evaluation of social care ideas factory: wee … of social care ideas factory: wee enterprizers...

EvaluationofSocialCareIdeasFactory:

WeeEnterprizersProjectMarch2017

ClementineHillO’ConnorandJackRendallYunusCentreforSocialBusinessandHealth,GlasgowCaledonian

University

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Contents

Overview...............................................................................................................................................2

Background..........................................................................................................................................4

Startingpoint….....................................................................................................................................5

WhoisinvolvedinWeeEnterprizers?...........................................................................................5

Whatweretheiraimsandaspirations?..........................................................................................5

WherearetheWeeEnterprizersnow?..............................................................................................6

WeeEnterprizershavegrowninconfidence.................................................................................6

WeeEnterprizersarethinkingaboutemploymentdifferently....................................................6

WeeEnterprizershaveplansforbusinesses.................................................................................7

WeeEnterprizershaveanincreasedsocialnetwork....................................................................8

Howdidtheygetthere?.....................................................................................................................10

Trainingandregularmeetings......................................................................................................10

Practicalandfinancialsupport.....................................................................................................10

Innovativeapproachandempoweringethos..............................................................................11

Supportworkerinvolvement........................................................................................................12

WhatchallengesdidtheWeeEnterprizersface?............................................................................14

EarlyStages....................................................................................................................................14

Timescalesanddeadlines..............................................................................................................14

Whathappensnext?...........................................................................................................................16

Developingtheprocessmodel..........................................................................................................16

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Overview

TheWee Enterprizer project was started by Social Care Ideas Factory (SCIF) in 2014 inresponsetoachanginglocalandnationalcontextinwhichtherewasanincreasedneedformore innovative and empowering approaches to supporting peoplewith disabilities. Therationale was to provide a space for people to meet and work collaboratively whilstexploring ‘what more choice and control over how they live their lives’ might mean inpracticethroughthedevelopmentofbusinessskills.Inmanyways,thisapproachfollowsabusinessincubatorformatyettheaimandlevelofsupportprovidedaremarkedlydifferent.It has been important to build collaboration across the health and social care sector,developcapacityinindividualsandpromotetheideathatpeoplewithdisabilitiescan,andshould,haveopportunitiestopursueemployment.Aninitialexploratorypieceofresearchwasconducted toexamine theearlystagesof theWeeEnterprizers ideaanddevelopedaprocessmodelshownbelow:

Keys to Life funding has enabled SCIF to develop theWee Enterprizers idea further andapplytheapproachwithtwonewgroups.Theresearchinthispaperwascommissionedtoreportontheoutcomesof this fundingandtoconsiderhowtheexperiencesof thenewergroupsmighthelptorefinetheinitialprocessmodel.

Overthecourseoftwomonths13interviewswereconducted;9withWeeEnterprizers,1withsupportworkersand3withrepresentativesfromthesupportorganisationsworkingwith the Wee Enterprizers. In several of the interviews with Wee Enterprizers, theirsupport worker was also present and their quotes are included in the report. TheseinterviewsweresupplementedwithnotestakenatWeeEnterprizermeetingsandtrainingsessions and a variety of written documents provided by SCIF that included meetingagendas and notes, powerpoint presentations, completedworksheets and business plansand themonitoring reportsprepared for the funder.The combinationof these sourcesofdata offered an in-depth insight into the Wee Enterprizer groups in Glasgow andMotherwell.

Inputs-Partnerorganisations-Meetings,eventsandworkshops-Spacesandplaces-Serviceusers-PreviousExperiences-SupportWorkers

Processes-CollaborativeWorking-CapacityBuilding-BusinessPlanning

Outcomes-Stepstowardsself-employment-Personalgrowth-Independence

INPUTS OUTCOMESPROCESSES

-Partnerorganisations-Meetings,events and workshops- Spaces and places-Serviceusers-PreviousExperiences-SupportWorkers

-Collaborative Working-CapacityBuilding-BusinessPlanning

- Steps towards self-employment- Personal growth- Independence

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This report tells the story of the Wee Enterprizer experiences in order to answer thequestions:

• How has Social Care Ideas Factory (SCIF) facilitated and implemented the WeeEnterprizersprogramme?

• Howhas the programme created innovative employment opportunities and socialconnectednessforpeoplewithlearningdifficulties?

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BackgroundAfter a successful Wee Enterprizers project in 2014-15 SCIF explored opportunities toexpandthereachoftheprojectwithfundingfromKeystoLife.Buildingontherelationshipsestablished during the first project, SCIF has been able to develop a group incorporatingpeoplefromKeyCommunitySupports,CommunityLifestyles,C-ChangeandFairDeal.KeyCommunity Supportshave taken a strategic role as a stakeholder from thepreviousWeeEnterprizerprojectandacommunitydevelopmentworkerfromtheorganisationhasbeenworkingalongsidetheWeeEnterprizers toprovideday-to-dayassistance for theGlasgowgroupandtheWeeEnterprizersprojectlead.Intheinterview,shedescribedthevarietyofpractical tasks and strategic role she played in the group. For example, helping theWeeEnterprizerstogooutshoppingfortheequipmenttheyneededtoset-uptheirbusinessesaswellashelpingoutduringthemeetingsthemselveswithissuesregardingITsupportfortheWeeEnterprizersandhelpwiththemeetingadministration.

