INSIGHT Conference Delegate Pack

WHEN

24th November 9:45am - 15:30pm

INSIGHT CONFERENCE

WHERE

Kings Hall Town Hall, Kings Way Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 1JH

2015

FEATURING DELEGATE PACK

MARKET PLACE Visit the stalls Learn about services Share experience Networking Look for opportunities

VIDEO BOOTH Do a piece to camera Tell us what you think Share your story Pitch an idea Answer a question

WORKSHOPS Twitter: #INSIGHT2015 WiFi:

Guest-Stoke WELCOME

Wear your thinking hat Share experience Discuss ideas Drive improvement Help change systems

AWARDS Recognising success Rewarding commitment Challenging stigma Changing cultures Sharing positive practice

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INSIGHT CONFERENCE WHEN

24th November 9:45am - 15:30pm

AGENDA

WHERE

9:45

Town Hall, Kings Way Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 1JH

Kings Hall

ARRIVAL & REGISTRATION Tell us that you’re here, grab a drink, make a video, and network in the market place

10:30 WELCOME & SPEAKERS The Lord Mayor of the City of Stoke-on-Trent, Cllr Jean Bowers Darren Murinas, Chair of Expert Citizens Alice Evans, Director of Systems Change, Lankelly Chase Margy Woodhead, Patient & Public Engagement, Stoke CCG Danny Flynn, Chief Executive, YMCA North Staffs

11:15

WORKSHOPS Put on your thinking hats to help transform Stoke-on-Trent

12:15

LUNCH Eat lunch, grab a drink, make a video, and network in the market place

FEATURING MARKET PLACE Visit the stalls Learn about services Share experience Networking Look for opportunities

VIDEO BOOTH

13:00 INSIGHT AWARDS We recognise the achievements and positive practice of professionals working with people experiencing multiple needs in five categories: • Welcoming People • Listening to People • Learning from People • • Leading Change • Outstanding Recognition Award •

Do a piece to camera Tell us what you think Share your story Pitch an idea Answer a question

WORKSHOPS

14:30 CONCLUDING REMARKS Mike Wolfe, VOICES Partnership Board, Chair Darren Murinas, Chair of Expert Citizens

14:45 NETWORKING Make a video about your experience, and network in the market place

15:30 CLOSE

Wear your thinking hat Share experience Discuss ideas Drive improvement Help change systems

AWARDS Recognising success Rewarding commitment Challenging stigma Changing cultures Sharing positive practice

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INSIGHT CONFERENCE

“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”

Maya Angelou

CONTENTS

Maya Angelou

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

PAGE

The Lord Mayor of the City of Stoke-on-Trent, Cllr Jean Bowers

5

Darren Murinas, Chair of Expert Citizens

6

Alice Evans, Director of Systems Change, Lankelly Chase

7

Margy Woodhead, Patient & Public Engagement, Stoke CCG

8

Danny Flynn, Chief Executive, YMCA North Staffs

9

Mike Wolfe, VOICES Partnership Board, Chair

10

WORKSHOPS People Powered Change

11

Fair Access to Services

11

Vulnerability and the Appearance of Need

11

A Local Approach to Housing First

11

Supporting Primary Care Professionals

11

Discharge from Prison and Hospital

12

Mental Ill-Health and Substance Misuse

12

Evaluating Services

12

Systems Change

12

Born in 1928, Maya Angelou became a celebrated poet, memoirist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist with over 50 honourary doctoral degrees.

Her acclaimed book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1970), was originally banned in schools due to its candidness about the sexual abuse she experienced as a child. However, it succeed in opening up this taboo and was later a standard course text.

Earlier in life Maya had experienced drug misuse, abuse, worked as a table dancer, and as madam for prostitutes.

When asked about that time she said, “you have to forgive yourself.”

INSIGHT AWARD NOMINATIONS Welcoming people

13

Listening to people

14

Learning from people

15

Leading others

16

Outstanding recognition award

17

MARKET PLACE Exhibitors

18 President Barack Obama presents Maya Angelou with the Presidential Medal of Freedom (The highest possible accolade for civilians in peacetime)

4

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

“It is a tremendous honour for me to represent the city in this way – the city that I was born in, live in, and worked in. I am very passionate about Stoke-onTrent and its residents.”

