This time last year I had a call from the Consultation Institute asking if I would support the North of England Commissioning Support Unit (NECS) to do some Participatory Budgeting (PB). It was a bit different to normal calls from people wanting to do PB – they didn’t have a small pot of money to[…]
This blog builds on the learning from the MutualGain networked learning and support programme which has been tested in two police forces – one large and one small. The visual above captures emerging themes from cohorts when asked what would need to happen to police with, by and for communities: what would policing look like[…]
Those that know me know that I am absolutely committed to learning; I love the idea of us all being critical friends to each other so that we can work closely with those who are providing public services on our behalf. I have been doing quite a bit of work in the NHS recently so[…]
I was challenged recently to consider how the MutualGain programme (capacity building the police to engage with the public differently) reflected a game of football. It was important for me to test this metaphor as it came from a participant of the programme: I wanted him to present with me at the Citizens in Policing[…]
How does football relate to police engagement? http://mutualgainorg.wordpress.com/?p=110
Working, children, friends, domesticity and blogging – can we really do it all I ask myself? Well in keeping with my commitment to try and blog I’m going to give it a go, but it may feel rushed when you read it. You’ll get my drift though hopefully. Everyone tells me to just write –[…]
I’ve met some amazing passionate people who share my belief that democracy is strengthened with more public and partner participation. Believers of building social capital and social networks on and off line they understand the assets within the community that are waiting to be unlocked. They know that when you focus on people, and connect[…]
I know the two aren’t distinct but what I learned this year, more than any other, are the limitations of making the language of social policy a reality. There is a lot of talk about ‘putting the community at the heart of a new way of working’: ‘localism over centralism’; ‘systems change’, ‘behavioural change’,[…]
“Mentally, I was drained; Physically, I was done; and emotionally I was dead. Now I have new life” These are the words of a resident who had no faith, trust or confidence in public services or her community. ‘From Fairy Tale to Reality’ is the title of a recent INVOLVE/RSA publication which sets out five[…]
by Dr Andrew Fisher and Susan Ritchie The last few weeks have seen some very troubling headlines for the police which raises questions about their legitimacy and the confidence that the public have in their ability to keep them safe. Despite much work being done to address the ‘confidence’ issue over the years, we know[…]
