A Social Care Co-operative: Doing Care Differently

A manifestation of neoliberal ideas, which has been linked to a general erosion of working conditions and the quality of care in the UK care sector, is the recent trend for local authorities to respond to their budgets being cut by outsourcing care to privately-owned companies (Button & Bedford, 2019; Jensen, 2018). The consensus of long-term crisis in the sector has necessitated the exploration of alternative ownership models, including social care co-operatives (SCCs), a type of ‘community business’ which take an asset-based approach (ABA) by responding to needs in particular geographical places, seeking to benefit whole local communities, and ensure that communities are able to influence the direction of the business (Hopkins & Rippon, 2015; Richards et al., 2018). This research conducted semi-structured interviews with 9 members of ‘Care Co-operative’ (CC) (a pseudonym), a multi-stakeholder SCC in Wales, and aimed to explore the social processes that shape wellbeing in a SCC. Data was analysed using a Situational Analysis methodology, an adaptation of Grounded Theory (GT). Wellbeing at CC was understood in terms of two core processes, ‘constructing equality’ and ‘facilitating relationships’, that were both supported and restricted by a range of contextual factors including Covid-19 and statutory systems. As well as recommendations for service development at CC, implications for policymakers and clinical psychologists wishing to further the growth of ABAs and SCCs are discussed.