“Allthethingslikebookingroomsandthatsortofthingandhelpingoutwithminutes again…And I think I have almost beena bit of a soundingboard…IthinkI’veverymuchplayedthatroleinthepastfewmonths”

Lucy,Stakeholder

TheWeeEnterprizershavebenefittedfromhavingthisin-depthsupportonapracticallevelas Key Community Supports also provided access to centrally located meeting facilitiesincluding break out rooms and some IT equipment including tablets, PCS, projectors andscreens.

Support forOrdinary Living (SOL) helped to co-ordinate themeetings inMotherwell andprovidedthespaceandsomeadministrationsupport for theWeeEnterprizerswhentheypilotedtheirbusinessidea.DuetoalackofavailablemeetingspaceswithintheSOLofficesSCIFusedsomeofthefundingtopayformeetingspaceinthebuildingsadjacenttotheSOLoffice. Similar to Key Community Support, SOL also had twomembers of staff who havetakenastrategicroleintheprojectandcombinedthatwithsomeoftheday-to-dayrunningofthemeetingswheretheyprovideadministrativeassistance.OneSOLworkerspokeofhertimeassistingintheWeeEnterprizersgroup:

“It's really justgoingalong to themeetingand if there'sanything that'sneedingdoneI'llgoawayanddothat.Likeifweneedtofindthekaraokemachines and that then Iwould go away and research.We've done theflyer todayso I've took that toourdesignpersonsohe'lldoup the flyerandthenI'llgetitanddistributethatoutandthat,justhelpittickalong.”

Amanda,Stakeholder

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Startingpoint…

WhoisinvolvedinWeeEnterprizers?There are two Wee Enterprizer groups that have received support through the fundsaccessed fromKeys to Life. The groups are significantlydifferent in termsof age, typeofdisability,workexperienceandgeographical context.Onewasbased inGlasgow,drawingsupport fromsomeof theorganisations involved in thepreviousWeeEnterprizersgroupand the other based in Motherwell within SOL, an organisation relatively new to thisapproach. We found some differences between the two groups that we reflect onthroughoutthereport.

Manyof theWeeEnterprizers inMotherwellhadrecently leftcollegeandallrequiredthehelpofasupportworkerinordertoattendthemeetings.ThisiscomparedtotheGlasgowgroupwhowereolder,withmoreworkexperience.Themajorityofthisgroupwereabletoattend the group meetings alone. Both of these factors meant that there were differentatmosphereswithineachgroupmeeting,whereactivitieshadtobeadaptedandtailoredtotherequirementsofthegroup.Yet,attheheartoftheWeeEnterprizersmodel,andtheaimof the project in both Glasgow and Motherwell was to enable people to access theinformation,training,networksandresourcesnecessaryinordertobegintoconsiderself-employmentasanoptionforthefuture.

Whatweretheiraimsandaspirations?The Wee Enterprizers involved in the group in Glasgow had previous work experience,whetherthroughothersupportorganisationsorthroughvoluntarywork.Thismeantthattheir aimsandaspirations from the firstmeetingwere todevelop their ideas furtherandbuild on their previous experience. OneWee Enterprizer had accessed some funding forequipment for hisDJ business through aDragon’sDen type scheme but had experiencedsomechangesinhislevelofsupportandtheorganisationthatwassupportinghimandhadnot had the opportunity to pursue the idea further. Another had been working as a carwasherbuthadnotbeenabletobringinenoughcustom;hewaskeentobeinvolvedtogetsupportfordesigningflyersandpurchasingequipment.

TheWeeEnterprizersintheMotherwellgrouphadvariouslevelsofexperience,withtwomemberswhohadworked,orvolunteered, inothersettings.However,mostof thegrouphadrecentlyleftcollegeandsohadmorelimitedexperiencesandnoconcreteplansplansregarding business development. The aspirations were a lot less clear that those in theGlasgowgroupastheydidnotreallyknowwhattoexpect,andwereinitiallymotivatedtogotothemeetingstogetoutofthehouse,andasoneWeeEnterprizerssaid:

“itgivesmesomethingelsetodoinmyweek”

David,WeeEnterprizer

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WherearetheWeeEnterprizersnow?

