Sue Baines, Mike Bull, Madeleine Jarvis, Val Antcliff and Lynn Martin

The Centre for EnterpriseManchester Metropolitan University Business School

Small is beautiful? Evidencing the impact of micro-providers of care

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ESRC Third Sector Placement

“We focus on the gifts and assets of people and communities to help stimulate and deliver ent“Focus on

Community Catalysts CIC works with local authorities to support ‘micro-providers’ of social care

Small scale (<5 workers)Many (not all) run by family

carers or people themselves needing care.

CC claim that micro-providers extend choice, enhance market diversity and facilitate social participation.

How can such claims be substantiated?

“Focus on the gifts and assets of people and communities to help

stimulate and deliver enterprise”

Evidencing value

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Many ‘Prove and improve’ tools aimed at charities and social enterprises. Using them makes demands on time skills and money.

Information perceived as a burden on the frontlineIn common with many orgs. CC has limited capacity or

willingness to collate information‘Failure to understand the relationships and values

that organisations, managers, practitioners and citizens have and potentially have with and put within information.’ (Wilson et al, 2011: 298)

Care provision Information

‘Professional gift model’ – control and dependence

Rules plus social cohesion

Individual choice

Self-management and mutuality

Sense only in hindsight

Universal, comparable, national indicatorsIncentives, price

Localised, entangled

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Attitudes and beliefs

Action Research

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Researchers and practitioners working towards useful outcomes and new understanding.

Participated in meetings both physical and virtual convened by the partners for their workers, associates and clientele.

Set up meetings (face to face and telephone) with the partner

Discuss information collection practices and skills Workshop for local authorities, the third sector and

universities with an interest in social value and challenges of evidencing it.

Towards a Social Audit Approach

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CC goals & values:1.Local support for MPs2.Real choice of quality services3. Promote value of these services at all levels

StakeholdersMPsLAsCC coordinatorsService UsersCommunity

Data collection:Engage with stakeholdersDevelop indicatorsIdentify data collection processes

ReflectReview indicators &processesEmbed good practice

Evidence framework

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‘Diverse markets’ evidenced by the range of different new services offered and client groups supported

‘Sustainable business’ evidenced mainly by charging criteria

Employment generation – evidenced by numbers of full and part-time workers

Social participation - evidenced by volunteer involvement and network activity.