A report of the impact of  Community Catalysts in Wrexham, with a focus on community micro-enterprise development. It was undertaken by the Research Innovation Coordination (RIC) Hub in Wales.

In 2020, Wrexham County Borough Council (WCBC) and the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board commissioned Community Catalysts to develop new ways of delivering care and support to create more choice for people living at home, particularly in rural areas where demand for services was high. The partnership aimed to support people to set up their own community micro-enterprises or small businesses offering care and support to other local people.

Wrexham's improvement priorities

Community Catalysts work contributed directly to Wrexham’s Council Plan Improvement Priorities 2020- 2023:

• Promote local entrepreneurship – businesses are supported to locate and grow in Wrexham by Community Catalysts, attracting new people into the care workforce.
• Reduce carbon emissions attributed to services – Community micro enterprises are developed in areas where care is needed most, delivered by local residents. Reduced distance travelled between home visits helps to reduce carbon emissions.
• Increase activity in relation to good health and wellbeing prevention and early help services – individuals are being supported to live active, independent lives within their community.
• Increase care capacity – half of all community micro-enterprises offer personal care services.

Key achievements

As of autumn 2022:

• 53 community enterprises had been established with a total of 61 jobs created
• 248 people received care from a community enterprise – 50% of those people received personal care and 55% of community enterprises offered other flexible support enabling people to live independently at home and engage with their local community
• 842 hours of personal care were delivered by community enterprises every week in Wrexham.
• Annual Direct Payment statistics from Wrexham County Borough Council show that micro enterprises provided care to the financial value of £121,119 during 2021/22.

The research identified that, as community enterprises focus on their own local area, they save time and money on travel and have lower overheads – this means they charge on average £4.20 less than the average domiciliary care provider.

At the time of the report, community enterprises delivered an annual direct cost saving of £58,812 to Wrexham County Borough Council during the year.

Outcomes of the work

Outcome 1: The domiciliary care market in Wrexham is sustainable, outcome focused and able to deliver what matters to the people of Wrexham.

• Micro enterprises now make up 5% of the domiciliary care market in Wrexham which demonstrates an increased care offer, with more choice and more individuals taking control of their own care through Direct Payment.
• The volume and rate of progress shown in key performance indicators underpinned by substantial qualitative evidence provided by Community Catalysts gives assurance that individuals feel positive about their care and the offer is sustainable for micro enterprises to deliver.

Outcome 2: People are supported to live active, independent lives within their community

• Qualitative evidence from observation at networking groups, case studies, workshops and the independent survey provide evidence of the diverse types of care and support being provided.
• The PERCCI scores suggest a good standard of person-centred care is delivered to individuals.

Read the full report in Welsh or English.