Three years ago, Cardiff Council set out to create more choice, flexibility and local support for people who need care and support. Working in partnership with Community Catalysts, the council invested in developing community micro-enterprises, helping local people turn their skills, passions and experience into small, personalised services that make a difference to people’s lives.
An independent evaluation by Wavehill found that the project has created strong foundations for a more diverse social care market. It has supported the growth of local micro-enterprises, increased choice for people drawing on care and support, and demonstrated the significant potential of community-led approaches within social care.
Further work will help realise the model’s full potential, but the findings suggest community micro-enterprises have an important contribution to make to the social care landscape.
“The evaluation of the Community Catalysts Micro-Enterprise project in Cardiff shows that it has successfully established a credible third option in the domiciliary care market, sitting alongside agency and Personal Assistant (PA) models.”
Health and social care is Cardiff’s largest employment sector, yet increasing demand, workforce pressures and changing expectations about care have created a need for new approaches. Cardiff also experiences higher unemployment than the Welsh average, which has created opportunities for local people to be supported into meaningful work, while strengthening community-based care.
The city is also seeking to deliver on the ambitions set out in Welsh policy, particularly the Social Services and Wellbeing Act’s Fundamental Principles that support people to remain independent, connected and in control of their lives for as long as possible. Traditional domiciliary care provision, delivered through agencies or Personal Assistants, remains important, but there is growing recognition that people will benefit from more choice of care and support.
It was against this backdrop that Community Catalysts began working with Cardiff Council on a community micro-enterprise development project, where local people are supported to set up and run their own micro-enterprise that supports others. People are supported through the Doing it Right Standards, a programme that ensures community micro-enterprises are safe, legal, personalised and sustainable.
Establishing community micro-enterprises increased choice and capacity for people and provided new, flexible pathways into employment through its integration with the council’s Into Work Service. The Into Work Service provides employment, training and digital support to individuals actively seeking work or looking to upskill.
The evaluation noted that stakeholders viewed community micro-enterprises as a valuable complement to traditional care provision.
“They described micro-enterprises as a flexible model that can broaden the range of support available, particularly by offering forms of care that sit between traditional agency provision and directly employed PAs.”
The evaluation found that the project has helped create a more diverse and inclusive care market, engaging Welsh speakers, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBTQ+ communities and people with a wide range of cultural and religious identities.
Stakeholders highlighted how community micro-enterprises can offer culturally aligned support, enabling people to choose providers who understand their language, beliefs and lived experience.
“The programme has also helped widen access to culturally aligned support by engaging groups that may not typically use traditional care services.”
This increased choice was repeatedly linked to greater autonomy, comfort and trust in care relationships. The evaluation also found that the project is helping to reach people who may not otherwise engage with traditional services, particularly where cultural or linguistic barriers exist. In doing so, Cardiff is not only expanding care options, but building a care market that better reflects the diverse communities it serves.
The evaluation found the model was particularly valuable for experienced care workers, former carers and people seeking an alternative route into employment. People considering leaving care or who had left care returned by setting up their own community micro-enterprises.
The impact on participants was significant, with many community micro-enterprise leaders reporting increased confidence, wellbeing and control over their working lives.
“Being able to work with people rather than for them has also made a big difference. It allows me to shape my days in a way that feels sustainable, person-centred, and respectful of my own wellbeing as well as theirs.”
The evaluation found strong alignment with the ambitions of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act, contributing to a healthier Wales, more cohesive communities and a more equal Wales. By creating opportunities for local people, growing community-based support and increasing choice for residents, the project is helping to build stronger local ecosystems of care.
It also found that the model kept money in the local economy – spending on care services remains within the community, with income going directly to local people rather than larger providers.
Direct Payment customers made up between 34% and 44% of the customer base of Cardiff’s community micro-enterprises. During 2025/26, choosing a community micro-enterprise instead of a traditional commissioned provider generated an estimated £42,774 in savings for Direct Payment recipients. If a similar level of savings is assumed for people who fund their own care and support, the total annual saving rises to almost £82,000.
The project continues to grow, with more community micro-enterprises providing support and delivering more hours to local people. As the project grows, the savings generated are likely to increase.