00:00
So what do we mean by personal outcomes? Research shows us that people are experts in their
00:05
own lives, they are best placed to tell us what's important to them and what gives them
00:11
a sense of well-being. But they often need help to do this, particularly when families
00:16
are in crisis, and this is generally when we need intervention from us. Personal outcomes
00:23
means acknowledging people's strengths and working with the person to an agreed plan
00:27
to help them to do the things that matter to them. Others can contribute to this plan,
00:34
including the family, carers, community members and professionals. It's about implementing
00:41
core values, actively listening, allowing people to tell their story in their way,
00:48
without judgement, treating people with respect and being reliable, suspending judgement,
00:54
and asking open questions, taking a person-centred approach which allows people to know that
01:01
we are listening and that we understand. Asking exploratory questions such as What concerns
01:06
you most? What do you notice when things are a bit better? Tell me a bit more about what's
01:13
happening. And what could be happening to make you or others less anxious? Helping people
01:20
to identify their own strengths, skills, motivation to make change, their concerns, and their
01:26
aspirations. The approach limits natural defensiveness and it avoids arguments and confrontation.
01:36
It allows people to think about what needs to happen, where they are now and where they
01:41
want or need to be. The approach advises against dismissive terms such as "I know best", "I'm
01:48
the decision maker", "You must/have to do as I say".
01:52
It allows people to take ownership of their own life circumstances,
01:57
with professionals moving away from the role of fixer and rescuer towards one of facilitator.
02:04
Research tells us that poorly understood problems can result in wrong advice being given,
02:11
and wrong choices being made. The aim is to use interlinked
02:15
skills, understanding the person's situation holistically.
02:20
So why change the way we work?
02:22
As mentioned, recent legislation Wales has people and communities at its heart. The Social
02:27
Services and Well-being and The Future Generations Act emphasises co-production and involvement,
02:34
prevention, early intervention and the role of communities. There is a growing need to
02:39
support and enhance community resilience as austerity continues to hit public services
02:45
and we need to find sustainable ways to support people. Evidence undertaken by Social Care
02:52
Wales has shown that culture needs to change within both communities and public services
02:57
in order for us to be able to work together to overcome a culture of dependency. This
03:04
starts with genuine partnership-working between families, professionals and communities in
03:10
order to make a difference. Building trust and confidence, building resilience in people's
03:19
lives and giving them the confidence that things can change. The focus cannot just be
03:24
limited to health and social care, there has to be a shared vision with the private and
03:30
voluntary organisations as well as education. Evidence from practice tells us how we do
03:37
it can be more important that what we do. I recently read a story written by a young
03:44
care leaver, Jenny Maloy, in Community Care Magazine. Jenny talks about how the kindness
03:50
of Social Workers and carers helped her overcome childhood trauma and build her resilience.
03:56
She writes "Social Workers and carers are in the honoured position to create a space
04:01
for us to learn what we, as precious children, should receive as acts of kindness". There
04:07
were so many acts of kindness that she received, far too many to mention, and that in itself
04:13
is an act of kindness. With the complicated life of working with vulnerable children,
04:19
the simple things can be overlooked. Resilience is built in many ways, and feeling special
04:25
by receiving kindness is one of them. She adds "The conversation often pops into my
04:30
head when I felt the loss of those important professionals. The loss was no different to
04:37
losing a relative. The cross was no easier to bare. The losses stay with you forever,
04:43
and they in part, shape you as an adult. But in my case, through the many acts of kindness
04:54
I received, they didn't break me". So how much does this cost? How much does the approach
05:03
of taking an outcomes focused practice cost? Nothing, yes. Working in a non-judgmental
05:15
way, treating people with respect, being kind, actively listening, being available and reliable,
05:24
showing compassion and being empathetic, putting the person in the centre, asking them what
05:30
matters to them and exploring their personal outcomes. Zero cost, no charge.