When I started Sacred Heart Healthcare Services, I knew I wanted to build more than a care company.

I wanted to build an organisation with purpose.

For me, care has never just been about completing tasks. It is about people. It is about dignity, relationships, consistency, trust, and making sure that the people we support genuinely feel cared for.

But over time, I have realised something else just as important:

The people providing that care need to feel cared for too.

A conversation that stayed with me

Recently, I had a meeting with members of our team. During that conversation, they spoke openly about how supported they felt by Sacred Heart.

They talked about the fact that they felt able to reach out when they needed support, that they felt listened to, and that they knew they could contact me when something came up.

It might sound simple, but hearing that meant a great deal to me.

It genuinely uplifted me.

Because that is exactly the kind of organisation I want Sacred Heart to be.

I cannot solve every problem in someone’s life. I cannot guarantee that every working day will be easy. But I do want every person who works with Sacred Heart to feel that the organisation is doing its best by them.

I want people to feel respected.

I want them to feel heard.

I want them to feel that their contribution matters.

And I want them to understand that they are not simply filling a shift or completing a task. They are helping to build something.

That is one of the reasons we are now transitioning towards a worker-owned co-operative model.

Why a co-operative?

Because I believe in ownership.

Not ownership simply in the legal sense, but ownership in the way people feel about the work they do.

When people feel connected to an organisation, when they feel that their voice matters and that they have a genuine stake in its future, something changes.

There can be a greater sense of responsibility.

A greater sense of pride.

A stronger connection to purpose.

And, importantly, a stronger desire to see the organisation succeed.

For me, this is particularly powerful in social care.

The quality of a care organisation is inseparable from the quality of the experience of the people working within it.

If workers feel undervalued, disconnected or unheard, that eventually affects the service.

But when people feel supported, respected and invested in the organisation, that can flow directly into the relationships they build with the people they support.

It becomes a cycle.

Supported workers. Stronger engagement. Better relationships. Better care. Better outcomes for residents.

That is what excites me about the co-operative model.

This is not about removing leadership

One thing that is important to me is that becoming a co-operative does not mean removing structure, accountability or professional leadership.

Sacred Heart will continue to have clear management and operational responsibility.

The people we support deserve that.

But I also believe that eligible workers should have meaningful opportunities to contribute to the wider direction of the organisation they are helping to build.

The two can coexist.

Strong leadership and genuine participation are not opposites.

In fact, I believe they can strengthen one another.

Starting with a worker co-operative

Our intention is to begin as a worker co-operative, creating a pathway for eligible employees to become members and participate meaningfully in the organisation.

Membership will not simply be automatic because someone is employed by Sacred Heart.

It should mean something.

It should reflect commitment to our values, our standards and the kind of organisation we are trying to build.

Over time, as Sacred Heart grows, we also hope to explore the possibility of becoming a multi-stakeholder co-operative, creating opportunities for wider participation in the future.

But for now, the starting point is our workforce.

The people delivering the care.

The people building relationships with our residents every day.

The people whose work ultimately determines whether Sacred Heart succeeds.

The organisation I want to build

I want Sacred Heart to be known for high-quality care.

I want residents and families to feel safe with us.

I want commissioners and professionals to trust us.

But I also want someone who works for Sacred Heart to be able to say:

“I feel valued here.”

“I feel supported here.”

“My voice matters here.”

“I am part of what we are building.”

If we can achieve that, then I believe we create something far more sustainable than a traditional employer-and-employee relationship.

We create a shared purpose.

And for me, purpose is at the centre of everything.

Sacred Heart is still growing. We are still learning. We will not get everything right all of the time.

But the direction matters.

And this is the direction I believe in:

Building an organisation where the people receiving care feel valued, and the people providing that care feel valued too.

That is why Sacred Heart is becoming a co-operative.

— Banke
Founder & Registered Manager
Sacred Heart Healthcare Services