Connected Communities: Approaches for networked neighbourhoods

1. Connected Communities: Approaches for networked neighbourhoods Steve Broome, Director of Research Action and Research Centre, RSA 9 January 2013 London Borough of Lambeth

2. modern mission: closing the ‘social aspiration gap’ through human capabilities think + action tank: thought leadership with practical work politically independent; free space for multi-disciplinary innovation key methods: empower, co-produce, user-centred, power of networks 27,000 Fellows a key resource in thinking and acting RSA

3. 1. Social networks for social inclusion and mental wellbeing5yr study, seven action research sites across seven different regions of England 2. Social networks for health and enterpriseWorking with Blackburn with Darwen Council, using network mapping methods to identify social enterprise opportunities to meet local health needs 3. ChangemakersDeveloping networks of the most inspiring, capable, well-connected individuals 4. Whole person recoverySystems approach to recovery from substance misuse in West Kent (DAAT PbR public service contract); 5. Recovery capital and recovery networksDeveloping networked personal, social and community capital to support recovery from drug/alcohol misuse Connected Communities programme

4. Area 1 fifth of people with no qualifications (13% national average) %age of people with problems with writing 38% higher than national average only 3% people belong to formal group with neighbours teenage pregnancy rate 71 per 1,000 (national average 42) 18% of people feel ‘very unsafe’ after dark (twice national average) But first...a quiz

5. Area 2 almost half the population are educated to degree level or above (29% national average) over ¾ with broadband/dial-up at home (70% national average) a rich, empowered third sector infrastructure with a community forum of over 70 organisations/activists 95% of people undertaking recommended amount of exercise (national average); 90% people with health improving/same (80% nationally) 40% reduction in people feeling very unsafe after dark But first...a quiz

6. But first...a quiz 20% 40% 60% 80% Most deprived Deciles Least deprived

7. But first...a quiz Area 2 Area 1 20% 40% 60% 80% Most deprived Deciles Least deprived

8. What does a networks perspective add?

9. unseen, untapped capacity in communities to address problems higher social capital areas have better health, education, economic, crime, community governance outcomes networks have dynamic qualities through which behaviour, emotional states, conditions, influence spread and cluster limits building of new community infrastructure on top of old, which is then marginalised and decays asset-based approach reduced public finances necessitate debate on what state should do for communities and what communities must do for themselves Why Connected Communities?

10. What do Connected Communities look like?

11. Empowerment and resilience Community network, New Cross Gate, South East London The core is not dominated by the ‘usual agents of change’, but by key local people and hubs with certain dispositions

12. Bridging capital, New Cross Gate Unemployed and retired people are much more disconnected from ‘power to change’ and from the weak ties that provide new opportunities. They have lower wellbeing too. What do Connected Communities look like? unemployed students employed other retired

13. Social inclusion and mental wellbeing

14. Social inclusion and mental wellbeing

15. Changemakers

16. Networks for enterprise and health gains Hub/Connector Potential health enterprises and markets, Blackburn How can we identify common needs and complementary sets of skills/interests? £

17. What do Connected Communities look like? Hub/Connector £ New Public Servant: weaver, enabler, realises assets, manages risk

18. Recovery capital networks

19. relationships and research user-led design contextualise the systems of recovery Whole person recovery

20. Whole person recovery User-generated phases of recovery and their connections

21. Whole person recovery

22. Whole person recovery User-generated systems map

23. Whole person recovery User-generated systems map

24. Whole person recovery User-generated systems map

25. Whole Person Recovery System Activities in which person on recovery journey needs to engage Social and community recovery capital required to support recovery

26. Practical ideas stemming from the model

27. Methods

28. Principles co-production: recruit, train, support through research phase; co-analyse; co-design; co-deliver; co-evaluate building capacity and capability through process reflexivity Version 1 paper based surveys face to face interviews specialist software to analyse Version 2 online, specialist software to collect and auto-clean data Versions 1 and 2

29. rapid social network and assets collection instant playback and analysis tool for social prescribing http://socialmirror.org.uk/ Version 3 – Social Mirror

30. Journey from here

31. participative research – build capacity, map assets use to encourage social reflexivity use hubs (people/places, Sainsbury’s , post office, B&Q) recruit Community Organisers/network weavers from network perspective develop a core-periphery structure develop initiatives and services for network effects encourage group membership Growing connected communities

32. any policy area benefits from understanding and using networks networks offer potentially big effects through small interventions - requires different attitude to risk and evaluation, as some fail understanding patterns of connectivity and the transmission of social values and behaviours offers a new approach to policy visualising networks can prompt individual and social reflexivity and pro-social behaviour in itself Topline reflections

33. need a greater emphasis on joining up public policy domains ‘services’ should be considered not just as things provided by the state but also as wider social attitudes and support services should be socially productive, not thin, transactional relationships blur boundaries between the state and civil society - well designed public services can encourage and support, rather than crowd out, efforts of families and communities to help vulnerable people make more of the unseen, untapped capacity in communities – even isolated/vulnerable citizens have personal / social assets that are unrecognised, un-utilised develop a ‘New Public Servant’ capable of mapping and realising local assets and resources across multiple domains develop a ‘social economy of place’ model – a co-produced system of asset optimisation And some more detail...

34. Steve Broome Director of Research steve.broome@rsa.org.uk 020 7451 6930 Twitter: @smbroome http://www.thersa.org/action-research-centre/public-services-arts-social-change/connected-communities http://www.thersa.org/action-research-centre/public-services-arts-social-change/recovery Inclusion, Participation and Common Purpose: http://www.thersa.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/518924/RSA_Communities-Connected-AW_181011.pdf Thank you