The Getting Support Promise

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Click here for the Promise Part One.

Click here for the Promise Part Two.

About us

Equal Care is a co-operative. We are owned, managed and directed by our members. Our members are:

• The people who receive support or their nominated advocate (this could be you)
• The people who do the work
• People who have invested money in Equal Care. The investors’ votes always count for 10% of the total vote. 

We help people who are looking for care and support connect with and co-ordinate self-employed and directly employed care and support workers (employees), community volunteers and peer supporters.

People getting support build their Team of people who support them, which includes anyone they choose (including family members, neighbours, friends and other workers).

Equal Care Co-op is a registered co-operative society (registration number [4453]). 

We are regulated by England’s Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our Provider Identification Number is 1-8687138945.

Links to Key Documents

The problem-solving policy

The whistleblowing policy

The data policy

The sharing stuff form

I agree to tell the truth about my:

• identity
• situation
• circumstances

I will never discriminate against:

• other Team owners (people getting support)
• independent care and support workers
• employees
• volunteers
• other Team members

because of their:

• accent
• age
• disability
• gender
• marital status
• pregnancy
• race
• religion or beliefs
• sex
• sexuality
• social class

I am aware that any unfair, discriminatory or prejudiced behaviour can lead to Equal Care stopping the support.

We both agree to use the problem-solving policy to address any issues.

If the reason for the behaviour is because of a health condition of any type, Equal Care will use the Trust Assessment to manage this safely. Equal Care will continue to support me in these cases.

I will let Equal Care know if either I or any member of my household has:

• been found guilty of a criminal offence
• a restraining order against them
• received a legal complaint for putting others in danger or harming people in any way

Equal Care might still be able to provide you with support. We need to know this information to safeguard the people giving you support. 

2. 1 Getting Support Profile and Trust Assessment

I agree to completing a Getting Support Profile and Trust Assessment. I am aware this is needed for me to receive support through Equal Care. This can be completed online, over the phone or face to face through a Supportive Conversation. The Supportive Conversation is a conversation I can have with my Team Starter. The Team Starter will help me build my team and write my Getting Support Profile and Trust Assessment.

As Team Leader or Owner I am responsible for:

• Choosing my team members and back-up workers as much as I am reasonably able
• Giving feedback and direction over my care and support as much as I am reasonably able
• Any additional responsibilities I identify when building my Team
• Deciding who will take on these responsibilities if I am unable to do so
   

I am aware that Team Member responsibilities are based on my care and support needs, what's important to me and managing any worries (risks) to do with my support. I understand that these are recorded in the Equal Care Platform.

2.2 Regular check-in

We will agree to a regular check-in time with you, which will be at least annually. Check-ins take place using the communication method of your choice. An Equal Care representative will talk with you about how the support is going and any changes that may need to be made. A check-in is attended by: 

• any others you would like to be present
• the person facilitating the check-in 

I am aware that these check-ins may lead to changes in the care and support that I receive. 

An Equal Care Coach is the Registered Manager for CQC purposes. Coaches are available to resolve issues and to ensure that the support you are getting remains in line with Equal Care's ethos and regulatory obligations.

The Equal Care Coach may facilitate the check-in or it may be another person at Equal Care, for example, a member of the Local Circle responsible for the success and flourishing of your Team. The Local Circle is a geographical group that is responsible for Teams in their area to start, flourish and finish. Your Team Starter will let you know who your Local Circle is and how to contact it.

2.3 On-going monitoring

We will help your team give you high quality support. We will do this through:

• advice
• support 
• facilitation
• training
• check-ins
• problem-solving
• providing online tools

2.4 Regulated Support

If I am receiving personal care, I am aware that the support I receive is regulated by the Care Quality Commission. I accept that this means there are some added requirements:

• We need to meet face to face before support for personal care can begin
• I need to review and give consent to my Getting Support Profile and Trust Assessment before support for personal care can begin
• Notes for each worker booking must be recorded in accordance with our record keeping guidelines
• Members of Equal Care who hold specific roles (such as the Coach or the Safeguarding Officer) may require changes to your support in order to meet our legal obligations. Any changes will always be discussed with you beforehand.
• The way my Team is working may be checked by members of Equal Care for quality and safety purposes.
• A Care Quality Commission inspector may have access to my records during inspections

2.5 Information sharing, confidentiality and consent

We will keep a record of every care and support booking. This means we will have information about your:

• IP address
• login details
• care and support Notes
• timings of bookings
• messaging
• events
• audits

It will be used to:

• improve our service and Equal Care Platform
• enable your Team to give high quality support
• investigate and respond to concerns
• satisfy Equal Care Co-op’s legal obligations as a care and support provider

We will not share this information with anyone without your consent. 

