Conversations that change lives
Partners4Change are working with local authorities and the NHS to ignite a social and health care revolution together.
We believe passionately that if people working in social and health care change the conversations they have with people, families and communities, and with each other, their conversations genuinely can change lives.
Our values – that define us, unite us and shape how we work
Listening
We listen hard, have honest conversations, work as equals not experts, and build relationships based on trust, kindness and respect.
Identity
We see people, not labels.
We believe in the rights of all people to choose how they want to live.
Innovation
We do not accept the status quo. We challenge, experiment, tell stories, have fun, and never stop learning.
Why it’s time for a revolution
We know the current national and local social and health care systems are massively bureaucratic, process-driven ‘conveyor-belts’, where people and their families struggle to have a voice, managers and staff feel overwhelmed in trying to sustain a broken system, costs are rising, and the money is fast running out.
We also know that integrating a broken health care system with an equally broken social care system won’t work. And while the sector is crying out for a sustainable funding solution, money alone is not the answer.
If we want real change, we need to be radical.
Our story of hope
We’re working with local authorities and the NHS to replace the traditional ‘assessment for services’ culture with The Three Conversations® – an approach that focuses on what really matters to people, in their families and their communities.
We offer our partner organisations a relationship of support, challenge, coaching and mentoring. Our structured approach involves a commitment to co-design, innovation, engagement and reflection, and is focused on making lasting change happen quickly.
This work is challenging but it’s also a lot of fun – breathing new life and enthusiasm into everyone involved.
It really is a story of hope.
Reflections of a Support Worker in Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council
“P4C and the 3Cs has really opened the door to a better way of working for me, with a real emphasis on listening to people at the heart of it. I find I’m more confident to enable people to set the agenda rather than me concentrating on filling out an assessment form. And I’m finding that our processes are more streamlined now, so I spend less time in front of a computer and more time in face-to-face contact with people.
I am able to get a much deeper understanding of what matters most to people and who is important to them. Often it is the seemingly small things such as ensuring a beloved pet gets a daily walk or having the energy and motivation to shower independently.
I feel like an equal partner, working with people to help them to find solutions to their issues and concerns and to lead their best possible life, rather than just telling them what services they are entitled to. The emphasis on creating strong connections has also enhanced my working relationships with colleagues in other parts of the council and the wider community. And I’ve had some lovely feedback from people who say they have regained a sense of hope and feel I have been able to understand them as individuals.”
It’s better for people and families, better for staff and better for budgets too
As we work with an increasing number of organisations, we continue to gather compelling evidence to demonstrate that The Three Conversations® works for the people and families who just want to get on with their lives, and for those working in the sector. And because it works better for people, their reliance on formal care significantly reduces, so it works better for budgets too.