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According to Social Enterprise UK cuts to energy support for business will not deliver savings and could cost taxpayers more. If the proposed changes go through as many as 10,000 social enterprises could face closure putting as many as 160,000 jobs at risk and costing the UK billions in lost output and tax revenue. Peter Holbrook, CEO of Social Enterprise UK commented: “British businesses that should be at the heart of our economic recovery face the threat of closure should the Government prematurely cut back its energy support package for business. In the social enterprise sector, even the existing package has proven inadequate, with at least 3,900 social enterprises set to close, and over 10,000 more at risk of closure. This could put as many as 160,000 jobs at risk and could potentially cost the UK billions in lost output and tax revenue. The long-term costs to the economy would likely outweigh any savings made today from cutting energy support. If the Government goes through with further reductions in support, then the collapse of more social enterprises will become inevitable. Communities across the country will be deprived of businesses that are committed to investing in tackling social challenges and fostering inclusive growth. Supporting social enterprise today is not a cost, but an investment, one that will pay dividends when viable businesses survive these hard times and are able to drive the future recovery.”

Launching in January 2023, Social Procurement Connect is a new initiative from Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) created to support organisations add social value and impact into their supply chains. Building on the successes of SEUK’s Buy Social Corporate Challenge, which has directed over £250 million towards social enterprise suppliers, Social Procurement Connect will take our social procurement experience and expertise to a broader community of organisations. It will be a digital service to guide and support organisations who want to improve their purchasing and buy from social enterprises centred around an online resource hub which will contain best practice learnings, and tools developed by SEUK. Social Procurement Connect is open to any organisation interested in bringing social enterprises into their supply chain from social enterprises themselves to private and public sector organisations. Through joining Social Procurement Connect participating organisations will benefit from: Tips for creating and implementing an organisational social procurement initiativeExpert insights on social enterprise suppliersA review of your supply chain and the opportunities it presents to bring in social enterprise and social value.An online peer community of leading social procurement practitioners and fellow early adoptersTools for better understanding your organisation’s impact through its supply chain Introductory webinar We will be hosting an introductory webinar to introduce Social Procurement Connect and social sourcing on 19 January 2023 from 10-11 am. You can register for the free webinar here.

Newcastle is the latest area to gain registered Social Enterprise Place status by Social Enterprise UK, recognising the city as a hotspot of social enterprise activity. Social Enterprise Places are areas of the country where social enterprises and key regional stakeholders such as local government, other businesses and universities have come together to form thriving areas of social enterprise activity. SEUK’s Social Enterprise Places Programme recognises and supports these areas. Newcastle is the 34th registered Social Enterprise Place in the UK and joins Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham as the next city in the North East to gain this status. The city is home to a dynamic social enterprise ecosystem with 323 social enterprises operating across the economy including youth services, arts and culture organisations, community health and wellbeing services, and business support bodies. They come in all sizes from businesses turning over millions to small community focused organisations. Social enterprises are also starting up in Newcastle at a rapid rate with the number of registered Community Interest Companies (CICs) growing by over a half between 2019 and 2022. The bid to become a Social Enterprise Place was co-ordinated by a stakeholder group which consisted of local social enterprises, Newcastle City Council and other organisations who have put together an action plan to create the best environment for these businesses to thrive in the city. Commenting on Newcastle becoming a Social Enterprise Place, Peter Holbrook Chief Executive at Social Enterprise UK said: “Newcastle is home to a vibrant, growing social enterprise community and we congratulate the city on gaining Social Enterprise Place status. We also recognise the incredible efforts of the social enterprises behind the bid to come together and set out a plan to further grow the impact of social enterprises in the city. As the cost of living crisis continues to bite and inequalities become ever more apparent, the role of social enterprise has never been more important. It is vital that these businesses, which are so often on the frontline of supporting communities through the crisis, are supported and invested in. Through becoming a registered Social Enterprise Place this fantastic city has committed to placing social enterprise at the heart of regional economic development.” For more information read this press release on the Newcastle City Council website. Find out more about the Social Enterprise Place programme here.