The Lord Mayor of the City of Stoke-on-Trent

Cllr Jean Bowers Councillor Bowers was first elected in 2000. She served for four consecutive terms until 2011.

Jean then became a Councillor again after winning a seat for the Birches Head and Central Forest Park ward in which she lives.

Jean’s first taste of employment came in the pottery industry, where at age 15, she learnt the art of gold stamping gilt edging on all forms of tableware. She went on to work in the industry for five years, before a change of career to study theology.

Jean then swapped the text books for stethoscopes and thermometers as her career took in first nursing and then adult social care – a role that saw her become matron at a city run care home, where she says her love of the elderly blossomed.

Jean also held senior management roles at probation centres in Reading and Skelmersdale for a total of four years – the only time in her professional career she has been based outside Stoke-on-Trent.

Before retiring, Jean was an education welfare officer, serving a number of schools in the city.

Jean said: “It is a tremendous honour for me to represent the city in this way – the city that I was born in, live in, and worked in. I am very passionate about Stoke-on-Trent and its residents.”

Jean also has a love of animals, and in particular her two cocker spaniels and Yorkshire terrier.

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Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent was officially granted city status in 1925, with a Lord Mayor from 1928.

When the county borough of Stoke-on-Trent initially applied for city status in 1925, citing its importance as the centre of the pottery industry, it was refused by the Home Office as it had fewer than 300,000 inhabitants.

The decision was overturned, however, when a direct approach was made to King George V, who agreed that the borough ought to be a city.

The public announcement of the elevation to city status was made by the King during a visit to Stoke on 4 June 1925.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

“The last 12 months have been amazing. I’ve been on Radio 4, I’m helping to lead VOICES as Chair of Expert Citizens. I’ve been helping others to tell their stories through short films. I hope that can help change attitudes towards multiple needs.”

Chair of Expert Citizens

Darren Murinas Darren lived in the mixed up world of multiple needs for almost 30 years. At six, he was sent to a special needs school for a ‘short time’ because of his visual impairment. That ‘short time’ lasted 11 years which he describes as a lonely experience.

After leaving school, Darren found himself caught in the world of alcohol and drug use which, over time, turned into addiction. From there, things got more out of hand. He spent 20 years involved in organised crime to fund his addiction. Finally, Darren went to prison for conspiracy to supply class A drugs in 2010. There he recognised that his activities had affected the lives of many others and he determined to make a change.

Feedback

Released from prison in 2013, Darren initially found himself homeless and penniless. Avoiding a return to a life of crime, Darren accepted help from local charities. Along with others, he took the opportunity to volunteer with helping to put together a bid to the Big Lottery Fund for what was to become the VOICES project. Their work helped to attract an investment of nearly £10m from the Big Lottery Fund for Stoke-onTrent to help people with multiple needs. That group of volunteers grew to be the Expert Citizens and are becoming a key reference group in Stoke-on-Trent for homelessness, mental ill-health, addiction, and offending.

“When you harness the voices of people who have lived experience you unleash and incredibly powerful force.”

Since then Darren has made an enormous contribution to VOICES and, with others, the development of Expert Citizens. He featured on BBC Radio 4 talking about his story and has also spoken about multiple needs on local radio. In 2015, he was on a shortlist of just five people for the Guardian’s prestigious volunteer of the year award as well as being a runner up in the Stoke Sentinel’s Our Heroes awards. Darren’s blogs have featured on the Guardian Social Care network and the Big Lottery Fund website. Last year he gave evidence to a Parliamentary Select Committee in support of a prominent report.

“Health services should be listening to Expert Citizens… Get them in to Commissioning Boards and CCGs.”

Darren is a trustee of the Lankelly Chase Foundation and recently did the voiceover for a high profile animation highlighting the issues faced by people experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage.

6

“Some of the initiatives— especially the Golden Ticket and Expert Citizens should be national schemes.”

