SCA Group

Alysha Street

Alysha, 21, from Wimborne, joined SCA Group on a work placement for three weeks in June.

Alysha heard about SCA Group from her aunt, SCA Board member Angela Jeffrey, and wanted to find out more.

It was a real eye opener.

"I did not realise that SCA Group was such a big organisation and that it did so much," she said. "It was also surprising to find out how much organisation goes into something like a carers' cafe. It may only take place for a couple of hours but it means so much to the people who use it. They are so grateful for the chance to be able to get out of the house and interact with other people."

Alysha, who will return to the University of Bath in September to complete the final year of her BSc in Sociology, is still not sure what future career path to follow, and will be doing some other work placements this summer.

But she really enjoyed her placement with SCA.  As well as shadowing SCA and Fenwick2 managers, she also carried out interviews with carers and service users attending the Fenwick2 Early Dementia Assessment Project.  She is writing up the results into a report that will be used to feed back on how well the project is progressing.

"I enjoyed talking to the carers and finding out more about their views," said Alysha.

"But one of the other things I have enjoyed about this placement is the amount of independence and responsibility I have been given. The area manager sat in with me in the interviews but basically I was free to ask the questions myself and to write up the responses.

"I have done other work placements where the work was not well structured and where I was not given any responsibility. This has been far more useful as well as far more enjoyable."

Craig Barber

Craig Barber, 23, is on a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between the University of Portsmouth Business School and SCA Group.

He is part-way through a two-year internship with SCA Group after joining in November last year. Craig finished his BA in Business Studies at Portsmouth in 2009 and while working for SCA is also studying for an MPhil at Portsmouth Business School. The research he is carrying out for SCA Group will contribute to his Masters degree.

His work for SCA involves both looking at the outcomes and impacts of the work of the organisation and research into how the personalisation agenda will impact on the group.

"My role is to look at all the methodologies and tools that are already out there for measuring the outcomes and impacts of social enterprises and charities such as SCA Group, and to see how they might best be used. It is helping SCA Group to measure the contribution it makes to communities and service users," said Craig.

"The tools that exist are quite complicated and difficult to apply. My role is to help develop some more accessible and easy-to-use measurement methods that SCA can apply to its work."

Craig has already done two presentations to the SCA Board and to the management team and is also interviewing commissioners to see what aspects of measurement they would find useful.

"Helping SCA Group to develop tools to measure the outcomes of its work will help the organisation decide where it has the biggest impact in the long term. It will help SCA to be able to sell its services more effectively to local authorities, PCTs and other commissioners," he said.

Craig has seen some of SCA Group's services in action already and will be visiting more day centres in future. He now plans to run a pilot case study within SCA transport to understand what outcomes are being achieved.

"I have been impressed with the caring nature of all the staff within SCA Group and how committed they are towards services users," he said. "I have been really surprised at how complex the SCA business is. It has to deal with so many different contracts and partners and a health agenda that is often changing. Each service is very different.

"I enjoy working in business but this has given me an insight into a different aspect of business and into the social enterprise sector.

"It's a challenging experience, particularly doing the MPhil as well, but I am really enjoying it. It has allowed me to find out about all aspects of the business and given me a different avenue to explore. I am nine months into the internship and it has been really interesting."

Executive Director of Care Pam Butler said Craig's work has been extremely useful.  "Craig's research on personalisation, which empowers our service users to make choices about their care, has helped to inform members of the care directorate about the potential impact of this new culture. He has provided valuable training to our staff at the frontline to help embed this new culture of providing services.

"Craig has also gathered useful information both geographically and across user groups to enable us to learn from other experiences and to take from this what we need.

"We look forward to working with him on social outcomes to evidence the success of our high quality services," she said.

SCA Group and Alabaré have signed a partnership agreement that will see the two organisations working cooperatively to improve the lives of vulnerable people across the south.

SCA Group, one of the longest-running social enterprises in the country, provides not-for-profit community care and support work, day care, community transport, social care training, advocacy, NHS dentistry, and social enterprise consultancy from Southampton and across Hampshire and Dorset.

Alabaré, which operates in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Bristol, North Somerset and Devon, is a charity that supports homeless people, vulnerable young people and people with learning disabilities and mental health needs.  It runs crisis drop-in centres, supported housing, resettlement services and a training and employment centre for people with learning disabilities and enduring mental health issues.

The two organisations will remain separate but as a result of the agreement will work together on joint projects at both a national and local level. They will share expertise and business intelligence, monitor national health and social care policy and hold regular CEO and Board meetings to explore joint working and disseminate good practice.

"Through our strategic alliance we will be able to work more closely with Alabaré and to share our strengths and expertise," said Rev. Brian Strevens, founder and Executive President of SCA Group.

"Alabaré has a strong presence in the south west and expertise in working with people with housing needs and special educational needs. SCA Group works mainly across the central area of the south and our strengths are in care and support for vulnerable and elderly people as well as the other services we offer.

"By working together more closely we can make sure we can adapt to the new national agenda of providing a range of unified services designed to keep people living longer in their own homes.

"Alabaré has its roots in Christian community service while SCA Group is a secular organisation, but there are synergies in our aims and values.  In both cases we aim to improve people's lives by providing flexible services that meet their practical, emotional and care needs while also treating them with dignity and respect," he said.

Rev. John Proctor, founder and Chairman of Alabaré Christian Care & Support, said he hoped the relationship would help to bring about improvements to services.

"Alabaré has built strong partnerships to ensure it is able to call on the expertise necessary to remain at the forefront of a developing third sector and we see our link with SCA Group as another positive move in this direction," he said.

"We both bring differing strengths to the table which should help us in our effort to provide the flexible care needed by our clients in a changing market place.  We hope that as our relationship strengthens we will embark on some joint projects across the South."

(L-R) Alabaré Chairman Rev. John Proctor signs the agreement with SCA Group Chairman Mike Morgan.