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Engaging communities, building social capital, changing the relationship between state and citizenCouncillors’ and Trustees’ Seminar

Dez HolmesDirectorResearch in Practice

Welcome and introduction

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Political leadership required to support community resilience and engagement

David SimmondsLocal Government Association

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Questions and answers

Co-production to engage

communities: From rhetoric to reality

Nick Andrews, Research & Practice Development Officer, School for Social Care Research, Swansea University

What co-production is not

A thought from Wallace and Gromit

• ‘Daddy created him for good, but he’s turned out evil’

(Wendolene Ramsbottom, A Close Shave, 2005)

• ‘The facts are friendly’ (Carl Rogers,1961)

Social Services - A current focus on process, not people

• ‘Like the police service, adult social care is designed as a bureaucracy to feed the regime, not a service to meet older people’s needs. The regime constrains method. It is a bureaucracy of call centres, functional specialisation, activity targets, budget management, form filling and counting, designed according to the requirements of the regime. And the bureaucracy is cemented with information technology, all of which has been designed from the point of view of electronic data management and reporting, not solving people’s problems’

(John Seddon, 2007)

What co-production is - A thought from Lord of the Rings?

• ‘Much that was, is lost, for none lived who could remember it. Some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth’

Two Welsh legends – both a little nonconformist

‘Tales of a Country Doctor’ the importance of relationships and

humanity – no ‘them and us’• ‘While playing with her sister, our small

daughter fell awkwardly and dislocated her elbow… it was not long before Dr Davies arrived at the home. In no time, the elbow had been corrected – accompanied by a sharp cry of pain! He told the girl, the best kind of treatment for this sort of problem was an ice cream poultice applied internally. With that diagnosis, he disappeared to the village shop and was soon back with the ‘prescription’ in hand. Having helped himself to spoons from the kitchen, he sat down with all of us and shared the ice cream’

(Davies, et. al.,2009)

A thought from the expenses scandal on relying on regulation

‘Compliance has replaced conscience’

Jonathan Aitken, BBC Today programme 3rd June 2009

Barry Schwartz – ‘Ourloss of wisdom’: • https://

www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_our_loss_of_wisdom?language=en

The ‘independence’ agenda – the danger of individualism in an age of consumerism

• ‘There is a need to replace an individualistic view of autonomy with one based on ‘interconnectedness and partnership’ that recognises the uniqueness of each individual, but also the interdependence that shapes our lives’

Nolan et. al.(2006) • What do we mean by ‘the

community?’

Understanding reciprocity and the ‘core economy’

• ‘The world of helping others in need is now built around one-way transactions. Too often, helping is a transaction that starts between two strangers who remain strangers. And with the best of intentions, one-way transactions often send two messages unintentionally. They say: “We have something you need – but you have nothing we need or want or value.” And they also say: “The way to get more help is by coming back with more problems.”

Edgar Cahn, founder of time banking

The dangers of people feeling left out

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3UTXsJzAj4

The golden circle – tapping into collective human altrusim

The work taking place in Monmouthshire and Debenham – ‘becoming a part of the community not apart from the community’

Summing up - what co-production is

The five elements:• Value all participants and take an asset based approach• Develop peer support networks and social capital• Focus on personal outcomes and what matters to people • Build relationships of equality and reciprocity• Work in partnership with the people who use our

services as catalysts for changehttp://www.goodpractice.wales/co-production-catalogue-from-wales

An example - The Developing Evidence-Enriched Practice (DEEP) project

• An appreciative action research project

• In health and social care services for older people

• Across six sites – five in Wales and one in Scotland

• Exploring research and other contextual evidence and using it in service and workforce development

• To promote well-being and address the Seven Challenges of the JRF programme A Better Life.