Exceptions to this are:

1. We are legally obliged to share the information (for example, to the police)
2. We will share relevant information if we believe that you or somebody else is at risk of harm

We will always tell you if we share your information in this way unless by doing so this increases the risk of harm to yourself or others.

I agree that prospective Team members (including volunteers) can see a summary of my Giving Support Profile before consenting to a trial session. I understand that I will have the opportunity to review my summary before sharing it with a new person.

I agree that paid care and support workers can see my Giving Support Profile and Trust Assessment following confirmation of a Trial Session and before it takes place. I understand that I can limit access for unpaid Team Members.

I am aware that people who give me paid care and support must have access to my:

• Getting Support Profile
• Trust Assessment
• Notes
• Team Chat

They will have access to this as long as they are supporting me. 

I can see and download the information Equal Care has about me and who has access to it. I can share this with other people of my choosing.

3.1 Self-employed or independent workers

The agreement made with self-employed members of your Team is made directly with them. It can be made verbally but we recommend that it is written down. We can provide a template to help with this. Your Team Starter can also help with this. The agreement should cover:

• when I will be supported
• the rate they charge
• how they will manage expenses
• how you will each work together
   

I agree to keep to the terms of the agreements with independent care and support workers. I am aware that we can change the agreement, but both of us must agree with the changes.

For making small changes such as:

• holiday
• adjusting the time of a support booking

We recommend using the Team Chat. 

I accept that:

• self-employed care and support workers can set their own fees
• the timing of my care and support bookings depend on when the care and support workers are available
• the timing of my care and support bookings are decided in collaboration with the care and support workers themselves
   

I will contact the Coach (coach@equalcare.coop) or complete the Sharing Stuff form if I think an independent care and support worker is breaking my agreement with them. I know that Equal Care will help to resolve the issue.

 

3.2 Co-operative Contribution

I understand that the person supporting me may be either:

• directly employed by Equal Care Co-op
• offering their support as a self-employed worker
   

I understand that for Equal Care Co-op to survive, it needs financial support. This is called the Commons Contribution and is:

• an extra 17.5% on top of an independent care and support worker’s hourly rate, charged to me or whoever is paying for my support
• 7.5% from the independent care and support workers hourly rate I see on my invoice, deducted when Equal Care pays independent care and support workers for their services
• a small surplus made above the costs of an employed care and support worker’s salary, training and other costs of employment

I understand that independent workers charge different rates. But that the hourly rate charged for an Equal Care employee will be fixed at the current rates set by Equal Care Co-op. Exceptions may apply in cases where care is in a particularly hard-to-reach location or requires specialist skills.

These rates for employed workers are: 

• £25.86 per hour for daytime support
• £27.93 per hour for waking night support
• £16.23 per hour for sleeping night support (defined as no more than 2 wakeups lasting no more than half an hour per wakeup per night)

I understand that it costs Equal Care Co-op to:

• find and welcome people who want support
• find and welcome people who can give support
• pay independent workers to do additional 'hat' work in service of my support (e.g. keeping my support profile up to date) and to do work that benefits the co-op as a whole
• match people wanting support with people who can give support
• employ care and support workers
• fund Circles to enable each Team
• meet external requirements such as for CQC
• run the Equal Care online platform
   

I promise I will only pay for my care and support through the Equal Care platform. I will not make cash or electronic payments directly to people I have met through Equal Care Co-op.

I am aware that I may be charged or my account may be cancelled if I pay a care and support worker without paying through the platform. If I am considering doing this because I have money issues, I will contact the Coach or email money@equalcare.coop. I know that Equal Care will do its best to support me through difficult times.

I agree to not employ directly or pay anyone I meet through Equal Care until at least 6 months after this agreement has ended. Whilst continuing to receive support and services from Equal Care, I must not directly employ an Equal Care Co-op worker. I understand that exceptions to this may be discussed and agreed with Equal Care. Everyone's circumstances are unique.

I will tell Equal Care if:

• a care and support worker asks me to pay them directly, not through the platform
• I know that someone is paying for their care and support directly, not through the platform

The Commons Contribution is included in the hourly rate on each care and support worker's profile. Equal Care can make changes to the amount of the contribution at any time. We will always tell you about changes that we are thinking about. If you are a member you will be able to vote on any suggested changes.

