Social Care in Action is a successful, not-for-profit group of social enterprises focused on health and wellbeing. We have over 25 years experience, working in local communities and meeting the needs of local people.
Social Care in Action delivers care, health, transport, dentistry, training, counselling and advice services. We also run Fenwick, a health and wellbeing centre in the New Forest, and Cobbett Hub and Library in Southampton. As a social enterprise we reinvest any profit back into our services to ensure that we can continue to support our local communities.
We provide services in Central Southern England, focused in areas of disadvantage and providing rewarding jobs for our 250 staff and volunteers.
Our services are a mix of publicly commissioned services and those directly purchased by local people.
We involve our communities in setting our priorities and evaluating our impact. We listen carefully to their ideas on what we should do next. We take an enhanced quality and governance approach.
The Social Care in Action Mission:
“We exist to improve individual lives, the communities we serve and wider society.”
Social enterprises exist to tackle social problems, improve communities, people’s life chances and the environment. Social enterprises reinvest profits back into the business or local community, so when they profit, society profits.
“Together our group of social enterprises aim to become a leading social enterprise providing innovative, high impact solutions to improving the health and wellbeing of our communities across Southern England.”
Our Values:
- We place our customers and communities at the heart of what we do, aiming to make a real and positive difference with people, often those disadvantaged in their access to full opportunities.
- We are a Social Enterprise, investing in our communities, looking at new and innovative ways of delivering social impact and bringing people together for the common good.
- We are flexible and responsive and seek out opportunities to learn how our services can be improved and remain competitive.
- We act with integrity and mutual respect, valuing each and every one we come into contact with, ensuring we are inclusive and promote diversity and cohesion, and respecting our environment.
- Our employees, volunteers and communities’ skills are our greatest asset. We value the ideas and creativity of every individual in every role and effective team working and collaboration. We are committed to providing equality of opportunity, rewarding excellence and supporting development.
Our History:
Social Care in Action was established in 1991 as a not-for-profit Industrial and Provident Society – Southampton Care Association. Under the leadership of Brian Strevens it delivered the community transport service in Southampton and then diversified, developing a care division in response to the Community Care Act. The care division grew and started delivering day care services and home care services and moved into East Hampshire, New Forest and Bournemouth / Poole areas.
Over the twenty five years since its inception Social Care in Action has grown to deliver dentistry and training in addition to care and transport. In 2002, in response to the Care Quality Standards, Social Care in Action launched the Quinn Centre, an educational charity set up to deliver training in the health and social care sector. In 2005 Social Care in Action diversified into dentistry, SCA Trafalgar, and secured support from PCT’s to open two new NHS dental practices. SCA Trafalgar now has seven dental practices in Portsmouth, Southampton, Swanage and the New Forest.
In 2008, Social Care in Action went into partnership with the Fenwick Hospital League of Friends and with a Pathfinder grant refurbished the community hospital and re-opened it as a community enterprise with the aim of providing health and wellbeing services to the local community.
In 2010 Social Care in Action launched its Institute of Social Enterprise, followed by the Social Franchising Centre in 2011. Social Care in Action provides consultancy, advice and guidance to the third sector and public sector.
In 2016 Social Care in Action worked with the Friends of Cobbett Road Library, and Unexpected Places, a local drama group, to save Cobbett Road Library in Southampton from closure. It has re-opened as Cobbett Hub and Library with the aim of it becoming a focus of activity for the local community as well as maintaining the library service in this part of Southampton.
In 2016 Social Care in Action worked with Options Health and Wellbeing Trust to bring them into the wider Social Care in Action group. This move secured the future of Options, who provide vital counselling services across the South of England whilst fitting with the aims of Social Care in Action.
In 2017 Social Care in Action became the lead organisation for Southampton Healthy Living, a local consortium including Solent NHS Trust and Southampton Voluntary Services (SVS) to deliver the health behaviour change service to the residents of Southampton, focusing on lifestyle changes to ensure our communities are as healthy as they can be.
Social Care in Action Registered Charity in England and Wales number 1096903.