Investing in communities, investing in social outcomes A conference on Social Investment Thursday, 1st December 2011, York Racecourse
Is your organisation keen to drive positive social change in your local community? Are you eager to develop or extend your social enterprise activity to meet local community needs? With the current policy landscape aspiring to reshape relationships between the citizen and the state, housing organisations are uniquely placed to deliver on agendas for empowering communities, encouraging Supported social by: action, social enterprise and delivering public services in different ways. Our social investment conference: Investing in communities, investing in social outcomes will explore some of the key issues that housing providers are grappling with. Building on the sectors traditional approach of delivering a wide range of services in communities which they work; in addition to the provision of core housing services, this conference will explore what housing organisations are doing to invest in improving social outcomes, encourage social enterprise and deliver a wider range of local public services. Focusing on key policy and approaches that work, the programme will concentrate on: Investment, finance and funding New agendas and the role of housing in social enterprise growth Examples of success – what housing organisations can do to invest in positive social outcomes, including encouraging enterprise and employability The Work Programme – opportunities for the housing sector By attending the conference you will: Hear about the role of social investment banking in the Big Society Find out about what investors are looking for in investing in social impact enterprises, and how to take the next steps to scale- up your activities Look at new ways of funding your social enterprise activity Understand how to drive social outcomes through the procurement process Understand how financial inclusion and affordable credit initiatives can support enterprise and business growth Hear about examples of models of delivery that deliver social outcomes Hear about why mutualisation is an attractive model, what can we learn from successful mutual’s? Find out about working in partnership to deliver positive social outcomes Learn about the importance of managing complex new partnerships and skill requirements Hear about the Northern Economic Futures Commission Find out about strategies for growing social enterprise activity Learn how to identify new markets, new opportunities and manage the risks
Who should attend? Chief Executives, Directors and Heads of Service in housing management, business development, resources, neighbourhood and community services, regeneration, procurement and asset management will find this conference of interest, as well as board members, local Councillors and tenant panel representatives.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Delegates will be able to record 4 Continuing Professional Development hours for attending this workshop.
Programme 10.15
Chair’s introduction and welcome Bob Taylor, Chief Executive, Knowsley Housing Trust/First Ark
10.20
Investing in social change Geoff Burnand, Chief Investment Officer, The Charity Bank Limited The landscape for social and ethical investments has developed significantly in recent years and, in the current environment, interest in and opportunity for, investing in activity that yields positive social outcomes has never been greater. Drawing on the Charity Bank experience of investing in social enterprise activity in the housing sector, Geoff will: Discuss the role of social investment banking in the Big Society Highlight the advantages of ethical social investment finance Discuss working in partnership with housing providers: experience of social investment banking that works Discuss why the housing sector is well placed to take advantage of social finance opportunities
11.00
The Work Programme With the Government’s flagship welfare to work scheme now up and running, our speakers will explore issues of interest to the housing sector.
a)
Work programme delivery
b)
Opportunities for the housing sector
TBC, DWP Work Programme - Live running Team Leader, Department for Work and Pensions Employability and worklessness policy context Work programme delivery and targets The role of prime contractors in work programme delivery and opportunities for partnership working
Michelle Manson, Managing Director, BEST Ltd (Work Programme Prime – West Yorkshire) Exploring potential for housing providers to jointly develop schemes with work programme prime contractors to get people into work, this session will cover: Work programme prime contractors: our role and how we will deliver How can housing providers play a role in moving work programme customers/tenants into sustainable work Links to social enterprises, with reference to early initiatives in West Yorkshire
11.50
Refreshments
12.10
Professional practice sessions 1. Creating a successful social enterprise Deborah Elgar, Development Manager Social Enterprise, Trafford Housing Trust Cleanstart is a social enterprise that employs prolific and other priority offenders on a six month contract helping to move them on into permanent employment. The initiative has operated as a successful business for 3 years and has seen 13 out of 27 people secure permanent employment as well as generating ÂŁ3 million in savings to the tax payer. This session will explain: How to turn a social enterprise into a business How to change prolific offenders into successful employees How to create a partnership to support a social enterprise
2. Financial independence – an opportunity to improve quality of life Graeme Oram, Chief Executive, Five Lamps Housing organisations are well placed to offer help to tenants and residents who may struggle with financial independence. Whether it is finding the cash they need to pay household bills or raise money to start a small business activity, raising finance without recourse to loan sharks can prove difficult for some. Five Lamps, a social enterprise operating in Teesside in the North East, is a community development finance institution that provides this help. With case study examples this session will explain: The importance of addressing the barriers to financial independence The importance of partnership working with housing organisations, to find those who can benefit Promoting affordable credit Helping to tackle fuel poverty Finance options and key issues
