Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • Supported Internships Referral Form
bemix
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
Book a taster visit Donate
Menu
  • About us
    • Who we are
    • Meet the Team
    • Our bemix journey
    • Who we support
    • What we do
    • Self Advocacy
    • Leadership Training
    • Social business
      • What is a social business?
      • Our Social Enterprises
      • Social Enterprise news
    • Vision and values
      • Our Vision
      • We are EPIC (Our Core Values)
      • Our Wider Values
      • Being Eco-Friendly
    • Our approach
      • Co-working and co-production
      • The language we use
    • Our impact
  • Support for adults
    • Types of support
    • Find your support
    • Support news
    • Individual support (autism)
      • Life Choices (for people with autism)
      • How Life Choices works
      • Life Choices team
  • Education for 16-24s
    • For employers
      • Support for Employers
      • Employer FAQs
      • Valuing Disability Business Award - KEiBA
    • Preparation for Employment for 16-23 year olds
      • Preparation for Employment (pre-internship year)
      • Preparation for Employment Expression of Interest Form
    • Supported Internships for 16-24 year olds
      • Supported Internships (getting a job)
      • Supported Internships Expression of Interest Form
    • Ofsted
      • Ofsted reports
    • General Information
      • Supported Employment news
      • Meet the Supported Employment team
      • How we work (Policies and Procedures)
      • bemix Covid test form
      • Term Dates 2022-2023
      • Venues
    • Supported Employment FAQs
  • Support our work
    • How you can help
    • Our Appeals
    • Campaign with us
      • Our campaigns
      • Campaign news
    • Volunteer for us
      • Apply to volunteer
    • Eco Shed shop
  • Latest
    • News
    • Blogs
      • The Audiobox
      • I am autistic / have autism / me!
      • Co-Production
    • Jobs
  • Contact us
  • Admin
    • Log in
    • Supported Internships Referral Form
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • wider-values
  1. About us
  2. Vision and values
  3. Our Wider Values

Wider Values

bemix believes that it is important to give people with learning difficulties and/or autism the opportunity to develop and explore their own morals and responsibilities in relation to the wider world. For many years, people with a learning difficulty and/or autism have not had the opportunity or education to be involved in politics or influencing the world around them. People have been segregated in groups with just one thing in common, that they have a learning difficulty and/or autism. The People First and Valuing People Now movements have helped people to fight for their rights and for personalised support to live the lives they choose. However, this has meant that some people have only had the opportunity to think about themselves, not about the wider society and world they live in.


In our experience, many people with a learning difficulty and/or autism who have been supported to think about their values naturally care about the lives of other people, animals and the environment they live in. Many people want to speak up for other groups facing injustice or that are not being treated equally. A key principle of bemix is that people with learning difficulties and/or autism should not be treated as needing charity. People with learning difficulties and/or autism have the power to effect positive change and should be valued. By working to achieve positive change for other, less powerful, groups, people with learning difficulties gain more power.

The 7 values below, set out what is important to us in bemix.  They are about how we work.  They are also things we believe are important when we work to influence wider society.  We believe these values are important for us to have a positive impact on the world and be part of something bigger.


Collaboration

Expand

Support given to people is most effective when the people and organisations giving it work closely together. We value co-working over competition. We build partnerships and share resources with organisations whose values are like ours. Our quality and excellence are motivated by our commitment to people.

Published: 29th March, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Health and Safety

Expand

Protecting people’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing is essential. We work in a way that protects people’s independence and choice, and encourages shared responsibility for health and safety.

Published: 29th March, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Not-for-profit

Expand

Not-for-profit - social goals are more likely to be achieved if there is no profit motive.

This does not mean we should not make money from the work we do; it means that no individual should benefit from any profit made. We therefore put all our profit back into supporting the work we do. This saves our customers and funders the cost of private profits. We believe in rewarding employees with fulfilling work, the minimum of a Real Living Wage, and employment terms and conditions that value their family and social lives.