“There are some fantastic people out there who have bounced back from significant situations. I am in awe of them!”

NHS Aspiring Directors October 2015

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

“I found that even though we were often talking about the same person, we were coming at their problems from different angles.”

Director of Systems Change Lankelly Chase

Multiple Disadvantage

Alice Evans What attracted you to Lankelly Chase?

It was while I was working with homeless people that I realised that single approaches to homelessness, mental health and drugs issues were not the best way to help people.

I found that even though we were often talking about the same person, we were coming at their problems from different angles – our help was not joined up, and the person we were trying to help would end up feeling powerless.

This made me realise the whole system needed reforming, starting with the needs of the individual and their family. This is something that I feel incredibly passionately about. All of us have a personal story that has influenced our thinking or our journey to here, and this is definitely true of me, so when I saw this job advertised, I knew I wanted to be part of Lankelly Chase’s work. Most importantly, I knew this would give me an opportunity to connect people and see how all the voices could be heard.

Ask me about… systems change; the involvement of people with lived experience on their terms; grants associated with systems change, our residentials and communications and my beautiful lean mean orange dream machine – my VW camper.

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People facing severe and multiple disadvantage have been pushed to the extreme margins of UK society.

Lankelly Chase wants to change this by supporting innovative work aimed at helping everyone to lead rewarding lives.

Services that should help often struggle to address multiple problems because they are set up to deal with only one.

This fragmented approach ignores the way different issues connect with, and exacerbate, each other and it quickly loses sight of the person or family who is facing them.

This may seem like a bad time to try and change things as spending cuts put enormous pressure on both the public and voluntary sectors. But, changing practice and systems can save money as well as lives. It’s pushing people endlessly from pillar to post that costs money.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

“Patient Congress has worked collaboratively with Healthwatch … We have valued the extra dimension that this relationship has brought.”

Patient & Public Involvement Stoke-on-Trent CCG (Lay Member) & Chair of the Patient Congress

Margy Woodhead Margy has a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience in education, health - especially mental health with children, adolescents and adults as well as project and performance management, commissioning, communication, and community engagement.

She is a trustee for The Dove Service - a charity working with people who have suffered bereavement and life changing illness.

Margy is committed to ensure community members’ views are voiced, heard and responded to throughout the planning, development and delivery of services.

She is committed to working with a broad spectrum of community representatives to ensure the CCG honours its commitment to involve patients and the public in the planning, delivery, prioritisation and review of services and is held accountable for what it does.

“Patient Congress has worked collaboratively with Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent throughout the year. We have valued the extra dimension that this relationship has brought. It helps to give us assurance as we strive to meet the needs of most vulnerable groups to provide positive health outcomes. Healthwatch has been actively involved in the local NHS Call to Action and helped to ensure the widest possible voice was heard at our events. We view this as a symbiotic relationship and look forward to working together in the future.”

8

Patient Congress The role of the Congress is to ensure the patient voice is at the centre of strategic decisionmaking by interacting at all levels within the organisation.

For example, through their regular bi-monthly meetings and by sitting on many other committees within the CCG such as those concerned with planning, prioritisation, and quality.

Congress members will normally be expected to have some previous involvement with a local voluntary organisation, condition support group, or be able to show an active interest in local health issues.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

“There are some people who never get an appropriate opportunity... I don't think it's because they're lazy – I think they just give up on trying to build a more fulfilling life as the structural barriers for them can be too hard.”

Chief Executive YMCA North Staffs

Daniel Flynn Daniel has been CEO of YMCA North Staffordshire since January 2003 and in that time the organisation has grown by all measures.

Currently the YMCA serves 1600 individuals per month from across North Staffordshire.

He has spent the vast majority of the last 30 years working in the charitable sector developing charitable business providing solutions for individual who are or at risk of homelessness. Currently he is delivering the vision of a Young person’s village or youth campus and has secured £7.1m to deliver a 21st Century youth hub for the city.

In the last year he has been working with a House of Lords committee set up by the office of the third sector looking at building relationships between private sector and third sector. Daniel has also been working with the Centre for Social Justice helping to influence and develop social policy.