WeeEnterprizershavegrowninconfidenceCommentsfromsupportworkersandprojectadministratorsreferredtothetransformationofindividualswithinthegroupandtheirconfidence.Atthebeginningoftheproject,someWeeEnterprizerswereunsureofbeingpartofthegroup,andwouldnotspeaktoothers,astheproject continued these individuals havebecomemore comfortablewithin the group.One member, for example, left the first session early as she struggled to cope with thesituationatthetime.However,shereturnedthefollowingweekthankstosupportfromtheorganisationandtheirsupportworkers.Shehasremainedonthecourseandtowardstheendoftheprojectsheco-chairedameetingwithanotherWeeEnterprizer,helpingtoguidethe group through the agenda and confirming theplans for thepilot event inwhich theyheld a bingo and karaoke afternoon. This significant change was reflected upon by astakeholderatSoL:

“[She] has just really come out her shell. Her confidence has reallyimproved,evenjust inotherthingsoutsideWeeEnterprizers;she’smuchmoreassertive,she’smorelikelytoputherviewsacrosswhichshewasn’taswillingtodobefore.”

Amanda,Stakeholder

Morespecificallythisconfidencecameintheformofcommunication,whereindividualsinthegroupcouldspeaktooneanotherabouttheirchallengesandideas.Othersinthegroupwouldthenrespond,withtheconfidencetosuggestthattheywereagainstacertainideaorsupportiveofanothersuggestion.TherewereseveraloccasionswhentheWeeEnterprizerswould receive a tip from another Wee Enterprizer that would specifically help theirbusinesses.

DuringtheobservationsoftheGlasgowgroup,forexample,ChrissuggestedtoanotherWeeEnterprizer that therewas a venue thatwould be suitable for an event hewas planning.They discussed how andwhy this was a good option and then Chris shared the contactdetailsofthepersoninchargeofthevenue.Similarly,intheMotherwellgroup,Danielwasable to give advice to Robert about using a headset microphone for use in his trainingbusiness. Daniel had experience of using this equipment and so was able to discuss thebenefitswithRobertandofferedhimachancetotryitouttoseeifitwasusefulforhim.

WeeEnterprizersarethinkingaboutemploymentdifferentlyTheWee Enterprizers aim to pursue a different approach to helping those experiencingdisadvantageswithinthelabourmarket.Insteadoftrainingthemtoadapttoexistingrolesalready set by the labour market, they seek to show the Wee Enterprizers that self-employment isalsoanoption for them.Thisapproach is something thatnoneof theWeeEnterprizers had been offered in the past. Several participants noted the change inawarenessandmind-setregardingemploymentopportunitiesfrombeingpartofthegroup.DanielforexamplementionedhowtheWeeEnterprizersprojecthadopenednewdoorsforhim.

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TheWeeEnterprizersmetwithGaryHaddenwho startedhis ownbusiness, selling eggs,usingsomeofhisSelf-DirectedSupport(SDS)budget.Hetalkedabouthowhestartedthisbusiness, the challenges he faced in expanding his business and coping with increasingcustomerdemand.Hehighlightedthebenefitsofsocialmediaanditsabilitytoreachouttonew and current customers. Both groups also met with Alexander Warren, who runs abusiness as amotivational speaker andworkshop leader. Supportworkers too noted theimportanceoftheseinteractionsasanattempttochangethemind-setaboutemployment:

“Itopensupavenues.Thingsyouwouldn'tnecessarily lookat.Daring todream…Youdon’teverseekaraokepresenterinthejobcentre.Youmightseebingocaller in the jobcentrebutyouknowwhat Imean,weall justpicksortofofficework,supportworker.Butit is, it'sgoodtobecreativeand go for what you actually want to do. There's nothing wrong withdaringtodream.”

Tom,Supportworker

Visits suchas thesegaveWeeEnterprizersachance tomeetpeople like themselves,withlearningdifficulties,whohadsetup theirownbusinessesandcouldoffermeaningfulandrelevantadviceonpursuingtheirbusinessesandhowtoovercomespecificchallenges.

Anotherperspectiveon thebusinessdevelopmentaspectsof theWeeEnterprizerprojectwas offered by Jane, a woman involved in the previous Wee Enterprizers project. Shecommentedthatbeingpartofthegrouphadwidenedherscopeintermsofwhatshecandowithherexistinghobbiesandskills;shealsomadeclearthatshedidnot thinkshewouldhavethisopportunityelsewhereandthatshewouldnotbeasfaralongwithherbusinessifitwere not for theWee Enterprizers. Her attendance at themeetings in Glasgow helpedinspirethegroupmembers,andallowedthemtoseethesuccessofanotherpersonwhohadstartedatthesamepointasthem.

WeeEnterprizershaveplansforbusinessesPlanning, development andprogressionwereobserved as being cornerstones of theWeeEnterprizers project from the outset. A long-term strategic goal was set for either theindividualinthecaseoftheGlasgowgrouporforthegroupasawhole,aswasthecaseinMotherwell.Theselong-termgoalswerethenbrokendownintoweeklyachievabletargetsthattheWeeEnterprizerswouldthenreportbackonateachmeeting.Thesegoalsincludedactionslikeresearchingandbuyingequipmentbyasetdatebeforemovingontothenextstageofbusinessdevelopment.

