Enterprise East CIC

Enterprise East CIC: Supported employment and skills

About Enterprise East CIC

Enterprise East Group CIC is a not-for-profit community interest company dedicated to tackling social isolation and breaking down employment barriers, particularly for individuals with disabilities and neurodiverse conditions. Since 2017, they’ve operated inclusive social businesses including Café Cornell and Eco Enterprise as settings for supported employment and skills training.

The project

Enterprise East Group CIC has pioneered two unique social businesses: Café Cornell and Eco Enterprise. These ventures serve as work-based training locations where adults who face employment barriers and social stigma can gain vital skills, experience, and qualifications in a fully supported setting. These training programmes lay the necessary foundations for Enterprise to offer direct pathways to paid employment, creating supported roles ideally suited to each candidate. The trained staff collaborate to provide necessary modifications and support, ensuring everyone’s success. Many of the staff and leadership team have disabilities or neurodiverse conditions, and they actively inform their projects and practices at every step.

In 2023, Enterprise East Group set up their Inclusion and Thrive programme, expanding their work-based training and support offer to promote accessible and supported employment opportunities throughout their social businesses. These aim to break down barriers suck as lack of pre-existing skills/experience, and lack of specialist support in regular workplaces (particularly for adults with SEND). The programme has been shaped by the insights and suggestions of its beneficiaries. They continually survey participants in their current programs, as well as potential beneficiaries and stakeholders, to identify how they can most effectively support them.

The result

Since the launch of the Inclusion and Thrive programme in 2023, Enterprise East Group have created 16 supported roles within their social businesses, leading to sustained, high-quality employment for disabled adults.

The team at Enterprise East Group today is stronger and more diverse as a direct result of this.

Going forward

Enterprise East Group CIC foresee a significant long-term positive impact for their employees, particularly due to the skills training and experience they provide that may otherwise be unattainable for many. Their initiatives also play a crucial role in challenging societal stigma towards disabilities. By operating public, open businesses, they foster continuous interaction with the community, maximising opportunities for education, empathy, and understanding.

If you require this content in a different format, contact enquiries@businessdisabilityforum.org.uk.