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Local policy on participation and the role of social firms Tom Geijsen, policy advisor Work, Participation and Income. Content. Participation National and local view on participation Who do we want to participate? What do we mean by it? What actors provide opportunities to participate?
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Local policy on participation and the role of social firmsTom Geijsen, policy advisorWork, Participation and Income
Content • Participation • National and local view onparticipation • Who do we want to participate? • What do we mean by it? • What actors provide opportunities to participate? • Localpolicies to support re-usecompanies • Social firms in general • Re-use companies
Coalition agreement 2012-2016: • Every citizen must beabletoparticipatefully in society • Social security shouldbe more activating • System must bemaintainableandaccessable • Budget cuts • “Participation society” • Welfare onlyforthepeoplewhoreallyneedit
Local goals on participation • Amsterdam coalition agreement 2014-2018: • Care for the all people in Amsterdam who need it • Everybody must be able to participate at full capacity • Before: • Short-term cost reduction • Focus on people with ‘short distance’ to the labour market • Now: • Long-term societal costs and benefits • Invest in people with ‘long distance’ to the labour market
Everybody must be able to participate • All 800.000 Amsterdammers? Yes! • But not everyone needs support
Everybody must be able to participate 800,000 Amsterdammers Potentialworkingpopulationaged 19-64: 560,000 NUG 60,470 178,000 Amsterdammers Occupationaldisability > 38,000 Disability benefits 38,000 Unemployedworkingpopulation 41,000 Municipal benefits 40,000 Unempl benefits21,000 178,000 Amsterdammers 48,000 study 24,000 do voluntarywork 22,000 work<12 hours a week Non-workingpopulation 99,000 Municipaldayactivities7,000 Potentialnumber of peoplewhoparticipateinsufficiently: 84,000 E.g. people in housekeeping, informal care providers or people on earlyretirement 39% performsvoluntarywork 6 6
Everybody must be able to participate:Occupational disability • Since 2015: Participation Act • Everyone with occupational disability, but ability to work • Mental (low IQ, autism), psychiatric and physical disabilities • The goal: • a real job • a regular employment contract • a subsidy for the employer (optional)
Everybody must be able to participate:Occupational disability • Job Agreement: 125.000 extra jobs for people with OD • Amsterdam region: 1750 end of 2016 • Also: 30.000 extra jobs in a ‘sheltered environment’ • Amsterdam city: 60 end of 2016 • Decline in social work facilities
Everybody must be able to participate • What do we understand by participation?
Since 2015: Regular employers & Sheltered work The continuum from daytime activity to work Social work facility 1200 employees 58 suppliers 2000 participants 50+ suppliers 3500 participants
Since 2015: 250 employed with wage subsidy The continuum from daytime activity to work Social work facility 1200 employees Since 2015: 5 employed 58 suppliers 2000 participants 50+ suppliers 3500 participants
What actors provide opportunities? • Day activities: specialized organisations and organisations connected with the neighborhood • Work: regular employers • In between: social firms! • Combination between commercial and social goals • Affection with the population • Room for development (and fallback)
What actors provide opportunities?Examples: Rataplan and De Lokatie • 220 staff members, of which: • 102 employees (83 with wage-subsidy) • Including work in sheltered environment • 66 volunteers • 35 participants in day activities • Together: about 1/6 of total employment in social firms
Policies to support re-use companies • 2 initiatives for the support of re-use companies: • Policy to support social firms • Policy to support recycling • Part of Amsterdam Sustainable Agenda
Social firms • Working plan accepted by city council in June 2015 • Goals: • Promote productive daytime activities • Create work for people with limited productivity • Create flow from daytime activities towards work • Save on public spending
Social firms: procurement • Socialfirmsbroughttothe attention of lead buyers of themunicipality • Catering policy: buysocial
Social firms: Investment fund • For SocialFirmswho want toscale up and have difficulty in attracting new capitalfor different investments (machines, buildings, transport); • FORM: Loanwith interest • max € 75.000,- for+ 1-4 placesforpeoplewith a distancetothelabour market • max € 125.000,- for + 5-8 places… • max € 150.000,- for 9 or more places…
Social firms: non-financial support • Website: www.socialezaken.info • Social Firm Challenge help finding investors • Trade missions (in progress)
Recycling • Sustainability Agenda: ambitions, goals and directions of the Council • 2020: 65% seperation of household waste (now 19%) • Since October 2015: Re-use companies receive payment for collection and seperation of bulky household waste • More recycling • 70% reusable and 8% as second hand goods • More places for daytime activities/supported work • No results known
Concluding remarks • Re-use companies fulfill important role in Amsterdam • Contribution to both environmental and social goals • Important function in the continuum from day activities to work • Provider of day activities • Employer • Supporting policies aimed at both goals
Websites • Social firms: support program Social firms www.amsterdam.nl/socialefirma • Sustainability Agenda: https://www.amsterdam.nl/bestuur-organisatie/organisatie/ruimte-economie/ruimte-duurzaamheid/ruimte-duurzaamheid/making-amsterdam/sustainability/ • Market place for social firms: www.socialezaken.info