The British National Health Service (NHS) is 60 years old today.
As a major party of the welfare state established after the Second World War it has been a great achievement to continue to give unrestricted access to healthcare, free at the point of access, to everyone.
I still think the principle of public service is relevant to the 21st century. It inspires people to give their careers to an institution that is different and part of the wider public sphere. In an increasingly commoditised era, it is essential to retain these values and also our connections to our past.
I am very proud to be a small part of the NHS as a non-executive director of Bexley Care Trust.
It is when I work abroad that I most become aware of how unique the NHS is. Having just returned from Switzerland where you have to pay for your own private health insurance it helps me remember that this is the norm in most parts of the world.
How did I celebrate the birthday? Well we had some young people spend the day with us to explore the local history of the NHS in south east London. And then we worked with them to look at ways young people and other service users can participate in modern day health commissioning. They will be coming back to us for three days in later July to design a young person's council and do some real commissioning. Exciting stuff.
Here is the link to the story on the BBC website
Friday, 4 July 2008
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Participation and Citizenship - Contributions from Political Economy
Whilst reading around issues of the media and political economy I came across this very interesting definition of citizenship from the works of Murdock (1999 and 2005 - no, not the Australia chap) on the political economy of communication.
He defines citizenship as "...the right to participate fully in social life and to help shape the forms it might it take in the future..."
To make this a reality Murdock (quoted in Murdock and Golding, 2005, pp.65-66) argues that people need access to a range of communicative resources that support participation including:
1. Access to information, advice, and analysis that enables them to know their rights and to pursue them effectively
2. Access to the broadest possible range of interpretation and debate on areas that involve political choices
3. The right to have one's experiences, beliefs and aspirations represented without distortion or stereotyping
4. The right to participate in public culture by speaking in one's own voice - registering dissent and proposing alternatives
I think this is a really useful model that could be adapted to many different dimensions of communication and participation. It resonates with my own feelings about the value of peoples life stories and experiences and the expertise they have in living their own lives in their local communities.
How well does our local community measure up to these four points? What do we need to do to get closer to these standards?
Communication is a vital part of making participation real - I think the focus on difference and the possibilities of appreciating and valuing dissent and alternative viewpoints is really powerful.
It is also a real challenge to the limited range of views that are usually portrayed in the media and in organisational communication.
How do we make communication a part of the participatory process and not a tool of limited interests or groups?
I think that face-to-face (or situated) communication still retains a lot of power and is something we need to do more of. It is when people are able to engage directly, build rapport and trust, and work together to understand and appreciate each other that participation becomes something active and life changing.
So how do we build more face-to-face communication in this increasing fragmented society? And what is the role of social networking including its limits?
Reference: Murdock, G. & Golding, P. (2005) Culture, Communications and Political Economy in Curran, J. and Gurevitch, M. (2005) Mass Media and Society. Hodder Arnold: London
He defines citizenship as "...the right to participate fully in social life and to help shape the forms it might it take in the future..."
To make this a reality Murdock (quoted in Murdock and Golding, 2005, pp.65-66) argues that people need access to a range of communicative resources that support participation including:
1. Access to information, advice, and analysis that enables them to know their rights and to pursue them effectively
2. Access to the broadest possible range of interpretation and debate on areas that involve political choices
3. The right to have one's experiences, beliefs and aspirations represented without distortion or stereotyping
4. The right to participate in public culture by speaking in one's own voice - registering dissent and proposing alternatives
I think this is a really useful model that could be adapted to many different dimensions of communication and participation. It resonates with my own feelings about the value of peoples life stories and experiences and the expertise they have in living their own lives in their local communities.
How well does our local community measure up to these four points? What do we need to do to get closer to these standards?
Communication is a vital part of making participation real - I think the focus on difference and the possibilities of appreciating and valuing dissent and alternative viewpoints is really powerful.
It is also a real challenge to the limited range of views that are usually portrayed in the media and in organisational communication.
How do we make communication a part of the participatory process and not a tool of limited interests or groups?
I think that face-to-face (or situated) communication still retains a lot of power and is something we need to do more of. It is when people are able to engage directly, build rapport and trust, and work together to understand and appreciate each other that participation becomes something active and life changing.
So how do we build more face-to-face communication in this increasing fragmented society? And what is the role of social networking including its limits?
Reference: Murdock, G. & Golding, P. (2005) Culture, Communications and Political Economy in Curran, J. and Gurevitch, M. (2005) Mass Media and Society. Hodder Arnold: London
Friday, 27 June 2008
Visiting Google in Zurich
I went to Google Zurich today to have a look around their offices and have some lunch. It is a very impressive set up with a dynamic feel to the organisation and some interesting features.
Everyone says hello to everyone else whenever they walk past each other in corridors or in offices - it is complusory and part of the culture. It feels friendly and welcoming.
