Social Care Co-operatives in the UK

Exploration of the impact of co-operatives in the adult social care sector is timely. The sector

is presented as ‘in crisis’, and co-operatives are emerging in policy documents and local

authority practice as a promising model for improving outcomes for people drawing on care

and the care workforce.

This report draws on a mixed-methods study combining a literature review, 12 interviews with

sector leaders, three case studies of social care co-operatives, and an online survey. It was

commissioned by Co-operatives UK and Cwmpas and prepared by the Centre for Health

Services Studies at the University of Kent in partnership with the Centre for Care, IMPACT,

and the Centre for Adult Social Care Research (CARE). The paragraph on the next page

summarises the key findings and concludes with recommendations for national and local

decision-makers.