The Seven Challenges of A Better Life

• Promote a more positive image of old age • See the person behind the label or diagnosis• Recognise that all support is founded in meaningful and

rewarding relationships • Enable the opportunity for older people to give as well as

receive• Share responsibility with older people (e.g. in decision making

and working together to promote collective well-being)• Strengthen the individual and collective voice of older people• Recognise that big innovative changes can be good but also

that ‘little things’ can make big difference

Areas chosen by participants for development

• Relationship-centred practice • Positive and rights based approaches to risk

management with people with dementia• Meaningful activities in care homes and day services• Supporting caring relationships through the

development of meaningful short breaks• Addressing loneliness and making an integrated

resource centre a part of the community not apart from the community

• Personal outcome focused assessment support planning and review

The five elements of the DEEP approach

1. Securing senior management buy-in and valuing and empowering project participants

• Appreciation and respect• Encouraging honesty

–’saying it as it is’• Having permission to

experiment and be creative… and to fail

• Spending time together to build mutual trust

• Celebration… of the little successes as much as the big

‘To alienate human beings from their own decision-making is to change them into objects’

Paulo Freire

2. Valuing and including a range of evidence

• Research findings, including ‘A Better Life’

• Practitioner knowledge• The voice of service

users and carers• Organisational

knowledge, including policy

3. Capturing and presenting relevant evidence in accessible and engaging formats

• Short research summaries

• Stories and quotes• Good practice examples• Normative frameworks• Provocative statements• Experience-Based Co-

Design (Bate &Robert 2007)

‘In this time of ‘information overload’, people do not need more information. They want a story they can relate to’

Maarten Schäfer

A before and after story

4. Facilitating the exploration and use of evidence

Meaningful conversations:• Create relationships and contexts • Facilitates learning • Supports collaborative decision making,

e.g. regarding risk

Facilitated serendipity:• Allows for emergence rather than

implementation• Requires reflective and responsive

facilitation not endless meetings• This does not fit well with Prince 2 Project

Planning – milestones can become millstones

Some concepts and techniques to support dialogue and deliberation

• Thinking Together (Mercer and Littleton 2007) – disputational, cumulative and

exploratory talk

• Caring Conversation (Dewar and Nolan 2013) – the seven

Cs

• Community of Inquiry (Lipman 2003)

5. Recognising and addressing national and local organisational circumstances and obstacles

• Recognising and being honest about the impact of budget cuts

• Challenging narrow views of ’independence’

• Challenging simplistic rules and regulations, e.g. regarding professional boundaries and risk

• Challenging the burden of poorly designed paperwork

• Challenging tick-box approaches to quality assurance

DEEP in practice – an example from Gwalia - the third challenge of ABL

• ABL challenge: Recognise that all support is founded in meaningful and rewarding relationships

• ‘Evidence compared’ sheet• Result – ‘the Train to Cardiff’: http://deep-resources.chrismog.co.uk/#

Stories_and_Quotes• Result - Professional Boundaries Policy replaced with a Sharing Lives and

Professional Boundaries Policy: http://deep-resources.chrismog.co.uk/Medias/Sharing%20Lives%20and%20Professional%20Boundaries%20V4_10%2004%202015.pdf

• Case study summary: http://www.goodpractice.wales/SharedFiles/Download.aspx?pageid=96&mid=187&fileid=79

Further information

Full report and 4-page summary (and references):http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/developing-evidence-enriched-practice-health-and-social-care-older-people

DEEP project on-line resource:http://deep-resources.chrismog.co.uk

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Questions and answers

Break

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Children’s Services workshops

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@theEIFoundation eif.org.uk

Donna Molloy, Director of Implementation, EIF,

Neil Johnston, CEO, Paddington Development Trust

Early Intervention & social capital

What is early intervention ? “Early Intervention is about targeted activity to respond to emerging signals of risk in child development, before problems become costly and irreversible.”