ManyofthoseinvolvedintheGlasgowgrouphadcleargoalsastowhatthenextstepsfortheir business would be when they were no longer part of theWee Enterprizers group.They all had plans to run pilot events, andwereworking hard finding venues, designingflyersandbusinesscardsandmarketingtheirbusinesstopotentialclients.Theyreferredtogoals of numbers of customers they want to have, and anticipated income for the earlymonthsoftheirstart-ups.

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TheMotherwellgroupranapilot,whichgatheredtogetheralloftheirskillsandbusinessesideasintooneevent.Thisfreeeventwasabingoandkaraokeafternoonwheremembersofthecommunitywereinvitedtojoinin.TheWeeEnterprizershadtoorganisethevenue,thebingoequipment,thekaraokeequipmentaswellasthemarketingoftheeventandcatering.Thismeantthattheycouldallexploretheirownrolesandhowtheywouldliketotakethemforward. The venue was full which showed both the successful marketing of the WeeEnterprizersbutalsothedemandforsimilareventsinthefuture.Asagroup,theycreatedasuccessfuleventandsoaspartofthebusinessplantheyarenowlookingtobeabletorollitouttoanevenwideraudienceandgenerateincomefromrunningotherevents,inadditionto their individual business development. This type of business would mean the entiregroup working together as opposed to the more immediate focus on the individualapproachtakenbytheGlasgowgroup.Thereisgoodreasontosuggestthisapproachwouldbesuccessfulinthelocalareawherethereisademandforeventsliketheseasnotedbyoneofthestakeholders:

“There’s a load of people who live in North Lanarkshire who travel toShettleston to this thing that’s on in Shettleston Juniors Club every Friday,and basically it’s karaoke, an open mic thing…and it is literally standingroom only…Can they [Wee Enterprizers] not join like their skills and theirideas up and start their own wee mini-enterprise over here and chargepeopleacoupleofpoundstogetinandmakethatstandingroomonly?”

Sarah,Stakeholder

WeeEnterprizershaveanincreasedsocialnetworkDeveloping socialnetworksandsocial connectednesswasobservedasan integralpartoftheproject.Fromtheoutset,theWeeEnterprizerswereaskedtovisualisetheirownsocialnetworks as theywere upon entering the project. This allowed the Enterprizers to thinkaboutthetypeofpeopleintheirlivesthatcouldhelpsupportthemthroughtheirjourneysbutalsohowtheotherWeeEnterprizerswouldfitintotheirsupportnetwork.

After filling in their own circles of support these were then presented by anotherEnterprizerwhichmeant that everyone got familiarwith other people’s social circles, anexercisewhichhelpsstrengthentheseties.OverthepagethereisanexampleoftheexercisefromoneoftheWeeEnterprizers.Withinthesecondcircle,youcanseetheinclusionofWeeEnterprizers.

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*nameblankedoutforanonymity

Throughout the interviews with the Wee Enterprizers, it became clear that meetingtogether and building relationshipswas something thatwas valued. Robert, for example,said that his favourite part of the project was meeting people and he appreciated thesupporthegotfromtheotherWeeEnterprizerswhohelpedhimtospeakout.Notonlywasthis a key route to improved communication and confidence but it was also the groupdiscussions thathemost enjoyedduring the training. Jennyalso talkedabout the fun shehadduringthemeetingsandhighlightedanotherimportantexperience:

‘ItwasgoodfunandintheprojectIlikeallthepeopleandthatandtheyallmakemewelcome’

Jenny,WeeEnterprizer

The welcoming aspect that Jenny mentioned when asked what she enjoyed about beinginvolvedinWeeEnterprizersillustratesthefactthattheprojecthashelpedcreateasenseofcommunityandbelonging.

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Howdidtheygetthere?

TrainingandregularmeetingsTo support thedevelopmentof theWeeEnterprizers SCIF facilitateda seriesof trainingsworkshops andmeetings. The content of the sessionswas flexible in order to be able toaccommodate theemergingaimsof theWeeEnterprizers. InGlasgow, thegroupsessionsstartedwithdiscussionofexistingbusiness ideasandprogressedintothedevelopmentofmore formal business plans, market research, naming the businesses and designingbusinesscardsandflyers.InthelattermeetingstheWeeEnterprizersbegantoresearchtheequipmenttheyneededtopurchaseinordertocarryouttheirbusinessideas.TherewerealsoanumberofoccasionswhentheWeeEnterprizersmetwiththefacilitatoronaone-to-onebasisinordertobeabletoaccessmoretailoredsupport.Withthisgrouptheemphasiswasonsupporttoachievegoalsbetweenmeetings.

Given the difference in the starting points for the Wee Enterprizers in Motherwell thetrainingsessionsfollowedadifferentpathandbeganwithactivitiesthatencouragedthemto thinkabout the things that theyenjoyandhowtheymightstart to thinkaboutturningtheseinterestsintobusinessideas.TheWeeEnterprizerswereaskedtomapouttheirkeyinterests, skills and gifts to help them form ideas about the types of business theymightwant to pursue. The groups also considered their circles of support and their existingnetworks.ThisexerciseencouragestheWeeEnterprizerstothinkaboutthedifferentskillsandexpertisetheyhavearoundthemwhichtheycoulddrawupontohelpformabusiness.

