Settlement Services + Social Enterprises 

Settlement agencies and social enterprises have much to gain from working with each other, as do the many refugees and migrants that they both support. Find out about different social enterprises that support refugees and migrants, and how to connect with them below.

Benefits for settlement services

• Opportunity to enhance settlement outcomes through facilitating greater community linkages and employment opportunities
• Creates opportunities for settlement services to refer clients to local businesses and programs that can meet their needs, interests and skills
• Develop local links with organisations to foster strong relationships and potential collaborations
• Extend outreach of wrap around service support
• The ability to reach individuals or communities who they may have not previously engaged with

Find a social enterprise that works with refugees and migrants near you 

In referring a client to a social enterprise, keep the following in mind:

• If you are going to have lots of clients over time who might be referred, reach out to the social enterprise and ask what they are specifically looking for in participants.
• What is the client’s suitability to engage with the social enterprise? Do they have appropriate interests and skills where necessary?
• Is it practical for the client to engage with the social enterprise – do they have appropriate transport options, or access to childcare for example?

Download a list of social enterprises here.

What is a social enterprise? 

Social enterprises are organisations that operate with a purpose. They are defined as organisations that:

• are led by an economic, social, cultural, or environmental mission consistent with a public or community benefit
• trade to fulfil their mission
• derive a substantial portion of their income from trade, and
• reinvest the majority of their profit or surplus in the fulfilment of their mission

Many social enterprises operate with the purpose of supporting refugees and new migrants, for example by linking them with employment and training opportunities, or directly hiring them to manufacture or roll out their goods or services. Many social enterprises that work with refugees and migrants also provide significant wrap-around support by working with individual clients to support their needs. Wrap around support may include activities such as transportation to the workplace, pre-employment and ongoing training and professional development, mentoring opportunities, and the provision other settlement information where possible.

Partnerships and referrals with and from settlement agencies have the capacity to benefit individual clients, social enterprises, and the settlement sector.