Risk and trust

1 is the lowest level of trust and 5 is the highest.

We trust that the right people will show up	4	Our experience shows that when projects focus on building networks and personal relationships, the right people tend to emerge. A commitment to diverse representation, collaboration, and patience in forming new groups strengthens this trust. We can continue to support this by focusing on outreach through trusted networks and relationship-first engagement.
We trust that they’ll stay the course	3	Life circumstances and unforeseen challenges can always affect people’s ability to stay involved. To reduce this risk, we emphasise clarity of expectations and flexible session timings, offer supportive measures like capital-light grant payments where possible, and agree shared commitments early on in the process.
We trust that people will feel heard	5	Investing significant time into culture-building and using sociocratic governance methods helps create an environment where all voices are respected. Drawing from several years of facilitation experience, we build structures for participation and ensure people feel heard through both formal processes and informal relationship-building.
We trust that we will complete Phase 1 with all outcomes achieved	4	By making a high level of investment into Phase One, we are able to progress through stages of group development without skipping crucial groundwork (like shared purpose, assumptions, and cultural agreements). Prioritising these elements early significantly lowers the risk of unresolved issues later.
We trust that our partners have aligned values	5	Equal Care Co-op works with partners who are committed to co-operative values and principles, ensuring strong alignment from the start. Active dialogue, shared decision-making, and transparency throughout the process help maintain this alignment as the work evolves.