trusts

Links with other Social Enterprise Networks and Third Sector Representative Organisations – Kent and Medway Social Enterprise Network, Kent CAN, local Community Volunteer Service‟s (CVS), Development Trusts Association (DTA), South East Social Enterprise Network (SESEN), Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC), Kent Association of Training Organisations, Kent Community Care Association, Skills Brokers

Regulators – Care QualityCommission (CQC), City and Guilds, Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), Office for Standards and Education (Ofsted), Investors in People (IiP).

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Feedback from consultations is analysed and actions required are built into the organisational development plans. Examples of consultation; Clients The company has a close working relationship with both service users and their care managers and welcomes constructive feedback which is analysed, acted on and communicated to staff. Annual client surveys are analysed as part of continuous quality improvement process. As an example to improve communication, we increased the number of service users who receive information weekly, regarding names and times of visits and changed the management of manning telephones within the office. We consult with Client groups as part of continuous improvements and development of new projects. An example of this is, when investigating working with a new client group, we invited a local organisation, Skillnet Group and some of their clients in to discuss the care that they would want. Employees Outcomes from annual staff surveys, CQC and IiP inspections showed that communication with staff locally was not always effective and as a result we opened a local office base in Dover and Thanet. The change to the manning of telephones and training of line managers to carry out effective regular supervision (one to one support) was also a result of consultation. Employees‟ representation group was formed in particular to aid communication between Care Workers and Head Office staff. As part of our strategic plan, we have held a number of strategy days with Directors and Staff to explore the differing models of community engagement and empowerment, and “shared power” or “group working Employers and learners Regular questionnaires and Internal Verifier visits are used to consult with employers and learners. The outcomes from these are analysed as a whole to identify trends and respond to individual needs. As an example we developed a bigger variety of training courses to meet their needs, including affordable management training. We also embedded skills for life learning as many individuals are reluctant to undertake a stand alone course in skills for life. This also aids in the progression of individuals within their learning and their employment. Contractors Apart from monitoring visits, inspections visits and audits by the regulatory bodies and action plans as a result of these we use the opportunities to enhance our current service and development of new service where possible. As an example of using positive feedback from these visits we have expanded service in the community by working with the Care Management teams to build a team of Double Hander service which is able to supply a service to the most complex cases in the community and enabling them to live in their own home.

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Regular communication with KCC Case Managers regarding individual clients results in individual action plans. Regular meetings with KCC District Managers to understand the local needs and strategy. Following on from these meetings we appointed project managers to carry out research and review services we could offer at the same time as meeting those needs. A contract was won for delivering the Care Navigator service in Thanet from an initial contact and networking by our managers with KCC. Links with other Social Enterprise Networks and Third Sector Representative Organisations This is reasonably new to the organisation and great effort has been made to improve its engagement with these types of organisation. The CEO is a Board member and a Director of Kent and Medway Social Enterprise Network as well as Chair of a District level Social Enterprise group. Further support is provided by the Chair of Enterprising Opportunities CIC who is also the Chair of The Kent & Medway Social Enterprise Network. The company recruits staff through RBLI, Shaw Trust, Pinnacle People and Job Centres. Supports local charities by acting as an Umbrella Body for their CRB checks. Regulators are consulted on specific items and feedback of their inspections / monitoring reports are analysed and actions required are built into the organisational development plans or specific action plans.

PART 3 – DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION – Please insert details of any remuneration received by the Directors, even if already stated in the accounts. If no remuneration was received you must state that “no remuneration was received” below.

Total wage for Directors £96,520

PART 4 – TRANSFERS OF ASSETS OTHER THAN FOR FULL CONSIDERATION – Please insert full details of any transfers of assets other than for full consideration e.g. Donations to outside bodies. If this does not apply you must state that “no transfer of assets other than for full consideration has been made” below.

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration has been made. Planned Gift Aid to Kent Enterprise Trust is £45,000 for this period.