Social Firms in Each Country

Social firms in other European countries:
the experience of the UK, Finland and Greece
Phillida Purvis Links Japan

Support of the European Union through the European Social Fund

10% of the EU budget between 1994 and 1995 disbursed through ESF, in a range of different programmes 'to improve the prospects of those who face the greatest obstacles in finding, keeping or regaining work'.

Benefits from Europe-wide cooperation

• Mutual learning
• Identifying and highlighting good practice
• Exploring and spreading innovative business ideas
• Joint lobbying
• Joint studies and products
• Practical new networks

UK

• New government initiatives to lessen welfare dependency and encourage enterprise
• Strong support by government of social enterprise sector through the Office of the Third Sector
• 50 social firms and 70 emerging social firms generating 1,550 jobs of which 55% are held by disabled people. These social firms are mainly involved in the following businesses: Travel agency; Printing/print finishing; Mobile cleaning; Guesthouse; Health food retail outlet; Contract gardening service; Graphic Design service and Catering
• Enterprise, Employment, Empowerment

Description of Social Firms

• A Social Firm is a type of social enterprise which is a trading organisation that has social as well as beconomic goals. There are different legal forms in the UK such as Community Interest Corporations, Community Enterprises, Credit Unions, Housing Co-Operatives as well as Social Firms.
• Social Firms are one of a variety of types of employment initiatives for people with disabilities, others include supported employment, vocational training and sheltered work. Each service and model has its as its own appropriate circumstances, each has its unique features and advantages but the expansion of the Social Firm sector has broadened ened the choice and options available.
• They are sustainable business supplying a quality service/product; establishing them usually involves risk-taking and a longterm commitment (3-5 years start up is typical); the work environment is always high quality and supportive, but there is no care delivery; they do not suit everyone; they are costly (in time & energy as well as money); they are models of best employment practice, with all employees receiving a proper wage for a proper job, and part of a spectrum of other training and employment-related services; they provide opportunities to maximise the potential of individuals involved.

• Their features are: they tend to be small organisations; they have niche markets-products or contracts; they need ongoing support in early years; they make use of external expertise (business and product); they are initially led by a social entrepreneur and are external from the parent organisation.
• Social firms will not create a large number of jobs in a short space of time; they are not easy; they are not a quick fix for all problems; they are not a training project or sheltered workshop and they are not cheap day care for disabled people.

Social Firms UK

• Social Firms UK was formed in 1999 as the national umbrella organisation. They established the criteria for social firms that 25％ of employees are disabled people (includes those disadvantaged by mental health problems) and that 50％ of income of the business comes from sales. They also support 'emerging' social firms, that is appropriate enterprises which are developing their businesses.
• Social Firms UK also produces many valuable tools for the social firm sector: guides to starting up social firms, Business Plan guides, employment plan and staff job description templates, training manuals, sample licencing agreements, branding, internet marketing, case studies of different types of social firms and organisational structure options; assessment and evaluation tools, such as the Values Based Checklist, including a Performance dashboard and resources for other bodies, such as public authorities on employment of people with disability.
• Social Firms UK also lobbies for its members to access reserved contracts and enables members to register and receive notification of local procurement contract opportunities, below a value of ￡ 100k.
• It is also working on a standard for the sector to provide reassurance on social impact.
• It is developing a Social Firms Award, working from a pilot of 10 social firms who have already been awarded, on the basis of their performance as genuine social firms, with viable businesses and sound commercial and quality focus, and also as good employers with high values positively impacting the community and raising the profile of social firms.
• They are also working with some of their members to promote their products and services with potential new social firms and licencees or franchisees all around the country.
• Pack-IT Product Promotions Ltd, a Social Firm and a community business, was established in 1988 in order to provide training opportunities and permanent paid employment for people with learning disabilities.
• Warehousing & Stock Management
• Fulfilment & Handling
• Despatch & Postage Methods
• Mailsort Services

Finland

• 71 social firms employing 400 people of whom half disadvantaged.
• Social Enterprise Act of 1 January 2004 established social firms as new legal entities
• Currently being amended as subsidies insufficient

Examples in Finland

• ELWARE - Social Firms in the Field of Electronic Waste Recycling, European cooperation through transnational partnerships SENECA (Social Economy Network for Environmental Cooperation Activities) and Mind the Gap and including projects from Finland, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany and the Netherlands
• HOT project provision of services to support the independent living of elderly people - Italy, Scotland and Poland international partners, coordinated by STAKES
• Vates Foundation
• Social Firms Network

Greece

• Concept of social economy not well understood or supported
• Exception is social cooperatives (KOISPE) for employing people with mental health problems under 1999 National Law for Social Cooperatives
• 12 Social Cooperatives (KOISPE) now established
• 35％ of employees have mental health problems and up to 45％ must be mental health workers (paid for by government).

Examples in Greece

• Leros KOISPE - employes 54 people, 32 with mental illness - Horticulture, bakery, honey manufacture and sales, partridge hatchery
• Athens, Ev An (Good Life) 41 members, 24 with mental illness, furniture making, carpet weaving, coffee shop, gym, library
• Corfu, grounds maintenance contract, 10 mental health patient employees
• Support and networking agency established in 2003