Phase 1: founding a circle

What is it?	Equal Care working closely with a small, committed group of people who want to make social change happen in social care. These are the Circle Founders who will shape the direction and activities of the circle in its early stages and beyond.
Why do it like this?	We have learnt that properly invested time in individuals from the outset sets culture, builds trust, clarifies purpose and increases drive and sense of ownership for the emerging circle, making the group more resilient and able to weather difficulties.
Membership	Circle Founders are local people who want to change how care and support works in their area. They are people with enthusiasm and commitment to the cause of social care reform, usually as a result of direct, lived experience of the system. Circle Founders become Worker Members of Equal Care.
Guiding Principles	The people who arrive are the right people at the right time, with the right intentions. Equal Care works with Circle Founders as equal partners. We work in mutual support of one another.
Time period	Highly dependent on levels of commitment, access to resources and availability from Circle Founders. Minimum 3 months, absolute maximum 6 months.
Evaluation and continuous learning	Reflective sessions with each of the Circle Founders, with outcomes recorded and shared, plus council and community members ready for the next phase. Contributions to Equal Care’s storytelling collection to document the human realities of the circle’s development.
Outcome	A resilient, high-trust group bringing diverse perspectives, commitment, passion and clarity of purpose to social change in social care.