We live in a simultaneously challenging and encouraging
time. It is challenging as economic austerity impacts on public services and we
are faced with growing social and health problems which cannot be simply
diagnosed or easily solved. These problems have multiple causes and complex
inter-relationships. It is encouraging as we see new energy, ideas, movements
and initiatives emerging as innovative ways forward. In this era of constant
challenge and change we must keep positively focused on seeing new
possibilities and co-creating new futures. Fundamental to making this happen is
the notion of effective partnerships. hence our reference to 'co-creation' of
new futures. How can we bring together existing expertise and services in
effective, authentic and supportive partnerships to make the difference?
This post is co-authored (partnership working in
action!) by Professor Ieuan Ellis, Dean
and Pro-Vice Chancellor at Leeds Beckett University and John Walsh, Practice
Manager at York Street Health practice, part of the Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust (LCH).
In this post we outline some elements of partnerships established between York
Street Practice and Leeds Beckett University, and reflect of how partnership
working has happened and the dynamics that stimulate its work and life.
Leeds Beckett is a modern, professional regional university with a population over 2,900 staff, 28,000 students and with a firm
commitment to be a catalyst for social and economic progress in and for the region as well as making its contribution and impact nationally and
internationally. The university has been estimated to contribute over £450m to the local
economy every year. The Faculty of Health and Social Sciences is one of the
four university faculties and plays a key role in establishing and enabling
partnership working
Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust is a family of 65
community health services. This includes services such as
community dental, prison healthcare, district nursing and health visiting.
Within the trust, York Street Health Practice is the health team for people who
are homeless and in the asylum system.
The partnership between our two organisations has grown
over the past two years. It embodies a number of different facets, themes and
partnership links with other organisations which include the following
examples;
* A partnership
between York Street and academics from social work, social care and youth and community studies to create best theory and practice in working with the
marginalised, vulnerable and bringing street work perspectives. This is part of
a wider international partnership with the universities of Amsterdam, Prague
and Barcelona and involving Leeds Adult Social Care Services and so has an
integrated care approach to the teaching and development of the work. Last year
colleagues from Leeds Beckett, Leeds Adult Social Care and York Street attended
a conference in Prague with students and colleagues from these universities and
offered teaching and joint collaboration on academic perspectives. This partnership has resulted in funding for
research into York Street Practice and its model of care and how adult social care works in addressing homelessness from a street perspective in Leeds.
* Funding has been acquired to hold an international conference in Leeds on new themes in inclusion. This conference will bring
together managers, academics, organisational development specialists,
practitioners and service users to look at how we create best culture for staff
and best care for patients and carers. The conference will highlight
international, national and local ideas and practice.
* The
development of a new undergraduate course at Leeds Beckett on youth,
communities and society has York Street as key advisory partner. York Street is
presently talking to key NHS figures and organisations about ensuring this
course achieves recognition for best innovative practice and transformational
change.
* York Street is
working with Alan White, Leeds Beckett Professor in Men's Health, looking at how
we reach out to some of the most vulnerable people in the city. This
partnership work was celebrated during Men's Health week last year in
partnership with St George's Crypt. This brought wellbeing practice and health intervention to homeless men. It
offered a move away from traditional model of health consultations to one of
health conversations over food and dialogue. Health workers from LCH and other health services took part in this holistic and
co-delivered event.
* York Street is
presently discussing some mental health and wellbeing research work with
Professor White. York Street is also in discussions with Michelle Briggs, Professor of Nursing and Jane South, Professor of
Healthy Communities at Leeds Beckett, to develop ideas and map out joint-working for the future
* Paul Mackreth, a senior lecturer in community nursing at Leeds Beckett, is working with York
Street. The team will be offering teaching on leadership this year for
student district nurses.
The tripartite
partnership of Leeds Beckett, York Street and St Georges Crypt has helped
inform the work of CommUNity, a Leeds
Beckett community campus partnership. This is an initiative that builds sustainable
partnerships between voluntary/community organisations and Leeds Beckett with an emphasis on projects focused on health and wellbeing. The
overarching goal is to find new, more effective ways to improve health and
reduce health inequalities in communities. Combining the resources and
knowledge of community organisations with those of the university creates
benefits for both partners: it improves knowledge exchange and gives staff from
both sectors access to different sources of expertise, widens participation and
opens up opportunities for students and research.
In reflecting how and why this work happens, a number of
key elements come through, three of them described here.
To start with there is a shared purpose and vision. The
key people involved have moved beyond 'silo' thinking and working to what Kate
Cowie, the social change specialist, would term 'a world centric view'. This view
is panoramic. This vision is one that respects different disciplines and seeks
to create a meeting point for them to develop and learn together. It is an
explicit recognition that we work better together and can only deeply learn
from and each other in listening dialogue. It looks outward and is open to the
new. This provides the framework and field for the work and ideas to appear.
The focus has always been on something bigger than ourselves. It has been what
can support best health and care interventions with homeless and vulnerable
people.
The second key to this successful partnership is that it
is capable of creating positive and creative space. We may all have attended
meetings where there is no freshness or innovation or inspiration. The joint
meetings between Leeds Beckett and York Street have been places of trust,
openness and clarity. They have been where it is possible to test and sift
ideas and options. We would venture that one key ingredient here has been that
the participants haven't seen partnerships as what we can get but more about
what we can all contribute to the common good.
A third key aspect of this fruitful partnership has been
the human element. Support, kindness, humour and respect have marked the work
and tell us that partnerships are fundamentally not just about what we do but
who we are. They offer the possibility to bring our best gifts to the present.
As this new year of 2015 starts we will continue on this
road of trying to create a health and education partnership that makes the
difference in our city and beyond. This post is a sign and witness to that
commitment. We believe we are only at the start of a journey that offers potent
and engaging models of how we can all work and learn together. This offers
something for all of us. It also offers a future.
John Walsh, Practice Manager, York Street Health Practice
Professor Ieuan Ellis, Dean Faculty of Health and Social Sciences & Pro-Vice Chancellor, Leeds Beckett University
