Colebridge Enterprises

Colebridge's Around Again Social Supermarket campaign needs you!

Colebridge Enterprises — 12/12/2019

Made in the Midlands member Colebridge Enterprises, part of Colebridge Trust has partnered with Around Again to work on poverty in one of the most 5-10% deprived areas in England.

Around Again was created to “relieve need, hardship or distress by the provision of essential items to those in need.” The charity’s work includes volunteering, training, education and health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on North Solihull and neighboring areas. Colebridge Trust does similar work as a community development charity, supporting people and community sector organisations in the Solihull area. The two charities have come together to create a Social Supermarket, administering food to those in need.

Due to the recent changes to housing, benefits and the low availability of unskilled jobs, this has left many people and households suffering deprivation for essential needs such as food. Using a food pantry model, Around Again and Colebridge Trust will offer a £15.00 value for food for a suggested donation of £2.50. As a result of this, the individual must agree to speak to an intervention worker from Colebridge Trust where they will help them with: “volunteering, health, employment, training, personal budgeting, shop-smart reasoning, cook-smart training and referrals to specialist organisations for issues such as substance misuse.”

As we draw closer to Christmas time, those with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are exposed to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Therefore are in need of your help to gain access to food and intervention, especially during this time of year. A customer who regularly gains supplies from the Social Supermarket said:

“I have been coming to the Social Supermarket since it opened. Before my cupboards were empty, if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have anything now. I would like to say a massive thank you to all the staff and volunteers who have helped me. I come in every week and everyone is so friendly and helpful.”

As there is a low supply of food because of the popularity of the service, the Around Again Social Super Market is asking for donations of non-perishable food items and toiletries. These items could include: “Pasta, rice, tinned vegetables, tinned meat, pasta sauces, tinned beans, cereal, tinned fruit, tinned tomatoes, soup, biscuits, tea, coffee and UHT milk.”

Phyllis Bailey, Coordinator of the Around Again Social Supermarket, said:

“Around Again receives referrals from external agencies/organisations as you can imagine at this time of year the referrals are increasing daily. We do purchase food weekly from FareShare although tinned products and toiletries are not provided so we do rely heavily on donations from organisations to achieve demand.

If you think you can help and would like to make a donation, please contact Phyllis Bailey on 0121 448 0720 or email at phyllis.bailey@colebridge.org.

Why businesses should employ people with disabilities

Colebridge Enterprises — 13/09/2019

People with physical or learning disabilities make up about a fifth of the population, but many struggle to get employment. But this means that businesses could be missing out on productive and loyal employees.

In January-March 2019, 7.6 million people of working age (16-64) reported that they had a disability, which is 18% of the working age population, according to government statistics. Of those, 51.7% were in employment, a rise of 1% - or 150,000 people – year-on-year. In comparison, 81.7% of people without disabilities were in employment.

However, the picture for people with a learning disability is very different. While figures vary, it is thought that fewer than 10% have a paid job. Learning disability charity Base estimates that in 2017/18 only 6.6% of people with a learning disability known to social services had paid employment – be that full- or part-time. This is a figure that has remained stubbornly low for many years now.

However, those with disabilities who are unemployed and able to work are often desperate to get a job but find barriers in their way – and this is a huge waste of potential.

To this end, in 2017 the government set a target of having 4.5 million people with disabilities in paid employment by 2027 – a rise of 1 million people. To help people with disabilities, the government is looking to provide more personalised support packages for people to get into work and to stay in work.

There are many reasons to employ people with a disability. Firstly – and most importantly – they can do a good job and work as quickly and efficiently as non-disabled people. Many just require a chance to show what they can do.

People with disabilities can also bring different perspectives on issues that may not otherwise have been thought of, and more accurately reflect the company’s customer base. They may also bring additional skills to a business, such as being able to use British Sign Language, which can help to engage with customers with hearing loss.

Employing a person with a disability is not just a box-ticking exercise. Of course, there is legislation, such as the Equality Act 2010, which means that employers have to offer equal opportunities to everyone and ensure all jobs are accessible to all.

Reasonable adjustments

When employing a person with a disability, an employer has to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to accommodate any additional needs they may have or remove any barriers to working. This can include adding ramps for wheelchair users, providing adapted office equipment or offering additional training or mentoring. It also includes offering flexible working patterns, if, for example, a person has to attend regular hospital appointments or has a mental health condition that fluctuates.

