School for Social Entrepreneurs

School for Social Entrepreneurs We help 1,000 people a year develop the skills, strengths and networks they need to tackle society’s biggest problems.

School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) delivers practical courses that empower, upskill and inspire social entrepreneurs; people with business ideas that benefit society. To date we have supported over 2,000 individuals to start or scale a social enterprise. Our courses cover all aspects of social entrepreneurship and social enterprise and we also offer a range of courses aimed at not for profit organisations covering the common issues that the third sector faces, so whatever stage you're at in your organisation's development, we can help.

💸Unlock a grant of either £7,000 or £10,000 through The DPS Social Commitment Programme. 🏠If you’re working on issues th...
07/10/2026

💸Unlock a grant of either £7,000 or £10,000 through The DPS Social Commitment Programme.

🏠If you’re working on issues that support people in maintaining stable housing, this one's for you. The programme will support you with tailored learning to help you scale your impact.

💰The grant will be paid in instalments and can be used flexibly to support your learning and development. This could be salaries, project costs, equipment or improving systems.

➡️Are you helping individuals sustain a home whether through employability, wellbeing or advice services?

Apply via our website.

🔗Let’s talk about the link between mental health and homelessness...🔄It’s a two-way street. Mental illness increases the...
05/10/2026

🔗Let’s talk about the link between mental health and homelessness...

🔄It’s a two-way street. Mental illness increases the risk of homelessness and those experiencing homelessness are more likely to suffer from mental ill health.

‼️ 82% of people without a home face mental health issues like depression, anxiety and trauma.

For organisations tackling homelessness, acknowledging the mental health implications can be as important as securing housing. If interventions do not have sufficient mental health support it could contribute to individuals slipping back into homelessness.

How can solutions cater to this?

1️⃣ Create holistic programmes with wellbeing support built-in: Fat Macy’s created their Milestone programme in collaboration with their beneficiaries, taking a long-term and holistic approach to support people living in temporary accommodation towards secure employment, stable housing and better personal wellbeing.

2️⃣ Tailor support based on individual needs: She Believes She Can CIC exists to support women aged 18+ facing hidden homelessness including those staying in unsafe relationships or environments just to keep a roof over their head. They lead with a trauma-informed and dignity-led approach.

3️⃣ Improve access to mental health services for those facing homelessness: OutcomeHome is a social enterprise providing psychological services, both directly and indirectly to people experiencing homeless with mental health needs.

✅If you're providing holistic support for those facing housing insecurity The DPS Social Commitment Programme might be for you. Head to our website to apply.

People become homeless for varied and sometimes complex reasons.It’s important to note that nearly all cases of homeless...
30/09/2026

People become homeless for varied and sometimes complex reasons.

It’s important to note that nearly all cases of homelessness are preventable through structured support and intervention, which is why addressing the contributing causes is so critical.

Issues like a lack of affordable housing, poverty and unemployment can all push people into housing insecurity.

Life events like escaping domestic abuse or leaving institutions such as care, prison or the military with no home to go to can all put individuals at risk.

Many of these issues are intertwined and mental or physical health problems alongside substance misuse can contribute and exasperate housing insecurity further.

If we want to tackle homelessness it’s vital that we look at preventative measures alongside solving for those in immediate need of support.

👉 If you or someone you know is working to address housing insecurity then The DPS Social Commitment Programme could be for you.

💰 It's a 9-month free learning programme with either a £7k or £10k grant available to help you scale your project tackling either the causes or consequences of homelessness.

We welcome applications from organisations stepping in with preventative measures to keep people off the streets, such as mental health interventions, financial or housing advice.

🔗If this sounds like you, register your interest via the programmes page on our website.

28/09/2026

Finding sustainable income is often top of mind when building business models, but are you also looking at expenditure?

Ryan McKiernan, Managing Directory of Fat Macy’s highlighted in our recent webinar, ‘More Than A Roof’ that being clear on where your services start and end is just as important as finding income streams.

For Fat Macy’s offering immigration support requires resources and expertise they don’t have. That’s where their strong network of partner organisations comes in. They’re able to refer beneficiaries to expert migration services when needed, without adding extra complexity or cost to their model.

This mindfulness on how they use their limited resources ultimately ensures their service comes at zero charge to beneficiaries and prevents them from mission drift.

👉How do you leverage effective partnerships in your organisation? Let us know in the comments.

🔗 Watch the full webinar via the link in the comments.
🔗 Applications to The DPS Social Commitment Programme are now open, link in the comments.

The DPS Social Commitment: Helping to End Homelessness programme is specifically designed to support those addressing ho...
25/09/2026

The DPS Social Commitment: Helping to End Homelessness programme is specifically designed to support those addressing housing insecurity and the surrounding factors contributing to homelessness.

Through this 9-month programme you’ll gain the skills, knowledge and networks to start or develop your idea into a fully sustainable organisation.

