Find the others

After deciding that this is definitely something you want to do, the first step to founding any circle, co-op or new group is 'find the others'. Co-operative Founders will be the ones recruiting the first paid roles. They are the people who set the overall direction, culture and purpose of the co-op, giving it its starting momentum.

At Equal Care, we went about this in a few different ways. Emma reached out to people she saw doing brilliant things on a smaller scale - such as Amber, who had built a one-woman platform to support her employer, who was living with a spinal injury.

Working with the mentorship of a local co-operator (Mark), Emma, Kate and Amber ran 'Conversation Cafés': a series of five workshop events where the idea was presented and people gathered in small groups to have a conversation over cake. These were low-cost to run and funded by UnLtd’s 'Do It' Award, along with donations from the venue.

There were question prompts to help people get started, colourful pens, several tablecloths for writing on, copious post-it notes and - crucially - a very short form at the end asking how involved people wanted to be. Those who ticked the “I want to help set it up” option became members of the steering group, which later became the Founder Members of the co-op once it was registered.

There is no need to register as a co-op at this stage - in fact, we actively advise against it! The most significant factors for success are the members of the group and the importance of bringing people together with a range of skills and perspectives. The group's rules and ways of working need to be learnt and explored. This takes time and should be honoured.

To address economic disparities between those who are not able to commit voluntary time and those who can, now is a good time to look at small grant awards that can support some of these costs. Equal Care made good use of UnLtd's 'Do It' Award (now the Millennium Awards Trust) for this purpose.

If the new co-operative is an initiative of the local authority, this stage could take the form of community workshops, coupled with a more formalised recruitment process to find your founders, who could be a mix of people giving and getting support, councillors and local authority officers.

If you are an existing homecare organisation, the members of your founding team may be drawn from your workforce and those you currently support as well as their family members. This may be in addition to members of your management team and outgoing owners as part of a transitional phase.

Regardless of where the impetus for developing the co-op comes from these are the keys to finding the others:

1. Representation: find the mix of perspectives who will be representing the membership.

2. Seek people out: Be brave, actively target people you want to join the group and approach organisations that you think might have access to them.

3. Understand what's lacking: It might be a perspective, a skill or access to a resource but whatever it is, be clear that you want it.

This work should feel tough - and somewhat uncomfortable. It’s a combination of inviting people who you think “would never say yes in a million years” and looking carefully at your own and others’ knowledge or skills gaps.

Making the wishlist for your Purpose Circle is just the beginning - it will evolve into recruitment criteria, head-hunting, and an ever-changing understanding of who is needed in that group as the co-op grows. It also means thinking about your own obsolescence: no co-op should have to rely on a single person for its success! A gentle place to start is Co-op UK's Planning for Board Excellence document.

The Purpose Circle

Some of Equal Care's founding members at work in 2017

Aim for:

• A brave, inclusive and kind culture among the founding group and across the wider community

• A resilient, well-equipped core group ready to launch and steward the first stages of co-operative care and support

• A network of community members forms; people ready to step into roles, bring their knowledge, and grow the Circle together

The Purpose Circle is your founding board. This group will provide guidance, support, and critical friendship to help the founders. This will require a lot of goodwill, but it is essential that this be matched with the skills and experience to help take the group forward.

Many people in the co-operative and care sectors may be enthusiastic and share your ethos and goals, but they may not be the right people to contribute positively. The question is whether they have good will/intentions versus lived experience. The latter is critical to go the distance, coupled with relevant skills and expertise.

Members of the Purpose Circle will come and go throughout the journey, and that is fine - it will take time to resolve a group that is right for your organisation. Some people will go to be employed by the co-op, some will go on to be supported by it and others will remain at more of a distance. Yet others will conclude that it's not for them. Equal Care has experienced all the permutations but throughout this has maintained a big commitment to ensuring that all membership categories are properly represented on this circle. Find Equal Care's current board make-up here.