People we've helped

Cheviot Care

Category

Care

The determination of four home care workers who refused to desert the people they had been looking after for so long led to the creation of Cheviot Care.

The co-operative provides domiciliary care in Wooler, a small, rural village in Northumberland. The service includes personal care, housework, companionship and running errands. It aims to provide people in need with care in their homes using carers that they know.

Cheviot Care's members took voluntary redundancy from their employer, Northumberland County Council, following its announcement of budget cuts and radical changes to its provision of care. They decided to start something of their own, where they could be in control of who they cared for, for how long, and under conditions of their own choice.

They contacted The Co-operative Enterprise Hub at the end of 2010 and, after receiving advice and training, they set up the co-operative in early 2011. In July Cheviot Care gained registration with the Care Quality Commission and began trading. The care co-operative aims to work hand-in-hand with a range of partners to deliver the best possible outcomes for their clients. It works with a variety of individuals and agencies, including family members, Northumberland County Council, local GP surgeries and nurses, occupational therapists and care managers.

“ The Hub gave us so much support setting up the business, much more than we expected. ” Marie Purvis

Marie Purvis, Cheviot Care's company secretary with 25 years experience as a care worker, feels strongly about what they do and how far they've come. “I have learned from this experience that, if you set your mind to something, you can really help,” she said. “We wanted to help the people we knew so well and provide continuity for them; some of our clients are the grandparents of people we grew up with. Wooler is an ageing community and it upset us to imagine new, unfamiliar carers coming into their homes.”

HOW WE HELPED

We provided Cheviot Care with business planning and advice on financial management and costing, such as hourly rates.
We advised Cheviot Care on its legal structure and registered it as a co-operative.
We gave support in contract negotiation.

Tony Kirsop, the Hub adviser, said: “Without the Hub’s assistance, I don’t think Cheviot Care would have been able to trade as a cohesive group. Although they are experts in care, the members knew little about where to start or how to run a business.”