I promise to do these things to support the continued sustainability of Equal Care. This will help the co-operative continue to support me and many others.

 

3.3 Invoicing and payment

I am aware that I can choose to pay for my care and support either:

• automatically after each completed booking
• at the end of each month, within 30 days of receiving the invoice

The Commons Contribution is included in both of these options.

 

3.4 Refunds

Equal Care Co-op does not usually provide refunds or credits for cancellations I make.  I will contact money@equalcare.coop if I believe I am due a refund.

Cancellations
I promise to give as much notice as possible for any cancellations of planned support bookings. I agree to pay the total price of a booking if I give less than the agreed notice. Together with the independent care and support worker, we can decide the minimum amount of notice to give. 24 hours is the default notice period for all support given with Equal Care.  The independent care and support worker  and I can change this in our Team Agreement.

For all bookings cancelled with an employed care and support worker these will be charged if the cancellation is in less than 24 hours.

If I do not have a specific agreement in place with an independent worker (note this may be listed on their profile in the platform) the default is that the booking will be charged if cancelled less than 24 hours in advance.

To cancel a booking I will contact the care and support worker and confirm cancellation on the Equal Care Platform.

Issues with payments
Equal Care will hold the money or offset it against a monthly invoice if there is a disagreement about payments. When the disagreement has been resolved, we will give the money to the correct person. We will decide who to give the money to and how much, based on the outcome of the investigation. The investigation will take place using our problem-solving policy.

I will tell Equal Care of issues about payments, either:

 1. within a week of the problem happening
 2. up to a week after receiving a monthly invoice

3.5 VAT 

I am aware that Equal Care Co-op delivers a regulated care and support service and that charges are exempt from VAT. Independent care and support workers are not VAT registered and No VAT will be charged on their fee. 

3.6 Changes

Equal Care can offer alternative care and support workers if my regular Team Members are not available. Equal Care will give me the opportunity to choose from the available care and support workers in my area. Occasionally, it may not be possible to find an alternative worker, especially if a Team Member is unavailable at short notice. In these cases Equal Care will use the strategies set out in our continuity policy. 

I need to agree changes to my care and support with my team. Team members can suggest and discuss changes. These need to be agreed by me or by a person I nominate before they can happen. I agree to give my team members at least 1 week's notice of any changes in my schedule that will affect their work. If these changes are a surprise to me, I will let my team know as soon as possible.

 

3.7 Problem-Solving

Contacting your Equal Care Coach
Equal Care will give you your Coach's contact details as part of your welcome. The Coach may also be the Registered Manager for CQC purposes. All our Coaches are trained in problem-solving.

 

If you need to speak to someone at Equal Care and can't get hold of the Coach, you can either:

• Call us on 01422 754321
• Email us at hello@equalcare.coop
• Use the chat feature on the Equal Care Platform
• Call our on call number 01422 557558
• Email your Local Circle (your Team Starter will share contact details)
• Email coach@equalcare.coop if what you need to speak about is very private

We will give you the contact details of another person if the Coach is due to be away for more than 1 week.

 

3.8 Feedback and facilitation of issues

Equal Care’s problem-solving procedure describes how we respond to complaints and issues.

 

If I have any:

• feedback
• comments
• complaints
• concerns

I will do my best to raise them with the person directly. If I do not feel comfortable doing this, I will ask another Team Member, the Team Starter or Coach for help or use the Sharing Stuff form. Usually, Equal Care will reply within 1 working day for complaints and feedback. We will investigate all complaints together with you. Also we will fully involve you in our learning from your experiences.

We will investigate the issue using:

• any written agreements
• information from the Platform
• relevant notes and conversations between you and the person or people you are not happy with
• any witness statements or reports from others as appropriate

We will work together to resolve the issue. 

 

3.9 Safeguarding

Equal Care is serious about the safety of everyone involved with our service. We meet all of the legislation, including:

• The Care Act 2014
• The Mental Capacity Act 2005
• The Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults Act 2006 
   

We will refer any person we support to the nearest Local Authority's Safeguarding Team if we think they are at risk of harm.

If I have a concern about myself or someone getting support from Equal Care, I will contact either:

• A Coach
• The Circle Safeguarding Lead
• My Local Circle
• The Safeguarding Officer for Equal Care

I know I can find out the contact details of all these people on the front page of Equal Care's policy site.

