A few weeks back, Local Area Coordination teams from 13 councils met together in-person for our bi-annual Regional Gatherings. The day featured a range of different workshops and opportunities to connect with peers, learn from each other, and contribute to the growth of the Local Area Coordination movement and national network.

One of those workshops featured a simple question: What would your 11th principle of Local Area Coordination be and why? Questions like this help us to consider how we can continuously improve our shared approach by reflecting on the fundamental aspects of its design.

We thought we’d share a superb answer to this question from Theresa Lisk (Local Area Coordinator for Queens Park, Westminster):

“Time is something we’re lucky to have more of compared with most other services. It’s a real power tool that we shouldn’t take for granted and should make the most of.

Where doctors have to give patients ten-minute slots and social prescribers give six sessions etc, Local Area Coordination is not time-bound. We don’t need to rush a person through conversation because we have a hundred other visits we need to cram in. We give opportunity for people to go at their own pace so they can properly plan what they want their life to look like and take action themselves, so they get to experience the new skills, confidence, connections, and growth they achieve along the way. Real transformation takes time. Rapport takes time. Getting to know and understand people takes time. Time allows space. And time and space allows for strength-based practice to work and flourish. We’re extremely fortunate that we get to understand the context of people’s lives.

Time has three faces:

• The duration and longevity of our journey as a whole, which can be long-term or short-term. 
• The amount of time we can give people in the moment. 
• It is also part of giving people a sense of control, as a person can decide to work with us there and then or come back to us at the right time for them.”

A huge thanks to Theresa for her wonderful insights!