Thinkers in Residence launch Social Capital Residencies final report

The Don Dunstan Foundation’s Thinkers in Residence program has published a new report on how to build a more purposeful economy for South Australia, with nine key recommendations creating an invaluable roadmap for shaping the future of SA’s social development and economy.

The Social Capital Residencies (SCR) report details how not-for-profit and for-profit organisations can collaborate, with inclusivity the key to building and sustaining a purposeful economy.

“It was my pleasure to act as the Principal Thinker in Residence over these two years and to be joined by an incredible cadre of other Thinkers as we worked together with South Australians to imagine a better future for your State,” says Allyson Hewitt, who is currently Vice-President, Impact, MaRS Discovery District (Toronto, Canada).

“The work of the for-purpose sector has already gained momentum in South Australia, with the establishment of Lot Fourteen and a growing expat community returning to South Australia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If capitalised on, these natural progressions of the report’s recommendations could continue to grow the Purpose Economy,” Ms Hewitt says.

“We also highlight that larger corporates are essential to championing South Australia as a leader in the Purpose Economy. The road to a purposeful economy must include organisations of all size and stature, including the big four consulting agencies, and other large companies with bases in SA,” says Ms Hewitt.

Chair of the Don Dunstan Foundation, Dr Jane Lomax-Smith, has welcomed the report and says the work of the five Thinkers will be invaluable to the state.

“As all of our Thinkers in Residence programs have done, the Social Capital Residencies report will bring additional thought leadership to South Australia.”

“Our warmest gratitude goes to our former Thinkers for the work they did while in the state, and for producing this informative report,” says Dr Lomax-Smith.

Launched in 2017, the Social Capital Residencies program ran until June 2019 and saw nine visits to the state from five social innovation experts from around the globe. Over the two years, these expert Thinkers met with over 8,000 South Australians through workshops, events and roundtables.

Following the guidance of expert Thinkers, and with SA’s best interest at the forefront of the minds of all stakeholders, SA holds the opportunity to pave the way for national economic development that will see greater outcomes and social returns for the broader community; an economy that is community centred.

The Social Capital Residency’s final report is available here.

How to help our partners

Written by Anthony Collebrusco

During this challenging climate, our thoughts are with the partners of the Don Dunstan Foundation’s major projects.

These service providers continue to deliver invaluable services to vulnerable populations in our community, and many have adapted their practices to protect their clients, employees and volunteers.

With many of us in the not-for-profit sector impacted in different ways by COVID-19, some of you may have the capacity to support our very important service providers.

We have made a comprehensive list of partners and their current needs with links to more information about how you can help.

Additionally, some partners are no longer accepting certain types of donated goods. These changes are also noted below.

Whether you are able to offer support, or unable to in these difficult times, the Foundation thanks you for your ongoing commitment to social justice in our state.

Dr Guy Turnbull’s report is here

Former Adelaide Specialist Thinker in Residence and award-winning UK social entrepreneur Dr Guy Turnbull is encouraging South Australia to step up and grow its co-operative movement.

Dr Turnbull, recognised for successfully opening co-operatives (or social franchises) abroad, has outlined recommendations as part of his role for the Adelaide Thinkers in Residence program, focused on developing South Australia’s Purpose Economy.

“Adopting new co-operative ways of owning and organising a range of economic activity including health and social care services, is the key to strengthening the local economy.”

“There is no greater way to engage an employee and deliver superior outcomes than to make them an owner of the organisation they work for – this is why the employee ownership and co-operative business models are thriving.”

Dr Guy Turnbull

When people have a stake in an organisation like a co-operative, they deliver a much better quality of care. This makes the business more successful and means that profits can be reinvested in staff development and better care.

The right support ecosystem needs to be in place for more co-operatives and mutuals to form in South Australia. This includes:

• Establishing a central voice
• Having strong connections to the global movement
• Accessing appropriate social investment finance
• The availability of bespoke business advice and support
• A supportive legislative environment

Co-operative and social enterprise business models gain traction when they focus on particular sectors – health, aged care, disability as well as creative industries should be prioritised.