There are lots of creative spaces for meetings (small and large) as well as places to relax, get away from your desk and think and reflect. Some of these spaces are very interesting - converted ski lifts, pods and converted ice stations from the north pole.
The organisation is young and also has a young feel - most of the employees seem to be under 30 years old.
There is also a commitment to employees using some of their time (up to 20%) to pursue their own innovative projects that can complement their core work. This is an interesting way of promoting innovation and new thinking.
There is also a real sense of vision and mission about the place - they want to be a great company, to be a great place to work and to do something good in the world.
Now I don't think any organisation is perfect. Organisations are social entities with a range of dynamics and peculiarities that sometimes only reveal themselves over the longer term. But I do wonder how the Google experience might be adapted to the voluntary sector and to social and health development. And of course they do give a lot of their products away for free at the moment.
I think there is a lot we can learn from different ways of doing things. We don't need to take the whole package but we can 'borrow' and experiment with different ways of doing things - and make work fun and vibrant at the same time.
Have a look at the Google offices - click here for a video tour
Everyone says hello to everyone else whenever they walk past each other in corridors or in offices - it is complusory and part of the culture. It feels friendly and welcoming.
There are lots of creative spaces for meetings (small and large) as well as places to relax, get away from your desk and think and reflect. Some of these spaces are very interesting - converted ski lifts, pods and converted ice stations from the north pole.
The organisation is young and also has a young feel - most of the employees seem to be under 30 years old.
There is also a commitment to employees using some of their time (up to 20%) to pursue their own innovative projects that can complement their core work. This is an interesting way of promoting innovation and new thinking.
There is also a real sense of vision and mission about the place - they want to be a great company, to be a great place to work and to do something good in the world.
Now I don't think any organisation is perfect. Organisations are social entities with a range of dynamics and peculiarities that sometimes only reveal themselves over the longer term. But I do wonder how the Google experience might be adapted to the voluntary sector and to social and health development. And of course they do give a lot of their products away for free at the moment.
I think there is a lot we can learn from different ways of doing things. We don't need to take the whole package but we can 'borrow' and experiment with different ways of doing things - and make work fun and vibrant at the same time.
Have a look at the Google offices - click here for a video tour
Monday, 23 June 2008
What Does Your World Look Like?
How does your world look? How do you capture what you are about?
Well there are many ways to answer those questions - and it could take a while and we could get fairly philosophical too.
A shorter answer is to think about a visual representation of your world. And the new free website wordle does just that.
You can feed in any text and it will create a visual representation. You could paste your diary entry, a short story or anything infact.
Here I have pasted in the text from my own website front page. Wordle produces an interesting representation. It also emphasises the important words. What does your world look like?
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
The Power of Local Networks
Local people have the most powerful networks. They have the local knowledge and the local relationships to build alliances and make things happen on the ground. But often they do not recognise how much these networks are worth.
In a local community there is often only 2-degrees of separation between everyone. It is possible for the service user to know the local politician or the local business owner either directly or through one other contact.
How can local people use their networks to take control of their lives and promote their voices?
Public action is most effective when local people organise together. And when they use the diverse talents and skills that exist within their networks. The example of Menqual which I blogged about recently shows what people in Middlesbrough have been able to do together.
I get frustrated when I see powerful outside organisations harvest or benefit from these local networks without giving anything back. They rely on the introductions and the trust established within local networks to be able to meet and research with local people. Their products are then sold or promoted for their own benefit but would have been impossible to produce without the openness and willingness of people to engage.
How can local people own their networks? How can we ensure that powerful outside agencies respect and value these networks?
I have found that bringing local people together to map and share their local networks together is a powerful way to capture the breadth of their connections. Mapping is a very visible tool and can represent a network in a direct way.
Below is a presentation I gave about using mapping to capture and promote local networks. It comes from part of a wider public action programme I was part of.
In a local community there is often only 2-degrees of separation between everyone. It is possible for the service user to know the local politician or the local business owner either directly or through one other contact.
How can local people use their networks to take control of their lives and promote their voices?
Public action is most effective when local people organise together. And when they use the diverse talents and skills that exist within their networks. The example of Menqual which I blogged about recently shows what people in Middlesbrough have been able to do together.
I get frustrated when I see powerful outside organisations harvest or benefit from these local networks without giving anything back. They rely on the introductions and the trust established within local networks to be able to meet and research with local people. Their products are then sold or promoted for their own benefit but would have been impossible to produce without the openness and willingness of people to engage.
How can local people own their networks? How can we ensure that powerful outside agencies respect and value these networks?
I have found that bringing local people together to map and share their local networks together is a powerful way to capture the breadth of their connections. Mapping is a very visible tool and can represent a network in a direct way.
Below is a presentation I gave about using mapping to capture and promote local networks. It comes from part of a wider public action programme I was part of.
Friday, 16 May 2008
Menqual - My Admiration for the Mental Health Service Users of Middlesbrough
I had the pleasure of returning to Middlesbrough in early May to see the mental health service user led forum called Menqual.
