Scotland’s Local Practitioner Forums

1. Scotland’s Local Practitioner Forums Tokenism or Collective Advocacy ? Liz Snodgrass – LPF Renfrewshire Mary MacLeod -LPF East Lothian 10/9/09

2. Aims of Presentation • To share knowledge & experience which will assist in the development of LPFs across the 32 Local Authority areas. • To give a brief overview of existing structures & to consider where LPFs “fit in”. • To consider what the future might hold for LPFs .

3. Renfrewshire Local Practitioner’s Forum What are we saying? Networking & resources Launched 6/2/07 PR/Media Consultation papers Developing local, regional & national links. Raising awareness & contributing to good practice.

4. Pitfalls Just another talking shop? Little enthusiasm for Changing Lives agenda. Work can leave little energy to believe in change and leads perhaps to a feeling of disempowerment/apathy.

5. Pitfalls cont. • Frontline workers i.e. face to face work has to take priority. • Proactive team – already campaigns on issues that affect us. • Lack of admin support. • Lack of middle management backing

6. Benefits • Receiving and responding to consultations on various issues e.g. personalisation, role of CSWO etc. • Information coming directly from the Scottish Government and others without being filtered. • Freedom to discuss any topic.

7. Benefits • Taking part in National Practitioner Meetings • Gives us a national voice • Enables us to share ideas and best practice with other LPF’s.

8. Benefits • Forging stronger links at the frontline. • Information coming directly from the Scottish Government and others without being filtered. • A collective response which uses staff experiences, expertise and knowledge

9. Helpful hints to setting up an LPF You will need:– • At least 2 people who are motivated and committed. • To negotiate support from your line manager, your middle management and your Director or CSWO. • Support from your colleagues.

10. Helpful hints to setting up an LPF • To preserve your energy and to look after yourself. • To establish an agreed aim. 6. To organise the practicalities – rooms, time, parking, how often etc.

11. Helpful hints to setting up an LPF • To make links locally e.g. with your PR (media) representative and others in your authority and, in the wider context, residential workers, Voluntary Agencies etc. 8. To develop and maintain links with the community of local practitioner at an inter authority and at a national level.

12. Making the pieces fit – where do LPFs “fit in”? 21st Century Review of Social Work - 5 Change Programmes LOCAL AGENCIES Communities of Practice BASW UNISON Vol Orgs Private Sector Learning Networks Community Planning Partnerships Elections User & Carers National SW Services Forum Cabinet Delivery Group 32 LA/ LPFs National Rep ADSW Local & National Issues National Forum

13. LPFs – Looking ahead Can LPFs be built into the foundation of services to ensure they have a contribution to make in the transformation of public services? What can I do to promote this? • All 32 councils to have an established practitioner led LPF which will have a representative on the National Practitioner’s Forum. • Election of future chairperson of NPF & secure funding for it to be a seconded post. • Develop & improve links with wider networks locally, regionally and nationally.

14. Looking ahead continued • Communication strategy & co-ordinated action. Nationally • Making the best use of technology to improve communication across each LPF eg tele conferencing, website for LPFs. • SW- PR strategy Within teams Role of middle management in contributing to staff’s involvement in ensuring the frontline’s voice is sought, heard and acted upon.