Principles met

  • We will develop systems that enable citizens to be equal partners in designing and commissioning public services and in determining the use of public resources.
  • We will embrace innovation in how we work with local communities to drive positive change.
  • We will capture and ‘expand’ the experience and learning from individual projects and approaches in order to encourage broader application of co-operative principles within individual member Councils and across the Network.
  • In exploring new ways of meeting the priority needs of our communities we will encourage models, such as co-operatives and mutuals, which give greater influence and voice to staff and users. in designing and commissioning public services and in determining the use of public resources.
  • As a membership organisation, we will make this statement of our principles operational by: • Co-operation among members: Our members work together to help each other implement our values, sharing experiences and learning. • Openness of membership: Full, Associate and Affiliate Membership is open to any qualifying Council, organisation or individual who shares our values and is committed to putting them into action. • Co-production of the Network’s work: Members help shape the Network’s work programme and the content of events and written products. • Action-focused: The network is a vehicle for helping councils translate co-operative values and principles into policy and practice. •Membership-based: The network is majority funded by modest membership subscriptions from its member Councils, Associates and Affiliates. •Non-party-political: Members share the belief that working co-operatively within and across communities holds the key to tackling today’s challenges.

Mutual Ventures has supported groups of councils work together to develop new and innovative approaches to foster carer recruitment on a regional footprint.

Councils are collaborating to create focused services that champion foster carers and support them through the application and approval process. Their success relies on building a service that promotes cooperation between councils, and values and respects all prospective foster carers.

Funding for the programme is distributed to local authorities from the Department for Education.

Our support to councils

The purpose of fostering is to provide children with a safe, loving home when they can’t live with their birth parents. Having enough foster carers is a constant challenge for councils.

Mutual Ventures support focuses on working with groups of local authorities to design and implement ‘Fostering Recruitment Hubs’ – with the aim of increasing the availability of foster carers in each area and improving the lives of vulnerable children.

For further information contact: