COUNCILLORS approved a draft response to a report on social enterprises while praising the work in Flintshire.

At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, (November 21) members were asked to review and approve the draft response to the Audit Wales report ‘A missed opportunity- Social Enterprises’, and the draft Social Enterprise Action Plan.

A report said: “In 2013, the council recognised the value of social enterprises in meeting the needs of local communities and in diversifying the economy but identified that there were relatively few in the county.

"The council started to employ a specialist Social Enterprise Development Officer to provide one to one support to enterprises to help them to become established, develop and grow. The council has, since the creation of this post, supported the development of approximately 100 new social enterprises as well as providing support to grow and sustain existing social enterprises.”

In 2020, Social Enterprise UK officially recognised Flintshire as a registered ‘Social Enterprise Place.’ This registration acknowledges the range, quality, and level of social enterprise activity within the county and serves to raise the profile of Flintshire and the sector at a national level.

In December 2022 Audit Wales published their report “A missed opportunity – Social Enterprises”. The report followed their review of the support provided to the sector by local authorities in Wales. However during the Cabinet meeting it was highlighted that the title does not apply to Flintshire.

MOST READ: 

The report added: “The council, in response to the Audit Wales recommendations, has undertaken a self-assessment exercise for its support for social enterprises and has, in consultation with the sector, produced an updated Social Enterprise Action Plan 2023-2025 which is presented for discussion and approval.”

The Action Plan sets out four aims:

Aim 1: Social enterprises will be better able to support each other

Aim 2: Social enterprises will be better able to evidence their impact

Aim 3: Social enterprises will have a higher profile

Aim 4: Social enterprises will deliver more services on behalf of the public sector

The report added: “The Action Plan includes a range of actions to deliver against these aims. Progress will be reviewed with the Flintshire Economic Recovery Group and Social Enterprise Stakeholder Group and reported to Cabinet and Scrutiny as part of the regular Council Plan reporting process.”

Cllr David Healey (Labour) for Caergwrle, during the meeting praised social enterprise in Flintshire as being, “run by the people for the people”, and Cllr Paul Johnson (Labour) for Holywell West described the Action plan as “excellent”.