PossAbilities CIC
PossAbilities CIC is a UK social enterprise providing integrated supported living, day services, Shared Lives, respite, and employment programmes for adults with learning disabilities, care leavers, and people with dementia across Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and West Yorkshire.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersHeywood, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PossAbilities CIC does
PossAbilities CIC is a UK Community Interest Company spun out of Rochdale Borough Council's Learning Disabilities Service in 2014. It delivers integrated adult social care services—primarily Supported Living & Outreach, Day Services (four Rochdale-based Wellbeing Hubs plus Bradford), Shared Lives, Respite (Harelands House and Leighton House), Employment Services, and dementia care—to adults with learning disabilities, young people leaving care, people with dementia, and people with mental health needs across Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and West Yorkshire. The company also operates Cherwell Farm & Wellbeing Garden and the 17-unit Cherwell Green Apartments, which provide both a therapeutic environment and a permanent-housing platform for service users.
The operating model is built on long-term, local-authority-commissioned contracts. The largest disclosed engagement is a £8.5M seven-year contract with Wigan Council (2021), alongside a £1.3M Greater Manchester 'Working Well' mental-health employment partnership with Pure Innovations, smaller contracts across at least nine boroughs, DWP-funded employment programmes, personal-budget respite/day services, and grant income. Technology is primarily operational: a social-care delivery platform, 'The Curiosity Box' digital learning portal, and VR-based facility tours. The business holds two consecutive CQC 'Outstanding' ratings—an outcome achieved by roughly 3% of adult social-care providers—and is led by Chair Donna Hall CBE.
Revenue mechanics are therefore heavily B2G and tender-driven, with multi-year recurring contracts providing visibility but creating concentrated dependency on a small number of public-sector commissioners. Headcount has scaled from 501 (2020/21) to approximately 600 (2022), and the company continues to expand geographically and into adjacent verticals (mental health employment, respite, dementia) while investing in owned physical assets that broaden its service envelope.
PossAbilities CIC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PossAbilities CIC
- Legal name
- PossAbilities CIC
- Website
- https://possabilities.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- PossAbilities CIC is a UK social enterprise providing integrated supported living, day services, Shared Lives, respite, and employment programmes for adults with learning disabilities, care leavers, and people with dementia across Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and West Yorkshire.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PossAbilities CIC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Adult Social Care Services
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)
- SIC
- Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Continuing Care at Home (CCaH) / Virtual CCRC Programs (HLADAEAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) with Memory Care (HLADACAD)
Keywords
Where PossAbilities CIC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Heywood
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices7 records
Markets served
PossAbilities CIC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Local Authority Commissioned Contracts: PossAbilities generates the majority of revenue through formal contracts with local authorities across Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and West Yorkshire. Contracts include a £8.5M seven-year contract with Wigan Council for supported living services. Revenue is recurring over multi-year contract terms and tied to commissioned care provision.
- Government-Funded Employment Programme Delivery: PossAbilities Employment delivers DWP-funded programmes including Workchoice and Specialist Employability Support (SES) in partnership with Shaw Trust and the European Social Fund. These are government-contracted service delivery arrangements.
- Respite and Short-Breaks (Personal Budgets): Respite services charged per session, with costs met from individuals' personal budgets. Also includes heavily discounted holiday lodge packages at Ribby Hall Village.
- Day Services Session Fees: Day services charged per session, which can be met from a person's personal budget if they have one, or funded directly. Day services span four Wellbeing Hubs and Bradford-based services.
- Shared Lives Carer Payments: Shared Lives carers receive a weekly fee for providing placements and support in their own homes. This is funded through local authority commissioning for shared living arrangements.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
PossAbilities CIC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PossAbilities CIC delivers an integrated portfolio of adult social care services for vulnerable people — primarily supported living and outreach, day services across multiple Wellbeing Hubs, Shared Lives family-based placements, respite and short-breaks (including a Ribby Hall Village holiday lodge), and supported employment programmes. Its physical infrastructure includes the Cherwell Farm & Wellbeing Garden and the Cherwell Green Apartments (17 self-contained homes for people with learning disabilities); bespoke digital tools such as The Curiosity Box learning portal support online learning and engagement.