The focus then shifted to develop skills to support theWee Enterprizers in their chosenactivities.Theywerevisitedbyoutsidespeakerssuchasacomedian froma localcomedyclubandamotivationalspeakerwithlearningdifficulties,bothofwhompassedonkeytipsforpublicspeakingandencouragedtheWeeEnterprizers topursuetheirdreams.Finally,thelaststageofthetrainingsessionswerecentredaroundtheorganisationofaneventthatthegrouporganisedasapilotfortheiractivities-bingoandkaraoke.Thesesessionswerefocusedonthepracticalitiesoforganisingthevenueandvenuelayout,designingflyersandpromotingthroughword-of-mouthandarrangingtheprogrammefortheevent.

PracticalandfinancialsupportIn developing their plans, the Wee Enterprizers were provided with both practical andfinancialsupportthroughout.Thepracticalsupportwasdeliveredthroughactivitiessuchashelp using Microsoft Word to develop marketing material, assistance to purchaseequipmentfromastoreandhelpingtosetupforevents.Thefinancialsupportlargelycamein the form of buying equipment required by the Wee Enterprizers to carry out theirbusiness plan. This equipment was either to be used to help set up the business likesoftware to create businesses card or for the carrying out of the service itself such as apressurewasher foracarwashingbusiness.SeveralEnterprizerscommentedonhowtheopportunitytogetequipmentfortheirbusinesswasabigincentivetogetinvolvedwiththeproject.

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InnovativeapproachandempoweringethosDespite the difference in the content of the training sessions the ethos underlying thesessionswasthesameacrossbothgroups.AttheheartoftheWeeEnterprizersproject isthe innovative idea that people with disabilities can and should be supported to pursuebusinessdevelopmentandself-employment.

Although the approach to the training sessions is similar to some aspects of the person-centredapproachtosupport,itdifferedinthecommitmenttofollowingtheplansthrough.Ratherthanwhatsomeonedescribedasa ‘tickboxexercise’ therewasaccountabilityandallplanswerefollowedupandprogresswasreportedonatthestartofeachsession:

“There’s a real value in them coming back together. They go off and dotheir homework and the bits and pieces that they need to think about…Iactually thinkthevaluereallyhasbeen inthecontinuallycomingbacktocheckwherepeoplearewithprogressratherthanthatbeingaplanyoudoonceayearandthenyoucomebackthenextyearandgohowdidthatgo?”

Sarah,Stakeholder

AnotherkeyfeatureofthetrainingwasthewaythatWeeEnterprizerswereencouragedtotaketheleadwiththesupportofthefacilitator.ThiswassummarisedbyoneparticipantintheMotherwellgroupwiththefollowingfootballmetaphor:

“I kick off the ball and I pass it to the facilitator and she interprets itthroughthegroup,butIscorethegoal!”

Daniel,WeeEnterprizer

Thefacilitatorplayedanimportantrole, introducingtheideaofWeeEnterprizers,drivingplans forward and acting as a translator when communication was difficult for somemembers.ShealsosoughttoempowertheWeeEnterprizersandbuildtheircapacity.Fromtheuniqueposition as someonewhohasnotworked extensively in thehealth and socialcare sector, she had none of the preconceptions ofwhat peoplewith disabilities can andcannotdo.Sheencouragedextensiveparticipation,supportingandempoweringthemtoco-chair meetings, write minutes and negotiate the agenda for each session. Therepresentativefromoneofthesupportorganisationsnotedtheimportanceofthiswhenthefacilitator’sapproachtrainingwasdiscussed:

“There’s something that I love about it, in that she doesn’t have a socialcare background and I think that is really, really important because shedoesn’t come with a set of preconceived ideas about what’s likely to bepossibleforfolk.She’scomeinwithherheadinthisispossible.Peoplearegoing to have a microenterprise, people can have their own business,people can get this up andwe’ll help them. I think that if you’ve been insocial care fora long time, youendupgetting infectedby the limitationsthatsocietyingeneralandotherpeopleputonfolk.” 12

Sarah,Stakeholder

Theempoweringethosofcapacitybuildingisthereforeinstarkcontrasttotheothergroupsand networks thatWee Enterprizers are involved in as described in the following quotefromanotherrepresentativefromasupportorganisation:

“It'sdifferent…becausenormally it's justkindofgroupsthatpeoplegotolike music groups and that but this is actually letting them grow andbecome like independent…Theother groupsare just like classes that theygoto,soifit'slikeadramagrouptheymightputonshowslikebutit'slikeeverybodyintherecouldbegettingtoldwhattodowhereaswiththeWeeEnterprizersthey'rekindofdecidingwhattheywanttodo,yeahsothey'rekindoftakingthelead.”

