Consorzio Elpendù

Elpendù is a consortium of 27 social cooperatives, located in 6 districts of the region of Apulia in Southern Italy, created in 1994 to organize and strengthen the social, socio-educational and health services offer and those aimed at insertion on the regional territory. The organization is involved in research and in promotional and inclusive activities for underprivileged people employed by its members. Elpendù manages pilot projects, training, qualification on their behalf. It is also a training organization certified by the regional director for vocational training, thus empowered to set up vocational training. According to the statutes of Elpendù, its scope must "be a tool that serves the general interest of the community for the evolution of people and the inclusion of citizens". The Elpendù pursues this objective by combining professionalism, entrepreneurship and sociability, and also by launching on the "market" the concept of the "private social" sector: that of social enterprise.

Elpendù performs the following activities:
- design and implementation of pilot projects and innovative projects in the areas of social, medico-social, education, as well as social and inclusion of disadvantaged people in the labor market;
- studies in the social and health and social fields;
- pooling of resources for the benefit of its group-type members: social management, support for educational services and carrying out work aimed at promoting the integration of socially disadvantaged people;
- organization and management of professional training, as well as professional and qualifying career paths;
- setting up of agencies and monitoring units to study, monitor and promote social cooperation in the different fields of activity and to offer services, for example planning interventions financed by regional, national and local funds; community-based
- to promote, organize and animate conferences, studies and surveys concerning the promotion of social integration;
- publish and disseminate information, scientific manuals dealing with institutional issues and research in the social field.

Elpendù composed of the oldest social cooperatives, offers rehabilitation services, care and support for the integration of the disadvantaged (mentally ill, disabled, vulnerable social groups, etc.) into the labor market.

Elpnedù consortium between social cooperatives has quality certificates for the following internal procedures:

-> ISO 9001: Certificate No. 15 100 85405 awarded in 2008 by the Tüv Cert
-> SA 8000: certificate n. SA-367 awarded in 2008 by RINA for the following activities:
- organization and provision of services in vocational training;
- planning and management of social and health activities aimed at integrating socially disadvantaged people at national and Community level into the labor market;
- implementation of equal opportunities between the sexes and dissemination of good practices in associated cooperatives;
- research in the social and socio-health fields.