Social enterprise
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Social enterprise
A social enterprise is a business whose objectives are primarily social, and whose profits are reinvested back into its services or the community. With no financial commitments to shareholders or owners, social enterprises are free to use their surplus income to invest in their operations to make them as efficient and effective as possible
Social enterprises come in many shapes and sizes, from small community-owned village shops to large organisations delivering public services; from individual social entrepreneurs to multi-million pound global organisations. Well known social enterprises include Turning Point, the Eden Project, the Big Issue, and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant.
Social enterprises are distinctive from traditional charities or voluntary organisations in that they generate the majority, if not all, of their income through the trading of goods or services rather than through donations. This gives them a degree of self-reliance and independence which puts them firmly in control of their own activities.
In this section:
What are the advantages of social enterprise?
Advantages for patients and service users, health and social care organisations and the third sector.
Right to provide
The Goverment is committed to giving public sector workers new rights to provide services as employee-owned mutuals and bid to take over the services they deliver. The right to provide builds on the successful right to request scheme in community healthy services.
Social enterprise in the NHS
Right to Request is part of a broader vision for the NHS, which puts quality of care at the heart of everything we do.
Right to Request
An overview of the Right to Request process, including key documents and application guidance.
Social enterprise in action
There are a number of staff-led NHS projects on their way to becoming social enterprises. Find out how they are getting on
Social Enterprise Investment Fund
Find out more about the SEIF
Social Return on Investment
Social enterprises measuring social value
Additional links
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If you would like more information about Right to Request or social enterprises in health and social care, please get in touch by:
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