The 'TOGETHER' plan

One of the areas I have been working on recently is bringing communities and business together.

I thought after speaking to several businesses and people recently over the positivity of communities and its citizens taking back the responsibility of supporting itself I would show some of the work developed by Valued Care Solutions.

TOGETHER is a word that I have used often when working with businesses and their services so it was from that word that the TOGETHER plan was developed.

So what is the TOGETHER plan………

So what does the breakdown of TOGETHER mean, in short it is:

Trust – At the start of any commitment to working together and affecting positive change trust is essential. Having the confidence to place trust in yourself and others will ensure that developing change in communities has a solid base from which to nurture and grow.

Optimism – The key to supporting a community to create a model of real change is having an overall sense of optimism and positivity. Having these attributes guarantees that any obstacles are viewed positively and new ways of achieving outcomes are established.

Giving – A major part of creating a community is in understanding each individual’s positive assets and how these can be positively nurtured. The gift of ‘giving’ is truly inspirational and should always be supported and valued every step of way.

Engagement – Vital to the whole process is positive and respectful engagement. Understanding your community, its citizens, businesses and the natural environment will ensure that your channel of engagement will always be progressive. Be clear at all stages of communications that there could be one channel of engagement or several hundred dependent on the community supported.

Transition – Often overlooked dependent on outcomes of supported communities’, transition is paramount. A positive community is one that is supported ‘Cradle to Grave’ creating well-being for all. This is achieved by understanding how a citizen transitions through their community at every stage of their life.

Honesty – For too long where change is involved individuals and groups have stated ‘Yes, that can be done’ only for the doing part to be unachievable or to never get implemented. This is why honesty is crucial in supporting the change to positive communities. It is ok to say “I can’t do that” because there will be something else just as vital you WILL be able to!

Energy – In creating communities that have positive well-being and happiness at their very core energy is vital. Supporting each individual citizen and their community, energy is essential to sustain those communities coming and staying together.

Reflection – Finally positive reflection is vital in communities coming together and using continuous development to move forward. Use of solution focussed outcomes, community asset based approaches and individual person centred plans can create creating positive communities.

This has worked really well so far with the individuals I have been working with and I am really looking forward to progress this further over the coming months.

I would love your comments as always and please if you would like to talk or find out more about the TOGETHER plan please get in touch.

Take Care

Stephen

“With hope and belief there are no limitations” 

What is it that you do?

A friend asked me the other day what do you do with your business? On the same day I was attempting to fill out the forms for the Red Rose Awards 2014 and indeed asked myself the same question - What is it that Valued Care Solutions or more importantly, I do?

I have always found it very difficult to put down on paper what VCS does and what value it has in supporting providers/businesses in service and indeed this still proves a small irksome issue.

However coming back to my friend who asked me what I do, I used my stock answer of “It’s difficult really to explain properly you almost need to see it in practice”. Now I could see the befuddled (love that word) look on my friends face but instead of the usual “Oh” response my friend came back with “Well paint me a picture then”

Now, that was different I thought and began to speak about what I do and how this affects the business I support. Again I could see my friend in a state of confusion, wherein they stopped me and said I don’t know what you’re talking about is there any way you can explain it without the terminology.

I had to really think now and then I had an idea, I’ll use my love of baking to explain so here is what I said –

“Think about the start of getting ready to bake a cake.

The providers and businesses I support have the ingredients to make their cake. Ingredients could be staff, policies, processes or ideas of provisions to people. What they don’t always have is ALL the ingredients, so your deluxe chocolate cake becomes a plain sponge cake. I support them to find those additional ingredients, like finding their positive assets, community assets, person centred recruitment, new policies or processes and new ways of working to support communities and its people”.

“Ah I see” they said with a smile, which made me happy so I continued –

“Sometimes the providers and businesses have all the ingredients however don’t know how to bake the cake so they end up with a very soggy bottom (Thanks Mr Hollywood for that one). So I facilitate support like person centred planning, staff health surveillance, developing continuous business improvement, customer/staff/stakeholders engagement and communication and developing the way in which the service is delivery across the communities supported”.

“Then there are occasions when the providers and businesses have all the ingredients and know how it should be baked but don’t have the confidence or the equipment/appliance to bake the cake. Here I support through positive mentoring for management and staff and also facilitate partnership working with appropriate community supports/businesses in order to achieve their outcomes of service”.

“So I guess what I am saying is that dependent on what, after listening carefully to and working with the provider or business is needed, is what cake you get at the end, see?”

After listening to me and nodding, smiling and laughing along with what I was saying my friend said “So I get it now and to use your analogy you are the Baker supporting these cakes being baked”

Now it was my turn to look befuddled (still makes me smile) but after a moment or two I said –

“No, I’m not the baker, you know what I am, I am an enabler I am the recipe book that I can leave with the provider/business (the bake) to put all the ingredient (services) together perfectly to bake the best practice quality supports possible -

I hope after reading this you get a flavour of what Valued Care Solutions does or even if I have just made you hungry for cake I have made you smile, which is what life is all about.

Would love your comments

Till next time

“With hope and belief there are no limitations”

Stephen