There are already great ideas being brought to the table including; bringing together carer co-operatives with primary and allied health professionals and having multi-stakeholder co-operatives of providers and people with disabilities, families and workers, who as member-owners, are engaged in how care is delivered.

These are examples of potential innovative models where South Australia can show national leadership on engagement and outcomes for transformational social care programs such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

“I encourage South Australia to identify and nurture more Social Entrepreneurs as people are what matter most in business, including co-operatives and social enterprises.”

Dr Guy Turnbull

Dr Turnbull’s report: ‘Towards a Co-operative State: Securing the Social and Economic Prosperity of South Australia through Corporate Diversity,’ is available here.

The Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals, State Government, tertiary education, allied professional stakeholders and the private sector are currently working with Dr Turnbull, on contributing to the development of a blueprint for action in Australia’s health and social care sector.

Call for less government control of Lot Fourteen

In Daily Adelaide’s Independent News | Stephanie Richards 17 June 2019

The non-government sector should have a greater say in the management of Lot Fourteen as the site enters a “critical” stage of development, a visiting scholar will tell the State Government.

Canadian Rhodes scholar and innovation expert Ilse Treurnicht will present a series of recommendations to the State Government in September on how South Australia can learn from other cities’ approaches to building innovation hubs.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

SA Urged to Embrace Co-Op Model to Fix Aged Care and Disability Worker Shortages

Pro Bono Australia | Luke Michael 5 December 2018

South Australia should embrace the cooperative business model to fix problems in the state’s care sector, according to a leading UK social entrepreneur.

Dr Guy Turnbull, EY’s UK Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017, has been in Australia sharing his expertise in applying the cooperative model to the social care workforce.

Adelaide’s ‘Thinker in Residence’ behind new community care

MEDIA RELEASE: Wednesday 13 November 2018

The Don Dunstan Foundation’s ‘Thinker in Residence’ Dr Guy Turnbull is on a mission for South Australia to embrace the co-operative business model in the state’s care sector.

The recent UK Entrepreneur of the Year recipient, recognised for successfully opening social franchises (or co-operatives) abroad in the care industry, is behind an Adelaide pilot to link local GPs and allied health providers with a co-operative of home care staff.

“We’re connecting and working together with GPs to reduce both the number of people being admitted to hospital because there isn’t adequate community care and to have them discharged more rapidly,” Dr Turnbull says.

“It’s all about delivering higher-quality care by employees that are better engaged in what they do because they are working as part of a co-operative,” he says.

“There is no greater way to engage an employee and deliver superior outcomes than to make them an owner of the organisation that they work for – this is why the employee ownership and co-operative business models are thriving.”

One of Australia’s first worker-owned co-ops, home care provider – The Co-operative Life (TCL), based in Sydney, will be part of the pilot which is due to commence in early 2019.

“South Australia is yet to have an established and registered co-operative urgent home care provider and if we move quickly, the state can become leaders in this space,” Dr Turnbull says.

By 2050, one million aged care workers will be needed to provide care to just six million people – according to a recent report by the Victorian Council on Social Services.

“That’s a three-fold increase up from 336,000 people currently working in the aged care sector,” he says.

“Now’s the time to take action and think differently about the way care is delivered.

“When people have a stake in an organisation like a co-operative, they deliver a much better quality of care. This makes the business more successful and means that profits can be re-invested in the staff development and better care.”

Don Dunstan Foundation Executive Director David Pearson says we all need to be a lot more concerned about workforce issues in the care sector.

“Not being on the front foot and addressing these challenges leads to more royal commissions into the quality of care.” Mr Pearson says.

“This industry is also a crucial part of the local economy and in South Australia’s case, is currently the biggest driver of job creation.”

The Don Dunstan Foundation has partnered with the university, business, public and community sectors to deliver the Adelaide ‘Thinkers in Residence’ program which is focusing on growing jobs in the purpose economy.

