Firstly I'd just like to use this blog to wish everyone a Merry
Christmas. I'm sure all of you have been busy supporting people to
organise and plan their festivities and at Living Ambitions things
have been no different. I am not sure about you but it's normally
at this time of year that I tend to reflect on what has happened
over the previous twelve months.
Hopefully there are some of you out there that read my monthly
contributions and have been following our journey towards a Person
Centred Culture. But maybe there is a "so what" thought that enters
your mind every now and then. Now if there is, don't
worry. I am referring to the thought that might say "So what
difference does it make" if you have a person centred approach to
risk, if you use communication passports or if citizens recruit
their own staff teams?
"So what difference does this all make?" It was during a period
of quiet reflection that someone came into my office and it is
their story I am going to share with you. I feel that their journey
perfectly describes what difference person centred approaches make
to peoples lives.
So I'll start with a bit of background, Ted is in his 50's and
has a learning difficulty. He lives in a tenancy with three ladies.
They have been housemates for many years and were previously
supported by an organisation that didn't understand or practice
person centred thinking. A few years ago, Living Ambitions was
called late one evening to ask if we could take over the management
of Ted's and his friend's support, as there were concerns about the
service and how it was being run. When we first visited the house,
there were those tell-tale signs that things were maybe not quite
right, none of the tenants opened their front door; there was a
visitor's book; the tenants were asking staff if they were allowed
a cup of tea; there was a staff toilet and staff mugs. However,
being open minded and not wishing to rush to conclusions, we sat
down and began discussing with the tenants what they did with their
lives and how things were going generally. To be fair Ted and his
house mates seemed to be happy and content, but still there were
things that didn't feel "right". On walking around the house, Jodie
noticed a sunbed in the Sleep In room, "so which one of you likes
to have a tan" she asked. As soon as the words left her mouth the
answer became obvious. We looked at Ted and the other tenants, all
white skinned obviously having never been near any U.V tubes and
then at the mahogany tanned staff member sitting on the couch. "We
are not allowed to use the sunbed" explained one of the other
tenants. Obviously in a bit of a panic the staff member stated "its
ok we {the staff} pay to hire it". As Jodie picked her jaw off the
floor, I suddenly felt the need for some fresh air. Imagine "Mavis"
(Jodie and I's imaginary housekeeper) , placing a sunbed that
she had hired, in our house without permission,
jumping on it when she had done her dusting and then telling us we
can't use it. It defies belief doesn't it? I don't think that the
staff meant to be malicious, they just didn't think in a person
centred way. Although there was one staff member who did and I'm
proud to say he is still with us. From this point the whole service
began to unravel and there were more and more examples of poor
practice and institutional care.
At the first "what's working, what's not working" session, Jodie
sat with the house mates and asked them how they felt about their
lives. Our initial view, that they all seemed happy was right, but
when the questions started being asked about "what do you
want to do?", then it became apparent that the group had dreams and
aspirations, but had been told that they "couldn't do" or
"shouldn't do". The light bulb moment came for them when we started
to develop their support plans with them. We used a PATH for each
of the individuals and for the first time, they could see that they
had actual choices and control over where their lives were headed
and what they wanted to do. At first the group struggled with
having the increased level of choice. They needed reassurance that
it was ok to make their own coffee and decide what to eat for their
tea. It was ok to choose where to go on holiday and who they go
with, rather than going en mass. But with support and some workshop
based training, they began to get used to the idea that they could
make decisions for themselves and that the house they lived in, was
their own. We supported Ted and the rest of the group to develop
their one page profiles, staff matching tools, communication
passports and a range of other person centred thinking tools, to
support the outcomes they wanted to achieve. The difference was
incredible. The group were going out on their own, learning new
skills and making new friends in the community. For the first time
in over half a century, their lives had expanded beyond dependency
on paid support and they were achieving genuine positive outcomes
that they had chosen.
So it was Ted that walked into my office:
"Hello Robin?"
"Hi Ted. How are you doing mate? What have you been up to?
"I've just got back from my holidays?"
"That sounds great. Where did you go?"
"Memphis, I went to Graceland. It was really good! Ste and I
went….. Robin why are you crying?"
"I'm just happy for you Ted. When I first met you 3 years ago,
you told me that you always dreamed of going to Graceland and now
you have. Sit down mate and tell me all about it"
The answer to the "so what difference does it make" question is
this, person centred thinking and support is life changing. It
takes people out of the tunnel of having their lives directed for
them and into a world of endless possibilities, choosing which
direction to go next. Yes, when individuals leave the tunnel the
bright lights of choice and control can be a bit blinding but with
the right support, people soon get used to being out of the dark
and can see the way for themselves.
Don't believe me? Ask Ted!