Kent

Community enterprise development with a strong focus on the local systems and culture change needed to create real choice for people.

This project is helping local people to develop community enterprises who are able to offer care and help at home and in the community for older and disabled people. We will also be advising small groups and organisations already established and looking to diversify or extend what they offer. The project aims to capture learning and actively use this to affect the necessary local system and culture change to ensure success.

As part of the project, we have developed a directory to showcase community enterprises in the local area.

In March 2023, Kent County Council won two iESE awards related to this project in the following categories: Procurement (silver) and Transformation in Health and Social Care (Bronze).

We are very excited to be working with Community Catalysts as part of our ‘Making a difference every day’ approach in Kent. Along with people we support, our staff and partner organisations, we want to develop new and innovative ways that help people in Kent to lead a full life – living in the places they call home and within their communities as long as possible, with greater choice about how, where and when they receive care and support.

Helen Gillivan Senior Accountable Officer ‘Making a difference every day’ Adult Social Care

Really excited to be working in Kent – the work of Community Catalysts started in Kent under a Department of Health funded project in 2008 so this is a welcome return to the County Council.

Helen Allen, Director of Community Enterprise