How can we build new models of care?
Do you have experience of the care sector? Are you interested in advocating for change and helping build new models for care services?
Sign up to hear more about the project or attend our community research workshops (see below).
About the Pilot:
The Oxfordshire Care Co-operatives Pilot aims to understand and test how co-operative and co-produced models and approaches can fill gaps in the current market and solve challenges in the Adult Social Care sector in Oxfordshire and create more ownership and voice for both care workers and care users. The year long project will involve:
- Phase 1: Conducting participatory community research with those with lived experience of care and other key stakeholders working in the sector to contribute to mapping a baseline priorities and needs assessment. This will help us design the business with co-production at its heart.
- Phase 2: Recruiting potential members and starting the process of setting up a new “pilot” care business using the co-operative model.
The project has been funded by Oxfordshire County Council and is being delivered by a partnership including: Co-operative Futures, Community Catalysts, Oxford Community Action, African Families in the UK and Oxford Brookes University Centre for Business, Society & Global Challenges.
Attend a community research workshop:
How can we build new models of care? – Lunch for care-workers & care-users
Saturday 7th June 12.00-14.00 – Oxfordshire County Library (Westgate Centre)
Do you have experience of care as a care worker, care user, or perhaps as a care users’ family member or friend? Are you interested in advocating for change and helping build new models of care?
We invite you to come and learn about co-operative care and participate in a practical community research workshop over a lunch. You will have a chance to share your experiences of care and begin to imagine together alternative ways of organising care.
£20 voucher offered to care workers and users who participate in the research workshop. Register here
Stakeholder Workshop
Wednesday 4th June 10.00-11.30 – Online
What are the priority needs in the care provision sector that a Care Co-operative may be able to address or support?
We are inviting stakeholders from Local Authorities and other statutory bodies, community and voluntary sector organisation, unions and other advocacy and representative bodies supporting care workers and care users. The workshop will contribute to mapping a baseline priorities and needs assessment. This will be instrumental in informing the direction of the Care Co-operatives Project. Register here.
Can’t make it to a workshop?
Express your interest in getting involved in the project and we will get in touch – sign up here
What is a care co-op?
- A business providing care services
- Is owned and controlled by its “members” – these members could either be the care workers or care users or both!
- Decisions about the business, such as pay or working hours, are made collaboratively by the members
- Any profits are reinvested in services or go back to the members.
Some examples of care co-ops in the UK are Co-operative Care Colne Valley, Equal Care and Leading Lives.