Summary
To work effectively with social enterprises, you need to understand how the social enterprise sector works. This is important whether you are a general business adviser who is working with social enterprises or whether you are a specialist social enterprise adviser. It will also apply whether you are working with social enterprises at the concept stage, at start up or once established. You particularly need to understand:
- the values that social enterprise is built on and how this affects their working arrangements;
- the types of organisational structure that social enterprises normally follow; and
- the typical social, financial and developmental issues social enterprises face and the availability of support services to address these issues.
Helping your social enterprise clients to work within their structures and constraints and overcome the key issues they are facing will significantly affect the quality of advice that you give them.
What you need to show
You must make sure that your practice meets the following requirements.
a Apply your knowledge about social enterprise when working with your social enterprise clients.
b Keep your knowledge about social enterprise up-to-date.
What you need to know and understand
You need to know, understand and be able to apply each of the following.
Social Enterprise
1. The meaning of the term ‘social enterprise’ when used by the Government and other agencies that promote social enterprise.
2. The values of social enterprise.
3. What circumstances may lead to a social enterprise being started.
4. The similarities and differences between social enterprises and other organisations including:
- private businesses;
- charities;
- voluntary organisations; and
- community groups.
5. The similarities and differences between different types of social enterprise including:
- social objectives;
- management and ownership structures; and
- who is involved with making decisions.
6. How to link social objectives to commercial objectives and include them in a business plan.
7. The legal formats and structures that social enterprises use.
8. What start-up capital is available for social enterprises.
9. How trade income in social enterprises is handled and the issues involved in mixing trade income with grants, donations, volunteers and so on.
10. What specialist support is available for social enterprises locally, regionally and nationally, and how this specialist support links together.
Improving your performance
11. Where to access information about social enterprise.
12. How to find out about changes in the social enterprise sector.
Personal behaviours
You need to be able to:
13. develop self to improve performance. IiP7.2