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| Primary purpose Summary Potential benefits Who can use the tool? What resources are needed? Development, ownership and support Social enterprise examples Further sources of information Star Social Firm The Star Social Firm is a quality mark designed to be a rigorous standard to recognise high quality Social Firms for staff and customers alike. Social Firms UK believes that a quality mark is an essential part of developing quality businesses that can promote their products and services with confidence. In developing a verifiable standard for the Social Firm sector, the quality mark for Social Firms aims to:
For customers and potential customers of commercial Social Firm products and services the aim of the standard is that it will reassure them that the Social Firm is:
Potential limitations
Any Social Firm that is interested in attaining the quality mark can express their interest to Social Firms UK. Social Firms UK monitors through pre-application to make sure it is appropriate to the organisation. Eight Social Firms volunteered to enter the pilot phase for attaining Star Social Firm. Five Social Firms have obtained the Star Social Firm and will be profiled heavily in the run up to the formal launch of the standard on 7th February 2008. The second wave of Social Firms that could qualify for the Star Social Firm is currently being identified (summer 2007). Leadership The implementation of Star Social Firm will need to be supported by senior management, who need to be visibly committed to the process together with the staff and the board. Proficiencies or skills Assessors, working within the Social Firm sector have been trained to a high standard by SFEDI. Social Firms wanting to apply for Star Social Firm status will need a good awareness of their activities plus a demonstrable commitment to the Social Firm values of enterprise, employment and empowerment. Staff time Although time will need to be spent ensuring the application questions are fully answered, well run Social Firms will not find the assessment for the Star Social Firm onerous. Assessor visits will be between half and one day depending on the size of the organisation and the number of sites from which it operates. Courses, support, and information In obtaining the Star Social Firm Social Firms UK will offer support in working with the organisation to assist them in deciding whether they are ready to apply. Development, ownership and support In development of the Star Social Firm, Full Members of Social Firms UK (i.e. emerging and full Social Firms) were fielded for opinions on what they thought of developing a Social Firm standard The Quality Support Manager at Social Firms UK was tasked with identifying an appropriate standard-setting body to work with on the creation of this standard and, following several proposals, SFEDI (Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative) was chosen as partner. Several Social Firms took part in an extensive pilot to test the standard. Staff working in Social Firms and emerging Social Firms were recruited to become SFEDI-trained assessors. Eight Social Firms volunteered to enter the pilot phase for attaining the Star Social Firm and five Social Firms have now attained Star Social Firm status. They will be profiled heavily in the run up to the formal launch of the standard on 7th February 2008. Organisations that are Star Social Firms include:
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