Should social enterprises complement or supplement public health provision?

Purpose This paper explores how stable employment, company culture, and tailored health, digital, and core skills training provided by a social enterprise (SE) in the Philippines affect survivors of exploitation. Research shows survivors experience adverse social conditions and physical and mental health outcomes caused by their exploitative experience. Stable, decent employment has been identified as critical to their recovery and reintegration. This paper discusses the SE’s impact on the employees’ physical, mental, and social health and behaviour. Based on our findings, we discuss the contribution of SE in improving health outcomes and providing health services, and conclude that SEs should not replace but complement public health government programmes.

Design/methodology/approach This paper uses mixed methods, presenting data from a longitudinal survey (household income, mental health, and social wellbeing, among others), and a follow-up qualitative study, which uses in-depth interviews and participatory videos to explore survey findings.

Findings The quantitative analysis demonstrates positive, but gradual, changes in sexual and reproductive health behaviour; personal empowerment; and trauma, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. The qualitative findings show how improvements in executive functioning, self-regulation, and self-esteem occur incrementally over time. As their self-efficacy improves, employees need to avoid being overly dependent on the SE, to support their autonomy, therefore access to complementary public health services is fundamental.

Originality/value This paper focuses, to our knowledge, on a unique SE, which hires survivors of exploitation, without losing their competitiveness in the market.