Uploaded September 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Today I’m talking with Graham Mitchell, of Co-operative Care Colne Valley. He’s part of a group starting a social care co-op in the Colne Valley, West Yorkshire, and they’re also building a toolkit / step-by-step guide for people to start a social care coop in their own community. I’m interested in how this toolkit can help grow the cooperative social care sector.
Here’s an introduction to co-operatives: lowimpact.org/lowimpact-topic/co-operatives
and here’s an intro to ‘community’: lowimpact.org/lowimpact-topic/community
Here's a transcript of the interview, with links to organisations mentioned in the video: lowimpact.org/why-we-need-social-care-co-ops-graham-mitchell-part-1
We’re interviewing key players in the new economy, to:
a) bring their work to a wider audience
b) try to find ways to co-ordinate their efforts
c) stimulate debate
d) help to build the new economy.
Here’s what we mean by new economy - lowimpact.org/lowimpact-topic/new-economy
Lowimpact.org: lowimpact.org
Co-operative Care Colne Valley: https://www.valleycare.coop
Highlights
1. It was clear that social care in this country isn’t working for anybody particularly well. That goes for providers as well as people who use social care services and the local authorities.
2. The distance between the governed and the governors is too great. They lose sight of the humans involved, and it all becomes numbers.
3. We’ve talked about the problems of care-givers, but also, care receivers are not getting the quality of care that they could. In terms of trying to tackle those dual problems, we wanted to bring those people together and give them control, so that they’re right at the heart of the operation, and co-owners of the business.
Today I’m talking with Graham Mitchell, of Co-operative Care Colne Valley. He’s part of a group starting a social care co-op in the Colne Valley, West Yorkshire, and they’re also building a toolkit / step-by-step guide for people to start a social care coop in their own community. I’m interested in how this toolkit can help grow the cooperative social care sector.
Here’s an introduction to co-operatives: lowimpact.org/lowimpact-topic/co-operatives
and here’s an intro to ‘community’: lowimpact.org/lowimpact-topic/community
Here's a transcript of the interview, with links to organisations mentioned in the video: lowimpact.org/why-we-need-social-care-co-ops-graham-mitchell-part-1
We’re interviewing key players in the new economy, to:
a) bring their work to a wider audience
b) try to find ways to co-ordinate their efforts
c) stimulate debate
d) help to build the new economy.
Here’s what we mean by new economy - lowimpact.org/lowimpact-topic/new-economy
Lowimpact.org: lowimpact.org
Co-operative Care Colne Valley: https://www.valleycare.coop
Highlights
1. It was clear that social care in this country isn’t working for anybody particularly well. That goes for providers as well as people who use social care services and the local authorities.
2. The distance between the governed and the governors is too great. They lose sight of the humans involved, and it all becomes numbers.
3. We’ve talked about the problems of care-givers, but also, care receivers are not getting the quality of care that they could. In terms of trying to tackle those dual problems, we wanted to bring those people together and give them control, so that they’re right at the heart of the operation, and co-owners of the business.
