Circles
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Most organisations have pretty rigid hierarchies. Most of us are used to supervisors, managers and deputy managers, and we are used to having to having to speak to the person on the ‘level above us’ before we can communicate with anyone higher than them. Organisations like this are often illustrated like a long line or a pyramid, with the end result the same: that there’s often a distance between you, the person doing the task itself, and somebody that you need to speak to about it.
At Equal Care we share responsibility between those who are the best placed to make the decisions, namely the care and support workers themselves. That’s why we organise ourselves using Circles.
Circles are small groups of people with a shared purpose and responsibility. Everyone in the Circle is treated equally. People might have different roles, but everyone’s voice matters, and everyone is involved in the decisions being made.
Using Circles means that the decisions we make are far more likely to be:
High-quality
Inclusive
Transparent
Made in good time
Our Circles aren’t just abstract structures. In fact, in Equal Care every Team is itself a form of Circle because they are a place where important decisions are made all of the time. Teams aren't just where support is given, they are where discussions happen and choices are taken together.
Circles are how we organise and share out work and decision-making at Equal Care that goes beyond teams. They are small groups of people with a shared aim and area of responsibility. Everyone within the group is treated equally, and although members may have different responsibilities and roles within that circle everyone’s input is as welcome as the next person’s.
Let’s start with a look at the Purpose Circle, which is Equal Care’s sociocratic equivalent to a board of directors:
Similarly to the Purpose Circle, other Circles are established around a set of tasks or responsibilities that determine the lifespan of that Circle, the work that is done by that Circle and how often that Circle meets. Circles are linked together to ensure information can flow between them.
The most important Circles in Equal Care are the Local Circles. These are the circles that hold the responsibility for supporting teams in their area and their membership is drawn from those who live there (see the illustration at the top of the section for examples of Equal Care's Local Circles in Calderdale).
Local Circles aim to support teams in their area to start, flourish, and finish. They cover things like:
Recruiting new care and support workers
Filling rota gaps
Managing local budgets
Starting new teams
Problem-solving (with support from Coaches if needed)
Organising local training and social events
However, it’s important to note that Local Circles don’t make decisions about someone’s support - that always stays with the person’s Team.
Each Circle includes people wearing Hats — roles that help the Circle run smoothly and keep everyone involved.
The four core sociocratic hats are:
Leader
Delegate
Facilitator
Secretary
These hats focus on the health and functioning of the Circle itself.
In our Local Circles, operational hats like the following are common:
Team Starter
Recruiter
Numbers Person (to explain financial stuff)
Problem-Solver
Training & Learning Lead
Hats are always taken on with consent, for a set amount of time. And they’re not forever - people step in and out of roles as needed. Some hats need more time or training, and when that’s the case, we run an internal recruitment process.
