People across Wales helped into employment by an innovative Social enterprise.

A pioneering social enterprise has now helped people across Wales to remain in work.

3SC supports employees with physical health requirements – managing assessments and recommending workplace adaptations.

A UK leader in creating local consortia of charities and social enterprises, 3SC’s innovative model enables smaller third sector organisations to compete for – and deliver – large public service programmes.

In Wales, people the length and breadth of Wales have now benefited from this ground-breaking approach to the UK government’s Access to Work programme.

The hugely varied types of support received include specialist equipment, practical advice and IT adaptations; all of which ensure both appropriate provision for an employee and continued productivity for their employer.

The Access to Work scheme offers grants for practical help and, in Wales, each individual is assessed and supported by the pioneering local consortia established and managed by 3SC.

Its third sector partners in Wales include specialist assessment centres and educational institutions, such as the Royal National Institute for the Blind and Glyndwr University.

Using a bespoke IT portal, 3SC manages the process from start to finish, reducing the administrative burden on partner organisations by 50 per cent and freeing up resources.

This approach has kept significant numbers of people in work, or helped them move into self-employment.

Established in 2009, 3SC has created partnerships with charities and social enterprises, national and local government – and the private sector – as a way of increasing charity, community and social enterprise involvement in public service delivery.

This isn’t the first major public scheme managed by the social enterprise in Wales. It has also:

• Helped young people into work as part of the Welsh government’s Jobs Growth Wales scheme
• Supported14-16 year olds as part of Capitalise; a Department for Work and Pensions Innovation Fund project designed to address cognitive behavioural issues and low achievement. Operating in Cardiff and Newport, across 12 schools, young people were supported by the work of 3SC’s innovative consortia in the first Social Impact Bond-financed programme in Wales.
• Helped people of all ages to access education, employment and training as part of Bridgend Futures – a Welsh Communities First programme

3SC Chief Executive, Martyn Oliver, said:

“I am delighted that our incredible consortia have so many people on this ground-breaking scheme in Wales. Not only does that mean thousands have been enabled to live with physical health issues in the workplace, it also means a vast number of organisations have continued to feel the economic benefits of their skills. That’s something all of our third sector partners should take a great deal of pride from and it’s further evidence of just how effective our innovative model has proven to be. 3SC works with the third sector because it has the expertise, ethos and skills to deliver services that put social value first. Not only are we committed to supporting the people engaged on this scheme, we’re also passionately determined to help the communities around them.”

RNIB Employment Services Manager, Sean Owen, said:

“We are delighted to be working with 3SC. They have been supportive and demonstrated clearly what we need to do, and have helped us with this. They are focused on quality performance and I hope our working relationship can become even closer providing mutual benefit, and enabling more blind and partially sighted people to obtain and retain employment. “