Brokering Opportunities

Samantha Abram, PTS Coach at The Brick, explores Brokering opportunities and what it looks like when the term is brought to life through the Person-led, Transitional and Strength-based (PTS) Response.

I was asked what ‘brokering opportunities’ means. This sparked an interesting conversation among PTS Coaches old and new, and prompted me to re-evaluate what brokering has meant to me, as a PTS Coach, the individuals I work with and the realities of brokering as part of the Person-led Transitional Strength-based (PTS) Response.

As always, when it comes to Coaching, there are no ‘fixed’ procedure or process (we have principles and guidance), as each PTS Coach will find their own way of working, influenced by every individual they work with. From my perspective and experience, I would summarise brokering opportunities as:

A person being offered an opportunity to choose to do or act differently because they are presented with ‘choice’ that allows them to remove themselves from the confines of their current situation or self-perceived ‘limits’. The choice presents them with an opportunity to access a meaningful experience. The opportunity is entirely associated with the person’s interests, goals and ambitions and the PTS Coach has no part in deciding what, when or why that is their chosen ‘meaningful’ experience.

There is nothing ‘typical’ about the opportunities that I have brokered as a PTS Coach or the choices people make; it is truly about their dreams and aspirations. The one common factor to highlight is that every time a person chooses to participate in what they connect with, an internal process happens, a spark is ignited that reconnects the person to a part of themselves or connects them with what speaks to them on a fundamental level.

The PTS Response works for people because change becomes sustainable and real when the person chooses the changes they want to make. Brokered opportunities result in people fulfilling their passions because they connect deeply with an experience that reminded them that they are more than their circumstances or how they may feel perceived by broken systems.

Mayday welcomes Alex Fox OBE as new CEO

Mayday is excited to announce the appointment of Alex Fox OBE as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), joining the team in early 2022.

Alex brings considerable experience and joins Mayday from Shared Lives Plus, a UK membership charity for more than 6,000 Shared Lives carers, 150 Shared Lives schemes and a growing network of over 25 local Homeshare organisations. Shared Lives is one of the few strengths-based, person-led adult social care approaches to have scaled up to be truly UK-wide, reaching 15,000 people.

During Alex’s career he has welcomed and embraced systems change and strength-based working. He has been proactive in learning from people who use services and in 2018 published a book, Escaping the Invisible Asylum, which calls for a radical change in the relationships between people and the services and institutions within the Social Care sector. Alex is also Vice Chair of Think Local, Act Personal, a national partnership supporting the personalisation of care and support and a senior visiting fellow at Birmingham University. Having led a government review of health and care charities, he recently featured Mayday’s work in Meeting as Equals, a Royal Society of Arts/ National Council of Voluntary Organisations report on building ‘asset-based’ charities.

Alex takes over Mayday’s systems change mission from Pat McArdle, who led the organisation from 2010, before stepping down in August of this year.

Alex said: “Over the years, I’ve admired Mayday’s work and heard my inspirational predecessor Pat McArdle speak about the radical path that Mayday has taken. Mayday is one of only a few charities that I’ve seen truly live its radical values and be willing to be led by what people really want. Mayday has developed an approach to supporting people going through tough times which works, and which has the potential to reach thousands and transform a system which is broken for too many people. I’m excited to be joining such a unique a creative team of activists.”

Julie McEver, Chair of Mayday said: “The Board is thrilled to have been able to appoint Alex as CEO. We look forward to welcoming Alex and supporting him to evolve the work of Mayday and drive the mission forward.”

For more from Alex about joining the Mayday team please read his latest blog, Talking the Talk and Walking the Walk

Supported and temporary accommodation will not end rough sleeping by 2024

Why?

You can’t end rough sleeping with a temporary solution. Even during an international pandemic when the doors to hotels and other forms of accommodation were opened, some people still feared the system that was supposed to help them so much that they chose to remain on the streets.

