Our History

Central Essex Community Services (CECS) became a Community Interest Company (CIC) on 1st April 2011, as part of the Government initiative to separate the commissioning and provider roles of the local NHS.

It allows us to focus on providing care, while NHS Mid Essex focuses on commissioning care and transferring this role to the emerging Clinical Commissioning Group.

As a CIC (social enterprise), we remain part of the NHS family, retaining our NHS values and public service ethos. We are a not-for-profit organisation, owned by our staff members.

We have been providing high-quality, effective and safe services for many years, prior to our birth as a stand-alone Community Interest Company.

Prior to the separation, from April 2008, CECS was what’s known as an Arm’s Length Trading Organisation (ALTO) of Mid Essex Primary Care Trust (PCT). Between 2006 and 2008 we were part of Mid Essex PCT.

And before 2006, our services were part of three predecessor NHS Trusts: Chelmsford PCT, Maldon and South Chelmsford PCT and the Witham, Braintree and Halstead Care Trust.

Now, as an established, credible community provider, we will protect the breadth, responsiveness and quality of services that patients and the public rely on.

Whilst we will continue to focus on and improve our community services, we will also be able to provide a greater range of services. Going forward, as a flexible provider of care, we are confident that our organisation has the skills to thrive and build on a good track record.

CECS CIC is committed to providing services which are safe and of high quality, and we will continue to improve everything we do.