Social Firms UK

 The main point to make is that this depends on the process the contracting authority has followed, in particular:

The Visit Programme

These enquiries are currently not very common as:

• Social Firms UK offers consultancy services to organisations from the social enterprise and Social Firm sectors.
• SETAS - A register of consultants for the social enterprise sector can be found at: the Social Enterprise Training website. If we are working actively with members to help them develop their Social Firms, we often call on the services of experts that we know of in the sector that are specialists in their field also.

For reasonable insurance quotes, try CIS (Co-operative Insurance Services). Alternatively MIND have a factsheet with information regarding personal insurance. Unfortunately they do not hold specific information on companies that provide insurance to a company employing people with mental health issues. However they recommend it may be worth contacting the organisations listed in the referral section of the factsheet.

In terms of externalising work projects or Social Firms from public authority backgrounds, there aren’t many examples yet of this happening.  The following reports may be of interest:

Visit these sections of this website for advice on how to find:

• business support (including training and financial support)
• consultancy support
• links to useful external websites concerned with training and education
• resources on the Resource Centre Library.

The Star Social Firm quality standard

The Star Social Firm is a new quality standard for Social Firms that was launched in early 2008. It is awarded to Social Firms that have proved the quality of their business and the employment they provide for severley disadvantaged people. Star Social Firms are companies that have proved to be thriving, sustainable businesses, where staff say, 'this is a good place to work!'

Social Firms UK has developed a tool called The Social Firm DIY Feasibility Toolkit which has been specifically designed to help groups and individuals to work through the feasibility process for their business ideas. Although designed to assist with Social Firm business idea feasibility, it is appropriate for usage by any type of social enterprise or group wanting to carry out a feasibility study on a particular idea.

Within the Social Firms UK Resource Centre there are several materials and tools, either already produced and available, or being produced, which aim to assist those setting up or running a Social Firm.