Shaw Trust began working with London Borough of Bromley in 2004 to deliver alternatives to day care for adults with learning disabilities by setting up Bromley Social Business.
Shaw Trust's social business provides:
- a positive alternative to closing services
- a progressive, work focused alternative to day care leading to independence and employment for even the most severely challenged day care users
- a financial framework which ensures costs are no more than existing budgets and reducing your local authority's financial obligations within an agreed framework
- an opportunity to devolve responsibility to specialists to help disabled people become more independent
- help and advice about employment barriers and Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) guidelines to manage transition.
And our social business:
- operates in a business-like fashion
- offers a wide range of real work opportunities
- is commercially focused to meet the needs of customers
- is financially sustainable with a proportion of its income coming from the sale of goods and services
- offers opportunities to adults with complex needs
- ensures that disabled employees work alongside non-disabled employees
- develops independence and builds confidence outside of work
- provides opportunities for development into other sustainable employment
- involves people with disabilities in decision making
- has a clear benefit for the local community.
Bromley Council
Bromley Council identified an urgent need to change day care services for people with learning disabilities away from the existing buildings-based large day centre style services. It also recognised the need to increase employment opportunities for people within the service.
After a period of consultation with staff and service users it was obvious that service users wanted a choice. They insisted on being able to work if they wanted to and being paid for the work they did.
Shaw Trust, as experts in this field, has proved the ideal partner in introducing and successfully operating this ground-breaking change of approach.
It was also decided that although traditionally social business initiatives do not support people with complex needs, this would be a feature of Bromley Social Business and is what makes it unique.
There are specific targets within the contract between Bromley Council and Shaw Trust for people with complex needs, not just people with moderate learning disabilities who are already quite independent, but those needing a great deal of support who may have profound physical as well as mental disabilities.
Choice
It provides a choice of work and training activities for service users and a range of options paid employment, permitted work, work tasters, work experience and volunteering.
The approach is based on individual action plans and providing choice for service users. In addition to work experience accredited training is offered including life skills, job coaching, literacy and numeracy. It can also help to gradually move people out of a sheltered environment into open employment.
Bromley Social business currently offers clients employment choices in:
- grounds maintenance
- wood re-cycling
- snack delivery
with other businesses being explored for the future.
Inclusive
It is inclusive, with disabled and non-disabled people working alongside each other. It provides a mixture of work and training activities and a range of
full time and part time options - paid employment, permitted work, work tasters, work experience and volunteering.
Everyone has an individual action plan and, in addition to work opportunities, accredited training is available including life skills, job coaching, literacy
and numeracy. Everything is geared towards helping people become more independent.
All this is achieved within London Borough of Bromley's existing budgets with costs reducing over an agreed timescale.
What the Council says
Sean Connor, Bromley Council's Project Manager for Day Service Modernisation says:
"We are really pleased that people have the opportunity to develop and do real work that makes a difference and they are able to contribute to society through that.
"It is important that that people can feel proud of and get paid for the work they do and this initiative gives them the opportunity to do that. We're very pleased with our partnership with Shaw Trust and look forward to its continued and growing success in the future".
Shaw Trust has produced a summary document with more details about our social business model. If you would like a copy please send and e-mail to info@shaw-trust.org.uk
 Download
Shaw Trust Social Business fact sheet in PDF format* ...242.41 Kb |
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