Citizenship & Creative Support

Talk by Dr Simon Duffy of The Centre for Welfare ReformDay for ACH Home Care Team Advisors, 4 December 2014

• Why citizenship should be central

• How to achieve citizenship

• How to organise for citizenship

• How professionals can be citizens

For thousands of years people have struggled to achieve citizenship - to be seen as an equal and for the rights and duties that go with citizenship. But, today we’ve forgotten the true meaning of citizenship. The welfare state, which should support citizenship, instead treats us as tax payers, service users, consumers or patients. This is not just wrong, it is unsustainable. It is time to see citizenship as the purpose of the welfare state and to ensure our society supports citizenship for all.

Citizenship is not the whole of life. But it is critical to the life we lead together - in community. If we ignore it we will find ourselves in big trouble.

3 negative questions

• If we are not enabling citizenship for others then what are we trying to do instead?

• If we are not organised to promote citizenship then what are we organised to promote?

• If we are not acting as citizens in our work then what role are we playing?

Who are the citizens?

• Politics used to mean ‘community life’

• Citizens were just ‘people of the city’ or community (although admittedly not all people were allowed to be citizens)

• Now politics happens ‘elsewhere’

Citizenship seems so distant

• Voting - an activity that takes a few seconds every few years.

• Passport - the ability to leave the community (and then come back)

• Equal rights - being able to get help and protection from others.

Citizenship can’t just be about gettingit must be about giving if it is going work.

Our current understanding of citizenship is unsustainable

Sustainable citizenship

• The ideal of citizenship must have value within the community.

• The work of citizenship must be to practically welcome people into citizenship.

• The conditions for citizenship must be available to all - we must organise for it.

We regard wealth as being something to be properly used, rather than as something to boast about… Here each individual is interested not only in their own affairs but also the affairs of the community… We do not say that one who takes no interest in community life is minding their own business; we say they have no business here at all....

... each single one of our citizens, in all the manifold aspects of life, is able to show themselves the rightful lord and owner of their own person, and do this, moreover, with exceptional grace and exceptional versatility. [Pericles]

Is this dignity?

• Dignity and respect are linked.

• Dignity means worth. We each have equal worth, but sometimes our situation causes others to treat us without worth, without respect, in an undignified way.

• Respect means seeing someone in the right way.

• Citizenship is a way of living together as equals - with mutual respect.

Mark Haydon-Laurelut and Karl Nunkoosing explored what underpins abusive or positive relationships in ‘care settings’. They argue that:

• We tend to treat the challenges of dignity and respect as merely a matter of acceptance or affection - being nice.

• But it is possible to be nice to someone and yet fail to respect them.

• Acceptance must be combined with a positive view of someone’s potential for contribution and the community’s willingness to accept that gift.

• You can like them - yet protect them from life.

• You can also be positive without wanting to be with them - controlling from a distance.

Alternatives to citizenship

Their analysis aligns well with philosophical thinking about community and citizenship. Broadly the alternatives to citizenship are:

• Individualism - protecting me or mine

• Collectivism - controlling them (workers, consumers, service users etc.) for their own good

A philosopher from Mars would hear a people talking like rugged individualists and pretending they didn’t need other people (neoliberals).

But he would see government taking increasing control over people’s lives in the interests of their well-being (utilitarianism).

The problem with utilitarianism• It flourishes despite deep philosophical flaws

• It dominates social science and social policy

• It seems democratic, but implies elitist control

• It’s linked to euthanasia: killing people to reduce pain

• And eugenics: killing or breeding people to improve happiness, race or IQ (pick your poison)

The citizenship alternative• Citizen is both an independent individual and an equal

member of a community to which he or she is bound by duties - responsibilities

• Thus citizenship opens up the door to reconciling our fundamental need to be respected by others - as an equal - in all our diversity.

• The dual nature of this ideal reflects the two modes of its corruptions: liberalism (individualism) or collectivism (statism)

• Citizenship remains a real possibility.

We make citizenship real by1. Finding our sense of purpose

2. Having the freedom to pursue it

3. Having enough money to be free

4. Having a home where we belong

5. Getting help from other people

6. Making life in community

7. Finding love

This protects our dignity1. Our life is seen to have meaning

2. We are not on someone else’s control

3. We can pay our way - we’re not unduly dependent

4. We have a stake in the community

5. We give others the chance to give

6. We contribute to the community

7. We are building the relationships that sustain community

What is citizenship?

Citizenship is also very practical

Everyone can be a citizen

Everyone can contribute

& the best support strengthens citizenship for all

1. Purpose• Citizen’s have a sense of

purpose - a meaningful life

• People’s sense of meaning has many sources

• We must listen and look for meaning in the right places

• We each have purpose - we just don’t always know it

Nan & Direction

This is not person centred planning

Help & Connect in Newcastle

2. Freedom• People have a right to be free

• But we need relationships with others to be free

• We need to provide help with information, communication and good representation

• A man in a desert is not free - he’s just alone

Michael & Freedom

3. Money• People need the resources

necessary to be citizens

• The chance to earn and save

• Money for services is really the person’s entitlement

• People only do things for us for love or money - why not have both?

John-Paul & Money

4. Home• People need a home of their

own

• That means living with the people we want to

• Safe, secure and private

• Going into a home - means losing your home

Patrick & Home

Then the old Vainamoinen put this into words:“Strange food goes down the wrong wayeven in good lodging;in his land a man's better at home loftier.If only sweet God would grantthe kind creator allowme to come to my own landsthe lands where I used to live!Better in your own countryeven water off your solethan in a foreign countryhoney from a golden bowl.”