Daniel sits on a number of boards and directorships and is currently a member of the Governance Transition Board appointed by John Heeley Minister of DCLG in 2009. Daniel also works nationally and internationally for the YMCA. The service offer at the YMCA has grown. Services are delivered in three major areas including housing and support, training and employment Services, and families and communities staying connected. In 2014, YMCA North Staffordshire won the prestigious YMCA of the Year competition beating 140 rivals and released a Christmas single with Kirsty Bertarelli recorded at the legendary Abbey Road studios. This year the service featured in a BBC Panorama documentary highlighting the plight of young vulnerable people.

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CHAIR BIOGRAPHY

“I am convinced by our early achievements that our new way of working will result in services that are more person centred, effective and empowering.�

VOICES Partnership Board Chair

Mike Wolfe Mike has been Chair of the VOICES Partnership Board since its inception. Through this role he has supplied invaluable oversight, advice and support to Expert Citizens and the VOICES project.

Mike is a self-employed consultant developing people, places and policies, mainly for voluntary sector organisations.

He is a board member of a commercial property company and serves as a humanist funeral celebrant. Until recently Mike wrote a weekly column in The Sentinel. He holds an honorary doctorate from Staffordshire University and is a visiting lecturer there in regeneration studies.

Mike is also Chair of the Brighter Futures board after having joined in 2007. He was the first Elected Mayor of The City of Stoke-on-Trent and from 1980-2002 served as Chief Executive of Stoke-on-Trent Citizens Advice Bureau.

Expert Citizens & VOICES Expert Citizens and VOICES are working together to promote improvement in the way local organisations coordinate their work to help people experiencing multiple needs through their journey of recovery.

A key method of achieving this is by listening to people with direct experience of multiple needs and coordinating services around the issues they describe.

Working through the VOICES partnership we aim to fundamentally change services for people with multiple needs via mutual support, cooperation, and shared learning.

To do so it will be necessary to illustrate the often avoidable frustrations and setbacks that people experience as well as their stories of success.

10

WORKSHOPS The conference includes a range of workshops. These are designed to give you an opportunity to help Expert Citizens influence the future of services in Stoke-on-Trent for people with multiple needs.

Delegates have been allocated to workshops. The aim is to stimulate a broad discussion from the various professional and disciplinary perspectives. We recognize that some delegates may have a preference for a particular workshop.

Therefore, if you would rather have attended a different workshop, kindly identify a person to swap with at your preferred table.

PEOPLE POWERED CHANGE

care services. This workshop

Users of services bring an

looks at what, if anything, needs

expertise in their lived

to happen to ensure that

experience of the services they

Stoke-on-Trent leads

need and their lives in general.

implementation of the changes.

This workshop will look at how producers of services throughout

A LOCAL APPROACH TO HOUSING FIRST

the commissioning cycle.

Housing First is the principle

people can be empowered as co-

that access to the appropriate

FAIR ACCESS TO SERVICES

services and recovery is often

People with multiple needs often

dependent on securing suitable

feel isolated and excluded from

housing. This workshop will look

the services they need. This

at what a system of Housing First

workshop looks at what could be

would look like in Stoke-on-Trent.

done to address perceptions of exclusion and move toward more inclusive services.

SUPPORTING PRIMARY CARE PROFESSIONALS Health care professionals deliver

VULNERABILITY AND THE APPEARANCE OF NEED

vital interventions for people

Recent legal changes and case

workshop will look at what more

law have affected the way that

could be done to support primary

people with multiple needs are

health care professionals in their

assessed for housing and social

important role.

with multiple needs. This

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“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.�

Arnold Bennett Author

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.�

William Shakespeare

WORKSHOPS DISCHARGE FROM PRISON AND HOSPITAL

EVALUATING SERVICES

Transition from a high care

involving people with lived

setting to the community is

experience of multiple needs in

recognised as a key moment for

the evaluation of services and

people with multiple needs. This

how this can help identify good

workshop looks at what can be

practice to drive improvement.

done to make the process more effective and maximise the likelihood of delivering a successful transition.

