The social enterprise model offers a number of advantages for the delivery of health and care services. Social enterprises are uniquely placed to involve both patients and staff in designing and delivering services, improving quality, and tailoring services to meet patients' needs.

The current changes to the health and care sector present a number of opportunities and challenges for social enterprises operating in the health and care markets.

The Government has committed to an ongoing process of modernisation and reform. It aims to deliver customer-focused services that are increasingly personalised and offer more choices, while driving up standards and quality.

The Darzi review included concrete commitments for social enterprise. These comprise measures to enable front-line staff working in community health services to set up their own social enterprises and a commitment to working with social enterprises.

We are working with the Department of Health (DoH), Strategic Health Authorities, NHS trusts, and local authorities to capitalise on these opportunities and to ensure a greater role for social enterprise in the delivery of health and social care services.

Delivering Change: Social Enterprise Health and Social Care Conference November 2008

The Coalition hosted a one day conference on November 4, to explore what the opportunities and challenges the recent changes in health policy mean for social enterprise.  It provided an overview of the government's vision for the role of social enterprise in transforming health and social care in England. A report from the conference and the presentations can be found here.

Consultations:

DoH consultation on the Health and Well-being Commissioning Framework (May 2007)

Position papers and publications:

Healthy Business: a guide to social enterprise in health and social care. For further details

Social Enterprise Making a Difference: a guide to the Right to Request