Over the last decade the social care sector in England has seen unprecedented demand coupled with funding cuts and workforce recruitment and retention challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic added more pressure to already stretched social care systems. Recent research at the University of Birmingham has been exploring the contribution of social enterprises to the adult social care sector. As part of this research, we analysed data from the 2019 and 2021 ‘State of Social Enterprise’ survey focusing only on social enterprises delivering social care services (‘care social enterprises’). We looked at any changes in the sector immediately before and after the pandemic. Overall, the survey suggests that the care social enterprise sector responded positively to the challenges of Covid-19. Between 2019 and 2021, most care social enterprises not only survived, but we found generally positive indications of growth and reports of diversification and innovation. Whilst the pandemic created challenges for the sector, including financial difficulties – with 32% of care social enterprises reporting that they drew on their financial reserves and 20% having increased borrowing in response to the pandemic - most (68%) did not pass any financial burden on to their service users. Many care social enterprises surveyed reported that their annual income had increased; with almost twice as many organisations reporting an annual income exceeding £1m in 2021 than had done in 2019, although the actual proportion reporting income exceeding £1m was relatively small (just under 20% in 2019), with medium income of £100,000. More care social enterprises also reported making a profit in 2021 (56%) compared to 2019 (44%). An overwhelming 81% of care social enterprises surveyed reported that they changed their processes and/or ways of thinking in response to the pandemic. As well as adapting in response to Covid-19, care social enterprises were found generally to be dynamic; in 2021, 48% reported that they had expanded into new markets and 62% had developed new products. Many also reported that they had expanded the reach of their services, with over three quarters (78%) operating across more than one local authority area in 2021 (compared with 59% in 2019). Similarly, the number of employees in care social enterprises increased between 2019 and 2021 from a median of five to twelve employees, and more than two-thirds (68%) expected their staff number to growth further. Whilst the number of staff grew, staffing was affected by the pandemic with 42% of care social enterprises reporting furloughing staff, 44% asked staff to take on additional roles, and over half provided or switched to remote working.  The most common objective of care social enterprises was reported as ‘supporting vulnerable people’ and one notable trend over the last two years has been the prioritisation of adult mental health and wellbeing. Whilst this is reflected in the entire social enterprise sector [1], with nearly a third of the sector prioritising adult mental health and wellbeing as a main objective, a more dramatic shift is visible in care social enterprises with adult mental health listed as a priority objective by 27% in 2019, and more than doubling to 59% in 2021.  This is congruent with increasing demand on NHS mental health services post COVID19 [2] and supports the notion of adaptability and resilience in recent years in the care social enterprise sector. Care social enterprises therefore appear to have responded well to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are widely recognised as driving innovation and as having real expertise around their communities. These qualities may make them well placed to fill some of the gaps in statutory care and support, and in turn gain recognition as integral stakeholders in health and care systems [3]. In recent years care social enterprises have therefore proven their ability to adapt and innovate in response to changing demands and challenges.  Furthermore, they have continued to grow and remain profitable in the face of crisis. By Kelly Hall, Kelly Hayward and Phil Kinghorn, University of Birmingham  [1] SEUK (2021) No going back- state of social enterprise survey 2021, https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/seuk-report/no-going-back-state-of-social-enterprise-survey-2021/ [2] NHS Confederation (2021) Increase in demand for mental health support is being felt across the system, 25 October 2021, https://www.nhsconfed.org/articles/increase-demand-mental-health-support-being-felt-across-system [3] ADASS (2020) The voluntary and community sector in a world shaped by Covid https://www.adass.org.uk/next-steps-for-the-vcs-the-voluntary-and-community-sector-in-a-world-shaped-by-covid

The winners of the UK Social Enterprise Awards 2022 were announced last night at a gala reception at the iconic Roundhouse in Camden, London. The Awards were a celebration of the impact of the UK’s social enterprise community and brought together leading social enterprises with supporters of the sector – from corporates to social investors. It was a real showcase of why social enterprise represents business at its best and, across fifteen categories, highlighted the diversity and strength of the sector. The winner of the overall Social Enterprise of the Year Award was auticon, the pioneering international tech consultancy that exclusively employs professional consultants on the autism spectrum. View the full list of winners here Guests enjoyed entertainment from Alex Horne and his band The Horne Section as well as from award-winning comedian Shazia Mirza and performers from social enterprise, Black Sheep Collective. Commenting on the Awards, Peter Holbrook, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise UK said: “The last year has been a difficult one for businesses across the UK, and it has been no different for social enterprises. The Awards were a real evening of hope and inspiration and brought home the sheer ingenuity, adaptability and determination of the social enterprise community, which has continued to deliver for the people and communities they work with and support. “The winners include businesses which are breaking down barriers for groups marginalised in the workforce, organisations at the heart of local economies, and those finding innovative ways to tackle the climate crisis. The ever-growing movement of social enterprise truly represents business at its best.” As well as celebrating the successes of the social enterprise movement the Awards used a social enterprise supply chain. Trophies were made by Designs in Mind – a social enterprise working with adults living with mental health challenges and catering was provided by The Clink, a business working in prisons. Social enterprise also provided the photography, table gifts, awards brochure and water. SEUK worked with social enterprise event management company, Fuse Events, to run the event. The Awards were delivered in partnership with Cwmpas, Social Enterprise Northern Ireland and Social Enterprise Scotland.

29 November 2022 On the evening of 28 November the House of Lords voted on an amendment to the Procurement Bill to include social value within the legislation. This will help ensure social value is embedded in public procurement. Peter Holbrook CBE, Chief Executive, Social Enterprise UK said: Last night the House of Lords voted to put social value into the Procurement Bill, standing up for the public so that decisions about the money we spend have to consider how we build a better society and protect the planet. At a time when our country faces multiple crises, we need to focus on social value more than ever. True value for money means considering the wider social, economic and environmental value that social enterprise creates. The ball is now in the Government’s court, but I hope that they will listen to social enterprises, businesses, public sector leaders and the House of Lords who all want to see social value not just embedded into public sector procurement, but expanded.

29 November 2022 Social Enterprise UK has launched a new podcast exploring the ways in which social value can be used to help businesses, the public sector and Government to develop a fairer, greener society.   Social value is a way of maximising the positive social, economic and environmental impact of organisations. The Social Value Act, introduced in 2012, made it obligatory for public bodies to consider how the services they commission and procure might improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the areas they operate in. The aim of the Social Value Podcast is to help leaders in the public and private sector, to understand how using a “social value” approach will enable better decisions. The podcast is a part of the Social Value 2032 programme, a partnership between Social Enterprise UK, Jacobs, PwC, Shaw Trust, Siemens and Suez Recycling and Recovery UK. The programme aims to extend the use of social value across the public and private sectors and highlight how procurement can drive improvement and greater sustainability in businesses and markets in the UK, transform public services and accelerate the drive to Net Zero. On the first episode of The Social Value Podcast, Michelle Levi, Social Impact Lead for Europe at Jacobs, discusses the importance of building an organisational culture that supports and champions social value. You can listen to The Social Value Podcast at https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/socialvaluepodcast/ Episodes are also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Find out more about Social Value 2032 here.