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