Inclusive Neighbourhoods – Supporting More Welcoming, Inclusive and Supportive Communities

Building on the original groundbreaking developments in Western Australia, Inclusive Neighbourhoods led the original development of Local Area Coordination in England and Wales as an approach to supporting individuals, families and communities to build their resilience, nurture and share their gifts and skills and build and pursue their vision for a good life.

Inclusive Neighbourhoods is now supporting new Local Area Coordination conversations and developments in Nova Scotia, Canada, as a key part of a Human Rights Remedy and now very excited to be alongside colleagues in Scottish Borders and other areas. Our thanks and continuing support for the great work of Community Catalysts CIC and the Local Area Coordination Network in England and Wales.

Power and Connection: The international development of Local Area Coordination. Available now on free pdf download.

Eddie Bartnik and I are pleased and proud to announce that the book on Local Area Coordination ‘Power and connection: the international development of Local Area Coordination’ is still available available via free pdf download (as well as hard copy) via https://bit.ly/2Y29X7E

The book has been published by the Centre for Welfare Reform in England and you can see the original media release here https://bit.ly/2WvzBBC

First developed in Western Australia, Local Area Coordination now has 30+ years of evidence spanning multiple countries and population groups across social care and health/mental health. The book features contributions from Nick Sinclair, Al Etmanski, Michael Kendrick and a wide range of international contributors including people who have benefitted from this approach, researchers, managers and local area coordinators.

Starting at the Start

Building on Learning
Values and Principles
A “human” approach
Strong, contributing leadership
Inclusion and contribution

It’s about active, valued, contributing citizenship for all.

Local Area Coordination is now growing across England and Wales

Inclusive Neighbourhoods established and hosted the Local Area Coordination Network as a way of building connections, supportive relationships and shared learning and improvement across England and Wales – a community of reflection, practice and learning.

It’s very exciting that Community Catalysts CIC is now hosting and leading Local Area Coordination developments in England and Wales! To find out more about Local Area Coordination in England and Wales, go to http://lacnetwork.org/

For developments elsewhere, watch this space!

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How we work

The Local Area Coordination Vision:
‘All people live in welcoming communities that provide friendship, mutual support, equity and opportunities for everyone’.
The Local Area Coordination Charter
‘To develop partnerships with individuals and families/carers as they build and pursue their goals and dreams for a good life and with local communities to strengthen their capacity to welcome, include people and support all people as valued, contributing citizens.’

Local Area Coordination

In keeping with the values of Local Area Coordination, Inclusive Neighbourhoods Ltd works in partnership with local people, communities and service partners to:

Build knowledge and capacity to design, develop, implement and grow Local Area Coordination to build positive outcomes at the individual, family, community and systems levels.

  • Build and share information, learning, connections and partnerships.
  • Value the skills, experience and contribution of individuals, families, communities within their communities and in the development and delivery of Local Area Coordination.
  • Support Leaders in positive, inclusive change to build more local, inclusive, flexible, strength based services.
  • Support the learning and evaluation of Local Area Coordination in partnership with universities, service partners, local people and communities – building on the learning.
  • Build supportive connections with/between national and international Local Area Coordination sites.

Inclusive Neighbourhoods is underpinned by the belief that every person has the right to build and pursue their vision for a good life and that communities are stronger, more welcoming and more self sufficient where all people have the opportunity for to share strengths and expertise and contribute to local community life.

Other Projects

Inclusive Neighbourhoods works alongside partners in a range of strength based approaches and projects:

  • OUT NOW!!! The new international book ‘Power and connection: the international development of Local Area Coordination’. See above

    Launch of Power and Connection

    Available to buy now, the Centre for Welfare Reform has published the first ever book on Local Area Coordination – ‘Power and Connection’ by Eddie Bartnik and Ralph Broad with contributions from Nick Sinclair, Al Etmanski, Michael Kendrick and international colleagues.

    This book is the most significant publication on Local Area Coordination to date, outlining the details of its practical application and more than thirty years of experience and research on its positive impact across social care and health/mental health on the lives of citizens and communities.

    Local Area Coordination transforms social services from a system that provides services to people to a system that connects people to community. It is a proven approach, which if developed with integrity, can help people create better lives and stronger relationships, all on their own terms.

    First piloted in Western Australia, Local Area Coordination has become a key element of reforms in Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Wales and Singapore.

    This book combines the most up to date definition of Local Area Coordination with a synthesis of decades of research, experience and practical application. The authors have also harnessed the perspective of multiple researchers, managers, local area coordinators and the people who have directly benefited from this approach. It is a rich resource which can set services and policy makers on a firm path to sustainable innovation and improvement.

    You can purchase ‘Power and Connection’ via:

    https://www.centreforwelfarereform.org/store/power-and-connection.html

    Please join us at a Question Time event to launch the book on the 2nd November, get your free tickets at:

    https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/power-and-connection-international-development-of-local-area-coordination-tickets-176446244467

    Advocates of Local Area Coordination say:

    “The very fact that Local Area Coordination has both been transported into quite different governmental systems and has continued to innovate and evolve, is a striking endorsement of its potential adaptive capacities and the ultimate worth of its vision for the people it is trying to support.”

    Dr Michael Kendrick author of ‘Letting in the Light’

    “If we are to support a whole system social movement, we need to work together to embed Local Area Coordination across public services.”

    Professor Donna Hall CBE of New Local

    “This book offers those wanting to ‘Build Back Better’ after the pandemic practical solutions that have stood the test of time.”

    Al Etmanski founder of Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN)

    “Care is primarily a function of relationships, not services. Local Area Coordination provides a brilliant point of leverage to help shift our energy from pointless system reorganisations towards active support for citizen and community leadership.”

    Dr Simon Duffy of Citizen Network

    ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

    Eddie Bartnik has been continuously involved in Local Area Coordination from its inception in the late 1980s right through to the present. Further to his early role as state-wide Director of Local Area Coordination in Western Australia, he has been supporting Australian and international developments through his work as a Director of Tamar Consultancy Pty Ltd and his writings. Eddie has held a variety of senior state and national government positions across disability, mental health and community services, including being Western Australia’s first Mental Health Commissioner and Strategic Advisor with the National Disability Insurance Scheme. He is currently International Lead for the International Initiative for Disability Leadership.

    Ralph Broad is Director of Inclusive Neighbourhoods Ltd and led the development of Local Area Coordination in England and Wales. This built on the original ground-breaking developments in Western Australia, expanding Local Area Coordination to its current, inclusive “whole community, whole system” focus alongside people of all ages and backgrounds. He also established the England and Wales Local Area Coordination Network and authored the first two reports on Local Area Coordination in England and Wales. He has subsequently worked in partnership with leaders to support new Local Area Coordination developments in Western Australia, Singapore and now the Isle of Man, as part of contribution to health and social care reform. Prior to this, Ralph had a variety of senior leadership positions in organisations in England, Scotland and Western Australia.

  • New in 2021! It is great to be alongside Manx Care supporting the development of Local Area Coordination on the Isle of Man as part of their inspiring and groundbreaking transformation work.
  • Supporting Yishun Health in Singapore with induction of their first 10 Coordinators.
  • Also supporting conversations and workshops alongside community service partners in Yishun Health to build Local Area Coordination values, purposeful conversations and strength based practice and resilience building into everyday practice in other roles.
  • Ongoing support alongside the Local Area Coordination Network in England and Wales.
  • Working with NDIS partner organisations in Australia around Local Area Coordination, training and support.
  • Training and development – Person Centred Active Support