Product overview
PossAbilities CIC is a social enterprise providing integrated social care services to vulnerable people, primarily those with learning disabilities, young people leaving care, and people with dementia. The organisation operates a portfolio of interconnected services including Supported Living & Outreach, Day Services at four Wellbeing Hubs, Shared Lives placements, Respite services at two dedicated houses, and Employment Services helping people into paid work. The organisation also operates physical facilities including the Cherwell Farm & Wellbeing Garden and has developed housing (Cherwell Green Apartments) for 17 people with learning disabilities. Services span Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Yorkshire, and Bradford areas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Supported Living & Outreach Services Flexible, person-centred supported living and outreach for young people and adults with learning disabilities, including personal care and tenancy support, across Greater Manchester, Merseyside and West Yorkshire.
- Day Services at Wellbeing Hubs Day services across four Wellbeing Hubs in Rochdale Borough and additional sites in Bradford (The Learning Zone, E4 Life Skills Hub, Springfield Garden) offering art, cookery, music, health and beauty, cycling, voluntary work, gardening and literacy/numeracy for adults with learning and physical disabilities.
- Shared Lives Service Matches vulnerable adults with vetted Shared Lives carers who share their own homes, delivering long-term and short-term placements, day support, home-from-hospital care and dementia care for people with disabilities, older people and those with mental health needs. Carers can earn up to £350 per week.
- Respite, Breaks and Supported Holidays Overnight respite at Harelands House (Heywood) and Leighton House (Littleborough, near Hollingworth Lake), short-break holidays at a Ribby Hall Village lodge offered at heavily discounted rates, day trips and outreach breaks for parents and carers.
- Employment Services (PossAbilities Employment) Specialist employment support for people with learning disabilities, physical/sensory disabilities, autism, mental health conditions and other disabilities, delivered via the Greater Manchester Working Well (GMWW) programme (with Pure Innovations), DWP Workchoice, and Specialist Employability Support (SES) via Shaw Trust across Rochdale, Heywood, Middleton and Greater Manchester.
- Cherwell Green Apartments A purpose-built, £1.8 million development of 17 self-contained homes for people with learning disabilities, each containing a living room, kitchen, wet room and bedroom, owned and operated by PossAbilities CIC on the Cherwell site in Heywood.
- Cherwell Farm & Wellbeing Garden Community wellbeing facility at Head Office featuring pigs, goats, chickens, rabbits, snakes and spiders, alongside a sensory garden, performance space, mud kitchen, dipping pond and growing zones, used in service delivery and community engagement.
Quantifiable outcome
- £4.3 million social value added in 2022-23 (£2 of social value per £10 spent)
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use PossAbilities CIC
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
PossAbilities CIC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
PossAbilities CIC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Mutual VenturesminorFacilitated the co-production of PossAbilities' new three-year Engagement and Service Development Strategy, developed through a series of events with service users and staff.
- Liverpool City Region Fair Employment CharterminorPossAbilities became a member of the Liverpool City Region Fair Employment Charter, committing to four pillars: Healthy, Fair, Inclusive, and Just workplaces. The Charter aims to make the Liverpool City Region the fairest place in the UK to work and run a business.
- Mutual VenturesminorMutual Ventures facilitated the co-production of PossAbilities' Engagement and Service Development Strategy ('A place to make your heart sing') over a series of events with the people PossAbilities supports. Andrew Laird, co-founder of Mutual Ventures, is also a Non-Executive Director on PossAbilities' Board.
- Wigan CouncilcoreAwarded PossAbilities a seven-year, £8.5 million contract to provide supported living services in parts of Wigan borough. This was a competitive tender win and represents one of PossAbilities' largest contracts. The relationship extends PossAbilities' footprint across the North West and West Yorkshire, building on its presence in Rochdale, Widnes, Runcorn, Oldham, Stockport, Trafford, and Calderdale.
- Pure Innovations (Stockport)corePartnership with Stockport-based social enterprise Pure Innovations to deliver the three-year, £1.3 million Greater Manchester Working Well contract across Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, and Tameside. Funded by Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Target: 167 people with learning disabilities and 381 people with mental health diagnoses into paid employment.
- Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)coreFunder and commissioning partner for the Greater Manchester Working Well Programme (£1.3M, three-year contract), delivered in partnership with Pure Innovations. Represents a step-change in the drive to support people with disabilities into work across Greater Manchester.
- Shaw TrustminorShaw Trust is the prime contractor for the DWP-funded Workchoice Programme and Specialist Employability Support (SES), with PossAbilities as a sub-contractor delivering services throughout Rochdale Borough, alongside 3SC and the Royal National College for the Blind, co-funded by the European Social Fund.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PossAbilities CIC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dimensions: Specialist provider of support for people with learning disabilities and autism, including supported living and residential services. Direct comparable on commissioning model, CQC framework focus, and digital learning initiatives for service users.
- Hft (Home Farm Trust): National charity providing supported living, residential care, and Shared Lives for people with learning disabilities. Direct comparable on supported living model, CQC ratings focus, and local authority commissioning model.
- Turning Point: UK social enterprise providing learning disability, mental health, and substance misuse services. Overlaps with PossAbilities on supported living, employment support, and Shared Lives, particularly in the North West where both compete for local authority contracts.
- Lifeways: Specialist provider of supported living and residential care for adults with learning disabilities, autism, and complex needs. Comparable on CQC-rated operational model and local authority commissioning across English regions.
- The Regard Group: UK provider of supported living and residential services for people with learning disabilities, mental health needs, and complex care. Direct comparable on service model, local authority commissioning, and CQC-rated operations.
- United Response: UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health needs through supported living, Shared Lives, and employment services. Most directly comparable as a mission-driven, multi-region provider competing for similar local authority contracts in the North West and nationally.
- Pure Innovations: Stockport-based social enterprise providing employment support and disability services, currently PossAbilities' delivery partner on the £1.3M Greater Manchester Working Well contract. Most direct operational peer as a co-delivery partner in overlapping geographies.
Broad incumbents
- Mencap: UK's leading charity for people with learning disabilities, providing supported living, residential care, employment support, and advocacy. Much larger scale but comparable service mix and target population.
- National Autistic Society: Major UK charity providing services for autistic people including supported living, employment programmes, and day services. Comparable employment support model (analogous to PossAbilities' Workchoice/SES delivery).
- Voyage Care: Large national provider of supported living and residential care for people with learning disabilities, autism, and complex needs. Operates at significantly greater scale than PossAbilities and competes in overlapping geographies for local authority contracts.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PossAbilities CIC social profiles
Digital presencePossAbilities CIC compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
PossAbilities CIC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PossAbilities CIC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
PossAbilities CIC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PossAbilities CIC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PossAbilities CIC
What does PossAbilities CIC do?
PossAbilities CIC delivers an integrated portfolio of adult social care services for vulnerable people — primarily supported living and outreach, day services across multiple Wellbeing Hubs, Shared Lives family-based placements, respite and short-breaks (including a Ribby Hall Village holiday lodge), and supported employment programmes. Its physical infrastructure includes the Cherwell Farm & Wellbeing Garden and the Cherwell Green Apartments (17 self-contained homes for people with learning disabilities); bespoke digital tools such as The Curiosity Box learning portal support online learning and engagement.
Is PossAbilities CIC a public or private company?
PossAbilities CIC is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was PossAbilities CIC founded?
PossAbilities CIC was founded in 2014. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is PossAbilities CIC based?
PossAbilities CIC is headquartered in Heywood, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does PossAbilities CIC make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Local Authority Commissioned Contracts are the primary driver. The others are government-Funded Employment Programme Delivery, respite and Short-Breaks (Personal Budgets), day Services Session Fees and shared Lives Carer Payments.
Who are PossAbilities CIC's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dimensions, Hft (Home Farm Trust), Turning Point, Lifeways, The Regard Group, United Response and Pure Innovations. Broad incumbents are Mencap, National Autistic Society and Voyage Care.
Does PossAbilities CIC have an API?
No public API is recorded for PossAbilities CIC.
What industry is PossAbilities CIC in?
PossAbilities CIC's product category is Adult Social Care Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLADAEAH, Continuing Care at Home (CCaH) / Virtual CCRC Programs, with a secondary code of HLADACAD, Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) with Memory Care. Its NAICS code is 624120 and its SIC code is 8050.