Social Impact at Paws & Pause
Good for Dogs. Good for People. Good for London.
As a social enterprise dog daycare, Paws & Pause brings together excellent care for dogs and meaningful opportunities for people rebuilding their lives. Our trainee programme, #PressPlay, supports Londoners in recovery to gain confidence, structure and skills through hands-on experience in our daycare. This page outlines why we exist, how the programme works, and the difference this model is making across our neighbourhoods.
Frontline Experience to Real Social Impact
Rooted in reality and shaped by frontline experience, we exist to turn everyday care into meaningful social change.
Where It Began
Grace and Jodie founded Paws & Pause in 2019 after working together in homelessness services, where they saw how few sustainable routes into work existed for people in recovery — especially in animal care. As lifelong dog lovers who had witnessed the therapeutic power animals can offer, they set out to build a model that combined meaningful employment support with the everyday joy of working alongside dogs. The result was Paws & Pause: London’s only social enterprise dog daycare, designed to create real, lasting change.
Breaking the Mould
At Paws & Pause, our mission is to support people rebuilding their lives after mental health challenges or substance use by creating a structured, dog-centred environment where confidence, routine and self-worth can grow. Animal-assisted activities can act as a powerful motivator for engagement and change; our trainee programme uses the everyday grounding of working with dogs to increase engagement, build skills, and help people feel ready for work, education or the next step in their recovery. We exist to provide the meaningful opportunities that are so often missing for people facing barriers to employment — and to show how a social enterprise model can create real, lasting change in our community.
Values We Live By (And Actually Practice!)
Values shape everything we do at Paws & Pause. We believe in creating a fun, supportive environment where dogs, trainees and staff all feel safe, accepted and able to grow. Community matters to us — we’re rooted in our local neighbourhoods and committed to having a positive impact on the people within them.
We’re actively inclusive, with a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, and we make sure every voice carries weight — whether someone’s a trainee, a new starter or a long-standing team member. Some of our best ideas come from people at the very beginning of their journey with us, and that equality of voice is part of what makes this place special. Innovation sits at the heart of our approach: from our dog care model to our employability support, we’re always looking for new ways to break the mould and create meaningful, lasting change.
#PressPlay Trainee Programme
Supporting People to Feel Ready for Work, Education and What Comes Next. Paws and Pause is Where People Pause, Reset, and Press Play on Their Future.
How It Works​
Paws & Pause's #PressPlay Programme is a 6–9 month structured volunteer placement for people rebuilding their lives after mental health or substance use challenges. It combines hands-on experience in our dog daycares with routine, mentoring and employability support, giving people the space to regain confidence, build skills and feel ready for their next steps.
​
Trainees join us twice a week and become part of the team from day one — taking part in the daily rhythm of the daycare, joining meetings, contributing ideas and working alongside staff and dogs in a safe, supportive environment.
​
During the programme, trainees:
-
Build routine, structure and confidence through real work experience
-
Learn practical skills in dog care, enrichment, safety and group management
-
Develop communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills
-
Take part in 1:1 mentoring and regular goal-setting sessions
-
Join group workshops focused on wellbeing, employability and personal development
-
Contribute to wider tasks such as admin, social media, customer service or creative projects
​​​
Who Its For
Our Trainee Programme is designed for adults who are currently unemployed and whose main barriers to work relate to mental ill health and/or substance use recovery. Trainees are typically engaged with mental health, substance use or recovery services and join us via referrals from NHS teams, GPs and partner organisations. The programme is best suited to people who are ready to commit to a structured 6–9 month placement, attending twice a week, engaging in regular 1:1s and group workshops, and are beginning to plan their next steps into work, education or training. Support is offered at a pace that works for each individual, within a safe, inclusive environment where routine, confidence and employability can grow.
What We Deliver
Through hands-on experience in our dog daycare, trainees practise the realities of being in a workplace — including timekeeping, organisation and working as part of a team. Alongside this, trainees take part in 1:1 mentoring, employability and personal development workshops, action planning and goal setting, and regular reflection on progress.
