Pembrokeshire FRAME Limited has been awarded Star Social Firm status for the quality   of their business and the employment they provide for severely disadvantaged people.

Led by Chief Executive Officer and founder Jenny Sims, Pembrokeshire FRAME promotes and provides education, training and employment opportunities to people with, or recovering from, mental ill health and or a learning disability. The company provides opportunity for severely disadvantaged people to test their ability and to undertake meaningful work, develop new skills and change the direction of their lives.

Pembrokeshire FRAME was set up as a Social Firm to maximise employment opportunities for people who are severely disadvantaged in the labour market. Chief Executive Officer Jenny Sims explains:

“Pembrokeshire FRAME has been around for thirteen years, long before Social Firms had been thought of as a concept. The company was established to provide meaningful occupation to a group of people, with and recovering from, mental ill health who were attending a day centre and saw no hope of returning to work because of the stigma.

The company puts time and effort into helping people to learn or relearn the skills that are required to become employable. At FRAME we provide the opportunity for people who are severely disadvantaged to attain a job within every level of the company. We can truly say we are making a real difference to people’s lives and the community as a whole.

We feel that by becoming a Star Social firm we are recognised by an external source to be a leading edge, dynamic and sustainable organisation. We are proud to demonstrate that you can run a commercially sound business while staying true to your ethical values. We are incredibly pleased to have been awarded the Star quality mark. It is a fantastic recognition of the high quality of employment which we provide for severely disadvantaged people.”

Jenny sees the development of Social Firms as a positive concept and believes that the Star quality mark will add value to her business. She explains:

“We need to see the continuation of more social enterprises seeking accreditation with trained assessors supporting and encouraging emerging Social Firms. With the introduction of the new Star quality mark we can now demonstrate through example to prospective social enterprises the added value of being a Social Firm through employing those who have been disadvantaged.”

For more information please visit http://www.starsocialfirms.co.uk/