Programmes, Practices and Systems which promote

• Social and emotional well being• Language and communication

skills• Self-management and control• Mental health

• From conception to early adulthood• Not just about children’s services but ‘everybody’s business’

Examples:• Home visiting• Speech and language therapy • Group based parenting support• Youth mentoring • Intensive therapeutic

approaches • Family support

@theEIFoundation | eif.org.uk

EIF: who & what An independent charity and a ‘What Works’ Centrelaunched on 4th July 2013 with a mission to promote Early Intervention to:

• Tackle the root causes of social problems

• Improve children’s life-chances,

• Reduce the cost of failure to the taxpayer

Generate

knowledge &

evidence

Communicate

& dissemi

nateSecur

e Adoption

Test & learn

@theEIFoundation | eif.org.uk

Crime and anti-so-cial be-ha-viou

r£5.2bn (31%)

School ab-sence

and ex-clu-sion£680m (4%

)

Child protection and safeguarding£6bn (36%)

Child in-jur-ies and mental health problems£610m (4%

)

Youth

substance misuse£450m (3%

)

Youth

economic in-activity£3.7bn (22%)

Total annual spend on late intervention :

£16.6bn (2014-15 prices)

EIF National Conference| 12 February 2015

@theEIFoundation | eif.org.uk

What has this got to do with social capital?

• Early intervention is all about human relationships and supporting people to solve the problems they face.

• Evidence shows positive relationships can support the development of skills, coping strategies, confidence and behaviour change.

• Providing these positive relationships in people’s lives is what early intervention is all about and core to our mission at EIF.

• This isn't just about public services, need to build and harness the capacity of communities

@theEIFoundation | eif.org.uk

Where do you go for advice?

@theEIFoundation | eif.org.uk

• Austerity and shrinking state requires greater use of these approaches

• Traditional approaches have their limits

• The need for strengths based approaches, improving community resilience and reducing dependency

• Growing interest in how councils/others can support and enable these approaches including sharing evidence and information on what has worked and overcoming challenges

Why is this so important now?

@theEIFoundation | eif.org.uk

Increasing development of models of volunteering, peer support, Community champions, co-design and co-commissioning.

• Nottingham: Family mentors • Northumberland: Community Connectors• Queens Park - Paddington Development Trust: Community champions

What sorts of models are being used in relation to early intervention?

@theEIFoundation | eif.org.uk

Neil Johnston CEO, Paddington Development Trust

Queens Park

@theEIFoundation | eif.org.uk

Role of political leaders • Key role in providing leadership and messages from the top about

support for these approaches

• Creating an enabling culture where these models are actively encouraged.

• Encouraging councils enabling function – changing role of the state

• How can we move these sorts of examples from niche to critical mass ?

@theEIFoundation | eif.org.uk

Find out more at: www.EIF.org.uk

Contact us at: info@eif.org.uk

Follow us: @TheEIFoundation

neil@pdt.org.ukwww.pdt.org.uk

Questions and answers

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Lunch

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Supporting social networks in foster care

Melissa GreenFostering Network

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‘Systems do not raise healthy children – families and communities do’

What is The Mockingbird Family Model?

An alternative method for delivering foster care with the potential to improve

Safety, Stability and Permanency for children and young people in local authority care

and improve support for carers

Why the Mockingbird Family Model (MFM)?

• Model for delivering foster care developed in USA

• Based on concept of peer support and creating extended family network for children and young people in care system

• Evidence based – model demonstrating significantly improved outcomes for children and young people, foster carers and the teams that work with the child

• DfE Innovation Fund project to explore if the model outcomes can be replicated in UK, funded from March 2015-16. Evaluated by the University of Loughborough

Translating the Model • 8 representative Fostering Services across England

• US/UK translation

• Expected outcomes: improved placement stability stronger birth family/sibling relationships increased successful transition to other permanence

options opportunities for the development of strong and lasting

relationships with adults/communities improved educational outcomes improved peer support reduction in stress and improved retention rates

Seven key principles

Unconditional care

Normalisation

Community based care

Active child protection

Biological family

viewed as support

Cultural relevancy

Caregiver support

Underpinning principles

The Model

Bridging the gap

• Placement Stability - specifically for adolescents• Isolation – children and young people• Isolation – foster carers• Foster Carer retention• The team around the child - engagement

opportunities• Constant Assessment – carer status and security

• Familiar and shared space – young people and carers

• Planned and emergency respite care (24/7 provision)

• Social events for families - interaction and support for carers and young people

• Unlimited access to carer peer support/mentoring

• Support to ‘navigate the system’ (accessing community resources, training and updates and sharing best practice)