This workshop will look at

SYSTEMS CHANGE The workshops will be preceded by a short presentation looking at systems change and what it

MENTAL ILL-HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE MISUSE

means in the context of multiple

People with co-occurring mental

other Fulfilling Lives partnerships.

needs in Stoke-on-Trent and the

ill-health and substance misuse often find it difficult to access the services they need. This workshop will look at what can be done to achieve more accessible services.

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AWARD NOMINATIONS WELCOMING PEOPLE AWARD Nominees in this category have demonstrated that they welcome people with multiple needs warmly.

Encouraging participation with positive engagement that focuses on the assets and aspirations of people in need.

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Maya Angelou Poet & Writer

Amy Collier Senior Practitioner, Brighter Futures Amy showed enormous flexibility in her work with a multiple needs customer. This included a willingness to meet the customer everyday at their own accommodation. Amy worked hard to ensure that the person would feel supported, confident, and welcome at her service.

She was not discouraged by the days that the customer didn’t feel up to working with her. Instead, Amy seized on the good days to build rapport, trust and optimism. This enabled the person to remain engaged in Amy’s services while addressing issues around poor mental health, addiction, and unsuitable accommodation.

Chris Fieldhouse Nurse Consultant, North Staffs Combined Healthcare Trust

EXPERT CITIZEN INSIGHT EVALUATIONS Expert Citizens are working with services to perform evaluations against a set of service standards called The Golden Ticket.

There are four levels of achievement in the standards which are welcoming, listening, learning, and leading.

Chris applies his expertise in solution focused practice with patients experiencing multiple needs. By focusing on patients strengths and assets, Chris is able turn these in to advantages that help people experiencing mental ill-health and addiction rather than merely focusing on the negatives. This builds rapport, confidence, trust and optimism with patients and fellow professionals.

Services receive an evaluation report and, depending on their level of achievement, a logo that can be displayed in the service.

Staffordshire Police

Welcoming services treat people with dignity and respect as well as valuing the contribution of Expert Citizens. They make people with multiple needs feel welcome.

Inspector Jason Allport (representing) There were so many nominations of officers from Staffordshire Police that Expert Citizens found it impossible to distinguish between them.

Such was the strength of the response that Expert Citizens felt that this reflected a wider culture of welcoming and joint working to help people with multiple needs. However, specific mentions go to Burslem and Longton Community Policing teams as well as Stoke-onTrent Integrated Offender Management. A specific example of this culture includes two officers that took the time to work with a Solution Focused Practitioner in relation to the most appropriate means of engaging with an individual that had come their attention in a local town centre. They took an active part in coaching for a psychologically informed intervention and applied the learning in their activity with the individual.

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WELCOMING

LISTENING TO PEOPLE AWARD Nominees in this category have demonstrated that they listen to people with multiple needs actively with a view to changing services to make them even more effective.

“Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening.”

Larry King Entertainer

Dr. Ajmal Hussain General Practitioner (GP), NHS Dr. Hussain used his valuable time and active listening to understand the situation of a young person with multiple needs that was isolated from both services and the benefit system. By creating the time and flexibility to work with the person’s Service Coordinator and others involved in the Coordination Plan as valued professionals, Dr. Hussain made a significant contribution that enabled the person to access other services and benefits which substantially improved their conditions and wellbeing.

Chris Clews Education Training & Employment Coordinator, One Recovery

LISTENING

Chris listened actively to feedback from customers and partners about the process for accessing the centre in Newcastle-u-Lyme. Not only did Chris listen, but applied the learning to streamline the assessment process to be more accessible, welcoming, and focused on positives.

In addition to all the characteristics of welcoming services, listening services actively seek the views of people with multiple needs and Expert Citizens. This is with a view to making their services even better and more accessible to people experiencing multiple needs.

Marie Smith Resettlement Support Worker, Brighter Futures Marie has demonstrated active listening which has been used to understand clearly the needs and strengths of people with multiple needs accessing supported accommodation. This solution-based approach has meant that the service has housed people that had faced difficulty accessing accommodation elsewhere. Expert Citizens were impressed by the flexibility of the service and Marie’s determination to avoid exclusion even when things have become difficult.