The group have been running for over 2 years now and are making sure that the service user voice is heard within the wider policy context. One great thing they have achieved is a service users charter for employment. It tells the story of what service users need and want from employers and shows that people with mental health problems can be great employees.
The charter took a lot of work and preparation. There were many different perspectives and lots of debate about the best way to produce it. But they had the support of some powerful stakeholders including the mayor. Now published, the charter is being promoted and shared with employers, employment agencies and local people.
Menqual say that work is one of the most important things for service users. It helps lift people out of poverty and supports recovery. It is also important for identity and self-esteem.
Reflecting on the journey of Menqual is interesting for me. I worked with local people to start the group back in 2006 with a series of workshops and open events. Since then the group has had active and quieter periods. But despite this it has continued to operate and make a difference. I have learned a lot of valuable lessons from the group and it has given me a chance to be involved in some very direct, local public action.
Participatory forums often have their own rhythms and life cycles. Reflection can be balanced with public action, as can activities such as campaigning with periods of learning.
I always enjoy visiting Menqual in Middlesbrough. They are a great example of what local people can do with few financial resources. The journey for social change is not a sprint - and Menqual are in it for the long term.
The group have been running for over 2 years now and are making sure that the service user voice is heard within the wider policy context. One great thing they have achieved is a service users charter for employment. It tells the story of what service users need and want from employers and shows that people with mental health problems can be great employees.
The charter took a lot of work and preparation. There were many different perspectives and lots of debate about the best way to produce it. But they had the support of some powerful stakeholders including the mayor. Now published, the charter is being promoted and shared with employers, employment agencies and local people.
Menqual say that work is one of the most important things for service users. It helps lift people out of poverty and supports recovery. It is also important for identity and self-esteem.
Reflecting on the journey of Menqual is interesting for me. I worked with local people to start the group back in 2006 with a series of workshops and open events. Since then the group has had active and quieter periods. But despite this it has continued to operate and make a difference. I have learned a lot of valuable lessons from the group and it has given me a chance to be involved in some very direct, local public action.
Participatory forums often have their own rhythms and life cycles. Reflection can be balanced with public action, as can activities such as campaigning with periods of learning.
I always enjoy visiting Menqual in Middlesbrough. They are a great example of what local people can do with few financial resources. The journey for social change is not a sprint - and Menqual are in it for the long term.
Thursday, 1 May 2008
Definition of a Blogger
I just have to share this wonderful definition of a blogger. I found it in a book I was glancing through the other day with the rather pompous title of ‘Be Your Own Spin Doctor’. And to be honest it is not a very good book and not one I would recommend - it is quite simplistic and ironically I did not find it that well written.
Anyway, at the end of the book there is as usual a glossary. Some of it is quite helpful with definitions of terms used by journalists and PR professionals. But hidden in this list there is one reference (and only one reference) to new media - a definition of the word ‘blog’. I will reproduce the definition from the book in full because it made me laugh out loud:
Blog: a ‘weblog’. An online diary or running commentary, often written by cranks, egotists or obsessives, with some notable exceptions. (Page 175, Richards 2005)
Wow - my first reaction was I wonder which of these am I? I am sure I would not come under the list of notable exceptions. My second reaction was how dated this definition is and how far we have moved in how we understand the internet and social media. The book was originally published in 1998 but the text I was reading from was an updated 2005 edition.
I don’t want to leave you without a positive alternative to this. So I will recommend Chris Rose’s How to Win Campaigns as a good book on communications. On the internet, the blogs CopyBlogger and ProBlogger are good places to get up-to-date advice and inspiration for blogging.
But a word of warning - reading these and other blogs can become quite addictive. Much like checking your email every 30 seconds. So maybe Richards’ label of ‘obessive’ is not too far from the truth.
Anyway, at the end of the book there is as usual a glossary. Some of it is quite helpful with definitions of terms used by journalists and PR professionals. But hidden in this list there is one reference (and only one reference) to new media - a definition of the word ‘blog’. I will reproduce the definition from the book in full because it made me laugh out loud:
Blog: a ‘weblog’. An online diary or running commentary, often written by cranks, egotists or obsessives, with some notable exceptions. (Page 175, Richards 2005)
Wow - my first reaction was I wonder which of these am I? I am sure I would not come under the list of notable exceptions. My second reaction was how dated this definition is and how far we have moved in how we understand the internet and social media. The book was originally published in 1998 but the text I was reading from was an updated 2005 edition.
I don’t want to leave you without a positive alternative to this. So I will recommend Chris Rose’s How to Win Campaigns as a good book on communications. On the internet, the blogs CopyBlogger and ProBlogger are good places to get up-to-date advice and inspiration for blogging.
But a word of warning - reading these and other blogs can become quite addictive. Much like checking your email every 30 seconds. So maybe Richards’ label of ‘obessive’ is not too far from the truth.
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