Co-operative Assistance Network Limited

CAN provides all sorts of consultancy, support, training and direct provision of business services to co-operatives and other social economy enterprises. In order that our clients can easily commission work from us we use an "As And When Contract" system where the terms of trade are set down in a single contract and any work is ordered under that contract using a series of purchase order forms.

First (Action 1) is to download and print the “As And When Contract” (AAWC), fill in, sign (by an appropriate person with sufficient delegated responsibility) and post to CAN, 1-3 Gloucester Road, Bristol, BS7 8AA. We also sign and we each retain a copy.

Signing the AAWC means that CAN is covered by its professional indemnity insurance and can take instructions from you. The AAWC also enables you to draw down support in the future from CAN on (yes, you guessed it) an as and when basis.

Then (Action 2), using the downloaded Confirmation of Instructions / Purchase Order form, you email us a brief and a budget (which could be copied from our estimate provided or could be an adaptation that suits you better) so that we have the job specified. Add any guidance and background information that you have to hand that you think may supplement information previously provided.

You may use your own purchase order form but please ensure that the order states that it is under the terms of the "Contract for Provision of Consultancy, Training and Business Services on an 'as and when' basis".

Then (Action 3) we will get back to you ASAP to agree to carry out the work and confirm detailed project objectives, priorities, design and timetable.

Signing the AAWC (Action 1) does not commit you to spend any money with CAN but it enables you to order (Action 2) CAN's services as and when you want to (and means that our professional indemnity insurance covers any work that we do with you).

Please also see our code of conduct, equal opportunities policy, co-operative principles and insurance certificates.

Everybody has the right to make a complaint.

As and When Contract for Co-ops and Social Enterprises with a turnover of under £20m p.a.

As and When Contract for Co-ops and Social Enterprises with a turnover of £20m p.a. or over or corporate bodies that are not Co-ops or Social Enterprises

As and When Contract for Pre-starts and Unincorporated Associations

Confirmation of Instruction / Purchase Order .odt

Confirmation of Instruction / Purchase Order .doc

Our current insurance certificates can be viewed or downloaded here:

Certificate Of Employers Liability Insurance

Schedule Of Combined Liability Insurance

Schedule Of Professional Indemnity Insurance

Co-operative Assistance Network Limited

is a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 No. 30714R and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Registration certificate

Registered address: 1-3 Gloucester Road, Bristol  BS7 8AA

VAT Reg. No. GB550027678

DUNS No. 218127940

United Kingdom Provider Reference Number (UKPRN): 10028405

MLR Reg. No. 12704615

CAN is a member of the following organisations:

• Communities Can
• Co-operative and Community Finance
• Co-operatives UK No. M043861
• Open Credit Network
• Rootstock
• Social Enterprise Link No. 0015
• Social Enterprise UK No. 7763
• Social Firms England (Supporter Member)
• Southampton Area Co-operative Development Agency (SACDA)
• The Phone Co-op (Midcounties Co-operative Retail Society)
• Webarchitects

CAN is a member of the following consortia of Co-operative Development Bodies:

• Development Co-operative Ltd. (UK)
• Platform 6
• South West Co-operative Support
• workers.coop

Regional Co-operative Councils work in partnership with Co-operatives UK to represent and promote the co-operative sector regionally. CAN is a member of the following RCCs:

• Co-operatives East
• Co-operatives London
• Co-operatives South West

CAN is certified Disability Confident Committed.

CAN organises delivery of services in the UK by region:

South East England

East Sussex, West Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

South East England Regional Manager: Chris Funnell

Office and mailing address: 106 St. Andrews Road, Southampton SO14 0AE

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South West England

Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Wiltshire, Swindon, South Gloucestershire, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset and Bristol.

South West England Regional Manager: Brian Titley

Office and mailing address: 1-3 Gloucester Road, Bristol  BS7 8AA

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Wessex

Dorset, Hampshire and Isle of Wight.