I know I can also report a concern through the Sharing Stuff Form.

 

3.10 Whistleblowing

I will follow the Whistleblowing policy if I have a serious concern about Equal Care's service. I know I can whistleblow anonymously using the sharing stuff form. I can also contact CQC directly:

Phone - 03000 616161
Fax - 03000 616171
Address - CQC National Customer Service Centre, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PA

Website - https://www.cqc.org.uk/give-feedback-on-care
 

 

4.1 Trust Assessments

We have a duty of care to everyone on the platform. You will create your Trust Assessment with your Facilitator. It will contain information based on:

• conversations you with each other
• written information
• medical history
• a face to face visit
• mental capacity
• feedback from care and support worker visits

4.2 Choosing who supports you

I accept Equal Care will help me but I am responsible for the final choice of appropriate care and support workers to join my Team.

We suggest that you do your own assessment of a worker before agreeing to get care and support from them. You can do this through:

• a trial session
• reading the information we give you about them
• asking them questions and having a conversation!

Vetting and background checking of care and support workers and volunteers
Equal Care will check the identity and information provided by independent care and support workers and employees. This includes:

• visual checks
• passports
• driving licenses
• qualifications
• Disclosure and Barring Service checks
• insurance
• employment references

 
We interview everyone before they can join Equal Care to give support. We do our best to make sure they are good workers. If there are any problems with your team members':

• quality
• timing
• legality
• reliability
• responsibility
• integrity
• suitability

We use the problem-solving policy to resolve issues. 

4.3 Insurance cover

All independent care and support workers and Equal Care employees are covered by our insurance policy. We are happy to share this with you - please ask us.

Live in Care and long shifts
If I get care and support from a live-in care and support worker, I will meet their legal rights. This includes making sure they have:

• their own bedroom
• suitable bathing and toilet facilities that are clean and in good working order
• enough food
• clean bedding
• suitable cleaning materials
• suitable protective clothing
• a minimum of 2 hours break each day
• their time off during daylight hours

If it's ok with both of us, they can save up their break time to have longer breaks on some days. I will make sure they get at least 14 hours of breaks every 7 days.

Any support booking that’s longer than four hours must include provision for a break. This must be discussed and agreed with the Team Member. Teams may make different arrangements to this provided this takes place with the full consent of all involved.

 

4.4 Background checks on you

We will only carry out background checks if we believe that you are not telling us the truth about your:

• identity
• situation
• circumstances

Background checks include things like identity checks and checks with criminal registries.

 

4.5 Feedback and references

I will give honest and brief references and feedback for my care and support workers. This will help other Team Owners decide if the worker is right for them and their Team. It will also help the worker themselves and help Equal Care improve the service. 

I will not threaten a care and support worker with bad feedback. Similarly, I will report a care and support worker to Equal Care if they try to influence my feedback.

We will remove any false, abusive or offensive feedback and we will treat this as a problem to address through our problem-solving policy. 

I agree to Equal Care sharing my feedback with the care and support worker in order to help improve their practice. I know I can ask for the feedback to be kept private. 

We will always ask for your consent before displaying your feedback or references for care and support workers to other Team Owners. 

 

4.6 Co-operative Membership

You can become a Supported or Advocate Member when you have received, on average, at least 2 hours of support each week for 2 months. This care and support can be provided by a:

• independent care and support worker
• employee
• volunteer
• peer supporter

Being a member gives you more responsibility and opportunities. You do not have to become a member. Your membership will stop when you stop getting care and support with us.

5.1 Limitations and liabilities

I use the Equal Care digital platform at my own risk. I accept that the Platform will:

• change as new features are added to it
• sometimes be unavailable because of maintenance work
• change as some features are removed
   

If there are going to be any big changes, we will do our best to:

• warn you of them in advance
• provide alternatives if there is any disruption
   

We do not owe you for any losses or damages from:

• the service being temporarily unavailable
• technical issues with the service
• using the online tools the co-operative provides
   

Although we promise to help you resolve issues with your independent care and support worker, we are not responsible for any:

• accidents
• arguments
• claims
• damages
• injuries
• losses

that happen when you work with independent care and support workers.

The agreements you make with independent care and support workers are legally binding. The agreements are only between you and the independent care and support worker.

Equal Care is not a member of these agreements. We can only help you with any issues related to the agreement if you ask your Team Facilitator for help. This also means that you do not need to ask Equal Care’s permission to change these agreements.

