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Training Gateway

Social Firms UK has consciously chosen to support organisations wanting to set up Social Firms on an informal and case-by-case basis, often through regional partners, and by making development tools available through our comprehensive Resource Centre. There is also considerable overlap with other social enterprise and mainstream business training, which makes the need for an accredited Social Firm training more questionable.

However, in acknowledgement that approximately 80% of what you need to know to set up a Social Firm can be gained from a generic business start-up course (often offered through Business Links or other enterprise support agencies), Social Firms UK has chosen to concentrate on filling the gap of information surrounding the 20% that’s different about Social Firm start-up and management e.g. issues surrounding benefits, legal structures, service level agreements etc.

There are a considerable number of training providers around the UK operating courses on social enterprise start-up, in addition to the many mainstream business support agencies doing their courses on small business start-up. Those that want to set up Social Firms can gain significant information that is generic to all businesses by accessing these courses (Social Firms are a type of social enterprise and they are certainly businesses).

The Social Enterprise Training Consortium holds several databases on their website which may prove useful to those seeking Social Enterprise training courses and materials. Their website also includes the national Consultants Register and Guidance for Using Consultants which Social Firms UK led on within the Social Enterprise Partnership (GB) EQUAL project. Link to www.setas.co.uk to access the database of training providers, funding sources for training, business support providers and consultants - all for the Social Enterprise sector.

There are also new National Occupational Standards that have been developed for the following target markets:
a) Social Enterprise Managers
b) Business advisers to the Social Enterprise sector.
A new online directory of National Occupational Standards can be found at http://www.ukstandards.org/  The directory contains the recently developed guidelines for social enterprise advisers and managers, as well as the standards for community workers and more.  The Social Enterprise Partnership (GB) has produced a 'Social Enterprise Learning & Training Materials' CD Rom which provides a lot of relevant information.  This CD can be ordered directly from Social Firms UK (http://resources.socialfirms.co.uk/resources.php?cat=6) or from the Social Enterprise Coalition  (http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk).

Training Gateway

 
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