We are delighted to announce that Empanda is to be the new provider at the Brandon Day Centre and will be taking over the service in January 2017. We will provide more information as plans progress, but in the meantime, please see recent press coverage in the Bury Free Press for more details on this exciting new project.
The 17th November marks Social Enterprise Day which gives an opportunity for the 70,000 social enterprises across the UK to shout about the good work they’re doing and the difference they’re making.
As a new Community Interest Company (established in April 2016), we’re starting our journey towards making a difference to the people we serve. Being a CIC, we ensure that all profit generated by Empanda is reinvested into the valuable services we provide.
We are concentrating our efforts on raising awareness for this year’s Social Enterprise Day by promoting the day online and on social media. Next year ….. watch this space!
To mark the occasion of Empanda being in business for six months, on 19 October we launched a new benefit to all Empanda employees under our, ‘We value you’ initiative.
Our six- month anniversary initiative, ‘HSF Health Plan’, is being delivered in partnership with HSF Health Plan, the trading arm of The Hospital Saturday Fund, a charity which started in 1873 to offer healthcare to working people who, traditionally, were paid on a Saturday. The idea was that on each payday, they paid a few pennies into the Hospital Saturday Fund to pay towards the upkeep of their local hospital. HSF continued to offer access to healthcare up until the National Health Service (NHS) was launched in 1948 and is a true, not-for-profit charitable organisation that still upholds its original values.
At the launch sessions, Andrew Harris, Regional Account Executive for HSF Health Plan explained the amazing financial benefits for staff, their partners and dependent children which include dental treatment and optical care, as well as a range of health care services, counselling, legal advice and 24/7 access to a GP advice line and virtual doctor.
He went on to summarise the many non-health related benefits for staff joining the scheme which could save them hundreds of pounds on things they buy every day, including purchases at supermarkets and other stores such as Argos and M&S, as well as trips to the cinema, days out and holidays with the HSF Perkbox.
At the end of the staff sessions, Andrew commented, “It was really nice to have met so many people at Empanda, all of whom made me feel very welcome. I hope that everyone will feel confident in contacting me if they need any help or assistance with their HSF policy.”
Empanda’s Managing Director, Sally Hanlin said, “We are delighted to be able to offer this to our colleagues in Empanda. Through our corporate membership, staff can access the benefits at an excellent rate. HSF Health Plan pays any surplus they make into valuable medical research or services, so we are pleased to partner such a worthwhile organisation.”
The launch was supported by staff from across different parts of the business, with many of those attending signing up on the day.
Teamwork, good food and lots of fun are all ingredients that make a successful event, and it was this combination that brought staff, service users and respite care guests together to give the garden at Oak Trees a much needed makeover.
Oak Trees, which offers respite care for adults with a learning difficulty, has a good-sized garden but it was looking tired and in much need of some TLC. It was touch and go, however, as to whether the day would go ahead at all due to torrential rain first thing in the morning. But a few black clouds weren’t enough to dampen the spirits of everyone who took part on the day.
From grass mowing and weeding, to fence painting and general garden DIY, everyone rolled their sleeves up and got stuck in to the job in hand and the work was soon done.
A barbecue for the workforce, some upbeat music and a swing ball tournament not only provided much needed respite during those ‘time out’ moments, but created the perfect setting for new friendships to be forged between service users and residents who had travelled from the Young People’s Services projects in North Norfolk to help out on the day.
A massive thank you to everyone who gave their time to ensure the day was a huge success. To see everyone smiling and to receive comments from both guests and service users from the respite and supported living services like “I have had a lovely day. I loved the food and enjoyed meeting new friends”, “The best day ever” and “Can I have the day off tomorrow – I like this better than work”, certainly made our day and meant that all the hard work that went into the event was definitely worth it.
We are always on the lookout for talented people to come and join us. So, as part of our ongoing commitment to staff, we have introduced ‘Refer a Friend to Work’.
So how does it work?
‘Refer a Friend to Work’ forms part of our ‘We value you’ benefits package for Empanda employees. It’s a way for us to cast our nets wider in the search for the right person for the right role, as and when vacancies arise. And in return, our staff can benefit too!
When a ‘live’ vacancy is advertised internally, as long as an employee meets the scheme criteria they can put forward a friend or family member who they think meets the person specification criteria and possesses the relevant experience and qualities required for the role. If the person they have referred is subsequently appointed, the staff member will receive a two-stage incentive. Simple, but effective.
Sally Hanlin, Empanda’s Managing Director says, “There are many benefits of introducing such a scheme. Many of our staff team will know someone with the right skills who are looking for a new job and can ensure they get the opportunity to put themselves forward should a suitable vacancy arise. Not only is it a great way to incentivise and reward staff, it also provides a cost effective alternative to advertising. It’s a win-win!”