Supported and temporary accommodation doesn’t cut the negative cycle of people returning to the streets and services. In 2020/21 at the height of the pandemic and the ‘Everyone in Campaign’, London saw more people returning to rough sleeping than it had seen in the last four years. This equated to nearly four people every single day, returning from services and systems that had failed them – this figure shockingly makes up a third of the total. (Greater London Authority (GLA), Rough Sleeping in London, Chain Annual Report, Greater London, April 2020 – March 2021)

“I do know a few people that didn’t want to go inside. Being on the street is a desperate thing, it’s not a choice.” 

Sam, rough sleeping on Oxford Street, Wisdom from the Pandemic

Council responses to a freedom of information request by the charity Shelter suggest only 23% of those helped through the ‘Everyone in Campaign’ had moved into settled accommodation – somewhere they could stay for at least six months – as of February. Shelter termed settled accommodation as accommodation where people had a right to be. So rightly, forms of temporary accommodation such as supported accommodation, hostels and those staying with friends or family were not included. (Shelter 2021, Everyone In: Where are they now?)

Everyone In was a phenomenal response to an international health crisis, it was not a sustainable response to a national rough sleeping crisis.

Mayday Trust’s latest listening enquiry, Wisdom from the Pandemic (carried out in London during July and August in 2020), clearly demonstrates that, for some, the COVID response resulted in a fresh start, an opportunity for people to move on with their lives. However, for others it was another example of the system failing; people being pushed into large hostels and shared accommodation, people expressing feelings of being out of control, scared and isolated.

“COVID has brought my life together and I’ve been handed help that I never got before…. I’m 68 years old and have been on the streets 5 years.” 

Kareen, outside the Portrait Gallery, Wisdom from the Pandemic

“Living in a hostel is no life. It doesn’t help me with my depression. The atmosphere feels like a graveyard in there.”

Gemma, outside Joe and the Juice on Oxford Street, Wisdom from the Pandemic

“I’m being told I have to go to a hostel; I really don’t want to go. I know I will relapse. Everyone there takes drugs. I’m trying to stay sober but they are forcing me to go.”

Richard, begging on Victoria Street, Wisdom from the Pandemic

Negative experiences of living in temporary accommodation, such as hostels, are supported by a report carried out by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), which found that people living in insecure accommodation experienced worse or diminishing positive outcomes when compared to those with secure accommodation, who were given the opportunity to live independently.

Respect and dignity are protected under the Human Rights Act 1998 and are absolute necessities for supporting people through tough times

So, what should we be doing?

Dignity and respect should not be a luxury afforded to those that society deems worthy. Counter to this, those going through the toughest of times benefit most from being treated as people, rather than problems.

The answer to ending rough sleeping is not more money, but to think of ways to reduce service intervention and service dependence. Further investment into an already expensive system that isn’t working, into hostels and supported accommodation that people do not want to live in doesn’t make sense.  This is why we must move away from commissioning into siloes for problems and into commissioning for people. If you have met a ‘rough sleeper’, you have met one ‘rough sleeper’, each person wants and needs something different, we must develop a system that affords the same choice, autonomy and access that you and I expect for ourselves.

“I’ve become more independent in a way of I can do more things for myself rather than other people doing them. I feel happy with my family environment.”

Interviewee working alongside a PTS Coach, NEF Report 2021

The report by NEF includes an in-depth analysis of what happens when you respond to people going through tough times such as homelessness in an entirely different way using the Person-led, Transitional and Strength-based (PTS) Response.  Choice underpins this. Instead of being forced down set pathways, people were able to choose the support they wanted at a time that worked for them. The focus was placed on people’s strengths, passions and interests, rather than problems. People were encouraged, rather than ‘fixed’.

