Social Firms UK

  Acas has launched its first guide to tackle the last taboo in business - mental illness at work. Are you unsure how to handle this situation in your workplace?

You won’t be alone as it’s a fast-growing problem, particularly with workers becoming increasingly concerned about their futures in the economic downturn. Costs to employers in London are an estimated £707million every year in lost production and replacing staff who leave because of mental ill-health. Costs to Britain are around £30 billion.

Mental health experts say that at any one time one worker in six will be experiencing depression, anxiety or stress problems. That works out at around 683,333 of the estimated 4.1 million employees in London.

But they calculate that employers in the area should be able to cut the cost by about a third by improving their management of mental health at work.

 Following the launch of NOMS CFO programme, ‘More than the Sum’, a consortia-building fund aimed at helping small and medium sized enterprises in England be in a position to participate in the delivery of future contracts, another round of support events have now been announced.

These follow up events are highly recommended – even if you were unable to attend the original launch.

More information on the events will be released by NOMS shortly, in the meantime please save the date for your region:

 Acas has launched its first guide to tackle the last taboo in business - mental illness at work. Are you unsure how to handle this situation in your workplace?

You won’t be alone as it’s a fast-growing problem, particularly with workers becoming increasingly concerned about their futures in the economic downturn. Costs to employers in London are an estimated £707million every year in lost production and replacing staff who leave because of mental ill-health. Costs to Britain are around £30 billion.

Mental health experts say that at any one time one worker in six will be experiencing depression, anxiety or stress problems. That works out at around 683,333 of the estimated 4.1 million employees in London.

But they calculate that employers in the area should be able to cut the cost by about a third by improving their management of mental health at work.

 Acas has launched its first guide to tackle the last taboo in business - mental illness at work. Are you unsure how to handle this situation in your workplace?

You won’t be alone as it’s a fast-growing problem, particularly with workers becoming increasingly concerned about their futures in the economic downturn. Costs to employers in London are an estimated £707million every year in lost production and replacing staff who leave because of mental ill-health. Costs to Britain are around £30 billion.

Mental health experts say that at any one time one worker in six will be experiencing depression, anxiety or stress problems. That works out at around 683,333 of the estimated 4.1 million employees in London.

But they calculate that employers in the area should be able to cut the cost by about a third by improving their management of mental health at work.

This crucial event brings together Central Government departments and pioneering frontline practitioners at the cutting edge of designing, delivering and piloting the new system of outcome-based commissioning set to transform the way the public sector deliver services.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from local areas already trialling new financial incentive models including Social Impact Bonds, Payment by Results contracts, the Innovation Fund and Community Budgets.

Attend to learn how driving forward Payment by Results initiatives is vital to deliver innovative solutions to social and environmental issues and significantly reduce costs to the public purse.

Award winning No Offence! CIC and Greater Manchester Police are working in partnership to bring you an event which will showcase successful community interventions but we will also be asking the questions, What else needs to be done? How can we inspire our communities to engage with us, take responsibility and work alongside us to provide innovative solutions which will reduce crime, lower reoffending rates and make our communities safer? A tough dilemma!

The 'Inspiring Communities' Conference will be hosted by Kate Macdonald, Chief Executive of Young Peoples' Support Foundation, taking place on the 31st May 2012 at the Greater Manchester Police Training Centre, Sedgley Park Centre in Manchester.

 A European Spring? Shape the European Social Innovation and Social Business agenda

OCS Strategic Partners- Event 3 Europe House, 32 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3EU

Date: 15th March 2012

The launch of the social innovation agenda in 2010 started a new era in the European Union, putting civil society in the driving seat of social and economic development. The Social Business Initiative reinforces Brussels’ commitment to this new agenda.

To tackle today’s problems we have to think differently. Europe’s Social Business Initiative looks to civil society for solutions.

This event will explore new opportunities for civil society organisations and social enterprises in the UK to engage with the European agenda to foster an enabling environment for the sector. This is your opportunity to take part and define the priorities for British civil society.

Responsible Business 2012 is a two-day, not-for-profit event developed through a strategic partnership between UBM and Business in the Community (BITC) consisting of the Responsible Business Exhibition and the BITC Responsible Business Convention.

Social Firms UK will be on stand 42.

 A half day seminar exploring the precedent and potential for social enterprise run dental services

Summary The provision of frontlinedental services by charities and social enterprises is relatively underexplored in the UK. The SCA Group is one of a small number of existing social enterprises that have expanded into the provision of NHS dental services.

Social enterprise with teeth will explore how social enterprise and other civil society organisations can create and sustain effective dental practices. It will focus on the frontline experience of the SCA Group, which has opened six NHS dental practices in identified areas of high dental need within the last five years. It will also feature high level presentations from Hempsons, one of the leading providers of legal services to existing and emerging dental social enterprises in the UK.