Strange and unexpected turns
This year has been full of strange and unexpected turns, but in the end the result seems positive. I am now establishing the Centre for Welfare Reform, which will be a research & development network focused on achieving a radical re-design of the current welfare system. The Centre will do 3 kinds of things:
Action - find ways of making real innovations happen. Since setting up the Centre I've been able to go back to rolling up my sleeves and work on practical innovations - like creating personal budgets for people who need palliative care. The Centre will do more of this hands-on innovation - find real solutions for complex problems.
Communication - find simple ways of communicating complicated ideas and solutions. Good ideas catch on when they are easy to understand and implement. For example, I've really enjoyed writing about support brokerage again, thinking about all that I've learned over the last 20 years, as I tried out different systems of brokerage. The Centre will publish these ideas and the ideas of others who share its values.
Collaboration - building vibrant community. I really enjoy working with people who share a vision for what a reformed welfare system can achieve. The Centre will support a vibrant network of people who innovate, collaborate and freely share ideas. I think it is only this process of community-building that will lead to the radical redesign of the current welfare state - a change many of us know is necessary, but which can seem far too difficult to achieve.
The next few years, with economic crises and changes in government, are going to be very challenging - full of problems and opportunities. Self direct and all of us who have worked to transform the current social care system, understand that these challenges are worth facing. The improvements in the lives of individuals, families and communities are well worth the struggle to bring about the necessary changes in the welfare system. But it's not just social care that needs re-designing. The design of the current welfare system is completely out of date. People are discouraged from earning and saving; families and communities are undermined by the systems that should support them.
We need a new system; one that supports individuals to be citizens, respects and supports families and enables communities to grow stronger and more effective. This will mean changes in tax, benefits, education and other public services. It's going to be a long haul and I am sure there will be many more bumps along the way. But it will be worth it.
And, for me, it feels good to be in control of my own destiny.
You can download the first publication of the Centre for Welfare Reform at www.centreforwelfarereform.org
On 11th November, 2009 Leonie Gregson said...
Simon - I remember your excellent talks at the Big Event early this year, which inspired me to get actively involved in promoting personalisation and community involvement within my local authority. I'm very glad to hear that, since leaving In Control, you are going to have more freedom to pursue your obvious interests and talents, by setting up the Centre for Welfare Reform. This sounds like a very exciting initiative. To my mind it's important that someone with a 'big picture' vision and the passion to carry it through gets a chance to do just that. Too often petty bureaucracy etc can get in the way of innovation and reform. Good luck!
On 11th November, 2009 Denise Allen said...
Hi Simon
good to hear you are feeling good about things and enjoying what you are doing.
Little question :
You said" Since setting up the Centre I've been able to go back to rolling up my sleeves and work on practical innovations - like creating personal budgets for people who need palliative care"
If you are getting paid for this which I presume you are is this not classed as paid brokerage?????
Good to see you the other day
see you soon
denise allen
On 12th November, 2009 John Hails said...
Hi simon, so good to hear that your feeling positive, it has been a hard year and there are still many battles to fight it seems. We would love to meet up as you suggested some time soon and talk through your work on the centre for welfare reform and our new ideas and how we might 'collaborate'. I'm going to download the brokerage publication and look forward to reading that later.
Good Luck and love from alll of us here at Moveable Feast.