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LEARNING FROM PEOPLE AWARD Nominees in this category have demonstrated that they use active listening to learn from people with multiple needs and change their services as a result. Alternatively, nominees have demonstrated their ability to teach others the skills they need to learn to work even more effectively with people experiencing multiple needs.

“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”

Pablo Picasso Artist

Karen Dunn & Steve Mountford Specialist Welfare Benefits Advisors, Stoke & Staffordshire CAB Karen and Steve have worked alongside VOICES and Expert Citizens as benefits champions. They have been working alongside Service Coordinators, Expert Citizens, volunteers and customers to advocate their rights. They have transferred some of their skills which has helped people with multiple needs maximize their income. This has been extremely valuable leading to income stabilisation for a great many people and a significant improvement in their condition and wellbeing.

Lucy Nicholson Mental Health Nurse, North Staffs Combined Healthcare Trust Expert Citizens noted Lucy’s tremendous determination to engage a person with multiple needs in the mental health services they needed. The person had been reluctant to work with Lucy and the situation was deteriorating leading the person to abandon their accommodation and risk street homelessness. However, Lucy was persistent and waited for the person to be ready to accept treatment.

At this point, the ground had already been prepared by Lucy so that there was quick access to services. The person recovered from the crisis, engaged with services, and is making consistent progress.

Sue Herman Health Care Support Worker Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Partnership Trust Sue’s nomination stuck out to Expert Citizens as an example learning through experience while applying flexibility, resilience, and determination. Sue has used her years of experience to develop a holistic approach to practice that ensures even customers that may present with difficult behaviours remain included so that their health needs are managed or met. Expert Citizens noted that people with even the most complex needs engaged with Sue’s treatment and appreciated her non-judgemental, personable, and caring approach.

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LEARNING In addition to the characteristics of welcoming and listening, learning services are applying their understanding to make services even more effective for people with multiple needs. They involve people with multiple needs in evaluating the improvements and are striving to become leaders.

LEADING OTHERS AWARD Nominees in this category are leading others in good practice for people with multiple needs. They are setting a benchmark for colleagues to follow and generously passing on the skills and experience that they have developed.

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”

John F. Kennedy Former President

Jane Morton Community Matron for the Homeless Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Partnership Trust

LEADING

Jane is widely recognized across the City for her outstanding work with people experiencing multiple needs over many years. Expert Citizens noted Jane’s leadership in ensuring that those often furthest away from accessing physical health care get the treatment they need — when and where they need it. As well as leading others by example, Jane passes on her expertise by teaching student nurses and other healthcare professionals. As Community Matron for the Homeless in Stoke-on-Trent, Jane has been an innovator of health services being delivered on an outreach bases to some of the most vulnerable people in the City.

In addition to all the characteristics of welcoming, listening, and learning, leading services are actively sharing their good practice with others to widen inclusion for people with multiple needs.

Jenni Berry

If you would like your service or organisation to benefit from an INSIGHT evaluation by Expert Citizens, please contact us via:

Aquarius, Hospital Discharge Worker Expert Citizens appreciated how Jenni used her role to work with people experiencing multiple needs and other professionals across a range of disciplines. Jenni has helped to arrange for people to receive detox services in mental health settings to tackle co-occurring substance misuse and mental ill-health. As well as advocating for people, Jenni leads by example when adopting an outreach approach so that people can access the service where and when they feel most comfortable.

Martin Hill Specialist Social Worker, North Staffs Combined Healthcare Trust Martin works with people experiencing multiple needs on a daily basis as part of the Criminal Justice Mental Health team. Expert Citizens noted Martin’s leadership in advocating for people with multiple needs to access the services that they need. Martin’s emphasis on the presenting needs, working with other professionals, rather than an overreliance on formal diagnosis has enabled access to services that would otherwise have been difficult. This has directly benefited people experiencing co-occurring mental ill-health, addiction, and offending behaviours.

