It’s fascinating what the two words, “working together” conjure up  isn’t it? Does it really mean two or more people joining together in an equitable relationship to create something?

Or does it mean that someone is wanting to do something for you that really only benefits them or their organisation, but because it may be seen as “helpful” it can be classed as “working together”?

We’ve experienced a whole spectrum in Jen’s lifetime, but our family concensus is that together we can work things out, even if the answer isn’t obvious and it feels like it’s not possible.

Donna and Jen working together. Photo by Melissa Cross for Empower Housing Association

Speaking to Jim Thomas recently, with his professional experience of leading and innovating within social care, it was fascinating how everything is so interlinked.

If we don’t listen to the whole person and the support team that knows them, how can a clear assessment be done? How can a person feel included or that they matter if we’re limited to checklists that don’t see the uniqueness of individuals or encourage the happiness of that person.

As Jim says in this conversation, “What can we do if we’ve got no money?”, which is often the case with social care. Instead of hiding behind an untruth that people don’t “fit the criteria”, why can’t we truly work together to come up with innovative solutions to a situation?

Why can’t we treat people with more respect and honesty, trusting that if we do the parties will work together to discover new opportunities, or different ways of doing things? I love that James Timpson shares they have a “Cut the Crap Committee” in his book The Happy Index – lessons in upside down management. Surely there’s benefit to all organisations large and small looking at what’s actually important?

Jim talks about measuring productivity in terms of happiness. We touch on trusting an organisation or support team to use funding with the intention of supporting and empowering individuals, but without the need to spend hours on irrelevant reporting, surely as responsible human beings we can be trusted to follow through our intentions of doing our best to empower and enable people in the best way for them?

If the people we love and care for are happy and feeling loved and fulfilled is there any better feeling? When we sense they’re not being respected, listened to or valued life is so different for all of us.

Is it so hard to create systems and organisations that truly respect each individual that’s part of it? Where we create opportunities, allow individuals to work together to create something that is bigger than each of them, that touches lives of many more because those individuals are happy.

It’s possible. I know because we’ve created and supported DanceSyndrome, founded on equity, trust and respect. It’s grown from 14 people with and without learning disabilities working together to dance, create choreography and develop friendships, to a multi-award winning organisation that brings happiness to thousands each year, recognised for the difference it’s making.

It’s not an easy or cheap model to create or run, but as Jim and I talk about in part two of our conversation, there’s so much more to working together and happiness than the budget. James Timpson focuses on the happiness of his workforce as the measure of success. Why shouldn’t we all take this view and have happiness at the heart of everything we do? Would this create a kinder more honest society? Would we listen more?

What are your thoughts on working together whilst respecting the unique needs and requirements of each individual?

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Other parts of the conversation: https://blackwells.biz/equitable-relationships/ and https://blackwells.biz/changing-lives-one-person-at-a-time/