The research from NEF shows a correlation between being treated with dignity and respect and a person taking positive actions. When an environment was created where people had choice and control over their lives people reported that they felt encouraged to achieve their goals. Still, importantly they did not feel pressure to make changes faster than they were ready to. Furthermore, in direct comparison to other services, respondents described their PTS Coach as speaking to them, “like a human being” and meeting them “where they were” (physically, as well as mentally), rather than having to jump through hoops to get something done. As a result of this, people were able to progress positively with their lives in a sustainable and independent way.

“The way he encouraged me then is still with me now. And I still intend to get on the courses I had planned. He’s given me the determination to do it and the belief in myself that I will get this sorted.”

Interviewee working alongside a PTS Coach, NEF Report 2021

“They don’t judge you on your past. It’s about what you are now and where you want to go forward.”

Interviewee working alongside a PTS Coach, NEF Report 2021

The media and wider societal perception of homelessness, as well as the relationships between people accessing support and those offering the support, are also key to positive change. Mayday’s Wisdom from the Pandemic heard that many people felt that they were seen as subhuman, a problem or weak, when people found out they were rough sleeping.

“It was as if we weren’t human. Homeless people are not seen as human and no one cares about us.”

Mo, Trafalgar Square, Wisdom from the Pandemic

“Before we weren’t important, left outside. Then all of a sudden we’re in. It’s only because they thought we might make them sick. As long as they’re ok.”

Faye, Embankment Station, Wisdom from the Pandemic

When the focus is put on building a positive relationship with people, something which is often seen as a luxury in the current Social Care system, positive change can flourish. During interviews carried out by NEF, people working alongside a PTS Coach described their relationship as trusting, empowering, supportive and non-judgmental. Respondents explained they felt heard, and the relationship had a good impact on their well-being and confidence. The data backs this up, those that positively engaged with a PTS Coach improved their life satisfaction scores to that of the national average, up from before they worked alongside a PTS Coach.

“I’m not so moody all the time. I can do more stuff because I’m more confident and happier.”

Interviewee working alongside a PTS Coach, NEF Report 2021

“I like me a bit more. I’m a bit kinder to myself. I don’t blame myself when it isn’t necessary.”

Interviewee working alongside a PTS Coach, NEF Report 2021

“I have full responsibility for my life now.”

Interviewee working alongside a PTS Coach, NEF Report 2021

A practical response to the Housing Crisis

What action can we take?

Finally, we must consider housing, we cannot escape the fact that there is insufficient, genuinely affordable housing available to people that need it. A medium-term option could be to improve access to private rented accommodation. Shelter stated for a briefing in this very Hall in 2019:

“Firstly, the government must immediately lift the freeze on Local Housing Allowance (LHA) and restore rates to at least the bottom 30th percentile of the market. Secondly, the government must invest in significantly more social housing.”

The government listened two years ago and did restore rates. However, they have immediately frozen again and people are now having to live with the negative consequences of this with limited accommodation options and landlords being forced to evict tenants as their LHA doesn’t cover the cost of rent. People going through tough times continue to experience these challenges, so why are we not removing the benefit cap, removing shared room allowances and making the LHA fit for local purpose.

“I don’t get violent no more. I don’t get angry. I don’t get put in them situations now I have my own flat. I’m not aggressive I’m happy. I have safety. I have a secure home. I only let in who I chose to let in.”

Interviewee working alongside a PTS Coach, NEF Report 2021

The standard of living accommodation, rogue practices of landlords and inappropriate living solutions are yet more barriers that people going through tough times have to overcome. What would happen if we strengthened laws around the prosecution of rogue landlords, putting a stop to continuous reoffending and allowed people to freely choose where they live? Perhaps people would have a better experience and would be able to move forward with their lives.

“They gave me a room in a hotel. It was miles away. I was lonely, everyone I know is here. I didn’t know what was going on, how long I was going to be there, so I came back here.”

T, Westminster Tube Station, Wisdom from the Pandemic

“They’re talking about moving me on to private rented but I don’t want that, I want a studio council flat. You hear bad stories about private, it’s expensive and there’s no stability. If a landlord decides to sell you have to leave. I want a council flat for the stability.”

