Working with Human Learning Systems
Human Learning Systems (HLS) is a framework for innovation teams to lead, design and operate the transformation towards a responsive public sector. Applying HLS creates the right support to enable people to live well, whilst also reducing the resources that are needed to do this. It uses robust strength based methods and approaches, like the liberated method principles, to develop new ways of working. This engages with locality based communities, to be inherently collaborative and person led. Shifting our focus from independent services to place based locality working.
In this website there are resources that help to understand how to do HLS, and also case studies and numerous examples of HLS in practice.
In this website there are resources that help to understand how to do HLS, and also case studies and numerous examples of HLS in practice.
Why do we need Human Learning Systems
Now, decades later, we know the outcome of austerity and designing individual services according to the principles of New Public Management. We understand far more about complexity and service design than we did then. And we can see what has happened to our services, communities and health:
- Austerity has created huge resourcing problems, forcing us to focus on short term activities.
- Prevention has been sacrificed.
- Demand has risen.
- Citizens become poorer, and the divide in society widens.
- Seemingly quick fixes like digital service design do not change the underlying causes.
We know, that the current public sector design has become obsolete. Here in the UK it is failing us from an efficiency perspective, a wider systemic and citizen outcome perspective. We need something new and HLS is a proven approach that works.
A better way of designing the public sector
Human Learning Systems is about reform. It engages people in our communities that focuses on them, and the strengths around them. It guides front line staff to co-design solutions that allow for collaborative ways of working across the public and voluntary sector, that ensures that the complex nature of peoples real needs and what is going on in their lives becomes an inherent characteristic of service delivery.
- HLS is systemic, it shifts not just the front line, but also the wider elements within the organisation.
The reform of public services requires a shift from an internal compliance and rules, to an outside-in perspective of a public mission driven public sector.
- HLS is systemic, it shifts not just the front line, but also the wider elements within the organisation.
The reform of public services requires a shift from an internal compliance and rules, to an outside-in perspective of a public mission driven public sector.
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HLS is also more than this, much more. It is a shift in thinking. It gives us a path for public sector reform.
As an example, we often view communities as places where public services and health need to do something - to provide support, to spend resources 'fixing'. The reality is that our communities, if we allow them to thrive, become places that create healing, that support, that allow for people to thrive. So when you look at case studies here and the work that we do, it is about bringing communities and the people within them back into a place that they could and should be. |
Implementing human learning systems
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Implementing HLS to achieve what you need
We have been working with these principles and approach now for over 20 years, having redesigned every type of local government service we have seen how HLS works, and its impact is massive.
We apply an implementation method and experience, to enable the bigger picture of change and transformation to occur. We help by;
- Each local authority service is different and needs different approaches.
- We can help you to decide how much transformation depth of change is best?
- How do you start, who is involved and how do we actually create the team?
- What is the plan for change, and how do we ensure the right direction, measure how well we are doing, what we are learning and the next steps to make this scaleable?
- How to lead this change.
Undertaking such change is complex. Below is a graphic that shows the various parts of a change methodology that we have built up. Each element is necessary.
- Each local authority service is different and needs different approaches.
- We can help you to decide how much transformation depth of change is best?
- How do you start, who is involved and how do we actually create the team?
- What is the plan for change, and how do we ensure the right direction, measure how well we are doing, what we are learning and the next steps to make this scaleable?
- How to lead this change.
Undertaking such change is complex. Below is a graphic that shows the various parts of a change methodology that we have built up. Each element is necessary.
Human Learning Systems elements
John Mortimer is part of a core collective that have pulled together the Human Learning Systems concepts, and created the HLS materials. On the HLS website there are a collection of case studies, of which two are work that we have led.
How we can help you
We are experts in transformation and reform. Redesigning services.
We are asked to support organisations in two ways;
- we can directly partner to help you to do this,
- we can help your internal consultants do this for themselves through workshops and virtual mentoring.
The expertise that we have gained helps you to avoid the significant issues and problems associated with such implementation, and boost your internal capability to do this yourselves. With this type of complex change, we have found that those that have struggled to do this are far more common than those that have succeeded.
We have led or participated in:
- 5 locality hubs.
- 2 health and social care prototypes
- 29 service redesigns
We are asked to support organisations in two ways;
- we can directly partner to help you to do this,
- we can help your internal consultants do this for themselves through workshops and virtual mentoring.
The expertise that we have gained helps you to avoid the significant issues and problems associated with such implementation, and boost your internal capability to do this yourselves. With this type of complex change, we have found that those that have struggled to do this are far more common than those that have succeeded.
We have led or participated in:
- 5 locality hubs.
- 2 health and social care prototypes
- 29 service redesigns
Human Learning Systems workshop course and resources
Human Learning Systems and the liberated method
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'The liberated method' is a term coined by Mark Smith from Gateshead, based on the seminal work of John Seddon through his 'liberating method', and the wider Vanguard intervention method. The principles are derived from Seddon.
Other locality based work from the report 'Saving money by doing the right thing', are good examples. The Liberated Services report by Demos brings some of this together in a coherent whole. |
