
BEST PRACTICE SPONSOR 2020
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
36 | SOLO LIFE OPPORTUNITIES
All of our projects are currently based
in Birmingham and Solihull, but we are
looking to expand into surrounding
areas. Our business is strong and
we want to extend the benefits we
provide to other areas of the country.
Currently, we make a difference to
over 1,000 children and adults with
a learning disability as well as to over
1,500 parents and carers. If we increase
the geographical area we cover, we can
raise this figure even higher.
Our core values
Our business is based on our core values
and the core attributes of the business:
safety, trust, adaptability, resilience and
quality. Choice and independence are
key. As a member-led organisation,
we respond to the requirements of our
members, shaping our provision around
their needs. For our activity-based
projects, we host regular meetings
with those members to discuss the
programme and its format and content.
Although we may organise the projects,
the projects truly belong to them.
We have a flat structure within the
organisation, overseen by a board
of trustees who are all volunteers.
We organise a variety of training
programmes including both face-
to-face training and e-learning to
ensure all our staff and volunteers can
meet the requirements set by CQC
and Ofsted. Since I first came to the
organisation, we have expanded and
diversified our training programmes
and have focused on training our
staff in different ways. We want to
be confident that all of our staff are
trained to an exceptional level, and so
we must ensure the training reflects
this. As many of our users have
complex needs, these diverse training
programmes are essential.
Adapting to expansion
One of the biggest challenges we face
is adapting to our rate of growth.
Over the last five years, we have
expanded rapidly, and this has meant
we have had to adapt accordingly,
both in terms of our internal structure
and of recruiting staff to support our
new size. One of the key issues we
had to address was changing internal
attitudes. People can be anxious about
change and development, and we
Another memory made
Choice and
independence
are key; as a
member-led
organisation,
we respond to
the
requirements
of our
members and
shape our
provision
around their
needs
“
“
Climbers – aiming high
37SOLO LIFE OPPORTUNITIES |
worked hard to support them through
this. Our answer to this change in
culture was predominantly solution
based, and this is something we are
looking to continue.
Now that we have expanded, it is time
to review our flat internal structure. It is
essential as a business to respond to our
markets, both current and potential,
and we therefore need to ensure that
we retain and attract the best. We need
to invest in our staff to ensure SoLO is
fit for purpose and our staff feel able
to commit to the organisation going
forward. The social care sector is not
very highly valued in the marketplace,
despite the essential work we do, and
this can lead to a high turnover of staff.
The third sector, and its vital role in
supporting both the public and private
sector, is extremely undervalued, and
this must change so our contribution,
and that of all other charitable
organisations, is recognised.
This type of consolidation and internal
review will be key to harnessing the
potential of our recent success. As
we look ahead, there are a myriad of
opportunities to take advantage of.
In 2022, the Commonwealth Games
will be held in Birmingham, and with
my background in the sports sector as
secretary-general of an international
sporting organisation, this will enable
the organisation to build links into these
sporting streams and take advantage of
any opportunities that may arise.
Although our primary focus is
consolidation in the immediate future,
we must also consider our continued
growth and are therefore looking to
replicate our services in other boroughs
and beyond. This will help to maximise
the community benefit we can offer as
well as ensuring we are able to access
a variety of funding streams, protecting
the future of the organisation. One of
our strategic plans focuses on this issue,
specifically targeting the diversification
of our funding streams. Over seven
years ago, the board recognised that
the organisation was mainly reliant
on the income of just one contract.
Since then our strategic plan has
been to diversify our income sources
to ensure future sustainability for the
organisation, and therefore additional
business streams were developed which
have successfully addressed this issue.
It remains an essential element of our
strategic direction to maintain that
diversity which also enables SoLO to
offer a greater choice of activities.
To support the expansion of our
services, and because of the importance
of infrastructure, our website and brand
both need to work hard to increase
our reach, and we have plans set up
to achieve this. The financial stability
of the organisation is a priority, and
with robust systems and infrastructure
in place, the future is something to be
excited about.
The future is
something to
be excited
about
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Providing truly
rewarding experiences