Independent Brokerage Hub

Transcription

1 Community Mapping Always leaving room for Blue Sky thinking Supporting citizens with as little or a much help as they need Training Coaching and Mentorship Independent Brokerage Hub Working with local people and organisations to develop this Recruiting Volunteers Working with community networks Drop - ins Having a mixed economy of Support planner-brokers Independent Brokerage Hub Age Concern Barnsley

2 The initiative and activity that is going on. Project Summary The establishment of an Independent Brokerage Service (IBS) to support the extension of Direct Payments and the development and use of Individual Budgets. The project is run by a coalition of voluntary and community sector partners acting together as a consortium (hub) with a lead body [Age Concern Barnsley] to build capacity of voluntary and community sector organisations and local communities to develop & deliver flexible and accessible brokerage services. IBS supports voluntary/community sector partners with the recruitment, training, registration and accreditation of Brokers. With this support voluntary/community sector organisations (members of the consortium) will develop and manage Brokerage Services.

3 What is the problem we are trying to solve? Ensuring that citizens of Barnsley have a mixed economy of options available to them in relation to support planning and brokerage. Ensuring that we have enough support planner/brokers to meet the demand Ensuring that citizens of Barnsley have up to date, timely and appropriate information about services and supports what is available to them within their local community. Ensuring that this is sustainable model after the section 64 funding runs out.

4 What have you tried? Engagement from people who use services and their families/carers Participatory Budget Community Mapping Publicity Held local events Actively gained Regional/National support External training and mentorship with a view to train the trainer/sustainability Partnership working/project board/consortium (Hub) Awareness raising Co-production

5 What have you learnt? You need to start from where people are at People have had some difficulties seeing brokerage as a set of functions that everyone does as part of their working day as opposed to a new role. Mistrust Getting this rooted in communities Cultural change - People letting go of the power, negotiation and collaboration Assume Co-production involve people don t assume that they won t want to help, people like to contribute. Don t be afraid to try something, you won t know it will work until you try Beware of Outboard Motors but, but, but, but, but, but..

6 What s gone well? Participatory budgets to support engagement Co-production working through the issues together with like minded people Partnership working working to each others strengths Having a development manager who works within the local authority and community sector organisation Having an external experience trainer ensuring that we are not insular We now have the beginnings of a mixed model of brokerage support in Barnsley. A total of 13 brokers being trained. Everyone working together for one common aim providing the citizens of Barnsley with the support they need, offering as little or as much as the individual requests

7 What are you concerned about? Ensuring that we have enough volunteers to meet demand Some people s perception of volunteers At the beginning of the process individuals not being informed of all the choices available because of professional assumptions and being given a virtual budget The potential that care managers see us as a threat to their role so they don t work with us. That a sustainable model may not be ready by the end of the section 64 bid (June 2010).

8 What are your next steps and plans? We need to develop and introduce support planning workshops for people who require support and their families/carers Stimulate, encourage and support the development of user led organisations and peer support initiatives. We need to further develop the Proforma with commissioners to collate information from people needing support to have a clear picture about: what they are looking for what they are unable to find where they are looking We need to ensure that support available to the person directing their own support is seamless.

9 What are your next steps and plans? We have just finished a report to inform managers within the Local authority about what we have done over the last 18 months including our challenges, unanswered questions and successes. Working closely with the individual budget project lead we have begun to formulate a draft plan for a sustainable model of brokerage in Barnsley when the section 64 bid ends (June 2010) - taking into consideration what has been learnt so far.

10 Our Vision

11 Blue Sky thinking In partnership with other voluntary and community organisations we are looking into the benefits that a time bank model could bring to the communities of Barnsley

12 Influencing Change Together Change Champion Together we are better Research, reflect and reshape. All work together to find solutions Not giving up when faced with challenges Support people in the way they want to be supported Form meaningful partnerships Ongoing Openness and honesty Remain Resolute Map the local community Always remember - people are experts by experience Test new ideas Information is the key, find effective ways of sharing it Open peoples minds, change peoples hearts Never lose sight of the vision to shift the power

13 Questions Questions we have from our journey What is the role of support brokerage in relation to partnership in action and world class commissioning The local Authority has a role in looking at the bigger picture outcomes for the community What role do wellbeing partnership hold in relation to the development of support brokerage The local Authority needs to understand the relationship of care management and the brokerage functions they already undertake. Any Questions?