Published: 29th March, 2021

Updated: 18th May, 2022

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Positive Campaigning

Expand

We communicate and campaign in a way that tells people what we want. For example, “Support parents with learning difficulties!” should be used, not “Stop taking people’s children into care!”. It is important to try to understand and hear all sides of an argument and the reasons why people might disagree with our values and beliefs; working with people or organisations, rather than against them, where we want change to occur. We believe this is the most effective way of making a lasting positive change.

Visit our Campaigns page for more information on our latest positive campaigning.

Published: 29th March, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Progression

Expand

We support people to work towards and achieve their goals and develop their skills and interests. This includes the people we support, as well as our employees.

Published: 29th March, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Respect and Compassion

Expand

All beings should be free to live a life safe from harm. We should extend this respect to all living things, not just humans. This means working in a way that protects humans, animals and other than human life. We encourage people to consider how their actions affect the world around them. We encourage discussion and debate around ethical issues. It is important that we give people the opportunity to express their personal beliefs (freedom of speech) even if they are different to our own, or bemix’s, beliefs, providing they do not cause harm to others.

Published: 29th March, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Sustainability

Expand

Our way of working should support the long-term well-being of society, the economy and the environment. We aim to “meet the needs of the present without preventing future generations from meeting their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development). We want our work to have a positive impact long into the future, not just for now. Our work should not cause harm now or in the future.

Published: 29th March, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Back to top

Showing 10 of 7

Latest

  • Robert is achieving goals during his Supported Employment in Medway

    Robert is achieving goals during his Supported Employment in Medway

    In his role as Data Processing Assistant, Robert is off to a great start in his Supported Employment placement at Medway Adult Education Centre

  • Creative Group Supporter

    Creative Group Supporter

    Do you have creative and artistic skills or an interest in Music performance &/or recording? Songwriting? Radio? Woodwork? Drama? Digital Arts? Photography? Catering? Can you help people be seen, be heard and belong in the creative world? Would flexible, ad-hoc, local Support work suit you? Then we’d like to invite you to bring your creativity & join the bemix team!

  • Medway Maritime Hospital employ two bemix interns!

    Medway Maritime Hospital employ two bemix interns!

    From internship to employment - two young people in bemix Supported Employment programme gain paid employment at Medway Maritime Hospital

  • Being Eco-Friendly

    Being Eco-Friendly

Most read

  • Contact us

    Details of our office addresses, phone number and email address. Contact us directly using our contact form.

  • Who we are

    Who we are

    We are people with and without learning difficulties and/or autism, working and learning together. Whether it’s to be seen working, be heard campaigning or belong to a friendly group of people, people achieve their goals with bemix.

  • Apply for a job

    Apply for our current job openings here

  • Supported Internships

    Supported Internships

  • Life Choices (one-to-one support)

    Life Choices (one-to-one support)

    One-to-one support for people with autistic spectrum conditions. A coach will work with you to find out what your goals are. They will work alongside you, at your pace, to do the things you want

  • Supported Internships for Employers

    EASY READ, BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE MAIN PAGE CONTENT

  • Who we support

    Who we support

    We are people with and without learning difficulties and/or autism working and learning together.

  • Our bemix journey

    Our bemix journey

    How the organisation began. Where we are now. Where we are going. Find out about our journey from Skillnet Swale to bemix.

  • Medway Maritime Hospital employ two bemix interns!

    Medway Maritime Hospital employ two bemix interns!

    From internship to employment - two young people in bemix Supported Employment programme gain paid employment at Medway Maritime Hospital

  • Privacy Policy

    This Policy explains how we might use information about you to tell you about the work we do and opportunities for you to get involved.

Sign up for the newsletter

  • Privacy
  • Terms & conditions
  • Sitemap
  • Login
  • My details
  • Logout

bemix is the trading name of bemix (formerly Skillnet Group). Company No. 4567984. Incorporation date: 21/10/02 Incorporated in the United Kingdom. Main Registered Office: bemix, Office 44 Canterbury Innovation Centre, University Road, Canterbury, CT2 7FG

Be seen, be heard, belong
    
Can't read this?