Ivano, Waterloo Bridge, Wisdom from the Pandemic

So what next?

We must see a commitment from this government to explore new ways of commissioning services, pushing local authorities to respond to their communities and their constituents and no longer commissioning services based on what funding stream they can apply for or what problems they wish to fix. People going through tough times must be able to decide what support they want and need and the state has to be ready to respond.

All public references should be linked, but if you spot anything please let us know.

Watch the Westminster Hall Debate on Rough Sleeping (Wednesday 8th September 2021) here 

1 of 9 Listening to the grassroots

“The further decision making is from people, the less likely it is that organisations can identify the right problem and find the right solutions.”

The grassroots-led nature of the PTS aims to level the power balance within organisations and presents an opportunity to listen to the experiences and nuances of person-led practice. This is done through the Wisdoms methodology which is a ‘psychology informed’ way of listening to people’s experiences without othering or steering the agenda. This deep listening and reflection ensures that the systemic barriers identified inform organisational thinking and the right problem definition.

Carrying out specific local Wisdoms enquiries with people before starting the PTS Response would bring the voices of people into the heart of the organisational understanding and instil the grassroots learning culture.

Experience has shown that we need to be strategically led by the collective voice of people and not by the latest sector backed innovation. Only through listening at a grassroots level and reflecting on the current system can we find solutions for those trapped/damaged within the social care, homelessness, mental health and criminal justice systems. We can only radically change the system when we see and feel what the problems are.

Coaches, where they are encouraged to be politicised, have the freedom to be social activists so that people we work with are less likely to blame themselves and internalise symptoms as pathology when they understand the wider context of their situations and therefore can heal from their trauma.

A Bold Move from Westminster

Former Lead Commissioner for Supported Housing and Rough Sleeper Services, Robert White, has made a bold move from Westminster City Council to join Mayday Trust, an organisation which has found that people are being institutionalised and trapped in social care systems. Robert joins Mayday as Director of Change to drive a paradigm shift throughout London and the South East, focusing on changing the systems people encounter when seeking help through tough times, such as homelessness. This new work is being funded by Oak Foundation and the Lankelly Chase Foundation, both renowned for investing in forward-thinking and radical new ideas.

Robert has spent the last six years at Westminster City Council, championing its brave and open-minded response to tackling homelessness. This includes commissioning London’s first Personal Transitions Service (PTS) team, which offers people experiencing homelessness the opportunity to work alongside a PTS Coach to recognise and build on strengths, similar to how top athletes are trained, while creating friends and connections in the local community away from homeless services.

As part of his work, Robert will continue to work with willing Local Authority Commissioner’s in London and the South East to launch the UK’s first Transitions Pilot, developing a new commissioning response for homelessness services. This new way of working will aim to eradicate the many systemic barriers people face when trying to move on from a tough time.

Robert White, Director of Change at Mayday Trust said: “Change is always daunting but seeing such progressive and confident investment from the likes of Oak Foundation and Lankelly Chase is a reassuring reminder that we are moving in the right direction. Now is the time for change, this funding further cements a joint commitment to reconstructing a system that works for the individual and I’m excited to be a part of that alongside Local Authority colleagues.”

Joe Doran, Lankelly Chase said: “This is an exciting step towards reimagining how social commissioning architecture could work for everyone. Mayday’s approach and values have disrupted how service providers work with people and we are curious to see whether using a similar methodology and the same values could have an equal effect on how those services are designed in the first place.”

Read Robert’s latest blog on his move from Westminster, or for more on Mayday’s work in London and the South East, please get in touch

Mayday is Changing!

In 2011 Mayday did something that we hadn’t done before – we deeply listened to the people working and living with us. We didn’t ask the usual questions about people’s needs or what services they thought they needed, instead, we started each conversation with a single question, what do you think of the services you receive? And then we listened. The fascinating results have been widely circulated in the form of a publication called ‘Wisdom from the Street’.