Amanda,SupportWorker

SupportworkerinvolvementIn the Motherwell group the support workers played a key role to support the WeeEnterprizers throughout the meetings and in between each session to help WeeEnterprizersfurthertheirplansandmeetthedeadlinesset.Thiswasachallengeforsomeof the supportworkers, particularly in caseswhere therewas not consistent presence ateachmeeting.Due to thenatureof supportwork itwascommon for there tobedifferentworkers with the Wee Enterprizers each week. This had the potential to hinder someprogressaseachsupportworkerneededtocatchupondevelopmentseverytimetheymetup. However, given the commitment from the Wee Enterprizers and the emphasis onupdating on progress each week the Wee Enterprizers often took ownership over theactionstobecompletedbetweenmeetings.

InGlasgowthemajorityofWeeEnterprizersdidnotrequiresupportworkerstoattendthemeetingsbuttherewasonesupportworkerwhoattendedanditwasclearthatheplayedasignificant role in supporting theWeeEnterprizerwith his plans. The experience that hehad, regarding ITskillswasanasset for theWeeEnterprizerwhoneededhelpsettingupnewequipmentandusingnewsoftware.

Supportworkersalsonotedtheirowndevelopmentandgrowthasaresultofbeingontheprojectwiththeparticipants.Theyhadfounditachallengetocopewiththeideaofhelpingsomeone set up a business but now they feel more confident in their own abilities tosupportotherpeople.Theguest speakersalso seemed tomakean impacton the supportworkers, as the advice being given could be applied in a variety of situations, not just inbusiness. The supportworkers developed their own confidence as the person theyweresupporting also developed theirs. Tom made specific reference to his own developmentalongsidethatofthepersonthatheistheretosupport;

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Sarah,Stakeholder

Theempoweringethosofcapacitybuildingisthereforeinstarkcontrasttotheothergroupsand networks thatWee Enterprizers are involved in as described in the following quotefromanotherrepresentativefromasupportorganisation:

“It'sdifferent…becausenormally it's justkindofgroupsthatpeoplegotolike music groups and that but this is actually letting them grow andbecome like independent…Theother groupsare just like classes that theygoto,soifit'slikeadramagrouptheymightputonshowslikebutit'slikeeverybodyintherecouldbegettingtoldwhattodowhereaswiththeWeeEnterprizersthey'rekindofdecidingwhattheywanttodo,yeahsothey'rekindoftakingthelead.”

Amanda,SupportWorker

SupportworkerinvolvementIn the Motherwell group the support workers played a key role to support the WeeEnterprizers throughout the meetings and in between each session to help WeeEnterprizersfurthertheirplansandmeetthedeadlinesset.Thiswasachallengeforsomeof the supportworkers, particularly in caseswhere therewas not consistent presence ateachmeeting.Due to thenatureof supportwork itwascommon for there tobedifferentworkers with the Wee Enterprizers each week. This had the potential to hinder someprogressaseachsupportworkerneededtocatchupondevelopmentseverytimetheymetup. However, given the commitment from the Wee Enterprizers and the emphasis onupdating on progress each week the Wee Enterprizers often took ownership over theactionstobecompletedbetweenmeetings.

InGlasgowthemajorityofWeeEnterprizersdidnotrequiresupportworkerstoattendthemeetingsbuttherewasonesupportworkerwhoattendedanditwasclearthatheplayedasignificant role in supporting theWeeEnterprizerwith his plans. The experience that hehad, regarding ITskillswasanasset for theWeeEnterprizerwhoneededhelpsettingupnewequipmentandusingnewsoftware.

Supportworkersalsonotedtheirowndevelopmentandgrowthasaresultofbeingontheprojectwiththeparticipants.Theyhadfounditachallengetocopewiththeideaofhelpingsomeone set up a business but now they feel more confident in their own abilities tosupportotherpeople.Theguest speakersalso seemed tomakean impacton the supportworkers, as the advice being given could be applied in a variety of situations, not just inbusiness. The supportworkers developed their own confidence as the person theyweresupporting also developed theirs. Tom made specific reference to his own developmentalongsidethatofthepersonthatheistheretosupport;

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“There'salot.ButreallyitistheconfidencebuildingformyselfandDanielit is the, basically, what the word. Basically it's been the thing, dare todream,thinkwhynot.”

Tom,SupportWorker

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WhatchallengesdidtheWeeEnterprizersface?

EarlyStagesInitially some of the Wee Enterprizers were apprehensive about being involved in theproject, especiallywithin theMotherwellgroup.The firstevent inMotherwellproved toomuchforsomeindividualsandtheyendedupleavingearlyasaresult,thiswasobservedbybothsupportworkersandstakeholders.Thenumbersreducedafterthisfirstmeetingyetacoreof fivepeoplecontinuedtoreturntothemeetings.Thechallengeinthiscasewasforthem to overcome the fear of being involved in a group with strangers. With help fromproject leaders and support workers, people were able to overcome this initialapprehension through group activities and discussion about each other’s interests andideas.Thesupportworkersthemselvescommentedonhowtheyfeltatthebeginningofthisprojecttoo:

“Imustadmittobeginwithitfeelslikeabigbig...itisabigthing...butyouknowitfeelsdaunting.”