While some adaptations cost little or nothing to implement, others do have a cost. However, an employer may be able to claim some or all of the expense of it through the government’s Access to Work scheme.

Employers can also sign up to the Disability Confident scheme, which helps business owners/managers to think differently about disability, and improve how they attract, recruit and retain disabled workers.

Employers in the scheme can use the Disability Confident symbol on adverts to show they encourage applications from disabled people. For more information go to: https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/

Enterprising solution

Social enterprise and Made in the Midlands member Colebridge Enterprises has a workforce largely comprising people with physical and learning disabilities. The assembly, packing and component kiting company based in Solihull provides services for a variety of customers within the automotive and other manufacturing sectors.

The workforce is made up of a mix of full- and part-time staff, as well as apprentices, interns and those on voluntary work experience.

“We offer a service where local people can benefit from valuable work experience and when ready be supported into mainstream employment, allowing us to support new people in need; we also provide direct longer-term employment” explains Chet Parmar, Managing Director at Colebridge Enterprises. “We deliver care services, for people with learning disabilities who regularly attend because they want to do more than sit around in traditional day services or the like.”

Chet adds that Solihull-based Colebridge Enterprises reduces the burden on the public purse of people claiming out-of-work benefits by providing these work opportunities.

“If someone is able to work, we facilitate them being able to work,” he says. “Someone with a mild need doesn’t necessarily require the full health and social care aspect; and if you have the right health and safety processes in place, they’ve been trained properly and the right signs are up – you might have to make a few workplace adjustments – I think there is scope for many private sector businesses to employ more people with learning and/or physical disabilities.”

Through the parent charity, Colebridge Trust operates an Employment Skills team that works with long-term unemployed people to help them secure employment. This again includes those with disabilities or learning difficulties, with the latter sometimes only diagnosed in adulthood. The team works closes with Colebridge Enterprises, providing employability training, health and wellbeing interventions and job application support.

“A lot of the people we have taken on at Colebridge Assembly go on to get long-term employment in organisations such as Birmingham Airport, DHL, Ocado and Amey,” says Chet.

Colebridge Enterprises also do short burst training programmes with two local special schools that gives pupils meaningful experience of a working environment. “It shows them that there is further opportunity beyond education,” Chet adds.

The enterprise also offers places to people without disabilities, who have perhaps not completed academic qualifications, and works with training organisations to provide level 2 and level 3 training in subjects such as warehousing and storage. With the right level of mentoring, many of these people also secure employment.

Integrated workforce

Colebridge Enterprises prides itself on its integrated workforce and how people – disabled or non-disabled – work together.

“We don’t distinguish, where possible, between learning disabled and other staff,” says Chet. “All responsibilities are shared and when we do training, it is adapted so it can be understood by everybody.”

The same goes for team events, he adds. “Everyone is invited when we have events, whether they are a volunteer or permanent member of staff.

“There are some good strong friendships between people of all abilities within the industrial unit. Some people have been there for more than 10 years and have got to know each other well. “Newcomers are also made to feel very welcome. They socialise outside of work too, perhaps to more of a level and with a more diverse friendship base than they would in a daycare or care setting.”

Don’t underestimate

Chet says that employers shouldn’t underestimate what people with physical and/or learning disabilities can do. “They are very valuable, loyal team members who give you the quality and consistency in exchange for the opportunity to work for you,” he says. “We have some star performers here who work at speed, especially at things like picking and packing. You show them how to do something and off they will go and most can work quicker than people without a disability. Through their attitude to work they regularly lift the mood of the people around them.”

He adds that it is the role of any good employer to know what an employee’s limitations are or any difficulties they may have, whether they have disabilities or not, so they can ensure the person works to their potential.

“If you just see them as another potential employee, that’s fine. If you throw up barriers like ‘we’re not ready or suitably equipped to employ a disabled person’ then it’s not the right environment and you need to move on and progress your outlook as an employer to be able to offer those opportunities.

“Diversity in the workplace is absolutely the right thing to do if we want to change people’s perceptions of disability. By mixing people up, they get a better appreciation of the challenges that other people overcome and, in my experience, has led to a productive team, who support each other and who work with a smile on their faces.”

Colebridge's support for staff

Colebridge Enterprises — 06/12/2019

Made in the Midlands member Colebridge Enterprises, part of Colebridge trust offers an Employee Assistance Programme to leading staff dealing with cases involving the most vulnerable people in the community.