From the Finnish epic poem: The Kalevala

5. Help• Citizens need help - its not

independence that build community but dependence

• But help must be good help

• Supporters need to understand what good help demands

• If you need nobody you're no use to anybody

Trevor & Help

Individualise Everything

6. Life• Life is made by living

• Work, play, volunteering and having fun

• Life happens in community

• But it really matters that you are in the right community for you

Doreen & Life

The lame rides a horsethe maimed drives the herdthe deaf is brave in battle.A man is betterblind than buried.A dead man is deft at nothing.

A Viking Poem from the Havamal

People don’t shop for services they build stronger community.

7. Love• We all need love - life without

love is hell

• Love comes in many forms

• We need to understand how to nurture and encourage love

• Love is what creates citizenship and new citizens

Margaret & Love

In order to create there must be a dynamic force, and what force is more potent than love?

Igor Stravinsky

Creativity - the art of making the best from what you have

fruitful questions flow from an understanding of your purpose

there is no tool for creativity other than your whole humanity

How do we support citizenship

?

1. Get good at listening for direction

2. Build relationships that liberate people

3. Get clear about entitlements

4. Respect and deepen roots

5. Be flexible - in the extreme

6. Get stuck into community

7. Look out for love

fruitful questions flow from an understanding of your purpose

there is no tool for creativity other than your whole humanity

What is allowed? Asking forgiveness not permission.

• Split into pairs

• Think about your caseload

• Identify the support arrangement you are most proud of

• List the different kinds of things that the person spent their budget upon?

TASK ONE

personal caretransport

social assistancecleaning

respitecooking/preparing/eating - together

garderingshopping

medicationinformation

podiatryexercise & dancing

equipmentOT/counselling

incontinence padscommunty linking

nursing carephysio

training & educationcompanionshipfamiliy support

holiday-accom.surgical procedure

volunteerdecluttering

funmoving home

ITmodifications

advocacypeer supportemployment

0 10 20 30

In our best packages…

What are good questions to ask?

What do you want to do

with your life?

What is really important to

you?

What does a good life for

you?

What are your

priorities?

What would you like to be doing in the future?

Who is really important to

you?

What support do you want to build on?

What are you part of?

Who do you trust?

What have you always wanted

to do?

How do you want to

contribute?

What do you want to share?

What lights your fire?

• Split into pairs

• Pick an ACAT level

• Imagine that you have the level of need you associate with that level

• But you are still the same person, same family, interests etc.

• Support each other to design the best support you can for yourself with your year’s budget.

• Imagine the funding can be used with absolute flexibility.

• Provide a breakdown of your use of the budget.

• Challenge yourself to get best value from your money.

TASK TWO

1. Who is the main person you would ask to represent you?

2. What will you being doing with your life?

3. Who will you get support from? 4. Where will you live?

Freedom Network 52 Prof. 1

Life FT 0 PT 6 Vol. 25 Educ. 34 Love 51

Help Natural 52 PA 31 Service 54 Vol. 22

Home Family 24 Friends 1 Alone 37 Service 0

People More 30 Less 2 Unsure 6 Same 23

Happy Yes 49 No 2 Unsure 12

0

75

150

225

300

Network Professional

Who will represent you?

0

30

60

90

120

FT Work PT Work Vol. Work Education Love

What will you do with your life?

0

50

100

150

200

Natural PA Service Voluntary

Who will help you?

0

40

80

120

160

Family Friends Alone Service

Where will you live?

0

40

80

120

160

More Less Unsure Same

How important will the people in your be life in the future?

0

25

50

75

100

Yes No Not Sure

Will you be happy?

Did you think of anything that - as an ACH advisor you would have had to think twice about before agreeing?

How does reflecting on your own life make you think about your own role as an advisor?

Is there anything ACH group do to make it easier for your to do the right thing by people?

Simone Weil

Christ does not call his benefactors loving or charitable. He calls them just. The Gospel makes no distinction between the love of our neighbour and justice. In the eyes of the Greeks also a respect for Zeus the suppliant was the first duty of justice. We have invented the distinction between justice and charity. It is easy to understand why. Our notion of justice dispenses him who possesses from the obligation of giving. If he gives, all the same, he thinks he has a right to be pleased with himself. He thinks he has done good work. As for him who receives, it depends on the way he interprets this notion whether he is dispensed from all gratitude, or whether it obliges him to offer servile thanks. Only the absolute identification of justice and love makes the co-existence possible of compassion and gratitude on the one hand, and on the other, of respect for the dignity of affliction in the afflicted - a respect felt by the sufferer himself and the others.

There are eight degrees of charity, one higher than the other. The highest degree, exceeded by none, is that of the person who assists a poor Jew by providing him with a gift or loan or by accepting him into a business partnership or by helping him find employment - in a word, by putting him where he can dispense with other people's aid. With reference to such aid, it is said, “You shall strengthen him, be he a stranger or a settler, he shall live with you” (Lev. 25:35), which means strengthen him in such manner that his falling into want is prevented. [Maimonides]

1. Don’t look down on people - respect them as your equal

2. Don’t deny people what they really need

3. Don’t wait until someone has to ask

4. Don’t force people to beg

5. Don’t act like you are doing them a favour

6. Don’t expose people to scorn or stigma

7. Don’t distinguish givers or receivers

8. Don’t let people fall into need in the first place

Maimonides’ 8 rules of giving

fruitful questions flow from an understanding of your purpose

there is no tool for creativity other than your whole humanity