COMMUNITIES in North East Dartmoor are aiming to set up the first community owned not-for-profit regulated care agency in the UK.

North East Dartmoor Care is an ambitious new community project that aims to tackle a local crisis in social care. The social enterprise North East Dartmoor Care has been set up in response to a lack of regulated social care in the area, which is described as being in ‘market failure.’ If this flagship project is successful it could revolutionise social care in rural and hard to reach areas in the UK.

Project co-ordinator Julia Darby said: ‘Social care at home for disabled, elderly, sick or injured people is a vital service and provides a lifeline that can make all the difference to a person’s quality of life, but this area suffers because of its distance from the large towns and cities where the regulated agencies are based. Local people looking for care can find it really hard to find an agency to support people out here.’

The lack of social care accounts for 32% of all such delays across the UK, costing the NHS a whopping £3.3-billion over the next five years according to a recent report by ResPublica.

Julia said this problem was exacerbated in hard to reach rural areas and estimated two to three people a week from this small rural area are stuck in a hospital bed, when they could be at home if they could find social care.

The vision for North East Dartmoor Care — or NEDCare as it is known — is of care for everyone who needs it, where and when they need it. They aim to register with the Care Quality Commission (the regulator for social care) and establish a community-owned care agency, employing local people under the best possible terms and conditions. In this way they could provide a model for other rural communities across the UK.

The More-tonhampstead Hospital League of Friends has given a generous start-up grant of £30,000 to the new social enterprise, which is also seeking a loan finance, is applying to grant funders and asking for private donations through a Crowdfunding campaign.

Broadcaster Judi Spiers took a break from her busy schedule last month to support the launch of NEDCare’s crowd funding campaign to raise £15,000 through community donations.

To watch Judi Spiers on the Crowdfunding video and to donate, visit www.nedcare.org or leave a message on 01647 640722.