Home Events and education Social Care Community of Practice – 22 February 2024

Next: Thursday, 22 February 2024, 9:30 – 11:30 am AEDT

Next CoP

The Social Care Community of Practice (CoP) is a series of online meetings and events designed to develop a network of people and enterprises interested in business model innovation involving new models of ownership that empower consumers and workers in social care.

We held the first Care Together Social Care Community of Practice webinar for 2024 on Thursday, 22 February, 9:30 – 11:30 am AEDT.

The Co-op development process – explore some Care Together projects with Co-op Developers

Date: Thursday, 22 February 2024
Time: 9:30 – 11:30 am AEDT

During this session, we lifted the lid on more Care Together projects and reflect on the first half of the Care Together Program.

The BCCM’s CEO, Melina Morrison and Care Together Program Director, Gillian McFee, facilitated this discussion and Q&A and discussed the whole Care Together project pipeline at a high level.

Email Nicole Vlakic to apply to join the Social Care Community of Practice and be added to the CoP mailing list.

If you missed our past CoP webinars, you can watch them online.

Objectives

  1. Share our experiences about the factors that contribute to successful co-operative development in the Care Together Program.
  2. Inspire people attending the Community of Practice to identify opportunities for achieving real business model innovation in areas where current models are not working, with a focus on regional, rural, and remote communities.
  3. Receive an update on progress with the Care Together Program since the last Community of Practice in November 2023.

Agenda

  1. Welcome to Country
  2. Care Together program update
    • Program overview and purpose
    • Implementation progress and achievements
    • Care Together Program Advisory Committee update
  3. Co-op development in the Care Together program
    • Peter Hunt, Project Delivery Team Lead, Care Together
      Role in the Care Together Program and insights from UK experience Observations from Care Together projects so far
    • Clare Fountain, Co-op Development Adviser, Care Together
      Role in Care Together Program Community engagement and workshops undertaken so far and early insights
  4. Care Together program management
    • Michael Pilbrow, Program Manager, Care Together
      Role in program management Lessons learnt from National Health Co-operative
    • Nick Hislop, Program Manager, Care Together
      Role in program management, project methodology and lifecycle
  5. Facilitated panel discussion
  6. Q&A
  7. Closing comments
    • Next Social Care Community of Practice (Thursday, 23 May 2024)
    • Topic: Lifting the lid on more Care Together projects and building understanding about Mutual Value Measurement (MVM)

Guest speakers

Peter Hunt Mutuo

Peter Hunt, Co-op Developer, Care Together 

Peter serves as a co-operative developer for Care Together projects and has actively participated in the stakeholder and community engagement processes. Peter introduces our projects to the benefits of Mutual Value Measurement©, and how the framework will assist in measuring their co-op’s mutual value. Peter is Managing Director of UK-based Mutuo which he founded in 2001 as the first cross mutual sector body to promote co-operative and mutual business to opinion formers and decision makers. In 2018/19 he led the successful industry alliance to develop the Australian Treasury Laws Amendment (Mutual Reforms) Act 2019, the first renewal of Australian mutuals legislation for 20 years.

Clare Fountain, Co-op Development Adviser, Care Together

Clare works as a co-operative developer for Care Together projects and is involved in the stakeholder and community engagement process. Clare is a co-operative co-founder, director and award winning regionally based small business owner. She bring two decades of experience working across multiple industries in the small business, not-for-profit and co-operative sectors to her professional and community roles. As a principal consultant she was responsible for the creation and growth of multiple co-ops across two national government-funded co-op development programs: Farming Together and Co-operative Farming and am now engaged in a third, Care Together. Clare thrives on building community resilience through successful enterprises.

Michael Pilbrow headshot

Michael Pilbrow, Program Manager, Care Together

Michael is a former diplomat with wide-ranging experience from a grass roots community level, right up to high-level government strategy. Michael is founder of Strategic Development Group and as Chairman, he oversees the company’s governance and growth from its Yass base in regional NSW, Australia. Throughout his business career, Michael has used his strategy and community engagement skills to work on complex challenges like affordable housing, sustainable health and education services, and employment in regional areas.

Nick Hislop

Nick Hislop, Program Manager, Care Together

Nick’s got a keen eye for innovation, a passion for driving change, and a diverse range of interests. Nick is dedicated to making a lasting impact. He brings a unique perspective to Strategic, with experience in sustainable development, the energy industry, international NGOs, program management, and community and stakeholder engagement. He approaches all his endeavours with a curious mindset, pushing boundaries, taking on new challenges, and aiming to make a meaningful difference in the world. Nick’s entrepreneurial spirit and ability to combine passion with business acumen resulted in the founding of a successful craft brewery with a steadfast commitment to sustainability principles. Outside of work, you can find Nick chasing waves or exploring the local mountain bike trails.

The Social Care Community of Practice (CoP) is a series of online meetings and events designed to develop a network of people and enterprises interested in business model innovation involving new models of ownership that empower consumers and workers in social care.

These collaborative meetings enable the sharing of information and resources about co-operatives and mutual enterprises fostering a spirit of self-help and innovation in social care. Being part of the CoP is an opportunity to learn from other co-operatives and mutuals both in Australia and overseas.

Emerging from the Action to Empower Report and Roundtable held on 25 August 2021 the CoP is designed as a place for sharing ideas and learning from co-op experts about how the co-operative and mutual business model can help transform social care services.

  1. The purpose of the Social Care Community of Practice (CoP) is to develop a community of practitioners to share knowledge, learnings, and experiences about how to establish co-operatives and mutual enterprises in social care.
  2. Social Care CoP members will consist of people who are interested in knowing more about co-operatives and mutuals and understanding how this business model can apply either to existing enterprises or start-ups.
  3. The Social Care CoP will start as a self-help initiative based on open sharing of ideas and knowledge. As commitment grows, and as resources become available, the aim is for this to evolve to foster deeper learning and application through the establishment of a Mutual Support Program for some targeted innovation projects in thin markets.
  4. Social Care CoP members should ensure regular representation at the CoP meetings.
  5. BCCM will provide a secretariat function for the Social Care CoP.
  6. BCCM will invite practitioners to join the Social Care CoP based on a registration of interest.
  7. BCCM members may request to join the CoP.
  8. Following two introductory sessions led by BCCM, the CoP will co-design a program of meetings and/or events that will be promoted by BCCM and members of the CoP.
  9. BCCM commits to organising three free CoP meetings annually with an agenda circulated prior to the meeting. Other events will be held on a cost-recovery basis reflecting the shared interests of the CoP.
  10. Discussions and sharing of information will be done under the Chatham House Rule.

Please email Nicole Vlakic to apply to join the Social Care Community of Practice.

Save the date for:

  • Thursday, 23 May 2024, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm AEST
  • Thursday, 29 August 2024, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm AEST

Please email Nicole Vlakic to apply to join the Social Care Community of Practice.

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