Do public ‘services’ make things worse?Does help *actually* help?

At The Public Service Transformation Academy, we are big supporters of Good Help.

This movement and organisation support public services to give help which enables people to be more able to meet their own needs.

It’s evidence-based, it starts with helping public service employees get engaged with the difference between Good Help and bad help, and it’s practical.

>>> We’re pleased to be hosting a webinar with them on the afternoon of 10 March to highlight some brilliant work their network of local authorities has been doing. Don’t miss it. Details below! <<<

The seven characteristics of Good Help are:

1. adult-to-adult relationships of equal power
2. enabling conversations
3. tailored help
4. scaffolding-support that falls away when you no longer need it
5. role modelling and peer support
6. opportunity making
7. transparency

What do you think public services need to do to make sure the help, helps?
Do you remember a time you got help that *truly* empowered you?

Here’s the link to the webinar: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/good-help-and-covid-recovery-lessons-from-rochdale-registration-141950001275 And you can find out more about Good Help and join the movement at https://goodhelp.org.uk/what-is-good-help/

The seven-minute video clip is me talking about how to move from processing demand to helping people achieve their purposes in life — for me, this is the true work — and the joy!

You might also like to muse on this classic paper — Services are Bad for People by John McKnight http://oaklandcommunitybuilders.pbworks.com/f/Services%2520are%2520Bad%2520for%2520People.pdf — and this webinar on Cormac Russell’s Rekindling Democracy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSRAakkWNT0

Another great network in this space is A Better Way: http://betterway.network/