Start teams

Overview

Once you’ve laid the groundwork - engaging partners, setting your values, and planning your offer - it’s time to begin forming care teams. This stage puts your cooperative model into practice: matching people who need care with the workers and supporters who will be part of their Team.

The diagrams below show how team formation and care delivery begin. This process relies on clear communications, collaborative planning, and – above all – relationships built on trust.

Team Formation

The journey starts when someone expresses interest in joining or using your care service: this could be a family member, a person seeking support, or a professional referrer.

1. Supportive Conversation Every new relationship begins with a supportive, values-led conversation. This is a space for listening: to learn about the person’s needs, hopes, support networks and preferences. It’s also where the model is introduced - making it clear how teams work, what roles exist, and what the shared responsibilities are.

2. Matching Process Based on this conversation, the platform helps identify possible team members, drawing on location, preferences, experience and availability. The aim is to build a team that feels right for everyone involved.

3. Teams Formed When a group agrees to work together, a new team is formed. This includes the person receiving support (the Team Owner), their family or friends (if involved), and the care workers or volunteers who will provide support. Where possible, a coach is assigned to help the team get started and stay on track.

👉 See also: Team Starting and Hats for more on building and supporting team roles.

Care Service

1. Initial Appointment The first few visits are a chance to get to know one another, understand routines and preferences, and begin co-creating how care will look in practice.

2. Team Agreed If everyone feels the team is working well, a more formal agreement is made. This includes confirming team membership, shared responsibilities, support schedules, and the ongoing use of the Equal Care platform. If it doesn’t feel like the right fit, the matching process can restart.

3. Care Continues Ongoing support is now provided through the team: flexibly, relationally, and guided by the needs and preferences of the person receiving care. Regular check-ins, peer supervision, and mutual feedback ensure the team continues to grow together.

👉 See also: Finding the Right Match, Building a Team.