Date post: | 09-Aug-2015 |
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Government & Nonprofit |
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Ties That Bind
“The best public services work with the grain of peoples’ social relationships…”
DEMOS Research, Duncan O’Leary and Jo Salter
Presented by: Fiona Nicolson and Mandy Morrison
Quarriers/ Demos Joint Research
Key Indicators of disadvantage
Low income
Worklessness
No educational qualifications
Overcrowding
Ill health
Mental health problems
Poor neighbourhood
•The Background – A Wider Lens
In Scotland, 24,000 families with children are affected by four, or more, of the above
Findings
Policy
Systems designed to support are
not experienced as supportive
Policies can actively undermine
self-help and mutual support
Measurable outcomes
Move towards personalisation
People
People did not see themselves
as disadvantaged
Multiple disadvantage is a story
of interdependence between
people
Families can provide support in
ways and times services cannot“You can’t go around all the time thinking ‘that is a problem, this is a problem....You would go mad”. Woman, Glasgow
“When you go to the jobcentre, you’re just a number aren’t you….they’re not interested in your family or anything else”.
Man, Edinburgh
Working with the grain of peoples lives
Relationships characterised by mutual respect
Co-operation rather than compliance
Trust rather than Professional Expertise
Shared team understanding of family
Best mix of ‘what works’
Staff recognised importance of family’s view
Services provided safe spaces without fear of
failure
“It’s how you feel towards that person. There’s only so much you’ll tell that person, you dunnae tell everybody everything, because that is you keeping your valid space, that is your privacy”
Woman, Glasgow
Challenges
Putting a ‘value’ on softer outcomes
Dual role of monitoring and support
Staff Retention to ensure continuity of relaitonships
Universal and targetted services – no one solution
Who’s process?
“How can services draw the line between being social spaces owned by the people who use them and public services driven by the desire to achieve certain ends?” , p21
Recommendations
‘Family and friends’ approach to policymaking
Government to separate monitoring and support role
Government to repeal ‘under-occupancy penalty’
Local connection in allocation of housing
Jobcentres equipped to maximise benefits
Family Support Services to prioritise continuity
Quarriers Family Resource Centre
Levels of engagement to meet the needs of each family
Early intervention to statutory intervention
Shared goals agreed with families
Groupwork Programme and ‘Bridging Activities’
Open door policy resourced by full-time worker
Being there for people on their journey – Donna’s story
“Research suggests that what families want and the best services provide, is a relationship with professionals that has an ethic of mutuality and shared purpose”. p68