Adebowale Commission Three Years On – A Report card

This Insights Paper outlines the key themes from the latest Social Enterprise Advisory Panel, a quarterly survey by Social Enterprise UK to collect a snapshot of  sector conditions and expectations. The paper looks at the challenges social enterprises have faced over the last year, the sector’s priorities for the new Labour government, the role of local government, views on the Procurement Act and the government’s New Deal for Working People.

Based on a quarterly survey of our members, the latest Insight Paper on our Social Enterprise Knowledge Centre explores the sector's policy priorities for the new government. It also looks in more depth into social enterprises as employers and how they feel about the key policy proposals contained within the Labour government's ‘New Deal for Working People'. Other areas covered in this report include social enterprises' views on tax for public services and on business rates.

This paper, published in partnership with the Living Wage Foundation, delves into the quality of employment created by social enterprises compared to the wider business community. From recruitment to paying the Real Living Wage (RLW) – the report takes a comprehensive look at just why social enterprises represent business at its best when it comes to work, finding that social enterprise employers are more likely to pay better, offer training, involve employees in organisational decision-making, and retain staff.