Introduction

Measuring what matters: care, cooperation, and community

Welcome to Equal Care Co-op’s Evaluation Framework: a set of tools for understanding whether a service is doing what it set out to do, and how well it’s doing it in line with co-operative values.

This framework offers a structured approach to gathering and reflecting on evidence: about the well-being of people involved, the quality of care provided, and the wider social and economic impact of the service. It’s not just about whether outcomes have been achieved - it’s also about whether those outcomes reflect the kind of care and collaboration we believe in.

The tools are designed around Equal Care’s model of co-operative, relationship-centred care. But they’re adaptable, and we’ve made them available in open formats for others to use and build on. They can support organisations with more conventional service models to bring co-operative values and mutual accountability into clearer view.

Why we evaluate

These are the key reasons we use an evaluation framework:

Continuous Service Improvement:

Regular reflection and feedback help teams and circles identify areas for improvement and spark innovation, making services more effective and more inclusive over time.

Transparency and Accountability:

Open, honest evaluation creates trust. It helps us remain accountable to our members, stakeholders and wider community: not just through reporting outcomes, but by showing how decisions are made.

Diverse Participation and Collective Responsibility:

Involving everyone - people receiving support, giving it, coordinating it - ensures a fuller picture. Shared learning strengthens shared responsibility.

Evidence-Based Decision-Making:

By collecting and making sense of data, we can make informed choices that respond to the changing needs of teams, circles and communities.

Values and Mission Alignment:

Evaluating practice through the lens of our values helps us check in: are we doing what we said we’d do? Are we staying true to our commitment to equity, solidarity and democratic governance?

Demonstrating Social Impact:

This framework gives us tools to understand and share the real impact of our work - social, economic and environmental - and to advocate for more co-operative, community-rooted approaches to care.

Staying Accountable to What Matters

At Equal Care, we are accountable first and foremost to our members. This framework helps us honour that accountability by providing a clear, intentional way to assess how well our work is aligned with our goals and values. It's a tool for learning, not just measuring.

We know that meaningful evaluation in social care isn’t simple. It involves complexity: from the realities of people’s lives and relationships to the shifting terrain of local and national policy. For that reason, this framework is designed to grow over time. It's a living tool, responsive to the evolving needs of teams, circles and the co-op as a whole.