Note: when services are delivered via a regional consortium, we do not use Wessex region: Dorset is then in South West England and Hampshire and Isle of Wight are in South East England.

Wessex Regional Manager: John Merritt

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London

All London Boroughs.

London Regional Manager: Chris Funnell

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East of England

Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

East of England Regional Manager: TBA

All other UK regions and nations

National Regional Manager: TBA

International

International Regional Manager: John Merritt

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Content for this page is coming soon.  In the meantime, please contact us for information.

Our Team Dynamics Product Area Team Leader is Chris Funnell: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Succession Management

Businesses change. Family businesses become companies. Companies become PLCs. PLCs become private companies again. As business circumstances change so the legal structure of the business changes. For many small businesses the greatest change may be the retirement or leaving of the owner, largest shareholder, or the founder of the business (who may be one and the same person). In this situation the whole future of the business may be threatened. In fact figures show that three-quarters of family businesses do not make it into the third generation.

Larger firms also may review their portfolio of businesses and find that a particular business no longer fits in with the “Core Business,” or the rate of return on capital is now below the group target. In these cases the owners may close businesses that are actually still profitable.

A business closure results in great waste. Employees lose their jobs, often jobs they have held for many years. Suppliers lose a valued customer. Customers lose a reliable supplier. Landlords may lose the only tenant suitable for their building. Governments and local authorities lose tax and business rate income. Very often the owner is unable to realise the full value of the business and loses most of their investment by being unable to sell as a going concern. In most situations like these, many people would be better off if the business could continue. These are sometimes called the stakeholders of the business.

In recent years there has been increasing interest in employee-owned businesses. These are businesses owned and controlled by the people who work in them, primarily to provide their own employment. For many people in the nineteen-eighties setting-up an employee-owned business was the only way of getting a job.

Employee ownership succession is the means by which employees take over the running of businesses that would otherwise close down. This enables the employees not only to protect their jobs, but to gain new skills, new experiences, and sometimes a return on investment too. Employees are a natural choice to run a business because they are usually the ones with the largest stake in the business, particularly in times and in areas of high unemployment. However the other stakeholders also benefit from the continuance of the business.

Succession is an option that can be profitably considered by the following

• Business owners looking to retire in the future
• Companies looking to outsource or divest departments or divisions
• Local Authorities looking for “Best Value” solutions
• Business advisors looking to find solutions for their clients to which they can signpost
• Solicitors and Accountants who have relevant expertise
• Trade Unions and Trade Councils and workers
• Potential funders or suppliers of secondees

CAN’s Succession Service

Succession must be planned confidentially. Very often the merest rumour of change can be very destabilising. Key employees leave, key customers and suppliers look around for alternatives, share prices fall, lenders and bankers panic. At Succession we fully understand these issues and are well practised at maintaining confidentiality and even working to a cover story!

Initial meetings can take place anywhere. For the reasons outlined above we are able to meet at our offices, on the premises of the business, or at some other convenient location. Although usually the initiative comes from the owners we are happy to meet employees and Trades Union representatives and business advisors and make a presentation to the owners on their behalf.

The service comprises all the elements necessary for a business transfer to employees to take place. We have consultants experienced in the particular management needs of employee-owned businesses; solicitors skilled in developing tax-efficient employee-ownership schemes; accountants able to raise finance relevant to employee ownership such as bonds and debentures, and specialist funding organisations. N.B. We are always willing to consider extending our pool if firms or individuals can demonstrate that they have the required expertise.

The Succession process must first of all establish the viability of the business. Succession is not a magic wand which can turn a failing business around, although sometimes employees may require a lower return on capital as their main benefit comes through continued employment. However although the targets and aims of the business may change we still need to be assured that they can be met. We do not want to set people up to fail. The first step is therefore a series of discussions about and analysis of the future of the business.

