Page 37 - text

Four key approaches to change SeCtion one
them by finding ‘accommodations’ that they can live with, even if they do not still see eye-to- eye. The other aspect of Soft-Systems Methodology that Manager D connected with was its emphasis on ‘purposeful activity’. This means that even if others did not think staff or indeed the people living in the service were using their time as productively or meaningfully as possible, for the individuals concerned they may have seen this activity as worthwhile. Finally, Soft-Systems Methodology encourages the use of diagrams to capture and communicate what is being learnt, and Manager D thought that this could help to facilitate engagement with people who are not able to read and write.
Alongside the use of Soft-Systems Methodology Manager D liaised with the local care management team to ensure that each of the current people living in the home had a new person centred plan and a reassessment of their need.
Starting the change
To explain to the Board of LAD the reasons that the homes would need to close the Chief Executive prepared a PESTELI analysis so that they could gain a better understanding of the current challenges and opportunities (Table D1).
The organisation had previously tried to replace the homes with supported living arrangements. Whilst there has been some people in the home, families and staff who were supportive, there were a number that were very concerned that it would lead to people being abandoned in the community. Those who had previously been against the change were able to successfully lobby the Board to not proceed with the plans. At the Board meeting the chief executive worked with the members to draw up a Force Field Analysis that set out the forces for and against the change. Several Board members initially proposed undertaking an exercise in which they would try to convince stakeholders that such a move was in everyone’s interest (so reducing the ‘resisting’ forces). The Chief Executive though was concerned about this approach, as ultimately the homes did not appear to be financially sustainable and so the question was not if the homes should be closed but rather what they should be replaced with. It could therefore alienate the people in the homes, the staff and the carers if the Board were seen to be undertaking a consultation when actually the decision was made. He therefore convinced the Board that they should inform all stakeholders that the homes would be closed within 12 months but that there would be a period of consultation to discuss what accommodation and services should replace the homes and for the people currently living in them to be supported to identify alternative arrangements that best suit them (which may or may not be with LAD). In the terms of the Force Field Analysis the introduction of the decision to close the home was the equivalent of adding an irresistible force for change. To ensure that Manager D was able to focus on planning the future the Chief Executive offered to take the lead on informing people of the closures and asked the Board to support him with this.
34