The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations (TIHR) and Local Government Improvement and Development (LGID) worked together with Brighton and Hove City Council to explore how public services working better in partnership could help to prevent risky behaviour taking by young people.

The model we developed, which followed an earlier scoping exercise, drew on theories involving social learning where behaviour is influenced by individuals, the role of peers and surroundings. We applied a whole systems approach which sees all players in a system as having a role and an impact. Over the course of several months we worked to improve the links and dialogue between the many different agencies associated with working with young people undertaking risky behaviour to enable partners to support young people more effectively. A clearer pathway for support between agencies was established.

Context

In our earlier scoping work we explored how strategic partnerships could better support changes in behaviour in communities (in relation to a number of matters including recycling or travel behaviour). We recognised that the new norm of working in partnerships made often unexplored demands on demands on organisations and the individuals working within them, as they struggle with different norms, expectations and practices. Unclear and contested roles are sometimes reflected in policy and practice. Problems may exist in integrated service delivery, without clear messages being communicated up or down the line or successes go uncelebrated.We also noted that behaviour change in citizens is likely to require a cultural shift on the part of provider organisations so they provide the most appropriate services focused on improving outcomes, working with communities directly.Brighton and Hove took up the challenge of working with us to explore some of the issues around working with young people engaged in risky behaviours (around teenage pregnancy and substance mis-use in particular).

Objectives

• Shifting the way that departments and organisations relate to each other
• Shifting how individuals in their organisations communicated with each other and also with community members
• Developing a ‘learning community’ which champions change
• Developing capacity building to bring about solutions which are derived with and from the community
• Developing a shared understanding of how change can happen and the steps that need to be taken to secure it.

Methodology

• Engagement with a project team which would act as the main co-workers with TIHR and LGID staff
• Interviews with local partners including statutory, voluntary and community sectr, (schools, youth services, social services, CAMHS, health, community development)
• Interviews with elected Members
• Interviews with young people locally
• Action learning sets with groups of partners.

Impact

On services Following the action learning set which included staff from a Brighton school, and a number of associated agencies, a clearer pathway of support was established for young people.Individuals were better aware of roles, how they could support each other and young people and what each offered.School-based joint liaison meetings were to be established for school staff and other services to share information and learn about the support each other offer. This process likely to be extended to other city schools. It was recognised that there was still work to be done to engage key other agencies.Ongoing opportunities for training and group supervision of the schools staff including support staff were to be further developed and supported also by the Schools and Communities team.A package to be developed out of this work for dissemination with other schools, community services and the voluntary sector.On culture Though the project was short term there were indications that the work provided a valuable opportunity for agencies to connect, hold conversations with different people – branch out from the people each knew best – and begin to re-establish relationships which would support young people better. The opportunities for working with the community were in the end, limited.

Results

The vital role of middle managers in supporting the front line, in providing resilience in the face of staff anxieties and in maintaining links and contacts with other relevant agencies, was identified. Middle level links with the strategic level were also identified as important in ensuring that specific agenda are consistently prioritisedThe importance of front-line managers holding the cross-agency linkages was confirmed.It was recognised that even as resources became tighter, the importance of regular meetings of a partnership group remains essential in ensuring best outcomes for young people.

Results

The vital role of middle managers in supporting the front line, in providing resilience in the face of staff anxieties and in maintaining links and contacts with other relevant agencies, was identified. Middle level links with the strategic level were also identified as important in ensuring that specific agenda are consistently prioritisedThe importance of front-line managers holding the cross-agency linkages was confirmed.It was recognised that even as resources became tighter, the importance of regular meetings of a partnership group remains essential in ensuring best outcomes for young people.