Tom,SupportWorker

TimescalesanddeadlinesTimescalewasanotherchallengefaced,particularlybythoseinvolvedintheGlasgowgroup.Althoughtheybeganwithclearerbusinessideastheyfeltsomelevelofpressuretomeetthedeadlines of decisions about the equipment they needed to purchase. This was partlyattributedtothelevelofsupportthatWeeEnterprizerswereabletoaccessinbetweenthemeetings tobeable to research thenecessaryequipment.OneWeeEnterprizerand theirsupportworkerdiscussedthelimitstotheprogressthatcouldbemadewhentheirsupporthourcontacttimewaslimited.

“I thinkwhat has had a lot of impact as well is the amount of supporthourshegetsperweeksotheamountofsupporthourshegetsperweekdetermineshowoftenorhowlongheworksonitsoforexampleI'mwithStuart 12 hours perweek andwith that he's got other things that he'llprioritisewithinthatweek”

Ash,SupportWorkerTherewas some concern from the representative of the support organisation inGlasgowthat thishadmeant that thegrouphadnotbonded in thesamewayas thepreviousWeeEnterprizergrouphad.

“The first group spent a long time meeting together…So I think theydefinitely had a sort of group identity…I don’t think this current group(have one) and I think it’s because of how quickly they have had to dothings. I don’t think that they really feel a kind of group connection, a

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groupdynamic.”

Lucy,Stakeholder

Mid-way through the project in Motherwell a meeting with the support workers wasorganised.ThemeetingwasfacilitatedbySCIFandamanageratSOLandwasdesignedtohelp the support workers understand some of the rationale for the Wee Enterprizersproject. The group (including support workers and Wee Enterprizers) discussed theimportance of ‘inclusion’ and the role that employment plays in all aspects of inclusion;choosing,contributing,belonging,beingsomeone,andsharingordinaryplaces.Inreviewingtheprogressofthegroupthetwokeyimpactsthatwerehighlightedwereconfidenceandtrust.

Themeetingalsoofferedachancetodiscusstheprogressso farandthesupportworkersweregivenashortquestionnairetocomplete(anonymously).Theywereaskedtoconsiderthefollowingquestions:

1. WhathaveyoulearnedfromWeeEnterprizers?2. Whathavebeenthechallengesforyouinsupportingthedevelopmentofabusiness

idea?3. Whatwouldyoudodifferentlynexttimeyouaresupportingapersonwhois

developingabusinessidea?4. WhattrainingwouldhelpyousupportaWeeEnterprizer?

Reflectingon thesequestionswith the supportworkerswasanaspectof theproject thatbuilds on the previous experience from the Wee Enterprizer project. In the previousevaluation,akeychallengethatwasidentifiedwastheneedtoempowersupportworkersandsocialcareorganisationsinvolvedinthisinnovativeapproach.ResponsestotheabovequestionsshowthatthisremainsanimportantareafordevelopmentthathighlightssomeofthelimitationsofthewaysthatsocialcareisdeliveredandtheneedtobalancetimespentonbasicsupportneedsandthatwhichisspentonworkingonWeeEnterprizer’sbusinessplans.ThislinksbacktosomeofthechallengesfacedbytheGlasgowgroup.Thefollowinganswerfromtheabovequestionsillustratethisclearly:

‘ThemainchallengeshavebeentimingaswehavelimitedtimeandshiftstospenddevelopingthebusinessideaswiththeWeeEnterprizers.’

Whenaskedwhattheywoulddodifferentlynexttimeanothersupportworkerresponded:

‘Iwouldarrangeascheduletofitintimeforthebusinessideasweekly’

As theWeeEnterprizers groups continue, or even expand, itwill be vital to gather inputfrom potential participants and support workers in order to design a programme thataccounts for the support schedule of those involved and encourages ways to facilitatedevelopment between meetings and trainings. This may include a series of training, ordiscussionswithsupportworkersandWeeEnterprizersofhowbesttheycandevelopskillsandsupportoneanotherastheymoveforwardwiththebusinessplans.

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groupdynamic.”

Lucy,Stakeholder











15

groupdynamic.”

Lucy,Stakeholder











16

Whathappensnext?In theMotherwell group there is a lot of enthusiasm following the successful pilot eventwhichattracted67people.There is also significantbuy-in from the supportworkersandpracticemanageratSOLwhosaidthefollowingwhenasked‘whatnextfortheproject?’:

“WewantWeeEnterprizerstoleavealegacyintheorganisation;wewanttosupport,hopefully,theWeeEnterprizersdoingthatgoingforward”

Sarah,Stakeholder

SOLareintheprocessofseekingfurtherfundingfortheprojectbuthopethateventuallyitwill be self-sustaining, with the potential for the current Enterprizers to become thefacilitatorsforfuturegroups.