Expect to come away with:
➡️ Tools to create a resilient, growing organisation
➡️ Leadership skills
➡️ Strategies to best reach vulnerable groups
➡️ How to improve or develop products and services

⏰ If these are skills you need for your organisation, apply via the programmes page on our website.

In his opening speech as Prime Minister, Andy Burnham committed to ending homelessness. But what actions are actually ne...
23/09/2026

In his opening speech as Prime Minister, Andy Burnham committed to ending homelessness.

But what actions are actually needed to reach this aspirational claim?

👇Here’s five action points we need to get the nation closer to the goal, and most importantly, keep people off the streets long-term.

1️⃣ Create more affordable housing.
Building more social housing, capping rents and improving the benefits system will support access to permanent housing and move individuals away from temporary accommodation.

2️⃣ Adopt a nationwide Housing First approach.
Pioneered in Finland, this policy gives people a home with no preconditions alongside tailored support. The premise is that a stable home allows individuals to better tackle their surrounding issues.

3️⃣ Invest more in early intervention
Significant sums of money are invested in managing homelessness rather than addressing the underlying causes. Investing in support services for those at-risk will prevent more people from resorting to rough sleeping before receiving support.

4️⃣ More mental health & addiction services
Vulnerable rough sleepers often have complex needs including illness and addiction. Without addressing these it can push individuals back into a cycle of homelessness.

5️⃣ Coordinated services
As we’ve discussed, homelessness is more than just finding a home. Individuals need wellbeing support, financial advice and support transitioning into work to prevent them slipping backwards. Services need to be joined-up and coordinated to ensure no one slips through the cracks.

Are there any other actions we’ve missed? 💭Let us know in the comments.

Are you working on solving issues related to homelessness? The DPS Social Commitment Programme could be for you.

👉Visit our website to find out more about the learning programme and attached grant.

21/09/2026

In our recent webinar, "More Than A Roof," we tackled a critical question: How can social enterprises and charities drive lasting solutions to homelessness?

💡A key insight came from Pam Orchard, CEO of The Connection at St Martin’s, who highlighted the gap between public perception and the realities of frontline intervention.

👉When public narrative focuses solely on ‘feel-good’ narratives, like soup kitchens or Christmas parties, we risk creating funding traps.

💭Organisations need to change the conversation to ensure funding flows to the tougher activities that actually move the needle such as mental health care, financial advice, and abuse support.

💸Without this shift money flows to temporary relief rather than long-term interventions to drive systemic change.

❗Missed the session? Watch the full webinar recording via the link in the comments.

P.S. Applications for The DPS Social Commitment Programme: Helping to End Homelessness are now open! Head to the website to apply.

Homelessness is a national problem. And the approaches that work in one area are not necessarily going to be the same so...
14/09/2026

Homelessness is a national problem. And the approaches that work in one area are not necessarily going to be the same solutions that work in another.

💡We need localised solutions designed with the needs of the area and its community in mind. This is key to ensuring people experiencing homelessness, wherever they’re located, can access the services they need.

👉The DPS Social Commitment Programme is open to organisations throughout England and Wales and is designed to support organisations working directly in and with their local community.

❗If you’re tackling issues related to housing insecurity or the factors affecting it in your area then head to our website to register.

📈It’s a free learning programme and grants of £7,000 or £10,000 to help you scale the impact you’re creating in your community.

What's the secret to writing a winning funding application?💸Our experts are sharing all the top tips to securing competi...
09/09/2026

What's the secret to writing a winning funding application?💸

Our experts are sharing all the top tips to securing competitive funding in our workshop on Wednesday 23rd September.

You'll learn how to:
🔶 Write strong outcomes and impact that funders understand quickly
🔶 Build a clear and realistic budget that reflects true costs
🔶 Evidence consultation, co-production and community voice
🔶 Identify what makes a successful application through unpicking an Awards for All bid

Join us:
📆 Wednesday 23rd September
⏰ 10.00am - 1.00pm

🔗Secure your spot by booking through the workshops page on our website, see you there!

📣 NEW PROGRAMME AND FUNDING KLAXON 📣Are you developing solutions to the causes or consequences of homelessness? 🏠The DPS...
08/09/2026

📣 NEW PROGRAMME AND FUNDING KLAXON 📣

Are you developing solutions to the causes or consequences of homelessness? 🏠

The DPS Social Commitment Programme: Helping to End Homelessness could be for you.

This free 9-month programme is designed to support charities, social enterprises and community organisations tackling housing insecurity.

🎓You'll learn how to build a resilient business model with a focus on generating trading activity, building confidence and strengthening networks.

Participants will benefit from diagnostic support, tailored capacity-building sessions, peer coaching, expert support and opportunities to connect with potential customers and partners in the housing market.

💰There are also grants of £7k or £10k to help you put learning into practice.

If your work impacts someone’s ability to find and maintain a stable home then get ready to apply to this programme.

👉 Applications now open, head to our website to register your interest.

Address

13-15 Dock Street
London
E18JN

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm

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