Social Care Community of Practice – 9 March 2022
Social Care Community of Practice (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. Attend our next Social Care CoP meeting.
Forming co-operatives and mutuals: Learning from Kudos Services
Our first CoP for 2022 explored different perspectives on how to set up a new co-operative or mutual enterprise.
A panel facilitated by Gillian McFee, shared their perspectives on the formation of Kudos Services four years on from formation:
- Rebecca (Bec) Morris – Chair, Kudos Members Council
- Penny Gale – Chair, Kudos Services Board
- Darrin Johnson – CEO, Kudos Services
- Clive Thompson – Mediator and Director, CoSolve
- Melina Morrison – CEO, BCCM
Our experience shows that co-operatives can form either as a start-up or a conversion from an existing organisation or group of organisations. Start-ups form when people choose to co-operate to meet a need or solve a difficult problem. Co-operatives work best when the collective of members working together can achieve more than any one individual could achieve alone.
Overseas experience has shown us that in some sectors, new co-operatives can form successfully as conversions from other ownership models. Kudos Services in South Australia is a recent Australian example of a conversion because it formed from a public sector agency to employee ownership.
As we continue to prosecute our case for an Australian Mutual Support Program to stimulate the formation of more co-operative and mutual enterprises in health, community, and social services, we thought it was timely to share information and experiences on these two different approaches to co-operative development.
Meeting agenda
1. Welcome and introductions
Melina Morrison – CEO, BCCM
2. Co-operative development in social care sectors: Introductory comments
Gillian McFee – BCCM, Social Care Advisor
3. Panel discussion – facilitated by Gillian McFee
- Melina Morrison – CEO, BCCM
- Penny Gale – Chair, Kudos Services Board
- Rebecca (Bec) Morris – Chair, Kudos Members Council
- Darrin Johnson – CEO, Kudos Services
- Clive Thompson – Mediator and Director, CoSolve
4. Q & A and Feedback session
Community of Practice Members
5. Closing comments
Next Community of Practice – 9 June 2022.
About the Social Care Community of Practice
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.
Terms of Reference
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Social Care CoP members should ensure regular representation at the CoP meetings.
- BCCM will provide a secretariat function for the Social Care CoP.
- BCCM will invite practitioners to join the Social Care CoP based on a registration of interest.
- BCCM members may request to join the CoP.
- 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.
- 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.
- Discussions and sharing of information will be done under the Chatham House Rule.
Join the Community of Practice
Browse our upcoming Social Care Community of Practice dates.
Please email Nicole Vlakic to apply to join the Social Care Community of Practice.
Related events and education
Browse our Community of Practice meetings, education sessions and local roadshows.
Are you working on a community-led care solution where you live?
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