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P3 voted one of the ‘Best 100 Small Companies'

5 March 2009
Martin Kinsella and Jonathan Austin CEO of social enterprise P3

Martin Kinsella, CEO of social enterprise P3, pictured right, picks up an award from the Sunday Times best 100 CEO Jonathan Austin, left

For the fifth consecutive year, P3 has made the top ten in the Sunday Times Best 100 Small Companies to Work For.

The social inclusion enterprise, based in Derbyshire, came seventh in the list that assess businesses through anonymous staff surveys.

When surveyed, 86 per cent of staff said they were happy with the balance of their work and home lives; 85 per cent felt the training they were given was of great personal benefit. And just under 90 per cent said their work was never boring.

A handful of charities made it into the 100, including Christians Against Poverty, which came first for the second year running.

But P3, which merged with Kings Cross Homeless Project, Kilburn Youth Centre and Unique last year, was the only social enterprise to make the list.

Speaking to Social Enterprise, CEO of P3 Martin Kinsella said: ‘I think we have been the most consistent company on the list - we've come fifth, 21st, first, fourth and seventh respectively.

‘The fact that the place is achieved through anonymous staff surveys means a lot. You can have an idea of what staff think about you, but a survey like this is the only way to be sure,' he said.

P3, which began 30 years ago, offers routes out of social exclusion and homelessness by operating a variety of services and opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged people.

Kinsella said: ‘P3 stands for people, potential and possibilities and that equally applies to our staff.

‘More than 35 per cent of the team of 159 has been previously disadvantaged in the work place, but we invest in them and train them.'

He added that staff had good job satisfaction because of the results they saw themselves achieving with clients.

The Sunday Times found the company also cared for its workers in some unexpected ways. For example, it has one policy to support staff who are victims of domestic violence, helping two employees in 2008.