Colebridge Trust, a community development charity based in Chelmsley Wood Solihull, offer a wide range of services supporting people and community sector organisations in Solihull. These services include Colebridge’s Employment and Skills: Journey to work - offering work experience and paid roles to those furthest from the job market, community development and consultancy and training.

Chet Parmar, CEO at Colebridge Trust, decided to support his staff with an Employee Assistance Programme due to the sensitive cases they are dealing with every day, and which may affect their mental wellbeing. Chet told Made in Midlands that there are three intervention workers at the trust who deal with 500-750 cases a year. He added:

“I noticed that the more cases we were taking on the more it was taking a toll on the staff”

“We initially brought in a health and wellbeing worker with counselling skills to see if we could run an internal function, but due to conflict of interest we decided to find someone external to provide this service particularly to our supervisors and managers.”

The current service was found through one of Colebridge’s clients who they provide financial consultancy to called Edwards Trust, they have been supporting bereaved families, including parents and children, for over 30 years. However, Colebridge was advised to speak to a counsellor, who did some work for Edwards trust, Chet said:

“Once the counsellor had met the team and we had read up on some testimonials and we looked at getting a plan in place. We plan to supply the service for six months, this being one session a month.”

“We offered it to six people to start off with, but not everybody has decided to take this up. Therefore we are going to offer it to other staff members who we think may benefit from the service.”

Chet Parmar CEO of Colebridge Trust

Though a member of staff put the idea forward to gain access to the Employee Assistance Programme, not all were on board to take on the training. Chet said this may be due to the fact that the staff are intervention workers themselves, he added:

“It is sometimes difficult for the staff to separate out how professional they are and what they are capable of doing from what they actually need, though they wanted it in the first place, they were going into it feeling like they may not get a lot out of it.”

Serena Sale, Employment and Skills Manager at Colebridge Trust, put the idea forward for staff to get support and has found the service very beneficial. Serena supports vulnerable people within the local community to help them gain work using educational training and voluntary opportunities to encourage people to move forward in a positive way. Serena said:

“The majority of clients that we see will have multiple barriers. This could be safeguarding issues to people who have debt issues, this can be quite draining.”

Serena Sale Employment and Skills Manager at Colebridge Trust

Serena mentioned she and her staff, consisting of three intervention workers and two volunteers, tackle up to 100 cases a week on a two-week rotation. Serena added:

“It can be quite heavy on the shoulders the amount of information they give us, having done this role for 26 years, you can’t switch off because you are worried about somebody and you have to be able to offload that information.”

As a result of dealing with these cases on a regular basis, staff are taking these issues home to their personal life. Serena said this may be due to the fact the staff care for the people they see:

“We are here to support the most vulnerable, but who is supporting us? When you walk out of work, your home life comes into play, but it’s difficult not to take these issues home with you when you care for the people.”

The Employee Assistance Programme is an important aspect of Colebridge Trust as the company promotes health, wellbeing and social prescribing to the community. Therefore in order for the staff to provide this service, they also need to be in good health. Serena said the programme gives staff the opportunity to ensure the work they are doing is correct, she added:

“It is a way for us as qualified information, advice and guidance workers to be able to double-check what we are doing is right.”

Before taking on the support service, Serena said she felt very stressed and felt a lot of pressure. After two sessions, Serena doesn't feel as stressed and is able to write down any concerns she has and if she can’t cope with them can take them into her supervision. Serena said:

“The service is beneficial because, if there isn't anywhere we can offload as intervention workers, there is only so much you can absorb.”

“I think if you work with people, you should have access to Employee Assistance.”

If you think you or your staff can benefit from this service, please contact Paula Flanagan at paula_counselling@hotmail.com.

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Colebridge Ensure Everyone is ‘Made Equal’ in Manufacturing Sector

Colebridge Enterprises — 03/02/2021

As a charity, the Colebridge Trust has always delivered work around employment & skills. Since 2002 they have been delivering employability programs to help participants to understand expectations within the workplace; support with writing job applications, and practice interview techniques. A key objective is to ensure that individuals are equipped with the tools which enable them to proactively seek out job opportunities and make their own applications in the future.