3. A strategic approach – developing local partnerships Louise Harris, Head of Social Responsibility, Knowsley Housing Trust/First Ark In the current economic environment it is more important than ever that local partnership working establishes the right climate for the development of social enterprises. With examples of successful partnerships that have delivered outcomes for First Ark (Knowsley Housing Trust) and its partners, this session will explore: Sharing knowledge and resources - how First Ark works in partnership to achieve more The development of a unit for social enterprise in the borough Experience of attracting new social enterprises to the borough Outcomes achieved from our partnerships How partnership models can be adapted and developed
4. Mutualisation: benefits for the housing sector David Hall, Sector Group, Rochdale Boroughwide Homes Nigel Tooby, Sector Group, Rochdale Boroughwide Homes A growing number of housing organisations are considering the benefits that mutualisation could bring for their organisations, staff and tenants. With reference to
the Mutual’s Pathfinder Programme and specifically work being done by Rochdale Boroughwide Homes to become a mutual organisation, this session will explore: The advantages of co-ownership as a governance model, and key issues to consider Potential for business development, including efficiencies and incentives How mutual’s could deliver services that are more responsive to local community needs
1.10
Lunch
2.00
Professional practice sessions 5. Achieving social outcomes through procurement Dave Neilson, Fusion 21 Procurement processes provide significant opportunities for driving positive social outcomes. With considerable experience in public sector procurement and across a wide range of social enterprise, housing and construction businesses, Fusion 21 has achieved national recognition for its approach. Drawing on examples of work from the housing sector to procure services in a socially responsible fashion and yield positive social outcomes, this session will cover: The importance of social responsibility in procurement How to design a procurement process that create employment and training opportunities and involves tenants as well as yielding efficiencies How better coordinated buying of both supplies and contractors services can save your organisation money
6. Looking long term – an approach to achieve a long term sustainable social enterprise model Jean Thompson, Supporting Communities Manager, Together Housing Glen Finch, Head of Community Regeneration, Together Housing Drawing on experience from a number of social enterprise initiatives, including Active Enterprise, which has established two social enterprises and helped over 300 young people through work placements and apprenticeships, this session will: Explain the model that increases employability by providing experience of a real working environment Outline how the social enterprises were established and the challenge of developing a sustainable business model Explain why and how to find mainstream funding to support social enterprise activity
7. Promoting positive social outcomes through access to IT Lisa Duffy, Community Investment manager, Guinness Northern Counties Effectively signposting our customers to access IT based services can help support them by reducing isolation, promoting digital inclusion, helping them to learn new skills and tackle worklessness and financial inclusion. With reference to a range of IT initiatives this session will cover: Introducing information technology to older tenants How to develop IT clubs and how they can reach out to customers and change lives How to communicate important issues such as benefit changes
8. Mutualisation: benefits for the housing sector David Hall, Sector Group, Rochdale Boroughwide Homes Nigel Tooby, Sector Group, Rochdale Boroughwide Homes A growing number of housing organisations are considering the benefits that mutualisation could bring for their organisations, staff and tenants. With reference to the Mutual’s Pathfinder Programme and specifically work being done by Rochdale Boroughwide Homes to become a mutual organisation, this session will explore: The advantages of co-ownership as a governance model, and key issues to consider Potential for business development, including efficiencies and incentives How mutual’s could deliver services that are more responsive to local community needs
2.50
Promoting economic growth in the North: investing in social enterprise and the role of housing Katie Schmuecker, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Public Policy Research (North) The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) is the UK’s leading progressive thinktank. IPPR North, based in Newcastle and Manchester, is the dedicated think-tank for the North of England and specialises in regional economics, localism and community policy. In this session, Katie will explore: Current policy landscape to reshape relationships between the citizen and the state and new opportunities for different models of service delivery Policy for economic growth in the North and the role of social enterprise (to cover the role of LEPs) Promoting social enterprise growth – the role of housing Northern Economic Futures Commission
3.25
Housing organisations as agents for change in the Big Society Bob Taylor, Chief Executive, Knowsley Housing Trust/First Ark What does the Big Society challenge housing organisations to do? How should housing organisations respond in relation to social investment and social enterprise? This session will explore: Innovation in developing new services and delivery models and re-shaping our services Local outcomes – how to balance efficiencies with delivering what communities need What governance arrangements do we need Working in partnership How can we fund what we are going to do Our role in influencing the local economy
3.55
Chair’s closing remarks
4.00
Close of conference
Investing in communities, investing in social outcomes A conference on social investment Thursday, 1st December 2011, York Racecourse
Delegate fees
Early booking discount: book before 3rd November 2011
Northern Housing Consortium Member
£199
£179
Non Member
£249
£229 All delegate fees are shown excluding VAT.
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0191 566 1000 Please note any telephone reservations are made on a provisional basis and must be confirmed in writing within 2 working days.
Contact us For further information or if you have a query please contact a member of the events team: Telephone: 0191 566 1000 Email: events@northern-consortium.org.uk
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