What is the policy/strategy/function/ trying to achieve/do?  

Social Enterprise makes North Lanarkshire a better place to Live, Learn, Work, Invest and Visit.

The framework is an ambitious plan that aims to support the social enterprise sector to become more enterprising, more connected and more sustainable. These improvements will provide support and opportunities to those in the greatest need and facilitate the wider social and environmental changes to improve our communities. Currently our social enterprises and community groups provide an essential safety net and must continue to do so.

Vision

Our vision is for a competitive and dynamic Social Enterprise (SE) sector in North Lanarkshire which supports inclusive and green growth, delivering innovative solutions and proactive responses to local needs, maximising local public and private procurement opportunities.

Achievement of this vision will improve economic opportunities and outcomes, contribute to net zero carbon emissions by 2045 enhance participation, capacity and empowerment across our communities to achieve our shared ambition of a place where:

1. social enterprise is a well-known, understood and respected sector delivering valued services within North Lanarkshire
2. opportunities are developed in partnership with the sector
3. we have a clear understanding of the contribution that social enterprises make to their communities and to the local economy
4. social enterprises are able to make the most of locally important assets, and procurement opportunities and act as a catalyst for wider community regeneration
5. social enterprise development is supported by the council, its partners, the wider community and voluntary sector

Aims 

The key aims of the North Lanarkshire Social Enterprise Framework are to:

• grow social enterprise in North Lanarkshire by stimulating an enterprising Community and Voluntary Sector
• develop stronger social enterprise organisations 
• help the social enterprise sector to respond to market opportunities which support an inclusive and green recovery

This Framework and associated Action Plan seek to support the direction and delivery of Scotland's Social Enterprise Strategy 2016-2026, the Plan for North Lanarkshire and our joint vision for social enterprise clearly setting out the methodology utilised to stimulate, develop and grow the sector in North Lanarkshire. 

The social economy captures the economic activity of the third sector, which embraces voluntary and community organisations, charities, social enterprises, community interest companies and some mutual and co-operatives.

The three key themes that we will focus our resources and collective efforts on are aligned to the Scotland's Social Enterprise Strategy 2016-2026:

1. Stimulating the Sector 

Grow the social enterprise sector in NL by stimulating an enterprising community and voluntary sector

2. Developing Stronger Organisations 

Develop stronger social enterprise organisations

3. Realising Market Opportunities 

Help the social enterprise sector to respond to market opportunities which support an inclusive and green economic recovery.

Social Enterprise and Measuring Success

Social enterprises contribute to the community in several ways: they provide goods and services to local communities and people at their point of need; they underwrite economic development within disadvantaged communities; they create new job opportunities; they directly contribute to addressing in-work poverty and they provide supported employment opportunities for disadvantaged people who are furthest removed from the labour market and have little or no opportunity to finding employment in the market place. 

This framework recognises the importance of collecting data on social enterprise; the need for continuous improvement of local data on the social economy sector; and measurement of the impact of what they do.

Where appropriate, the sector should be included in Local Outcomes Improvements Plans (LOIPs) delivery across each of the 9 Community Boards in North Lanarkshire. This should enable a more efficient monitoring of the impact on public and private sectors, economic growth, labour force mobility and socio-economic inequalities. The sector, with limited resources needs to work with statutory sector partners to improve monitoring and delivering on key themes and priorities set out in The Plan for North Lanarkshire.

Implementation and Measuring Success

Implementation of this Framework will be through the Action Plan developed by the North Lanarkshire Social Enterprise Strategy Group, made up of representatives from: North Lanarkshire Social Enterprise Network, Social Enterprise Network Scotland (SENScot), North Lanarkshire Council, Lanarkshire Business Gateway, Lanarkshire Enterprise Services Limited and Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire. 

Evaluation arrangements will also be put in place to enable assessment of how well the Framework and Action plan have achieved its aims, supported by agreed performance measures. This evaluation will also support learning and continuous improvement. 

Background

The North Lanarkshire Social Enterprise Framework 2022-26 is an updated version of our early 2013-18 Framework informed by review of progress, local needs, The Plan for North Lanarkshire and other local and national developments including:

• Scotland’s official Social Enterprise Census (SEC) 2019
• Scotland's Social Enterprise Strategy 2016-2026 and updated action plan
• Commitment to inclusive and green recovery from the COVID 19 pandemic
• Formation of the North Lanarkshire Social Enterprise Network 

If this is a budget saving, how will the saving be achieved?

The North Lanarkshire Social Enterprise is not identified as a current budget saving, however, by creating synergies, bringing resources, financing and innovative ideas is expected to maximise revenue savings and generate income and capital efficiencies across the Council’s portfolio of assets and services.

If this policy is subject to the FSD what does it suggest about the impact or potential impact on socio-economic disadvantage?

As the North Lanarkshire Social Enterprise Strategy contains a broad range of actions which span across a number of different areas, many of the actions have an indirect impact on socio-economic disadvantage but nonetheless a significant indirect impact through improving people’s life circumstances by stimulating and enterprising community and voluntary sector; developing stronger social enterprise organisations; and helping social enterprises to respond to market opportunities which support and inclusive and green recovery.

Give details of the impact it has on groups and individuals

The North Lanarkshire Social Enterprise Strategic aims have the potential to benefit all North Lanarkshire residents and visitor. Social Enterprises are part of the “social economy” and are very much community led, by people for people, rather than for profit, with a clear and distinct focus on developing activities and services in response to social and environmental need.

By definition social enterprises empower local people to address social needs, strengthen communities, improve people’s life chances and protect the environment.  They aspire to be good employers offering a dignified and fair workplace experience with the aim of paying at least the real living wage.  They are value-based, prioritise social fairness and consider the protection of the planet as a pre-condition. They are also businesses with a clear social or environmental mission that is set out in its governing documents.

The Social Enterprise Strategy Steering group has been developed in consultation with all relevant council services and local partners which contribute to the successful implementation of this strategy.

The partners involved in the Social Enterprise Strategy Steering group include: Volunteer Action North Lanarkshire, Social Enterprise Network Scotland, North Lanarkshire Social Enterprise Network, Elevator/Business Gateway, Lanarkshire Enterprise Services Ltd and SENScot.

In addition, a Social Enterprise survey was administered by the Enterprise Team to invite feedback from Social Enterprises to help inform the development of the North Lanarkshire SE strategy.

Age: Older people would be the beneficiaries of social enterprises. Working age people.

Women and men, girls and boys: Women and older women more likely to access services as they are lower paid, more likely to be living in poverty and therefore supported by SE’s. Men are more likely to set up businesses.

People defined by their race, colour and nationality, ethnic or national origins: support to that group who are affected by poverty and deprivation.

Pregnant women and new mothers (including breastfeeding mothers): More Supported Enterprises set up to support new mums that may be experiencing poverty.

Other Groups: Beneficiaries of social enterprise companies.

What actions/measures will be put in place or are planned to mitigate any adverse impact or promote equality?

We will monitor the impact of equalities and socio-economic disadvantage as part of the North Lanarkshire Social Enterprise strategy.

Consultation will be completed with the NL Social Enterprise Network and Community Boards to provide additional information on how the policy and resulting activity affect those with protected characteristics.

What is the result/recommendations of the EqIA

Introduce the policy.