WhilstthereisavailablesupportandpotentialfortheGlasgowgrouptoremainmeeting,itisnotclearwhetherthereisthewillwithinthegroup.Giventhenon-prescriptivenatureoftheWee Enterprizers approach, the groupmembers will be left tomake the decision ofwhether there is value in the continued group meetings. This group have decided tocommunicateusingexistingpersonalFacebookaccounts.Despite lackof clarity regardingthe group as a whole, there are definite plans for the individual business. Two of theEnterprizershavepilotedtheirbusinesseswhilstanotherisbeginningtoestablishaclientbaseandexploringpotentialforrunninghisownpilot.

Developingtheprocessmodel

Theprocessmodel above illustrates thekey aspects of theWeeEnterprizersproject thatbegan in2014. Ithighlights thewiderangeof inputs thatwererequired in theveryearlystages of the project that emerged from training delivered by the Social EnterpriseAcademy.TheprojectwassupportedbyaworkinggroupmadeupofrepresentativesfromKey Community Supports, Community Lifestyles, C-Change, Deafblind Scotland andCapability Scotland. The processes cover not only what happened within the regularmeetingandtrainingfortheWeeEnterprizersbutalsothewiderworkinggroup.

Inputs-Partnerorganisations-Meetings,eventsandworkshops-Spacesandplaces-Serviceusers-PreviousExperiences-SupportWorkers

Processes-CollaborativeWorking-CapacityBuilding-BusinessPlanning

Outcomes-Stepstowardsself-employment-Personalgrowth-Independence


-Partnerorganisations-Meetings,events and workshops- Spaces and places-Serviceusers-PreviousExperiences-SupportWorkers

-CollaborativeWorking-CapacityBuilding-BusinessPlanning

- Steps towards self-employment- Personal growth- Independence

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Thisprojecthasdiffered in the inputs asmanyof thekeyunderpinningswerealready inplaceandsomanyof themeetings,eventsandworkshopsthatwerepartof the firstWeeEnterprizers project were not required. Instead, the project built on the learning andprocessesestablishedinthefirstprojectinthecontentofthetrainingsessions,includingafocusonthepracticalaspectsofbusinessplanningandtheimportanceofcapacitybuilding.

The significant process of building aspiration was highlighted in this project due to thestarting point of the Motherwell group who required support to see the potential forbusinessandskillsdevelopment.Thiswas incontrastwiththeirusualsupportservices inwhich they are considered dependent recipients, defined bywhat they cannot do, ratherthanwhattheycan.AlthoughthiswasmostexplicitintheMotherwellgroup,thecommentsfromthestakeholderinGlasgowemphasisethepointthattheunderlyingethosoftheWeeEnterprizers approach is innovative and much needed within the health and social caresector:

“Eventheideaofsomebodywithalearningdisabilityhavingabusinessistotallyalientopeople.SoalotofmyfrustrationswiththesupportthatIseebeingoffered,notjustbyourorganisationbutacrosstheboard,isthatwe verymuch…we don’t support people to do things for themselves,weverymuch care for people and do things for peoplewhich sort of keepsthemreliantonusalittlebit.”

Lucy,Stakeholder

In the original model, the outcomes were framed in terms of steps towards self-employment,personalgrowthandindependence.Exploringsomeoftheseconceptsfurtherhighlighted the role of communication within the idea of personal growth, which wasinitiallyunderstoodasagrowthinconfidence.Inbothgroupsimprovementsinconfidencewas related to the ability to communicate better. However, it was also attributed to thecontent and formatof the training sessions,whichopenedWeeEnterprizers eyes tonewexperiences,vocabularyandstrategiesforcommunication,whichareinvaluablebeyondthegroupsetting.

Inputs-Serviceusers-PreviousExperiences-SupportWorkers-SCIFpriorlearning-SCIFfacilitationskills

Processes-CollaborativeWorking-CapacityBuilding-BusinessPlanning-Buildingaspirations

Outcomes-Stepstowardsself-employment-Personalgrowth-Independence-Communication-Socialconnectedness


-Serviceusers-PreviousExperiences-SupportWorkers

- SCIF prior learning- SCIF facilitation skills

-CollaborativeWorking-CapacityBuilding-BusinessPlanning

- Building aspirations

- Steps towards self-employment- Personal growth- Independence - Communication- Social connectedness

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Thisword cloud is a visual representationof themost commonwordsmentionedby theWeeEnterprizers inthe interviews.These interviewsweretranscribedandthenanalysedto identify the top 25words across both theMotherwell and Glasgow group. The largerwords signify that they were used more often and by more people. Visualising theinterviewsinthiswayrepresentsthekeyaspectsoftheprojectwhichalignswiththeviewsof both the stakeholders and support workers provided throughout this report.Communication comes through as the most often mentioned aspect by the WeeEnterprizers as a key part of developing their social networks. Communication alsofacilitatesthedevelopmentofconfidenceandindependencefortheWeeEnterprizersasitallowsthemtoexpresstheirideasaswellassupportothers.

Acknowledgements

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