Mayday has spent the last nine years changing every aspect of what we do as a result of what we heard, learned and experienced. We have evolved a wholly new approach to tackling homelessness called the Personal Transitions Service (PTS), and we have transformed from a medium-size supported housing charity to a national influencer for strategic change.

As part of our ongoing adaptation to respond to what we learn and experience from working in a person-led way, we will be transferring our current work at Bruce House and associated properties in Westminster to Changing Lives, one of our first PTS Innovation Partners in 2017, who have adopted the PTS approach across their work and have been modelling person-led change in the North East of England. We will be continuing to work closely with Changing Lives, making the transition as seamless as possible for people currently working and living with us.

Mayday will be continuing to work in the area, as alongside Westminster City Council, has received investment to evolve a new commissioning approach. This will be built around the person and their transition through a tough time, as opposed to a system divided into silos focusing on problems. This is a very exciting next phase for the work and we will be further developing our work in London and the South East.  This change will take place on the 1st October 2020.

The reason for the change is that Mayday’s focus will now be on System Change. With a huge level of support and backed by a number of investors, we will be soon launching our new work and partnerships from across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland with individuals and organisations who share our passion in creating a new person-led system for those going through tough times, such as homelessness. So watch this space!

For information on the PTS services now offered by Changing Lives in Westminster please contact Amy.middleton@changing-lives.org.uk

Please contact marsha.rule@changing-lives.org.uk for housing referrals which are accepted via The Clearing House.

New Chair and Vice Chair for Mayday’s Board of Trustees

Mayday Trust is delighted to announce the appointment of Julie McEver as the new Chair of its Board of Trustees and Vincent Bowen as Vice Chair.

Julie McEver is Deputy Corporate Director (Programmes and Projects) at Local Partnerships with responsibility for a wide-ranging set of programmes and projects. Local Partnerships is a joint venture between the Local Government Association, HM Treasury and the Welsh Government. They occupy a unique position in the public sector, facilitating change by working impartially and collaboratively across all parts of central, local and regional government, and the devolved administrations. Julie has been with Local Partnerships since its inception and has been a Mayday Trustee for the past four years, and was voted into her new position by fellow trustees.

Mayday’s outgoing Chair, Andrew Meehan, has been instrumental in getting Mayday to where it is today. Andrew joined the Board in 2015, and, together with his fellow Trustees, led Mayday through the successful development of Personal Transitions Service and has bravely supported the mission when many would have faltered.

Vincent Bowen, a director of CMC Consulting Ltd, will take over from Stephen Brown as Vice-Chair. Stephen has kindly agreed to remain on the Board and work alongside his fellow Trustees as Mayday enters a new chapter.

Pat McArdle, Mayday CEO said: “I am delighted that Julie and Vincent will lead the next stage in Maydays development and sincerely thank Andy and Stephen for making a real difference over the last number of years.”

Mayday would like to thank all of its trustees, both present and past, for their continued support, expertise and guidance.

A Message from Pat McArdle, CEO Mayday Trust

This week the murder of George Floyd has reminded us of the institutional racism that exists not only in the US but in this Country. The oppression that is experienced by black people all over the world. Many are speaking out but the question raised within Mayday is what follows the pain and outrage

Can we create something now that survives beyond the hashtag?

I have felt distraught, ashamed that I haven’t done enough but I am determined to do more.

I am inspired by the advice of Dr. Muna Abdi:

  • Own your privilege
  • Talk about the uncomfortable
  • Be strategic in your activism
  • Figure out where and how you can do the most good
  • Start where you are
  • Ask yourself what do I want the future to look like
  • Do your research
  • Resist the white savior complex
  • Start with your own circle
  • Be brave

Reference can be found here

Mayday Trust believes that #BlackLivesMatter