Addressing Loneliness
in Rural North Yorkshire
The project and my
experience as a Pro Bono volunteer
By Sarah Culkin, UK Department of Health
The problem:
An organisation in the North of England took over a rural
visiting service for the elderly and was very keen to ensure that as much
benefit as possible could be provided for recipients of the service. It therefore requested a pro bono study from
the UK OR Society to help a project team understand how a strategy for
improving the service could be constructed.
The approach
I was assigned to the task by The OR Society and started
work by collecting information and evidence through interviews with
stakeholders, accompanying the project team on visits to clients, reviewing
survey feedback and finance information.
This information was used to produce an initial system diagram. I then
facilitated a workshop with key stakeholders to present, discuss, amend and
build on the system diagram (see figure 1).
Figure 1. Part of the System Diagram
The system diagram allowed a birds-eye view of the service,
helping to see how people flow through the service and how it interacts with
other neighbouring services and stakeholder groups.
Back at the office I reviewed the map and conducted thematic
analysis on all of the interview notes and other textual information. This analysis allowed clarification and
quantification of major themes and topics occurring in the information and led
to a list of clear recommendations. For example, it showed that volunteers were
not being used to good effect, instead visits were mostly performed by the
three staff members, and links and communications with other organisations were
also underdeveloped, leading to a confusion and sometimes duplication of
work. By refocussing the work of the permanent
members of staff to these areas, meant that the service could grow and also be
more targeted and efficient.
These recommendations were assembled into a strategy map,
showing how they link together and lead from inputs to desired outcomes. From this a balanced scorecard of measures
can monitor progress and outcomes of the service to ensure maximum benefit (see
figure 2).
Figure 2. Strategy mapping of recommendations
My experience as a
volunteer
I was made to feel very welcome by rural visiting team,
right from the beginning. There could have been some suspicion about my role,
as the review had been arranged through the chair of the umbrella organisation
that the service sat under. The service had only recently been taken over by
that organisation, and was based remotely, so it was seen as a good
opportunity.
The service team in Ripon was small, but they were very
dedicated to their elderly clients, this was easily seen as I accompanied them
on home visits. In my role it was important that I ingratiated myself, made the team feel at ease, and
explained clearly what I was and wasn't there to do. At the same time it was important to remain
impartial and analytical, and be prepared to deliver recommendations that may
rock the status quo. This balance was
something I also felt quite keenly when writing up the final conclusions and
recommendations in my report.
The experience was so rich, like nothing I have experienced
in my day job at the Department of Health.
For example, at the end of the stakeholder workshop where we reviewed
and refined the system map, the service team leader hugged me because she was
so pleased with the results - definitely not something that has happened in a
civil service meeting before!
Because I was getting experience of a sector directly
related to the work of the Department of Health, I was fortunate to be able to
do this project as part of my CPD hours. As a result I have brought back so
much that informs my day-to-day work, my understanding of the realities of care
and the challenges the front-line face. In many ways it has been far more
valuable than a training course, and without the cost. And the thought that I
may have influenced decisions about this valuable service for the better is
incredibly rewarding.
The benefits of the
study
·
As a result of the analysis the client, project
team and analyst all gained a thorough understanding of the service and the
wider system it is part of ;
·
A Strategy map for reducing loneliness was identified
and evidenced. This would be used in future, for example, to track numbers of
volunteers used, how they contribute to the numbers of visits made, and how
well the service works in partnership with neighbouring organisations;
·
The client was ‘taken on the journey’, so now understands
where strategies come from;
·
The work produced a solid foundation from which
to re-model the service and apply for associated funding.
At the end of the study the
client said: “I’m really
pleased with the report and it will be very useful indeed for forward planning
and to support our Big Lottery bid “
