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I have been involved in ‘the complexity conversation’ with Toby Lowe and colleagues since 2017 and I am sure all of us would say that the nature of the subject matter means this is an ongoing journey.
My interest has been informed by my own 34 year journey working in health and care, specifically mental health and wellbeing. With a clinical background in psychiatric nursing, from very early in my professional journey, I had a hunch that there was more art than science in my approach. When I qualified, this attitude and way of thinking was further encouraged through the 90’s in post graduate studies and conversations with Phil Barker, the then Professor of Psychiatry at Newcastle University, a man who certainly influenced how I approached ‘the craft’ as he would call it. On reflection I also had a core belief that context really was everything in that the knowledge and skill I was hoping to develop as a practitioner whilst important had to be delivered within the context of people’s lives.
As I have grown into my own Human Learning Systems vest* over the last few years (*speak to Toby Lowe about the vest), it took me back to an article I co-wrote way back in 1996 with a colleague of mine, Steven Michael – entitled “The Human Factor”. It is still out there somewhere in the wilderness of Psychiatric nursing Journal’s. We wanted to shine a light on what we believed to be the core activity of psychiatric nursing at a time when academic professionalisation was a big ticket issue. The paper attempted to address the complexity of describing the nurses core activity when this is based on implicit knowledge of practice as an art rather than science, the articles theme was meant to reflect a post-modernist perspective (pretentious…moi?).
As part of our small research study we encouraged staff to look at how they interacted with people who had severe and complex longstanding mental health issues. The findings, perhaps unsurprisingly, were the importance of the human interactions and that the reported value from participants was in how we were working with extraordinary people, but within ordinary relationships, and in ordinary settings. If you engaged in this very human way you would hopefully constantly learn and adapt how you engaged with that person over time.
Whilst there is of course the potential for a little dewy-eyed nostalgia and or revisionist history on my part, I do think my interest and involvement in Human Learning Systems does partly feel like finding a current home for that historical challenge.
Beginning (and sticking with) "where are you at?” and “what matters most to you” when engaging in what will hopefully be a helpful conversation with someone, whilst a relatively simple premise and starting point is often, to this day, not the norm for many public services.
All too often the most vulnerable and in need still unfortunately need to ‘crack the code’ to get what they require.
I have been CEO for over 16 years now and therefore by design or osmosis this human way of thinking is hopefully part of Concern Group’s DNA and can be seen in our values and our aspirations, as we try to be guided in our approach by what people have told us is important to them. Should you care to visit our website www.concerngroup.org you will note that whilst we are indeed a provider of many clinically focused commissioned mental health services our language reflects those human aspirations. To have: -
- a sense of meaning and purpose.
- personal relationships and social networks.
- hope and self-esteem.
- independence, choice and control.
- connections in the local community and be active citizens.
- some stability and consistency in life.
Valuing this approach, I believe has helped me and my organisation better understand the importance of connecting with other organisations in pursuit of more people shaped thinking and solutions. I will continue to reach out and work with others with this goal in mind.
In my current roles, as both CEO of a large third sector organisation and as a Director of a VCS collaborative in the North East, I am involved in a number of health and care system partnerships with statutory colleagues where we are attempting to break out of our provider and commissioner silo’s, as we increasingly understand that organisations don’t deliver outcomes, systems do; and that we need to transform into an alliance of learners who get alongside the communities we serve and build up and out together.
I am pleased to say that those system conversations are being overtly influenced by the HLS approach and we have actively engaged with HLS colleagues to help us understand how we might turn some of those transformation conversations into meaningful actions in the months and years ahead.
Find out more...
Collaborative Newcastle Presentation Gateshead Health Care System summary
Format: Blogs
Tags: Complexity , Human Learning Systems , Personalisation , Understanding Variety , Systems Thinking , Public Services , Rehumanising Work , Empathy , Systems Transformation , Learning
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