# Circles 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.

An illustration of how some of the circles interact in Equal Care.

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. ## How Circles work 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. ### Examples of Circles 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. ### Local Circles 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. {% hint style="info" %} **Shared Circles** These circles are responsible for a shared asset or resource used by many, many people in Equal Care. For example, everyone uses Equal Care’s Platform. To learn more about Circles and Circle Hats, [visit our policies site here](https://policies.equalcare.coop/co-op/equal-cares-structure/circles). {% endhint %} ### Circle Hats 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. {% hint style="info" %} You can find out more about our governance structure at {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://play.equal.care/equal-cares-model/circles.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.