What we've done
Our Team
We have our full team in place for our pilot year and a wider group of fabulous people giving their voluntary support and advice.
Our Website
We now have a website to give you more information about Equal Care Co-op and to grow our membership.
Incorporation and bylaws
We're not a standard company with standard articles. Everything in our co-operative governance is completely bespoke to fit with our values, aims and mission.
Our Office
It may seem like a small thing in this world of virtual interactions but having a place to work from really helps!
Run our Christmas Crowdfunder
We asked for help from the crowd and hit our target of £23,000 in donations! We were supported by the co-operative community and many others who want to see changes in social care.
Recruited independent workers and local volunteers
We ran an open recruitment seeking experienced, independent care and support professionals together with local volunteers.
Participated in first ever Platform Co-op accelerator
Co-operatives UK ran UnFound last year, which we were part of. Lots of brilliant connections, learning (and work!) has emerged from this.
Secured feasibility and exploratory grant support
We have had support from Paul Hamlyn Foundation Ideas and Pioneers Fund, we're a Nesta ShareLab grantee and we've been helped by Reach Foundation and Bright Ideas.
Ran our Pioneer Community Share Offer
Our Share Offer opened on 12th June and closed on 14th August 2019. We raised 137% of our target and we welcomed 161 new Investor Members to Equal Care Co-op.
We became Finance Innovation Lab Fellows
We participated in the Finance Lab incubator to develop our aspirations and plans to enable abundant support in our communities
Participated in the Care Quality Commission Sandbox
We worked with the CQC to develop their new approach to community-led care and support teams working in a self-managed way.
CQC Registration
We registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 August 2020 and are now offering regulated care and support.
What we're doing now
Private beta launch
Our platform and service has launched within our immediate community.
Working with our first Circle
We are setting up the first self-managing peer group of care and support workers and community volunteers in the Calder Valley.
Co-developing with our small community of users
We shall co-design and co-create our platform and service, working with groups happy to give detailed and critical feedback.
Recruiting care workers & offering support!
We are welcoming independent and employed care and support workers and we are building teams with people looking for care and support. in Calderdale
The next three months
Test and iterate
Our community will work closely with our platform team to develop and prioritise the features of the product.
Grow our membership
We will grow our co-op membership to bring us to the next stage of participatory and shared decision-making.
Evaluate our pilot
We will check our work - this includes our social impact, developing and evaluating the model and creating our 'playbook.'
Find investor members
We are talking to prospective and existing investors to prepare for and fund our next community share offer.
The next year
Launch our next community share offer: Sprout
Our 2019 community share offer has allowed us to plant the seed. Our 2022 offer will allow it to grow.
Full digital release
Our platform will be available for use across the country.
London Circle Launch
Our London Circle are getting ready to launch Equal Care in North London.
CQC Inspection
Our first inspection by the CQC.
