Impact

This year the impact of Covid-19 has meant that many people faced an uncertain future when it came to finding work or keeping their hours of employment.

This is even more difficult for people who may find the process of employment and earning an income even harder. For example, workforce non-participation rates for Australians with severe mental illness are estimated to be between 70 and 78 percent (Contreras et al 2012).

Throughout the year, Cleanable was able to increase its workforce who face barriers to employment by 69% during the 2020/21 financial year due to opportunities with Hume City Council and Western Program Alliance.

Through a staff survey completed by Cleanable and WCIG, the feedback indicates that the rewards of disability cleaning employment are greater than just earning an income. Staff have reported an increase in confidence, positive impacts in their mental and physical health and a sense of community involvement.

Staff Employment Survey

Partnership with Hume City Council

As a social enterprise cleaning company in Melbourne, Cleanable has been servicing the parks of the Hume City Council region for over 5 years. The work requires teams of cleaners to visit designated parks, reserves, and playgrounds to remove rubbish and debris to ensure these spaces can be enjoyed by residents and visitors. In 2020 the Council awarded Cleanable the opportunity to increase the park services from 20 to over 100 through a successful tender application.

Hume City Council’s inclusion of social procurement practices has made an immediate impact in changing the lives of people who are often excluded from the workforce or find difficulty in finding and keeping a job.

The partnership with Hume City Council has meant Cleanable were able to employ 8 additional crew members of which all were candidates who face barriers to employment. These barriers were predominantly mental illness and/or long-term unemployment.

“The benefits on the communities, families and individuals are beyond measurable. Not only does it bring individuals a sense of wellbeing and fulfilment it creates a conduit to educate and inform the wider community that there are pathways for all.” - Steven Shennan, Hume City Council, City Amenity Coordinator.

Certified by Social Traders

Social enterprises are businesses that trade to intentionally tackle social problems, improve communities, provide people with access to employment and training, or help the environment.

Social Traders certification assures stakeholders that a social enterprise has a social, cultural or environmental purpose as its primary objective, that a substantial portion of its revenue is derived from commercial trade, and that the majority of the organisation’s efforts and resources are invested into the social purpose.

Cleanable is also a member of Social Enterprise Network Victoria (SENVIC).