Colebridge Enterprises is a social enterprise that has been set-up by the trust, in order to support people with learning disabilities. A social enterprise is much like any other business, however, the profits are reinvested back into the cause or social purpose – in this case, employment, training, and inclusion. Indeed Colebridge has been on the Made in the Midlands Inclusivity training and their Chief Executive, Chet Parmar is an inclusivity ambassador.

Chet stated: "gone are the days when adults with learning disabilities are made to sit in communal rooms and watch TV or play board games. The people that come to our industrial unit are involved in the assembly of UK manufactured products. They put in a shift, are part of a diverse team and share in the satisfaction of producing a quality product". Chet went on to state how Colebridge was working with special schools in the area to provide much-needed work experience. In fact, two of the young people have been offered paid work to further progress their development.

In 2019, the trust sought the help of manufacturing consultant Steve Bramley. Steve had spent over 40 years in the industry with organizations such as JCB and Jaguar Land Rover. Steve said: “Colebridge initially approached me to help improve the industrial unit so that they could start to look at investing in its expansion. After spending a few weeks there, I was gobsmacked by what they were achieving for a small unit with limited resources. They had invested in ISO9001 and the place was operating with a very diverse range of people. After making my recommendations, Colebridge asked me to stay on, implement the improvements, and to develop the team – something I have not regretted”.

Over the years, Colebridge Enterprises has delivered traineeships, apprenticeships, work experience, and inclusion activities. This is set to continue as Colebridge has been notified that it will be a gateway provider on the KickStart scheme, therefore able to offer young people with direct work placement opportunities and can also work with local employers who also wish to offer similar opportunities.

Made Futures was created to encourage people to get jobs in manufacturing, in support of those who have lost their jobs over the course of the 2020 pandemic. There's still time to sign up and be part of the exhibition by filling in the form here.

20,000 Hours of Support to Disadvantaged Groups

Colebridge Enterprises — 14/10/2019

Colebridge Works in Partnership with the Private Sector

Colebridge Trust recognised the importance of providing opportunities for marginalised groups back in 2002, when it set-up its first learning disability project Waterloo Woodwork. The team produced planters, bird boxes and benches; whilst also landscaping gardens and erecting fences.

Some years later the woodworking activities were developed into a social enterprise to improve the number of beneficiaries of our good work. Also in reaction to the number of cheap imports sold in garden centres and by other retailers, it was decided to focus on automotive assembly. This was in-part due to the location of the industrial unit and some pre-existing relationships that we had within the industry.

In the last year we have provided 20,000 hours of support to individuals who some might have deemed as furthest from the employment market. Many of these people have gone on to secure long-term employment elsewhere, thanks to improved self-belief and confidence. Each person saves the treasury over £6,000 pounds in annual benefits and related costs. There is also a huge return-on-investment through the health and wellbeing benefits that participants, volunteers and employees experience as part of our team. Better mental and physical health is not a biproduct of our efforts.

We continue to help raise the aspirations of pupils in special schools by providing regular work experience; support young adults through our supported internship programme and have helped those who have felt isolated from wider society. Our inclusive work environment helps to tackle misconceptions about disability and furthermore we ensure that everybody knows that their efforts are valued. What we do really works!

Government funding for our work is limited, indeed in the last financial year we lost all of our grant funding, due to cuts to adult social care budgets. Colebridge worked tirelessly to generate additional income and we have managed to secure some smaller grants and generate new business. We are at a critical time, in terms of funding for the mentoring support that we provide, but there is a change in corporate attitudes. Companies such as Autins and Wago are providing us with assembly work on a regular basis; at commercial rates, which will be the backbone to our future sustainability. Indeed, we are now also looking for corporate social responsibility minded businesses to contribute towards mentoring, care and training costs - a rewarding investment.

For more information, please contact Chet Parmar on 07800 771 651

Colebridge Enterprises Reinvest Into Business Following Income from Recycling Over 1500 Cardboard Boxes

Colebridge Enterprises — 15/03/2023

Colebridge Enterprises have recently recycled more than 1500 cardboard boxes, which is 4-5 weeks of use. Colebridge are recycling with a Birmingham-based company who recycle cardboard in a more sustainable and green way

On average, Colebridge Enterprises have approximately 300 boxes used per week. Previously, all used cardboard boxes were collected by a company on behalf of Colebridge Enterprise’s customer, however, recently the collections stopped, with no indication of restarting.

Once this problem arised, to dispose of these boxes would have been at a significant cost to Colebridge Enterprises as a business, which resulted in seeking an alternative to disposing of waste.