Supporting the Co-Operative Life coming to South Australia is one of nearly 30 initiatives that have been started or supported by the Thinkers Program over the last 18 months.

Dr Guy Turnbull is the current ‘Thinker in Residence’ and former Managing Director of Care and Share Associates (CASA) – an employee owned cooperative in the UK care sector.

Dr Turnbull is running a free information session about care co-ops on Friday 16 November.

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES OR TO ARRANGE INTERVIEWS CONTACT: The Message Bureau on (08) 8223 7703 or 0419 754 564

Entrepreneurs come from all walks of life and abilities

Social entrepreneur Dr Guy Turnbull, who was named UK Entrepreneur of the Year, is in SA to inspire budding innovators and business founders on what it takes to make it in the game.
The Entrepreneurs Week keynote speaker was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was two, and has exercised his entrepreneurial skills his whole life.

“When I make myself a cup of tea … although it takes a bit longer I haven’t burnt myself in 52 years. So it’s about ingenuity and that again is another entrepreneurial trait,” says the former managing director of Care And Share Associates (CASA).

“Entrepreneurs come from many different sectors, and many different walks of life, and from many different abilities.”

Source: https://brandsanews.com.au/overheard-at-entrepreneurs-week-2018/

The case for co-ops: how entrepreneurship and mutuality can coexist

Business News Australia | David Simmons 10 July 2018

Without realising, most of us are already part of a co-op. Whether it be a credit union, a mutual health fund, or one of the automotive associations, co-ops hover on the periphery of the Australian business landscape just out of sight.

The unusual structure of the co-op, being neither private or public companies (utilising membership models instead of shareholdings), has pushed the structure out of popular use and reserved commonly for farming co-ops and workers unions.

However, with the business landscape in Australia dramatically changing since the last financial crisis, cooperative models are becoming more attractive as time goes by.

Dr Guy Turnbull: Unlikely UK hero here to inspire SA on a new way to do business

The Advertiser | Rebecca Baker 29 June 2018

Dr Guy Turnbull is, by his own admission, an unintentional entrepreneur: In his 20s, he just wanted to teach geography – at 55 he’s become the UK Entrepreneur of the Year for his work at the helm of an enterprise with an annual turnover of more than $30 million that is changing the way the world is looking at doing business.

If that’s not remarkable enough, Dr Turnbull was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was just two years old, his parents initially told their son would never walk.

Dr Turnbull, who is here to share his secrets of success at Entrepreneurs’ Week, says he is evidence successful businesspeople can come from all walks of life – they simply need determination, resilience, patience, focus and motivation.

“If you get knocked down, you have to get up again,” he says. Risk management is also key. “You have to take risks but you don’t take silly risks – they need to be managed risks,” he said. Dr Turnbull’s area of expertise – and passion – is social entrepreneurship, which he describes as being good business focused on fixing social problems, creating social franchises (or co-operatives) which operate similarly to commercial ones.

“I got inspired by how co-operatives can change people’s lives and how business can be ethical and democratic and purpose driven … that has inspired me to get involved in business,” he said. He founded his business. Care and Share Associates (CASA) in 2004 on the premise that employee ownership generates greater employee engagement and delivers higher quality care — opening social franchises in the care industry across the UK. “We would identify an opportunity for a care co-operative, recruit people to that social franchise and over time migrate them to ownership of it,” he said.

“If you give workers a stake in the business, they are going to be engaged and we know a more engaged workforce delivers higher quality care … which makes the business more profitable and in turn you can improve worker conditions. So it is kind of a circle of good, in a way.”

It is a model he sees working under Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme.

“In South Australia with the ageing population and range of other economic drivers, the workforce is going to be a huge challenge going forward,” he said. “When you ask government, when you ask providers, when you ask disabled people separately what they want, they all want the same thing – value for money, quality, safety … surely by combining these stakeholders into one business model you can create something that is mutual.”