Care Co-operatives Community Development Service (Care Co-ops) is a social enterprise based in Brighton, East Sussex. The organisation is passionate about improving the lives of local people and reducing social exclusion. Established in 1988, Care Co-ops now operates as a ‘Community Interest Company’ and has built up a strong reputation for delivering high quality user-focused services whilst developing effective partnerships across the public, private and community and voluntary sector.

The organisation’s overall mission is to “Enhance individual abilities and potential by facilitating personal decision making and building a sense of self-responsibility and empowerment”. It focuses on the most disadvantaged in the community, in particular people with learning disabilities and mental health support needs, offering meaningful occupation and choices through a range of information, advice, training and support services.

Empowerment of its service users is enhanced through engagement in the organisation’s decision making process and the commissioning of services that they use. The organisation strongly promotes anti-discriminatory practice in all aspects of its work, is passionate about social enterprise as a way of reducing social exclusion and increasing social, economic and environmental impact for the benefit of the local community.

We offer a wide range of services to support people to set-up social enterprises, in particular those from disadvantaged groups, as well as ongoing support to develop the social business, in partnership with a wide range of organisations across the City.  We aim to reduce health and social inequalities by delivering a number of integrated support services, and we do this through a number of key services:

Support to individuals and groups with mental health support needs who are interested in setting up a social enterprise or interested in volunteering or working in the sector.

‘Limited Editions’ is a mental health recovery service that offers wellbeing support whilst providing a work environment enabling people to pick up new skills and experiences. The service offers a range of activities focussing on enhancing peoples creative and business ability; the main activities are woodwork, metal work, art and design. The service is operated using a social enterprise model; goods and services are sold to the general public to create revenue for the service which is then ploughed back in to develop the service further. As well as developing group enterprise, support is also available to develop an individual’s social enterprise ideas into a viable and sustainable business.

The project supports and empowers people to gain more access, choice and control over the activities that shape their daily lives, providing clear pathways to develop their work aspirations into reality. This enables people to make a significant contribution to society, whilst improving their own sense of achievement and self-worth. Many work skills and experiences are transferrable, often leading to greater confidence and independence in people's personal lives. Paid employment should improve a person's financial situation and therefore, enable them to further pursue hobbies and interests.

The project links with a range of strategies, including:

• Valuing Employment Now,
•  Brighton and Hove Working Age Mental Health Vocational Strategy
• City Employment and Skills Plan

The project outcomes include:

• Increase social inclusion by improving choice and access to specialist and mainstream services and opportunities, which also reduces inequalities in service provision.

• Improve social cohesion by positively raising awareness of the client groups with local organisations and services and encouraging mainstream services to become more accessible, addressing stereotyping and false assumptions.

• Develop more diverse workforces, reflective of and responsive to the local community in which the employers are based.

For further information of this good practice example of social enterprise contact Neil Homes Director of Care Co-ops neil.holmes@careco-ops.org.uk