Co-operative Assistance Network Limited

Putting power back where it belongs – with givers and receivers of care

CAN recently provided some timely consultancy for Equal Care Co-op, which is developing co-operative models of care and has just launched a community share offer.

Equal Care Co-op is owned by people who give and receive support and is developing technology so that much more of the hourly rate for care goes to workers, rather than just the 50% that’s usual with conventional care agencies.

Equal Care’s overarching purpose is to “put power back where it belongs, with the givers and receivers of care and support”. “Social care in the UK systematically disempowers the people it’s supposed to serve,” it says on its website.

Equal Care is currently providing support in Calderdale, West Yorkshire and intends to work in other local authority areas as it grows. It originally raised £409,000 through a pioneer share offer in August 2019.

CAN was engaged by Co-operatives UK to review Equal Care Co-op’s new 2022 share offer document and financial projections, the work being funded by Co-ops UK’s Community Shares Booster programme.

Equal Care Co-op explains that its 2022 share offer is being launched to “safeguard the future of our co-operative, enabling us to recover from the damage caused by two years of pandemic restrictions and their severe knock-on effects.”

The new funding will provide development finance, particularly for the IT platform that provides the backbone for delivering fairer care services, by people for people.

Speaking about CAN’s input into the project, Emma Back, left, from Equal Care praised CAN’s Brian Titley for “succinct and focussed feedback”, and Hilary Sudbury for “tightening up the offer document to focus on what really mattered".

Emma added: “We are extremely grateful for your very timely support and it has given us (and our investors, we believe) the confidence to go forth and invest! Nearly 10k has come through already since I sent emails out about an hour ago!”

You can find out more about the share offer here.

As the co-op says, “We’ve found a different way of doing things. Now it’s time to let it grow…”.

CAN has recently supported another community share offer, Stokes Croft Land Trust in Bristol.

To find out more about how CAN can work with you on raising finance and community share offers, please contact Hilary: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Read more on the CAN website
Develop and launch your own share offer
Are Community Shares right for you?
What are Community Shares?