• Neutral environment for meetings, social worker visits, sibling and birth family visits

The Hub home

Role & Responsibilities Hub Carers

Hub Carer

Build the community

Lead the constellation

Provide social and

emotional support

Communicate effectively

Advocate for the children

Support permanency

Implement the model in

the constellation

Actively protect children

Keep records and write

reports

Measuring Impact: Programme Evaluation

• Evaluation Approach

• Planned Activities

• Voice of children and young people

• Early Findings

Next steps: Developing the model

• The translated model – 2 way process• Licensing framework• Costing framework – costs incurred, costs

avoided, cost savings• UK roll-out• Exploring other areas of benefit within

Children's’ Services

Reflections and Questions

Melissa Green Director

The Fostering Network

For more information please contactmelissa.green@fostering.net

Break

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Adults’ Services workshops

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Creative Spaces for people with dementia

Wendy BrewinThe Sensory Trust

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Using nature to support people living with dementia

View through a window may influence recovery from surgery; R. Ulrich (1984)

More green space is linked to less stress in deprived communities: Evidence from salivary cortisol patterns; Thompson, Roe, Aspinall, Mitchell, Clowd, David Miller (2011)

Additional impairments Loss of independence Social stigma

Improved wellbeing

Increased public awareness

Better designed green space fit user requirements

Case study 1.

Vascular dementia Rural location; isolation, depression Tinnitus, arthritis, compartment syndrome Decreasing mobility

Increased confidence Re-building social connections Re-connecting with communityIncreased mental wellbeing

Case study 2

Alzheimer’s Disease Ex - carer Physically, socially isolated

Increased social connections Increased confidence Skills contributed to community life Increased wellbeing

SROI peer support study; Health Innovation Network South London & NEFSeptember 2015

People with dementia Reduced isolation; increased wellbeing Felt fitter; felt part of the community

Carers Reduced stress; increased wellbeing Reduced isolation

Volunteers Increased knowledge & understanding Increased wellbeing; felt part of the community

Croydon = £1.17

• Mainstream national charity

• 3 hours monthly

• Average 9 participants

• Refreshment & lunch cost to members

• Group activities (mainly reminiscence-based)

Southwark = £1.71

• Small local charity

• 2 hours, fortnightly

• Average 5 participants

• Refreshments only

• Group activities & games

SROI – dementia support groups, South London; 2015

Return per £ spent

Dementia-friendly? Inclusive communities!

www.sensorytrust.org.uk

wbrewin@sensorytrust.org.uk

Tel: 01726 818572

Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter

Questions and answers

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Lunch

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Asset Based Community Development

Mick Ward and Emma CarterLeeds City Council

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Asset Based Community Development……………………………………………………………………………………

Definition of ABCD:…………………………………………………………

ABCD Principles……………………………………………………………………………………

• It’s all about relationships• Place matters• Start with strengths • Keep it citizen-led• Inclusion across the life course

How it works…………………………………………………………Key building blocks:- Community Builders- Finding Community Connectors- Mapping assets (people’s gifts)- Small sparks

'You can't know what a person or a community needs, until they first know what they have.'

John McKnight, Co-Director, ABCD Institute

Try it for yourself –Exercise…………………………………………………………

My Street

Leeds ABCD Learning Sites…………………………………………………………..

Harehills

MiddletonCalverley

ABCD Stories…………………………………………………………..

Table exercise…………………………………………………………

• What can communities (of interest or geography)

uniquely do best?

• How do we proliferate – not industrialise?

• How do we put a spot light on what is good?

Things to think about…………………………………………………………

• It requires having a different conversation

• It’s about facilitating and enabling rather than

doing/providing the solution

• Not to overfund – but some things may need some

‘small sparks’ funding

• Recognise it’s a relational activity (not a project or

procurement approach)

ABCD Resources…………………………………………………………

http://www.abcdinstitute.org/

http://abcdeurope.ning.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB6oknK_OtI

http://www.sens-project.eu/index.php/leeds.html

Questions and answers

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Break

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Changing the Narrative: A new conversation

between the citizen and the state

Matthew ParsfieldRSA Public Services and

Communities

Why change the narrative?

