There are many examples of successful social franchises in the UK and abroad. Interestingly many of the most successful have been established for many years and, at least initially, grew slowly and steadily. We have highlighted three examples here with case studies.
6.1.1. Emmaus
Emmaus Communities offer homeless people a home, work and the chance to rebuild their lives in a supportive environment. There are currently 21 Communities around the UK and several more in development.
The first Emmaus Community was founded in Paris in 1949 by Abbé Pierre, a priest, MP and former member of the French resistance. The idea spread around the world, but
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Enterprise: unlocking the UK’s talent; UK Treasury report March 2008
Emmaus didn't arrive in the UK until 1992, when the first Community opened in Cambridge.
Emmaus Communities enable people to move on from homelessness, providing work and a home in a supportive, family environment. Companions, as residents are known, work full time collecting renovating and reselling donated furniture. This work supports the Community financially and enables residents to develop skills, rebuild their self- respect and help others in greater need.
Companions receive accommodation, food, clothing and a small weekly allowance, but for many, the greatest benefit is a fresh start. To join a Community, they sign off unemployment benefits and agree to participate in the life and work of the Community and abide by its rules, for example not bringing drugs or alcohol into the Community. Emmaus is a secular movement, spanning 36 countries, with 20 Communities in the UK. Each Community aims to become self-supporting, with any surplus donated to others in need.
Emmaus Communities are set up when local people decide that the tried and tested Emmaus approach to homelessness would benefit their area. If initial research and consultation establishes that there is a need and local circumstances are right, volunteers come together as an Emmaus Group.
Each Emmaus Community and Group (apart from in the very early stages) is an independent charity, governed by a local Board of Trustees. This enables them to retain their own character and adapt to local circumstances, while still benefitting from being part of a national Federation: co-ordination, mutual support and the chance to learn from one another.
The national Federation is managed by a Board of Trustees, elected by Communities. The majority of Federation Board members are also involved with their local Community or Group. The Board is also responsible for the Federation Office, based in Cambridge, which provides support to local projects and co-ordination on a national level.
Each Emmaus Community aims to become financially self-supporting through its trading activity, primarily the re-sale of furniture and household goods donated by the public. Any surplus is used to help others in need. Newer Communities rely on donations and grants to cover their costs while the business develops, but all projects aim to become
6.1.2. Care and Share Associates (CASA)
Care and Share Associates was established in 2004 to provide essential support services to older and disabled people, through developing a franchise network of majority employee owned social care providers. It is based on the award winning Sunderland Home Care Associates model, which has been delivering quality domiciliary support since 1994.
CASA is the UK's leading social enterprise in the social care sector. It currently operates employee-owned services across six locations and delivers over 6,000 hours of personal support per week, principally commissioned by the public sector. CASA franchise companies have a track record of providing skilled, compassionate and reliable workers. CASA goes further than most commercial franchisors by setting up franchisee social enterprise companies in which the workforce are the owners. They are able to participate in the decisions that affect their working lives. They believe this produces a higher level of commitment to the organisation and to the quality of the services that they deliver.
From its base in Sunderland, Care & Share Associates (CASA) launched a chain of employee-owned home care companies.
Since its establishment in 2004, CASA has developed 5 CASA franchise companies operating across six territories. These are:
• CASA Calderdale • CASA Knowsley • CASA Leeds • CASA Manchester • CASA Newcastle • CASA North Tyneside
This information is taken from a more detailed case study available on the ESFN website http://www.socialfranchising.coop/case-studies.
6.1.3. LE MAT
The following text is adapted from the full ESFN case study available on the ESFN website http://www.socialfranchising.coop/case-studies.
LE MAT officially started in 2004. Il posto delle fragole (LE MAT founder member) is a cooperative of young psychiatric patients, artists, drug addicts, doctors and supporters that have managed a small hotel from the late 1980’s onwards.
The LE MAT Hotel brand copied and developed some of the key success factors from this founder member.
Each LE MAT social franchisee has their own Quality Handbook, which has been developed in conjunction with all workers and members of the team, and with the help of the LE MAT social franchisor. These site-specific Handbooks set down rules of daily work and management.
LE MAT is owned in Italy and in Europe by social-cooperatives. In Italy it is a Consortium (a co-operative society of social cooperatives), a social enterprise owned by 9 social co- operatives, 3 consortia of social co-operatives, the LE MAT Travellers Association and Coopfond, a co-operative development agency. They are the collective owners of the brand, members of the co-operative society and they elect the board of directors every 3 years.
The co-operatives and consortia are located all over Italy and all together they employ more one thousand workers, many of them disadvantaged. You can find LE MAT owners in Sicily, Sardinia, Apulia, Latium, Umbria, Tuscany, Lombardy, Venetia - from the far south to the far North.
On European level LE MAT is also a co-operative owned by LE MAT ITALY and LE MAT SWEDEN. In 2011 there were 18 approved LE MAT SPECIAL PLACES, and in Sweden 2 LE MAT B&Bs.
Others are going through the learning process to become a franchisee including LE MAT Liverpool which has already started.