Grass Roots Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Micro-Enterprise in Social Care

In recent years, the UK social care sector has seen a massive growth in the number of microenterprises which are defined as very small organisations with five or fewer workers. Microenterprises are usually grass roots organisations established and run by local people, including those who are themselves disabled, and often combine paid and unpaid care provision. The informal nature of micro-enterprises means that they challenge traditional conceptions of social care and have been promoted by the UK government as highly innovative, personalised and empowering for service users. However, little empirical evidence means that the benefits of micro-enterprises are often assumed rather than proven. This paper reports early findings from an ESRC funded study that is evaluating the performance of micro-enterprises within adult social care in England focusing on the extent to which they outperform larger care providers in delivering valued, innovative, personalised and cost-effective services. This paper focuses in particular on the extent to which micro-enterprises are innovative by drawing on an evidence review of the role of small community organisations in supporting marginalised communities. It also draws on early empirical interview findings with micro-enterprises co-ordinators from across three locations in England.