Emma Stewart co-founder of Women Like Us, on how her social enterprise brings benefits to mums returning to work - and the businesses who employ them

I co-founded Women Like Us in 2004 with a former colleague, Karen Mattison. We were both freelance consultants for various public and voluntary sector organisations. Our clients said that they struggled to recruit reliable staff with relevant skills. Yet mums at our kids' schools or nurseries repeatedly said that they didn't know how to find good, part-time work. We saw a huge untapped pool of talent and realised that the school gate was an ideal recruiting ground for high-quality staff.

Since November 2004 we have worked with mothers to get their confidence and skills ready for them to return to employment. And we offer employers a specialist recruitment service based around flexible and part-time working. By helping women to find jobs that fit around family life, we help to address social problems such as child poverty and the gender pay gap. But we also have a viable and successful business model, generating income from government contracts and recruitment fees. Because of this combination, we felt it was perfect to set up as a social enterprise, ploughing our profits back into the business to continue to achieve our social aims.

We reach women using our school gates network and recruit mums as reps to promote our service to others. More than 5,600 women are registered with us. Many use our career coaching service, including workshops on CV writing, interview techniques and networking. When ready, they work with our recruitment team to find a suitable job.

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BACKGROUND

• Axed medics return as doctors

• Apprentices gain life skills too

• An outbreak of common sense

• What worked for me

Related Internet Links

• Public sector jobs

• Snakes & Ladders

One big challenge is helping women to deal with the drop in confidence that can follow a career break. One experienced senior PA came to us thinking that she didn't have the skills for a junior admin role. We found her a job in project management.

Employers tell us that they value our service. By using part-time and flexible employment they can get more than they thought they could afford, from people who are really committed. We also help them to design their jobs and workforce so that flexible and part-time patterns work. The end result is good for individuals and the economy.

Winning an Enterprising Solutions Award in 2007 gave us real recognition. You can be ethical and successful at the same time.

Get noticed

Public Agenda is the media partner for the Enterprising Solutions Awards 2008. The national awards for social enterprise reward the most imaginative, entrepreneurial and sustainable businesses that are passionate about social change.

They celebrate the achievements of a diverse range of organisations, from recycling groups and farmers' co-operatives to leisure trusts and care homes.

If you can show that your business has a positive social or environmental impact, you could win national recognition and up to £10,000.

Entries are accepted online until July 1, in three categories:
Best Social Enterprise
Best New Social Enterprise
Social Enterprise in Schools
www.enterprising solutions.org

If you have an example of good practice to share, contact us at: agenda@thetimes.co.uk

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