Implementing and doing Human Learning Systems
Human Learning Systems (HLS) is a framework for innovation teams to lead, design and operate the transformation towards a relational public sector. Practicing HLS creates the right support to enable people to live well, whilst also reducing the resources that are needed to do this.
This website has resources that help to understand and implement HLS, making Human Learning Systems work for you. Including case studies and numerous examples of practice that we have undertaken.
This website has resources that help to understand and implement HLS, making Human Learning Systems work for you. Including case studies and numerous examples of practice that we have undertaken.
What is Human Learning Systems?
Today, 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 designing services than we did 15 years ago. And we can see what has happened to our services, communities and health over three decades:
- Austerity has created huge resourcing problems, forcing us to focus on short term activities.
- Prevention has been sacrificed as costs have been cut.
- Demand has risen.
- Citizens become poorer, and the divide in society widens.
- Community cohesion and voluntary groups has suffered.
- Seemingly quick fixes like digital service design do not change the underlying causes.
We now know, that the way we have designed the public sector today is failing us . Here in the UK it is failing us from an efficiency, a wider systemic and citizen outcome perspective. We need something new and Human Learning Systems is a proven group of thinking and examples that work.
A better way of designing the public sector
Human Learning Systems uses robust strength based methods and approaches, like the liberated method principles, to develop new relational ways of working. It engages with locality based communities, by being inherently collaborative and person led. Shifting our focus from independent services, to place based working. HLS is about reform, it redesigns services. It guides front line staff to co-design solutions that allow for relational 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.
- HLS is systemic, it shifts not just the front line, but also the wider elements within the organisation.
|
HLS is more than supporting communities. It is a shift in thinking. It gives us a path for public sector reform.
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
|
Implementing Human Learning Systems
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 Human Learning Systems 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 these concepts, and resources. On the HLS website there are a collection of case studies, of which two are examples that we have led.
How we can help you
We are experts in transformation and reform. Redesigning services.
We are often 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 often 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
|
'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. |