​
Working alongside dogs plays an important role in this process. The great thing about dogs is they do not have preconceived notions of people, and their unconditional love encourages interaction, engagement and confidence. For people who find communication, motivation, relationships and self-worth difficult, this environment can reduce pressure and support gradual progress. Over time, trainees report increased confidence, improved wellbeing, greater resilience in managing setbacks, and renewed purpose as they begin to plan their next steps into work, education or further training.
The “Feeling Employable” Framework
Our programme focuses on helping people feel employable — building the confidence to commit, manage health alongside work, and see employment or education as a realistic option. Feeling employable means understanding personal strengths, developing self-worth, building connection, and having the resilience and tools to work through problems.
In practice, this is developed through regular attendance, workshops, team activities, action planning and reflection. Trainees are supported to communicate confidently, overcome setbacks, take responsibility and lead tasks within a real workplace.
Does It Work? The Impact So Far
Spoiler: Yes it does! We track it carefully, here's what we're seeing, measuring and learning.
​
At A Glance
Since launching in 2019, our Trainee Programme has supported people facing some of the toughest barriers back into work. 85% Move on to employment, education or further training after completing the programme, and 100% of trainees report reduced anxiety, increased confidence and renewed purpose. Many start with little structure or confidence — 67% report low or no self-confidence and 67% have nothing positive planned in the week before joining — yet through routine, responsibility and support, trainees build the foundations needed to move forward. These outcomes aren’t incidental; they’re the result of a carefully designed, dog-centred programme focused on long-term stability rather than quick wins.
Sarah
'I was terrified when I started that people would think, she's the one with all the issues, but that thought left my mind immediately after being greeted by all the dogs! With the help of the team and dogs to build my confidence in a work place I have just been accepted to start my carpentry diploma! The dogs make you feel 'normal' and helped me feel good about myself knowing how to take care of their individual needs. In return i have a never ending stream of cuddles and affection!'
From the People at the Heart of It All
This Month at Paws & Pause
19
Trainees on Placement
629
Trainees & Advanced Placement Hours On Site
4
Workshops On Starting Job Searching,
Dog Behaviour, Professional Goal Setting
29
Personal Development Mentoring Sessions
How Dogs (and Their Humans!) Make This Happen
Every daycare day helps sustain training and support, built into how Paws & Pause operates as a social enterprise.
The Social Enterprise Model
Paws & Pause is a registered Community Interest Company (CIC), we are a social enterprise, with our Trainee Programme embedded in the way the business is designed and funded. Our dog daycare generates income that helps sustain trainee placements, Living Wage jobs and long-term community impact, alongside external funding from grant partners such as the National Lottery Community Fund. This structure allows us to offer consistent, supported programmes while remaining financially sustainable and accountable. When owners choose Paws & Pause, a portion of that daycare income helps fund trainee helps cover the real, day-to-day costs of running the programme — not as a donation or add-on, but as part of how our social enterprise is designed to operate alongside a high-quality daycare service.This isn’t corporate CSR or charity on the side, it's the beating heart of everything we do.
Paws & Pause Daycare and Programme Working Together
Paws & Pause Training CIC is hosted within the Paws & Pause daycare, meaning the trainee programme and dog care operate hand in hand. The daycare provides a real, structured workplace where trainees can build routine, confidence and employability skills alongside dogs and an experienced team. At the same time, trainees become part of the daily rhythm of the daycare — supporting care, enrichment and routines, and contributing to a calm, attentive environment for the dogs. The presence of trainees supports staff to be more present and provide 1st class care, and means the dogs spend their days with people who deeply value and enjoy being with them. This integration creates a workplace where learning, care and community are naturally connected.
Wags That Ripple Outwards
As a social enterprise rooted in Peckham and Brixton, we’re committed to creating stable, meaningful work locally. We pay the London Living Wage, operate a profit-sharing model, and invest back into our team and neighbourhoods — which is why familiar faces greet dogs day after day. This stability benefits everyone: trainees gain consistency and trust, staff are supported to stay and grow, and dogs experience calm, attentive care from people who know them well. It’s a model designed to strengthen the communities we’re part of — good for dogs, good for people, and good for London.