Rochdale Community Champions Building Community Knowledge, Developing Community Research in 2015 I4P Rochdale Community Champions Building Community Knowledge, Developing Community Research Rochdale Community Champions Building Community Knowledge, Developing Community Research Edited by Katy Goldstraw, Helen Chicot and John Diamond Contents 05 Foreword, Steve Rumbelow 06 Who Are Rochdale Community Champions? 07 The Leadership and Participatory Research Methods Training 08 Rochdale Community Champions: Adult and Continuing Education in action 09 Participatory Research: Principles and Practice 11 The Research: Case Studies 12 1. Yasmin and Andrew 29 2. Chris 32 3. Jan 39 4. Julia 45 5. Norma 45 The Research Process 48 Afterword, John Cater 49 Appendix One: Proposal from Edge Hill University to work with Rochdale Community Champions 51 Appendix Two - Four: Session Planners 53 Appendix Five: Who is Who and How to find out more 2 3 Rochdale Community Champions Building Community Knowledge, Developing Community Research Foreword to the Project Steve Rumbelow, Chief Executive, Rochdale Borough Council. This is the second booklet to come from the joint work between Edge Hill University and the Rochdale Borough Community Champions. It is an illustration of the deep thinking and hard work that our Community Champions put into their role; not just through the help they give to others as volunteers but also through the careful thought and care that sits behind that. This booklet provides us with some examples of what it means to be a Community Champion. It tells us that who you are and what you think and believe is an important element of what you do. Public services are facing very challenging times and are having to find new and better delivery models, which work to support confident and resilient communities. Volunteering can play a major part in sustainable public service models and our Community Champions Scheme is an example demonstrating the benefits that skilled and motivated volunteers can bring. The outcomes from Community Champions are remarkable; they make a positive difference to people’s lives, whether it’s helping an adult to be able to read and write or supporting someone who’s overwhelmed by their financial circumstances. They give their time and expertise to support people in a unique way. Community Champions are a real asset to our borough and something to be proud of. It’s incredible that there are so many Champions, across the borough, helping people – that’s a real force for positive change happening every day . Something that is very special and important about the Community Champions is the deep level of engagement these volunteers have with the Borough. You’re not just helping people; you’re thinking about, discussing, reflecting and analysing what’s going on, identifying what is helpful and unhelpful, what is important and what needs to change. It’s vital that this thinking and engagement drives the leadership of the Community Champions - and it’s only through work like this partnership with Edge Hill University that we can really understand your views, listen to and act on them. I understand that the emphasis of the research, this year has been about understanding why rather than how things work the way they do for Community Champions. This research will tell us about what it means to you to be a Community Champion, their r perspective on our community and about why the way things are done is as important as what gets done when you’re helping people. This insight is important, not just for the Community Champions but also to inform the development and delivery of wider front line public services. Thank you. Steve Rumblelow Chief Executive, Rochdale Borough Council 4 5 Rochdale Community Champions Building Community Knowledge, Developing Community Research Who are Rochdale Community Champions? The Leadership & Participatory Research Methods Training. Rochdale Borough Council hosts the Community Champions. The champions are volunteers Rochdale Borough Council has developed a training support programme with the Community who are chosen for their passion, commitment and human focus. The Rochdale Community Champions based on a competency approach. All volunteers are inducted into the Champions offer an innovative and supportive approach to supporting others in their community volunteer project and offered continuing professional development training community. Rochdale Council describes the champions as: throughout the course of their volunteering. Recognising the positivity, passion and compassion of the Champion volunteer team and seeking to develop this, Rochdale “Rochdale Borough’s Community Champions are residents who have excellent people” Borough Council sought out ‘Leadership and Decision Making’ and ‘Undertaking Locally skills; they care about their local area and have a high level of expertise that is based on Based Research’ training from Edge Hill University. This training was based on the positive their life experience. They use their skills and attributes to help others in their community. solution focussed ethos of the Community Champions. This is the second year that the Community Champions: training programme has been delivered. - help people at a time when they need some support - work with people to identify and clarify their goals; the person can work on any goals The training was delivered over four days in January 2015. The first session was focused around models of leadership and decision making. The sessions were very much workshop But the emphasis chosen is most often on wellbeing, skills, employment or family matters focussed and activity centred, encouraging the Champions to share experiences and - are trained and expert in using methods which help people to progress towards and expertise. Post it Walls were created, discussions were led about decisions makers, achieve their goals authority and power. Issues were discussed around working with conflict and conflict resolution workshop techniques were role played. Decision Making Trees were talked Although they are able to offer support at any stage, Community Champions aim to offer through, then workshopped by the Community Champions and factors that shape the trees most of their support at the “single contact” stage, supporting the person to build their and enable it to grow were discussed and developed. capacity and resilience; if possible preventing a progression towards a need for further services” The second, third and fourth sessions were focussed on developing participatory research www.rochdale.gov.uk skills. These sessions were focussed on undertaking locally based research. Why we might undertake locally based research was initially discussed, followed by discussions of what Rochdale Community Champion volunteers offer support and is evidence and how research can be co-produced. Toolkits were then shared with the training for others in their community in a wide variety of areas Community Champions, using the Association for Research with the Voluntary and from literacy, families, health and wellbeing, and employment Community Sector (www.arvac.org.uk ) resources. Planning a locally based research topic, skills. The support that the Champions offer is solution framing research questions and gathering research were then discussed. Day two focussed and of a positive nature. The support is bespoke to commenced with a discussion of ethics and ethical practice, followed by the pragmatics of each individual, but is focused around a six session model, with a research project. Rochdale Community Champions worked in self-formed groups to share the aim of signposting the client after the initial support period. ideas and create a plan for their locally based research project. During this process an animation was created with the group about what being a champion means to them. Day As part of the support that Rochdale Borough offer, the champions receive a range of three was focussed on developing research skills and ideas. Day four reviewed and development training. The Community Champions find this training useful and attendance refocused learning and supported participants to consider their research plans. is good at the sessions. The development needs of the volunteers are very much valued. For some volunteers, their focus is on a particular task for example literacy support, for The training offered by Edge Hill University, was offered to all of Rochdale Community others volunteering is part of a more general process of development enabling them to grow Champions volunteer team, with the recognition that not all of the team would wish to in a supportive environment. Rochdale Community Champions staff support team, has develop a leadership or research role within their volunteer remit. The aim of the training worked hard to support the training needs of each volunteer, recognising the diversity of was to empower and enable the volunteers, providing them with an opportunity to develop volunteer motivations. their leadership and research skills should they wish to. The feedback from the training was very positive, Rochdale Community Champions liked the training style, the participatory nature of the sessions and the approach to learning that Edge Hill University offered. Some Rochdale Community champions then chose to utilise this training by undertaking locally based research. A volunteer led, community participatory research project was born, supported by Rochdale Borough Council Champions team and Edge Hill staff. 6 7 Rochdale Community Champions