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Four key approaches to change SeCtion one
Soft-Systems Methodology suggests that there are three key roles that are always present in a change process:
Role client
Role practitioner Issue owner(s)
person or people who initiated the change being considered (in this case the Board of LAD and the Local Authority)
person or people who are exploring the situation (in this case Manager D)
person or people who would be affected by the situation and by changes within it (in this case people living in the home, their families and the staff)
People can have more than one role in the process. For examples, Manager D was leading the process (role practitioner) but her own job would also be affected by any changes (issue owner). The Board were instigators of the process (role client), but they would affected if people were not happy with the alternative provision and choose different providers (issue owner).
Having worked in LAD for a number of years Manager D knew most of the residents, families, and staff within these services. She had met all of the Board members and was familiar with the local health and social care services including the commissioning team. She therefore thought that he had a reasonable knowledge of the priorities of these main stakeholders and their likely response to the plans would be. However, Manager D thought it was worth speaking to them as soon as possible to ensure that she had an up to date awareness of the general positions of these ‘issue owners’. These meetings would also enable her to establish her role as project manager and the coordinator of the change process. From these discussions Manager D began to draw up a ‘Rich Picture’ of the homes and the perspectives of the stakeholders (Diagram D1).
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