It was here that Colebridge Enterprises were able to find a sustainable solution. The company who carries out the cardboard box reuse with does this though involving the separation of once used boxes from factory generated waste cardboard. The boxes are sorted and graded then sold for reuse. This method is considered one of, if not the, the most environmentally friendly disposal route.

As a result of this method of cardboard box reuse, Colebridge Enterprises not only were able to find a sustainable solution to the problem, but also receive some income flow from it, which could be reinvested back into the business.

Colebridge Enterprise used the income generated from this in order to reinvest into reducing energy costs. For example, LED lighting is being purchased, to go from 50% coverage to 100% coverage of the company’s unit in Solihull.

Colebridge Enterprises is a light assembly social enterprise, set-up by registered charity, The Colebridge Trust. The Colebridge Trust was set up to “build the capacity of Solihull’s borough-wide communities, addressing social, economic and environmental deprivation and improving the life chances of its people.” Find out more on Colebridge Enterprise’s Made in the Midlands microsite.

Are You Adding Real Value?

Colebridge Enterprises — 17/11/2014

A report just issued by KPMG, A New Vision of Value, has observed that there is a growing connection between the creation of corporate value (profit & shareholder dividends) and social value (community benefit). The connection is being driven by government strategy, legislation and consumer & voter pressure. Simply focussing on the pound notes on the bottom of the P&L account is no longer enough.

For the past couple of years, the public sector has been legally obliged, under the Social Value Act, to consider local social, environmental and economic value in contracts for services over the EU Threshold of 134,000. However, every single local authority in the West Midlands has elected to apply the act to all goods and services they purchase whatever their value. Every local authority in the region now has a Social Value Champion in its commissioning & procurement teams. Some public sector bodies are going further by asking about social value within second tier and sub contract arrangements.

Whilst the Social Value Act doesnt (yet) apply to private companies, some of the big players are beginning to see the Act as a tool to create added value and support their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives. The UK government is, at this moment, conducting a review of the Act and its application. Possibly seeing it as a vote winner?

Global economic crisis, questionable tax avoidance schemes and the overall competitiveness of the market place are factors encouraging consumers to ask questions they never asked before. Social media is fuelling the fire of consumer pressure.

When lower unemployment figures were recently announced for the Midlands, who did the BBC Midlands News turn to for comment in its 3 main bulletins on the day? The School for Social Entrepreneurs.

Birmingham & Coventry are already shaping up to become the next Social Enterprise cities. The Black Country already has a thriving social enterprise zone. Birmingham has a bigger vision to become the CSR capital of the world! Social Enterprises make great PR because they add that vital human interest angle the media loves.

Whats A Social Enterprise?

Very simply, it is a business. Its a business that exists to meet a social or environmental need. Its a business that re-invests its profits back into the community rather than for personal gain or distribution to a smaller shareholder group.

Made In The Midlands has its own Social Enterprise manufacturing bronze member, Colebridge Enterprises. Their MD, Charles Rapson, spent most of his career in manufacturing and automotive industries before turning to social enterprise. He has a second interest, heading up the School for Social Entrepreneurs, hence the appeal to BBC Midlands News.

Colebridge Enterprises provides a light assembly and packing outsource to manufacturing companies. They process close to 2 million parts a year. Every part delivered on time and 99.98% right first time quality (100% in the past 6 months). In doing this, they provide employment and apprenticeships to young or disadvantaged people with 50% of their labour force being people with mild to moderate learning disabilities. Profits are used to guide other local charities and voluntary organisation to deliver better services. They hold ISO 9001 certification. Colebridge Enterprises has a very simple ethos Do good work and be nice. The rest follows.

Another award winning Made In The Midlands member, Automotive Insulations, who outsource assembly work to Colebridge Enterprises testifies that The services provided are outstanding. Goods are always of excellent quality and delivered on time as required, the facilities are clean, tidy and organised.

Colebridge Enterprises can help you:

· Increase your capacity without you having to make capital investments

· Free up resources taken up on low value items so you can concentrate on higher value lines

· Help you meet peak and seasonal demand spikes

· Claim added social value to help win new business

· Increase employee and stakeholder value.

If you are interested to know more and get ahead of the game, call Charles Rapson on 07500 081 219 or email charlesr@colebridge.org or visit http://colebridge-enterprises.madeinthemidlands.com/ or http://colent.org/