Grit and Dedication

It’s a well-worn cliché that things generally come to a standstill in this country when snow falls. Not so for our incredible team members at Equal Care, who have shown extraordinary togetherness, self-organisation, and resourcefulness to ensure that support is delivered when and where it is needed—come frost, sleet, or snow!

Calderdale sees a fair amount of snow over the winter months (and some in the early spring too!). The hilly, rural terrain means that roads and driveways can quickly become blocked by snowdrifts, and many households can find their only connecting route disappearing overnight. For most, this might be an inconvenience. For those who depend on care and support, it’s a serious problem.

Typically, after heavy snowfall, care agencies face nightmare scenarios as workers struggle to reach individuals scheduled for care. A flurry of panicked phone calls and message exchanges follows as agencies attempt the near-impossible task of meeting all care needs with an already-stretched workforce that has been reduced overnight due to snowbound homes and cars.

At Equal Care, however, the story is very different.

Even during the heaviest snowfall, when challenges arose across the villages and towns of Calderdale, our Teams rallied around to help one another. Care visits that might have otherwise been cancelled were carried out, families chipped in by clearing driveways, and in one instance after a previous snowfall, a farmer cleared a snow-clogged road and informed a worker when it was safe to pass. Remarkably, most of this happens without the usual relay of calls and messages through a central office.

One reason for this success is that our Teams have control over their care relationships. Both caregivers and receivers consent to being matched with one another, which naturally leads to more reliable arrangements—even in adverse weather. In contrast, most care agencies assign visits based on worker availability rather than proximity, leaving workers little say over who they support. At Equal Care, most team members live in or near the communities they serve, allowing for stronger local connections and more resilient care delivery.

Dedicated and spirited team members like Tracy and Rachael (pictured) are familiar with the area—and the hefty snowfall it attracts! On Sunday 5 January, they braved huge snowdrifts and challenging hills to ensure that calls to those in need of support were made.

Other resourceful team members, like Liz, tapped into Calderdale’s incredible community spirit to ensure support reached some of our Team Owners on the tops. A social media call-out for help led to Francesca, a former care worker, volunteering her 4x4 to assist. Over three days, Francesca drove team members to and from calls in hard-to-reach areas, waiting outside houses for up to an hour before ensuring safe return trips. Her generosity, patience, and determination ensured that crucial care was delivered, no matter the conditions.

The impact of this collective effort was deeply felt. Team Owner Kate expressed her heartfelt gratitude:

“We are so thankful that my care has not been disrupted over the last few days and no sessions have been missed. The team have been superb and have gone the extra 10 miles!”

While careful matching and local community ties explain much of why our team can overcome these challenges, there’s another critical reason: they’re empowered to do so.

At Equal Care, we empower our workers to communicate directly with one another—through our platform and other means—and to build effective working relationships with peers who might otherwise remain disconnected. We also encourage teams to include family members, friends, and neighbours of the person receiving care. This means that when roads are blocked by snowdrifts or buses stop running, those closest to the person receiving support can step in to help.

In many agencies, care workers have very little agency. At Equal Care, agency is at the heart of everything we do.

The response of our team members to the challenges of heavy snow is a testament to the power of community, consent, and trust. By empowering team members to take ownership of their work and fostering connections within our communities, we ensure that even the harshest conditions won’t stand in the way of care. It’s this unique approach that allows us to go not just the extra mile, but the extra ten miles—through snowdrifts and all!