Problem addressed

In France, the self-employed and entrepreneurs (retailers, craftspeople, micro-entrepreneurs, independent professionals, etc.) account for 99 per cent of businesses and 52 per cent of salaried jobs; yet there is no comprehensive support scheme to assist them when they are faced with illness, particularly cancer. Faced with family, financial and professional challenges, these individuals find not only their ability to remain in employment but also the long-term viability of their businesses severely jeopardised.

Innovative solution

To support the self-employed, CAIRE 13 works in collaboration with a range of local partners, including cancer care centres (the Centre for the Fight against Cancer, hospitals, radiotherapy centres) as well as private healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, etc.) who refer their patients to the association.

This group, comprising equal numbers of men and women from all socio-professional backgrounds and occupational sectors, is then supported by CAIRE 13 through a socio-professional assessment carried out by a multidisciplinary team, enabling the individual to identify the relevant resources. The association’s volunteers then monitor the self-employed person’s progress and regularly organise group activities to discuss the challenges and issues encountered both before and after their illness, particularly in relation to their professional life.

In addition to this bespoke support, the organisation runs a dedicated drop-in and information centre, the Maison du Rebond, which enables self-employed people to meet up and access a computer room, a library and a resource centre.

Potential for mainstreaming

Now based in Marseille, CAIRE 13 frequently receives enquiries from people outside its area of operation and is therefore considering supporting the establishment of branch offices in neighbouring departments (Var, Vaucluse, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) before expanding more widely into regions such as Corsica, Île-de-France and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. This scaling up will enable the organisation to increase the number of self-employed people it supports and thereby strengthen its social impact.

CAIRE 13 is a laureate of the 2018–2019 cohort of the P'INS scale-up support programme, jointly run by Fondation Macif and Avise.