| Fund: | Business Support in Scotland |
| Amount: | n/a |
| When: | |
| Region: | Scotland |
| How the money was used: |
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CACE was founded in 1990 to provide services to support older people in Cumbernauld and the surrounding areas.
Social Impact
The aim of CACE is to promote the welfare of vulnerable older people and their carers - providing them with activities, support and to improve their quality of life. Amongst other things, CACE also provides a men shed, day care services, a range of groups and activities (including outings) and provides transport for the service users.
How we helped
As the support started, CACE’s Chief Executive was relatively new. She had worked hard to make numerous changes and improvements within the organisation, introducing new procedures, developing staff and the staffing structure and the improvement of financial information and management. The organisation was starting to develop new services and expand, and the Chief Executive had ambitious plans. She sought support to structure the ideas and plans into a business plan that staff and the board could work with. The plan would recognise the importance of moving towards increased sustainability.
The Chief Executive came into the job from outside the voluntary sector and acknowledged the steep learning curve that she had faced. During the business support we were also able to offer more general advice on a range of issues that face the sector.
We met with the Chief Executive on a number of occasions, providing a structure for, and advice on writing the plan, and used the opportunities to discuss other organisational issues. Between the meetings, the Chief Executive worked hard to draft and refine the plan and continue the development of the organisation.
Some of the additional key issues we explored during the support included:
- The process of involving staff and board in the plan development
- Sustainability and what this meant in the context of the organisation and its funding
- Staff development and the process of linking development plans to the overall business approach
- The role of the Chief Executive and specifically the outward facing and networking role
- Risk management and the development of a risk management strategy and approach
- Financial management and the important role of the board in this and the overall governance of the organisation
What was the outcome?
The support we provided assisted the Chief Executive to develop and write a well-structured, clear business plan that provides a route to achieving the aims of the organisation, based on her plans and with input from staff and board. In addition, CACE now has the basis for a robust risk management approach, the Chief Executive is more confident in fulfilling the wider responsibilities of the role and the role of the board is being strengthened.
During the support, CACE also made good use of specialist advice from elsewhere, including from Skills Development Scotland, Business Gateway and Evaluation. CACE’S support from Business Gateway and others will continue as the developments within the business plan are further developed and implemented.
A word from CACE
“The support I received from the advisor was invaluable. I had never brought together a Business Plan from scratch. In my head I knew exactly what I wanted to get down on paper but not how to actually do it. The advisor guided me through my thought process and supported me through each step of the way. She brought new ideas and fresh perspectives to the process. She was always encouraging, positive and very professional. I now have a really good Business Plan which is receiving positive comments from many quarters.” Chief Executive
Case study category:
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