Skills Work And Enterprise Development Agency Ltd
Charity 1158859
Overview
Summary
SWEDA appears to operate as a locally rooted employment-inclusion intermediary: it combines income and welfare advice, digital support, employability guidance and enterprise development to help people facing disadvantage move toward work or self-employment. Its role seems broader than job brokerage alone, addressing obstacles that can prevent employment from being realistic or sustainable. The organisation also presents itself as a connector, both referring people onward where needed and working with community businesses and organisations to create progression routes.
Operational geography
Coverage: Regional
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Remaining uncertainties
- The Charity Commission records Birmingham City among the places where SWEDA operates, but neither the current website nor the available 2025 reporting identifies a Birmingham service venue, delivery locality, ward, or partner-hosted site.
- SWEDA's stated mission is focused on Sandwell and the Black Country, while its Charity Commission geographic return also includes Birmingham City, Dudley and Wolverhampton. This supports a wider West Midlands/Black Country footprint, but does not establish whether Birmingham activity is regular, project-specific, remote, referral-based or delivered from a Birmingham venue.
- The sole clearly identified current contact and physical base is in West Bromwich. It should not be inferred that this creates an operational site within Birmingham.
- The website's Midland Metropolitan University Hospital page provides information about the hospital in Smethwick, but does not demonstrate that SWEDA delivers a service there or that the hospital is a partner extending SWEDA's operational reach.
Additional evidence needed
- A current service directory, referral form, programme specification or impact report identifying Birmingham delivery venues, wards, neighbourhoods or beneficiary catchments.
- Confirmation from SWEDA of whether it currently delivers face-to-face, outreach, commissioned or partner-hosted services within Birmingham, including the relevant locations.
- Current contracts or formal partner information showing any Birmingham-based delivery partners and the nature, duration and location of activity.
Areas of work
- Economic/community Development/employment
- Education/training
- The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
Who they help
- Children/young People
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- Other Defined Groups
- People With Disabilities
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A pathway model rather than a single-service provider
SWEDA appears to treat unemployment as a connected set of barriers, combining welfare advice, digital skills, employment support and business support rather than assuming that job search assistance alone is sufficient.
Why it matters
This suggests its distinctive value may lie in helping people progress through several practical barriers at once, including financial insecurity and digital exclusion, before or alongside entering work.
Show evidence
“SWEDA offers Welfare Advisory Services, Employment Support, Business and Social Enterprise Services and Digital Skills.”
Source:Organisation“The charity's objects include financial hardship advice, employment assistance, education or retraining, and business or social enterprise advice.”
Source:Charity Commission
Self-employment is positioned as an inclusion route
SWEDA appears to regard business and social-enterprise creation as a meaningful alternative pathway for people who may not access conventional employment easily.
Why it matters
This broadens understanding of SWEDA from an employability charity to an organisation that may support economic participation through enterprise, potentially linking individual support with local economic development.
Show evidence
“The organisation helps people start their own business or social enterprise, develop projects or seek funding.”
Source:Organisation“The objects allow financial, technical and business or social enterprise advice to create training and employment opportunities for unemployed people.”
Source:Charity Commission
Its operating model may depend on active local connections
SWEDA presents itself as a relational gateway: it supports people directly but also intends to connect them to other help and, under its objects, work with community businesses offering volunteering or progression routes.
Why it matters
The organisation's effectiveness may therefore depend partly on the strength and breadth of its local referral, employer and community-enterprise relationships, not only on its own staff capacity.
Show evidence
“If SWEDA cannot help, it will connect people with someone who can.”
Source:Organisation“The objects allow work in association with existing businesses within the community offering progression or volunteering routes.”
Source:Charity Commission
- Which disadvantaged groups use each service, and whether some groups are underrepresented.
- How many people progress into sustained employment, self-employment, training or volunteering.
- Which local organisations, employers and funders form SWEDA's active partnership network.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports or outcome data showing service volumes, participant profiles and progression outcomes.
- Evidence of named referral, employer, training and community-enterprise partnerships.
- Information on how West Midlands Combined Authority funding shapes the current service model.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
SWEDA's primary objective is 'for the relief of unemployment for the public benefit'. It is SWEDA's mission to be an independent and authoritative advocate to support disadvantaged people across Sandwell and the Black Country towards employment and/or self-employment. Our vision is that all deprived communities have access to equal opportunities for employment
Charity objects
THE CHARITY’S OBJECTS (‘OBJECTS’) ARE SPECIFICALLY RESTRICTED TO THE FOLLOWING: THE CHARITY PROVIDES SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS FROM DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS THROUGH: THE RELIEF OF UNEMPLOYMENT FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY ALL OR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING MEANS: (A) THE RELIEF OF FINANCIAL HARDSHIP BY THE PROVISION OF FREE ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE TO PERSONS WHO, THROUGH LACK OF MEANS, WOULD OTHERWISE BE UNABLE TO OBTAIN SUCH ADVICE. (B) THE RELIEF OF UNEMPLOYMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC IN SUCH WAYS AS MAY BE THOUGHT FIT, INCLUDING ASSISTANCE TO FIND EMPLOYMENT (C) THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION, TRAINING OR RETRAINING, PARTICULARLY AMONG UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE, THIS MAY BE BY PROVIDING UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE WITH WORK EXPERIENCE: (D) THE PROVISION OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OR BUSINESS ADVICE / SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ADVICE OR CONSULTANCY IN ORDER TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE IN CASES OF FINANCIAL OR OTHER CHARITABLE NEED THROUGH HELP IN SETTING UP THEIR OWN BUSINESS / SOCIAL ENTERPRISE, OR TO EXISTING BUSINESSES / SOCIAL ENTERPRISES. THIS MAY BE DIRECTLY THROUGH SWEDA OR IN ASSOCIATION WITH EXISTING BUSINESSES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OFFERING PROGRESSION / VOLUNTEERING ROUTES FOR THE INDIVIDUALS SUPPORTED. (E) THE CREATION OF TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES BY THE PROVISION OF WORKSPACE, BUILDINGS, AND/OR LAND FOR USE ON FAVOURABLE TERMS (F) SUCH OTHER MEANS AS MAY FROM TIME TO TIME BE DETERMINED SUBJECT TO THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE CHARITY COMMISSIONERS FOR ENGLAND AND WALES.