I will do my best to fix any issues with independent care and support workers where possible. I know that Equal Care will help me resolve issues if I don’t feel comfortable addressing them with a Team Member directly or asking another Team Member to help.

I know that I can decide to stop getting support from a Team Member and give them pre-agreed notice to leave my Team. If the issue is serious, I can decide for them to leave my Team immediately.

Independent care and support workers are responsible for their own behaviour. Although we will always help when asked, we do not accept responsibility or money owed for:

• claims
• demands
• any damages
• disagreements

between you and independent care and support workers.

Independent care and support workers also make a Promise with Equal Care. If they break any of their promises to us, we can use our problem solving policy, which could result in us:

• sharing this with the people who they support 
• telling our insurer about it
• removing them from the Team
• removing them from Equal Care

5.2 Payment to resolve issues

I accept that the most Equal Care will pay me back for any issues is the total of my Commons Contributions. The exceptions to this are in the paragraphs below.

Unless an employee's behaviour causes:

• death
• personal injury
• fraud

We are not responsible for taking care of any:

• costs
• claims
• damages
• demands
• expenses

that happened because of the services we provide. We have insurance that will cover this. If an employee causes a problem, we will do as much as we reasonably can to fix it.

An event may happen to you that disrupts the care you receive from us. We are not responsible for events that are out of our control and we do not owe you anything for these. For example:

• fires
• floods
• issues with public transport
• a pandemic
• protests
• riots
• strikes
• storms
• war

5.3 Responsibility for contract acceptance

I am responsible for the decisions I make when entering into agreements with independent care and support workers.

Equal Care does background checks and a full recruitment procedure with all independent care and support workers. These are the same background checks and recruitment procedures that we have for our employees. We can recommend independent care workers to you. But we do not make any guarantee about their:

• character
• documentation
• experience
• history
• information
• suitability

5.4 Breach of terms and conditions

I agree to pay back Equal Care for any:

• claims
• damage
• losses

because of something I have done.

6.1 Giving notice

I agree to give at least 2 weeks notice if I want to end the support with Equal Care or any individual independent worker. This is to give everybody enough time to make other arrangements. I will give more than 2 weeks notice if I can. Each independent care and support worker and I can decide to set a different length of notice in our agreement.

I can choose to end my support with Equal Care at any time. I agree to give at least 2 weeks' warning. Unless something exceptional stops me from doing this. I do not have to give a reason. I can end the agreement in a variety of ways:

• verbally
• in writing
• by telling my Team Starter or the Coach

We will write to you to let you know we are aware you are leaving us.

If we need to stop providing care and support to you we will:

• Call you
• Write to you
• Give you at least 2 weeks notice (but we promise to give you as much notice as we possibly can)
• Suggest alternative options for you to get care
• Make referrals for you if you would like that

If something out of our control happens, we might not be able to give you 2 weeks notice.

We do not need to give you 2 weeks notice if:

• an Equal Care volunteer is at risk of harm
• an Equal Care independent care and support worker is at risk of harm
• an Equal Care employee is at risk of harm
• there are health and safety issues when working with you

In these cases, we may suspend or end our service immediately. We will give you verbal and written explanations and we will always talk to you about any issues and make efforts to solve them before making a decision.

This Promise will continue until either:

• we decide to end it together
• you decide to end it
• we decide to end it
   

6.2 Changing this Promise

We will give you at least 2 weeks notice if we need to change this Promise. If you do not agree to our changes, you can end this agreement. Please see the 'Ending this service' section above.

An authority might say that a part of this promise is not valid. That would not mean that the other parts of this promise are not valid.

 

6.3 Privacy Statement

I agree to Equal Care using my personal data for the purposes of giving care and support. I have read how the co-operative will use it in the Privacy Policy and Data Policy.

 

6.4 Governing Law

Issues with this promise will be understood and governed by the law of England and Wales. We both agree that the courts of England and Wales have the final say in any disputes or claims to do with this Promise.

The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2014 allows me to cancel this Agreement immediately within 14 days of it starting. This is called 'the cancellation period'.

I am aware that I can get care and support during the cancellation period. I will need to pay for this care and support. It will be at the agreed hourly rate from the care and support worker or Equal Care. To get care and support in this period, I will need to give clear instructions to Equal Care.

 

6.5 Contact Information

If you have questions about this Promise or Equal Care's services, please contact us at hello@equalcare.coop.