[07] Equal Care: Caregiving Platform Cooperative

Equal Care is a multi-stakeholder cooperative in England that values building trusted relationships between the giver and receiver of support. Their care offerings range from personal care and practical jobs, to help with life admin and community advocacy, to mental health and wellbeing support. Workers get a decent wage without the people getting support having to pay more. The receiver and caregiver are involved in the decision making process and intentionally choose each other to create lasting, respectful, quality care and support relationships. In this episode I speak with care worker member Eleanor Bennett and founder Emma Back about the voids they are filling within the current care system, benefits of being an independent care worker of the co-op, using sociacricy for decision-making, their organization model for members, funding opportunities and developmental support for co-ops in the UK, plus more.Equal Care Co-op WebsiteCo-operatives UK: Cooperative Support NetworkCommunity Shares: Capital investment for community businesses The Hive: Offers business support, mentoring, and training for start up co-ops in the UK