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GET YOUR OWN INSIGHT EVALUATION

insight@expertcitizens.org.uk

“I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.”

OUTSTANDING RECOGNITION AWARD Nominees in this category are drawn from the wider community having shown interest in and commitment to people experiencing multiple needs.

Louisa May Alcott Novelist

Les Brigham Driving Instructor, AA Driving School Les worked closely with a VOICES Service Coordinator to help a person with multiple needs through a series of driving lessons and the driving test. Expert Citizens appreciated the flexibility Les showed and the extra time he gave. A life long ambition was achieved when the person passed their driving test in October 2015 increasing their employment prospects greatly.

Premier Inn Lisa Henshall, Operational Manager (Representing) When Rick Rose-Coulthard, Stoke-on-Trent Manager, discovered a VOICES business card he decided to find out more and called the number. This led to a meeting and a developing relationship where people recovering from multiple needs have benefited from work placements with the hotel giant. Not only has this generated valuable work experience, but in one case has resulted in permanent paid employment. However, Rick and Lisa have gone further. They are currently working with Expert Citizens and VOICES to raise awareness of multiple needs among their staff team and beyond through activities including the production of a video.

Steve Freeman Solution Focused Practitioner Steve is a tour-de-force of solution focus and resource-based therapy. As well as providing clinical supervision to front-line staff and volunteers, Steve is helping to lead Communities of Practice. He has been a constant and consistent source of advice in case work , practice, and in navigating services. Steve is generous in his willingness to pass on his skills to help staff and volunteers focus on solutions in difficult situations that might otherwise be overwhelming with their challenges. Expert Citizens and VOICES place enormous value on Steve’s work as well as his public support for their work through avenues such as social media.

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OUTSTANDING RECOGNITION AWARD Expert Citizens decided to add this category to the awards in order to recognise the contributions of people that are not necessarily working directly in the voluntary or public sector.

MARKET PLACE EXHIBITORS

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember.

Involve me and I learn.”

The market place brings together many of the services in Stoke-on-Trent that are working with Expert Citizens, VOICES, and others to help and empower people with multiple needs. This is a valuable opportunity to network and understand what opportunities there are for mutual advantage in this important area of work.

EXHIBITOR

Benjamin Franklin Founding Father of the USA

TABLE

Arch

1

Borderlines

2

Brighter Futures

3

Changes

4

Florence House

5

Hanley Health and Wellbeing Centre

6

Healthwatch (Stoke)

7

Healthwatch (Staffordshire)

8

Homestart

9

Lifeworks Staffordshire

10

North Staffordshire Carers Association

11

North Staffs Mind

12

Accommodation, support, and advice New Vic Theatre, saving lives through theatre Housing and support for independent and fulfilled lives User led mental health recovery Rehabilitation Unit, North Staffs Combined Healthcare NHS Doctor’s surgery and walk-in centre

Helping people to speak up about health services Helping people to speak up about health services Supporting families and young children Supporting people living with Autism and Asperger's Helping unpaid carers with information and support Promoting and protecting mental health for all

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“Don't find fault, find a remedy.”

Henry Ford American Industrialist

EXHIBITOR

TABLE

North Staffs Users Group

13

One Recovery Staffordshire

14

Performance Through People

15

Saltbox

16

Savana

17

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service

18

Stoke-on-Trent Food Bank

19

Staffordshire North and Stoke-on-Trent CAB

20

Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Housing Options

21

Stoke-on-Trent College

22

VOICES

23

YMCA North Staffordshire

24

Working for better mental health services Addiction and dependency solutions Training and apprenticeships

Services that support vulnerable people Services for people experienced sexual violence or abuse Keeping people safe from fire Distributing donated food

Holistic advice to solve people’s problems Accommodation and free housing advice Transforming lives through learning

Coordinating services, promoting change for multiple needs Developing young people and communities

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FLOOR PLANS

“Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”

DELEGATE SEATING PLAN Here

“Do the right thing.

It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”

Mark Twain

www.expertcitizens.org.uk @ExpertCitizens info@expertcitizens.org.uk 20

Mark Twain American Author