BSSEC » Social enterprise policy

What’s in and what’s out? Counting social enterprise in the UK

July 23, 2013

In just the past couple of months four extremely important social enterprise-related reports have been published. Anyone wanting seriously up-to-date UK facts and figures for the social enterprise sector needs to have a look at least at the exec summaries of these reports. But there

Continue Reading →

Organise, mobilise — social enterprise sector flexes its political muscles

June 25, 2013

Well, this seems to be encouraging news. Third Sector has just announced that Social Enterprise UK, along with fourteen other social enterprise organisations, is forming an alliance to operate between now and polling day 2015 to “radically affect” party policies. Read mor

Continue Reading →

Will govt proposal on tax relief for investors in social enterprise create first legal definition of social enterprise?

June 07, 2013

The government has just launched a consultation exercise on the setting up of a new tax relief scheme for private investment in social enterprise. If adopted, the scheme would become operational from 2014. Further information here. The consultation document here. The consultation is

Continue Reading →

New briefing paper on the Localism Act

May 30, 2013

We have just completed the fourth in a series of briefing papers on key policy issues that are of particular relevance to social enterprises and voluntary and community groups. The latest paper, produced by Tony Clabby of The Digbeth Trust is The Localism Act 2011: A guide for social

Continue Reading →

SEUK launches new badge for social enterprises and supporters

January 10, 2013

Social Enterprise UK has just announced that in response to demand from both its members and supporters of the social enterprise movement it has introduced a new badge that will enable social enterprises to identify themselves to customers and other stakeholders in a consistent way. T

Continue Reading →

Do you work in housing support, social care, or with vulnerable clients? Do you use social media?

January 03, 2013

Then you might be interested in this. Support Solutions in conjunction with its sister company, Media Bubble, is undertaking research into the extent and nature of social media usage within the housing support & social care sectors. The outcomes of this research will be shared wit

Continue Reading →

What can be done about the ‘shadow state’?

December 05, 2012

Further to this post on SEUK’s recent report, The Shadow State, there is an interesting article in the New Statesman online, in which journalist Alan White makes the case for buying local, buying social value, and buying social enterprise. It’s heartening to see the social

Continue Reading →

Outsourcing public services is creating ‘a shadow state’

December 03, 2012

The Shadow State, a report published today by Social Enterprise UK, says a ‘shadow state’ is emerging in which a small number of large companies providing outsourced public services are becoming too big or complex to fail, with serious consequences for Britain’s economy and communitie

Continue Reading →

Birmingham City Council consults on new business charter for social responsibility

October 17, 2012

In line with the Leader of the Council’s policy statement of 12th June 2012, Birmingham City Council is developing a new Business Charter for Social Responsibility. This recognises that the council’s procurement spend of over £1bn a year can, if harnessed properly, be a fo

Continue Reading →

#notinourname?

September 05, 2012

Recently, SEUK launched the #notinourname campaign to prevent software company Salesforce trademarking the term ‘social enterprise’. Salesforce wanted to use the term to identify businesses that use its social media software services and thus become “social” en

Continue Reading →

Co-operativesUK is commissioning major research to reassess the business advice needs of co-ops

July 16, 2012

In 2010 Co-operativesUK published a ‘call to action’ for co-operative supporters. The report puts a particular emphasis on making the case for the co-operative option in the context of coalition government policy. It has also published a briefing note on co-operatives for

Continue Reading →

Cabinet Office is considering two new funds to support social enterprise

July 13, 2012

I’m late in getting round to this but better late than never… According to recent coverage in Third Sector Online, the Cabinet Office has just (July 2012) published Growing the Social Investment Market: Progress Update. This new report includes details of plans to establis

Continue Reading →

Task force reviews progress towards ‘public service mutuals’

June 26, 2012

The independent Mutual Task Force which is advising government on its plans for wider mutualisation of public services, especially in health, probation services, education, and social care has just published its latest report. This makes the case for public service mutuals based on ev

Continue Reading →

Canal & River Trust set to become 13th biggest UK charity

June 19, 2012

There’s an interesting item in Third Sector Online today about the ‘mutualisation’ of British Waterways as a new charity, the Canal & River Trust. I think this rather than quasi-privatised hospitals is probably what most of us had in mind when first the governmen

Continue Reading →

Independent audit concludes ‘big society’ could become an initiative for the ‘leafy suburbs’

May 08, 2012

A new report concludes that the coalition’s flagship ‘big society’ policy continues to be of genuine public interest but that a clear vision and strategy for its implementation are still lacking. The report — the first attempt to ‘audit’ the first t

Continue Reading →

Civil service pensions admin company becomes “joint venture mutual”

February 03, 2012

An announcement by the Cabinet office — dating back to last April — has just been brought to my attention (thanks to Chris Newis at BDRC). Apparently, My Civil Service Pension (MyCSP) is the first central government department to be spun-out as a mutual joint venture. The

Continue Reading →

Hey, tweeters — help Nick Hurd out

January 31, 2012

I’ve just noticed (from Pauline Roche’s LinkedIn feed) that civil society minister Nick Hurd is tweeting about SE business support. He wants to hear from “people who know what they’re talking about”. He asks (amongst other things): What would a really eff

Continue Reading →

PM announces new Co-operatives Act

January 19, 2012

In this, the UN International Year of Co-operatives, it is fitting — but frankly unexpected — that David Cameron should take the occasion of his speech today on “moral capitalism” to announce a new Co-operatives Act which will streamline the existing seventeen

Continue Reading →

Care sector leaders call for overhaul of failing social care system

January 03, 2012

Further to this post, leaders from across the care sector have published an open letter in today’s Daily Telegraph calling on all political parties to work together to find a long-term solution to the funding and delivery of elderly care. The government plans a white paper on so

Continue Reading →

MPs call for government to create a ‘big society minister’

December 16, 2011

There was very good coverage in the Guardian on Wednesday 14th December of the Public Administration Select Committee’s (PASC) report on the government’s progress in implementing ‘big society’ policies. Despite four ‘big society’ relaunches (and cou

Continue Reading →

12 3 4

BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL SOCIAL ECONOMY CONSORTIUM C.I.C., trading as BSSEC. A community interest company registered in England and Wales with company no. 07992674. Registered office: c/o Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP, 134 Edmund Street, Birmingham B3 2ES | All rights reserved | Copyright 2013-BSSEC | Created by Citizen Click