Removing the processes to build the relationships

Cath introduces her new role at the ALLIANCE and highlights her commitment to support self management and co-produced approaches.

In the past 18 months leading the National House of Care Programme; what I’ve seen across Scotland is people who get that we need to remove process as it gets in the way of provider-patient relationships. Yes, the process matters but it’s about changing the conversation at the heart of the House. In the primary care teams in our early adopter sites across Scotland staff have been trained in using a clinical method – care and support planning that supports staff to be prepared for that different kind of conversation where the person (formerly known as patient) is also prepared to engage in a more collaborative way. The aim of the programme in Scotland is to make care and support planning conversations routine for people living with long term conditions, with self management at the heart.

Coming into a new post as Director of Development and Improvement here at the ALLIANCE, I’m very well aware that Scotland is rich in good and committed people working on a whole range of things and we need to continue to develop coherence and really connect better to transform health and social care with and for our citizens in Scotland.

The last few weeks have seen a whirlwind of events and seminars, each with a theme that relates to supporting people with long term conditions. Working as I do in the third sector, it’s all too easy to think the world thinks the way we do – but you know what? It ain’t always so! These recent events have acted as a good reminder of what is important – why do we do what we do? Supporting people living with long term conditions, disabled people and unpaid carers to have a voice and enjoy the right to live well.

We talk about courageous leadership and the need for transformation in primary care, whilst in our current world of integration, Health and Social Partnerships and Boards are facing enormous challenges in meeting the needs of the populations they serve with ever tightening budgets. I truly believe that involving people with lived experience and the third and independent sector needs to be recognised and be part of the decision making process.

The ALLIANCE Self Management Week coincided with my first week in post – what an induction! The range of amazing examples of local self management themed events; the Four Nations Summit chaired by Derek Feely reminded me of the importance of interdependence across the nations and the willingness to work together to share and strengthen efforts; the Self Management Awards was my third and the best so far. Why? The development of a range of amazing, truly empowering, person centered, inclusive and compassionate work that is going on was celebrated at the Scottish Parliament and there was real warmth and courage from all the winners and nominees.

So let’s just say I’m feeling excited, optimistic and energised as I move in to my new role here at the ALLIANCE. Within the scope of the much welcome confirmation of the ALLIANCE Strategic Partnership with the Scottish Government, we will bring a to life the our enhanced support for embedding and spreading care and support planning for people living with long term conditions within the framing narrative that is the key strength of the House of Care; develop and build on the strong foundation of the National Self Management Network Scotland and the Self Management Fund that has fostered a wealth of projects across the country.

These are challenging times – austerity, entrenchment in budgets and a tendency for ‘otherness’ is common in the media and wider political landscape. Building and strengthening our resolve, our resilience to keep working to support self management and co-produced approaches is vital and I look forward to tackling these challenges head on.

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