Following this we will make an assessment of the succession options. This assessment will be carried out as a desk-based study but will also usually involve visits to premises and interviews with employees. At the end of the assessment we will produce a confidential report on the options. These may include a co-operative structure, an employee-owned structure, an employee participation scheme or some other outcome. If the best option appears to be a trade sale we will say so.

If the recommendation is accepted then we will move onto the transfer stage. For some options we will signpost you to an agency best placed to assist. Where the recommended option is a co-operative or employee-buyout then we will continue to work with the client. The next step is normally to discuss the position with the employees, to inform them of the options and enable them to reach an informed decision on whether to accept the transfer of the business to them.

If the employees do not wish to accept the transfer of the business then succession cannot take place. However where they do Succession will begin working with them on the development programme, which includes

• Identification of suitable legal structure
• Registration of chosen structure with appropriate registration agency
• Analysis of training needs
• Design and delivery of training programme based on training needs analysis
• Agreeing transfer price with owner
• Sourcing of appropriate financing
• Establishment of necessary bodies such as Employee Beneficiary Trusts, etc.
• Processing of transfer
• Aftercare for up to two years into trading as a new entity.

Our Sucession and Buyouts Product Area Team Leader is Chris Funnell: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

There comes a point in the process of starting up an enterprise when you need to "take stock" - review the state of things and make sure that action plans are focused and co-ordinated.  This may be when important decisions need to be made or before applying for finance or support, for example.  And that is exactly when our Development Needs Analysis for Start Up Groups service is best applied.

This is by far our most popular service and has been continuously improved over many years and after hundreds of iterations.

With this analysis we take a snapshot of the development state of your co-operative enterprise using a comprehensive set of metrics.  This is used to set priorities, make action plans and assign tasks to the client and/or consultant.  It establishes a baseline against which progress can be measured.

The methodology that we use helps to ensure objectivity by "zooming out" and asking questions that you may not have considered.  It also evidences the need for intervention and can be used to support an application for funding or other forms of assistance.  It is designed specifically for co-operatives, social enterprises and community businesses in the UK but may be useful to others.

This exercise takes 2 to 2.5 hours to gather data.  To do this we like to meet 2-4 key players either face-to-face or by videoconference.  It then takes another couple of hours for us to analyse the data and write our report.

This service can be provided at no cost if you qualify under our First Consultation Free scheme.

Co-operative Assistance Network’s social audit consultancy service is based on the experience of working in development of the social economy since 1989. We use the following methodology to provide appropriate solutions to organisational needs.

1.  Clarify what will be measured

Establish the social outputs of the enterprise or organisation. Drawn from the mission statement, social aims, commercial aims, stakeholder analysis, organisational type, trade sector, geographical location, etc. There are some basic indicators that are transferable, but we need to ensure that outputs are relevant to the sector or the enterprise’s ethics.

In certain circumstances, the outputs provide for benchmarking against similar enterprises or organisations.

2.  Measure the social outputs

Measures are developed to assess the impact of the enterprise or organisation’s operations on the outputs – both positive and negative. Information is gathered using existing systems in the enterprise or organisation, or where they do not exist, new methods of collecting data are employed. External findings are also gathered where appropriate.

3.  Report the findings

The results of measurement are collated and presented in a user-friendly report.

4.  Analyse the findings

The findings are evaluated to establish effectiveness against social outputs and, where possible, performance is subject to benchmark testing to inform improvement actions.

The organisational methods of data collection and storage are evaluated and improvement actions identified to improve the validity and efficiency of reporting against social outputs. There is a focus on automatically generating the information through the organisations operations rather than creating a parallel data collection system, thus reducing the “cost” of social auditing.

5.  Set improvement targets

Achievable, realistic improvement targets are recommended for the short and medium term.

6.  Plan for implementation

Advice and action planning eases the process of achieving improvement targets. Advice is given on implementing changes to the management and operations of the business.

Our Social Accounts Product Area Team Leader is Chris Funnell: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Online support for secretariat workers

Content for this page is coming soon.  In the meantime, please contact us for information.  Thank you.