this session was developed to raise professional awareness of issues and 'gently' challenge practitioners awareness. It explores inequality, disability theory, and service led discrimination...

1. Kindred Spirits
2012
Shared Knowledge
Mole (Laura) Chapman

2. Welcome
• Powerful language.
• Professional purpose.
• Validating experience.
• Evidence based knowledge.
• Not a add-on.
Without certain groups represented in the room, we miss out
on the voices we need to hear in order to change.

3. Context of Professional Services
• Pressure from society and education.
• Worth of human contribution.
• Failure to secure employment.
• Negative attitudes towards marginalised groups.
• Need to value the individuals voice
• Appearance of engagement: A divided response.

4. From mindscapes to
landscapes
We would be foolish to assume that it’s easy to
achieve a fairer society.
If it was easy we would have cracked it, and we
would all live in an equitable world.
• It is not.
• We have not.
• We do not.

5. COMMUNITIES OF BELONGING
Community
Locality
outsiders Insiders

6. Circles of friends / dialogue
Personal
Social
Professional
Community
6

7. Dialogue as community intervention
• Personal: inner, reflective, analytical, synthesizing. The way
issues are internalized. A process that makes sense. [Private
voice]
• Social: family and friends, deep, open, direct, love and
unconditional acceptance. [Personal voice]
• Professional dialogue: a closed ‘expert’ language - ‘jargon’ to
the outsider. The writer, the journalist and the professional
communicator… the questioning of technique and practice.
[Public voice]
• Learning dialogue: process of mentoring, coaching, and
tutoring. Enquiry, discovery, questioning, affirming. [Expert
voice]
• Community dialogue: process of debate and shared decision
taking. Trust, convention, shared understanding and protocol.
[Shared voice]
West-Burnham, J. 2009, pg 122

8. Perceived Inequality
“The first thing to recognise is that we are dealing with the effects of
relative rather than absolute deprivation or poverty” Fullan
High Inequality
Low social mobility
Low Inequality
High social mobility
Deprivation and poverty Deprivation and poverty
The wider the perceived inequality - the unhealthier the community

9. Disability Equality
Fred Brown (the person) is a man with
cerebral palsy (the impairment). When the
barriers and disablism (the oppression) that
restrict Fred have been removed from
society, Fred will no longer be disabled, but
he will still have cerebral palsy and be called
Fred.

10. "on the experience of disability, history is
largely silent, and when it is discussed at all, it
is within the context of the history of medical
advances. Just as women and black people
have discovered that they must write their
own histories, so too with disabled people.”
Oliver and Campbell 1996

11. The Medical Model of disability
the personal domain
• Medical approach to the problem.
• Defined by non-disabled professionals
• Equated to illness in terms of research and
findings.
• Care and benefits have been awarded to
compensate for personal tragedy.

13. The Social Model of Disability
the public domain
• The problem owned by the whole community.
• It defines the problem in terms barriers:
attitudinal, structural and systemic.
• Acknowledges the oppression and a requirement
for action.
• It recognises disabled people’s voice in
distributed or shared leadership.

15. Critique of the Social Model
• No real argument to Medical Model/Social
Model distinction
• Non-disabled / disabled division is divisive
• Denies most marginalised people; those
with learning difficulties, mental health
problems and severe or acute pain.
Shakespeare, 2006, p. 77.
15

16. Towards a user led practice and community

17. Social Justice
As stated by Prof. West-Burnham:
The principle of equality has to be reinforced and extended by the
practice of equity.
Equality: every human being has an absolute and equal right to common
dignity and parity of esteem and entitlement to access the benefits of
society on equal terms.
Equity: every human being has a right to benefit from the outcomes of
society on the basis of fairness and according to need.
Social justice: justice requires deliberate and specific intervention to
secure equality and equity.
(Chapman, L. and West-Burnham, J. 2010, pg.26)

18. Inclusive practice:
Inclusion is a process of identifying and breaking down barriers
which can be environmental, attitudinal and institutional. This
process eliminates discrimination thus providing all participants
with equal access.
Is an ongoing process of reviewing and developing practice in order
to adjust and celebrate diversity. It is the journey not the
destination!
(Chapman, L. 2006, pg 4. Unpublished)

19. Growth and Capacity
building

20. Culture Change
• Tackling inequality is best understood as a
practitioner’s ethical commitment to realise
every child’s rights in full.
• Cultural change takes both time and
innovation: it is neither immediately
available nor instantly achievable.

21. Culture Change
Welcome Invitation
Tolerance Acceptance
Single /other Diverse
Deficit Assets
Barriers Boundaries
Rigid rules Flexible Values
Compliance Commitment
Improvement Transformation
Chapman, L, 2010, pg. 26

22. Principles
• Equality
• Equity
• Diversity
• Balance
• Fluidity
• Ethical practice
Chapman L., 2010, pg 20

23. Co-Production
On a societal level, Co-Production entails
a simple but profound shift in
relationships... Co-Production may mean
the active process of remedying or
preventing whatever would violate our
sense of social justice. A social justice
perspective elevates the principle to an
Imperative’
Cahn, 2000, p 34-35

24. Reflective Practice
Plan
What can What do you know?
we learn?
Review Do
What has changed?

25. Reflective Practice
Plan
New ideas New practice
Review Do
New outcomes

26. Equity: what’s fair?
Inequality is best explained as a powerful
social force that generates community
divisions and oppression.
Inequality weakens community life, reduces
trust and increases violence across
populations.

27. Language & Dialogue
• A bridge between people.
• Words can hinder or empower.
• Links Professional, personal, and private.
• Avoid ‘them’ and ‘us’.
• Validates: active and engaged participants.

28. Meaningful relationships
Our judgements about almost all social
interactions, organisations and
communities depend upon our
perceptions of the relationships
involved.
Professor John West-Burnham

29. Implications for personal and
shared practice?
Personal meaning Shared understanding
• What do I understand by • How do we tackle hierarchy?
inequality? • How do we work together?
• How do I promote wellbeing • How do we value others?
and health and happiness? • How do we address common
• How do I connect to the language?
whole? • How do we enable individuals ?
• How do I strengthen my own • How do we involve people and
understanding? other groups?
• How do I enable others to • How do we share leadership?
grow?
• What can I do to take more
responsibility?

30. Multi-Agency Teams
• Respect for equality and wellbeing though joined
up service and shared resources
• Personal meaning - acknowledge different models
• Shared understanding - develop shared language
• Leadership - identify management and personal
responsibility

31. Good bye!
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