•Dispersed authority•Local integration

Re-think ‘institutions’

•Asset-based and preventative•Whole system

Re-think ‘service’

•Social value•Focus on outcomes

Re-think service ‘value’

Social demand

•Demographics•Technology & culture•Changing ‘childhood’

•Professionalisation•New Public Management•Unmet expectations

Fiscal constraint

•Austerity•Widening wealth inequalities•Rising child poverty

‘Changing the narrative’• Literature review of academic and grey literature:

• Debate on competing influences of managerial bureaucracy and citizen engagement

• Expert interviews:• Different strategies for initiating new conversations

and relationships with and between citizens• Workshops for sector leaders:

• Little confidence that institutional and governance changes proposed by central government will impact upon outcomes for citizens

• A need for shared ethical purpose in a local area for collective impact. Sharing systems and resources to meet these purposes

• How, culturally as well as systemically, might we shift to a non-service model? What is the role of various institutions and actors in the system, and what are their expectations?

A new narrative

A picture is emerging of a state that is more an enabler of people’s desired outcomes rather than a deliverer of services, and citizens who are co-producers of those outcomes rather than passive consumers and taxpayers.

But how do we get there? What are the conversations that can motivate people and institutions to play their part in this new narrative?

New Relationshi

p

‘Nudge’ (State knows

best -behaviour change)

Reciprocal contract

(Something for something)

Buying in to a new vision

(Something for something new)

Elicit moral responsibility

(‘One Nation’ or philanthropic

duty)

Handing over decisions – and responsibility

(With a shift in power comes responsibility)

Capacity and knowledge building

(People can’t do what they don’t

know)Person-to-Person

Social Justice(Citizens in the

lead – state peripheral)

Different conversations

Nudge: state knows best – behaviour change

The Behavioural Insights Team • Influencing positive behaviours in

citizens through an understanding of social psychology

• E.g. informing people that most people complete their tax returns on time – encourages more people also complete theirs early

• Formerly in the Cabinet Office, now spun out into Nesta with David Halpern

• Primarily used in context of taxes and fines – smoothing transactions

Reciprocal contract: something for something

The Wigan Deal

Buying in to a new vision: something for something new

Paying for new Community Learning Centers in Cincinnati

• In 2003 tax-payers voted to fund the renovation of Cincinnati’s Public Schools

• Rather than rebuilding the same institutions, the schools were turned into Community Learning Centers – open outside school hours, with healthcare and adult education services

• Mentors and volunteers recruited from the community

Eliciting moral responsibility: ‘One Nation’ or philanthropic duty

Private investment in Hong Kong’s most challenged schools

• Businesses, corporations and retirees can ‘adopt a school’ and support it with finance, volunteers and careers programmes

• 50 of Hong Kong’s most challenged public schools are now participating

Handing over decisions – and responsibility: with a shift in power

comes a shift in responsibilityCitizen experts, Zeist, Netherlands

• A genuine belief in the expertise of citizens led to an open call for residents to make proposals for €6 million public sector cuts

• 95% of their proposals were accepted• The engagement led to citizens

‘stepping up’ to fill gaps; e.g. a volunteer car-pool scheme replaced an under-used bus service

Knowledge and capacity building: people can’t do what they don’t know

Local Area Coordination and Welfare Champions

• Training volunteers or employing professionals to act as community navigators

• Help citizens to access and understand state and community services in their area

Person-to-person social justiceGranby Four Streets and Open Works

• Citizen initiatives for community regeneration with the state peripheral or not involved at all

• Decorated empty houses in Toxteth to make a more attractive and vibrant neighbourhood

• Platforms approach in West Norwood, funded by Lambeth Council – resource for community activists

Discussion

• Which of these approaches and conversations seem most plausible or attractive for the changes you are looking to make?

• Are you doing any of these already?• What other approaches and conversations

are out there?• What services would you like to change or

discontinue – and what conversations would be needed to plug the gaps?

Summing up and reflections

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Create an online account

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Evaluation

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