East Coast Community Healthcare CIC (ECCH) is a staff owned Social Enterprise, providing community based NHS and social care in Norfolk & Suffolk.
We have contracts with the NHS and two County Councils. At least 70,000 people are registered as service users with ECCH.
WHY A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE?
We believe the social enterprise model offers us the opportunity to create a more sustainable and flexible organisation, to take charge of our own destiny and make real improvements in services to patients. We are a ‘human’ organisation in every way, most of our funds are spent on staff to care for people and we have an ethos of high quality care, every time.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?
ECCH is owned by its employees. Our staff have a stake – and therefore a real say – in how the organisation works. 77% of staff are shareholders - well above average for a social enterprise - and we have two Staff Directors, appointed by their shareholder colleagues, who sit on the Board and shape our business. We also have a Shareholder Council made up of representatives from all departments which is consulted on issues affecting the organisation. For example, shareholders played a key role in the appointment of the current Chair and Non-Executive Directors.
ECCH is a member of Social Enterprise UK, the national body for organisations with a social mission. This year ECCH has been shortlisted as a finalist in the UK Social Enterprise Awards for the categories of Health and Social Care Enterprise of the Year and also Employee Engagement. The awards will be held in November.
In 2017 ECCH was highly commended by the Employee Ownership Association in two categories at their annual awards. Former Staff Directors Ali Jennings and Simon Drewitt were recognised in the Employee Owner of the Year category and the organisation as a whole was highly commended in the Positive Impact of the Year category.
ECCH is currently ranked 24th in the Employee Ownership Association’s top 50 biggest employee-owned companies.
ISO14001 Accreditation reflects sustainable practices.
ECCH has been awarded BSI14001 in recognition of our commitment to reduce our environmental impact
Our Estates and Facilities Team underwent special training and implemented a number of new measures to ensure the organisation operates as sustainably as possible.
Our headquarters at Hamilton House in Lowestoft has been designed with environmentally friendly initiatives in mind such as additional thermal insulation, dual flush toilets, virtual training and video conferencing facilities to save attendees travelling to the building, LED sensor lighting and streamlined recycling processes.
We purchase printer paper from sustainable sources and source the most fuel efficient work vehicles. Procurement occurs locally, wherever possible, to support the local economy and ECCH is incentivising staff to use greener transport including offering subsidised cycle purchase schemes.
Here is our accreditation certificate.
