Involving people in partnership working

Steve InettStrategic Area Manager

(Dover, Shepway and Thanet)

Aim

• Barriers for all

• Value

• People = clients/service users/customers/ rough sleepers etc

Barriers

• Social

• Personal

Social Barriers The Media

Politics

Trust

Inequality & Poverty

Status

Status

Globalisation

Personal / Personality issues

• Status Quo bias

• We’re unhappy, but everyone else seems fine

• Herd mentality

• Put things in boxes

We love the Status Quo

We follow the herd

We put things in boxes

Qualities vs Circumstances

Performance

We’re unhappy but everyone else

seems fine

Crisis

NO ONE’S PRIORITY

Changing attitudes

Positives

Actions

• Actively invite comments and be open to them

• Include people in current forums and meetings – justify the outcomes achieved

Consultation Events

• Difficult to encourage people along

• Dominated by vocal few

• Not representative

• Herd culture

Involvement

• Keep it local

• Provide forums for different groups to come together and gain an understanding

• Meet re. specific issues

• Allows better management of the group than events

How?

Link:• Supporting People provider client forums• Neighbourhood groups• Mental Health user groups• Housing Associations• Existing voluntary groups• Porchlight forums are not just about feedback on

the organisation, but on any issue

What people bring

• New insights• Enthusiasm• Common sense• Porchlight forums have already looked at

issues such as Letting Agency fees, financial inclusion (event planned for February), housing services, hardship funds, Jobcentre service

Potential issues that could be worked on

in partnership

• Housing information and response

• Health priorities

• Implementing benefit changes

Thank you