Introduction
In 2008 the LDA awarded its “Improving Enterprise Support to People with Disabilities” project to the London Enabled4Enterprise Consortium (comprising Leonard Cheshire Disability [Lead], Head for Business CIC and Northern Pinetree Trust). The project launched at the British Library in April 2008 and completed in June 2009.
At its core the project recognised that the inclusion of disabled people is vital not only for London’s economic success but also for London’s stature as a leading world class city of the twenty first century.
The contract objective was to improve the awareness of disability and deliver some solutions for London enterprise agencies to support disabled entrepreneurs more effectively.
The two year plan proposed by the London Enabled4Enterprise Consortium valued and prioritised diversity, inclusion and quality and was driven by an action-research approach.
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The project developed in a number of phases:
Phase1
- Created a Stakeholder map of enterprise support provision across London.
- Conducted a skills audit of pan-London enterprise support agency stakeholders.
- Produced a barriers report from the findings
- Established the Enterprise Consultancy Group (NFEA representatives based outside London whose function will be to provide enterprise sector and professional standards oversight).
- Established Disabled Entrepreneurs Group – (to review and influence disability equality policy as it relates to all aspects of the project).
Phase 2
- Development of training solutions and training toolkits
- Delivered face to face and online training
- Established Enterprise Agency Network (to forge joint working and sharing of good practice).
Phase 3
- Refinement of training and toolkits
- Evaluation and dissemination
