When people think about ‘success’ in the service system, it’s normal to focus on the big moments: the major milestones, the life-changing events, and the professional support that enables people to overcome major hardship. So I wanted to use this opportunity to focus on the little things that Local Area Coordination has to offer, as we know that real change often starts with something much smaller: a conversation, a connection, or a small shift in people. These moments don’t always make headlines, but they do build trust. They restore confidence and lay the groundwork for bigger things, often initiating the start of a person’s transformation.
The interview below with Local Area Coordinator in Biddick & All Saints (South Tyneside), Jackie Liddell, brought some of these small moments to life.
“Recently, I was alongside a refugee family who had settled in my area. They had a basic level of English but weren’t at that conversational level just yet. One of the things that was a real barrier for them is that they had all of these forms that needed filling in, but they weren’t confident in doing it. They were worried about getting something wrong.
We met at the local library and [the dad] got set up with his library account, logged onto the computers, and started working on them. I was there alongside him throughout, but it was mostly just for reassurance. Once he saw he was capable of doing it himself, I started chatting to the other people there. I could have filled that form in for him, but then it reinforces that idea of needing a professional to do things for him, which he didn’t.
I saw him at the library a few weeks later and he was on the computers doing an English course! I hadn’t suggested he do that, but I didn’t need to. Sometimes it’s the little achievements that then lead onto bigger achievements, but that only happens when we don’t take those opportunities for growth away from people. It’s not the kind of long-term ‘what’s your vision of a good life?’ kind of conversations we help people to unpick, but even in that one bit of relatively short-term work, it shows you that we still apply the principles of LAC throughout everything we do. And for the man I was alongside, doing that form himself is the first step towards being able to properly integrate in his community.”
It’s important to remind ourselves of the ‘little’ achievements people make, because they matter. These reflections from Jackie (huge thanks for sharing your time!) remind us that change isn’t something that’s ‘delivered’ to people; it’s something that has to come from within.
As we prepare to celebrate Local Area Coordination Week (more on that in next month’s newsletter), and continue to build the national movement, it’s a good time to pause and recognise these moments. They might not always be easy to measure, but they are important nonetheless. So here’s to the small things: offering the right conversation at the right time, giving gentle encouragement and reassurance, and believing in people. Because in the end, it’s often the small things that matter to people – so they should matter to us!
Tom Richards,
Local Area Coordination Network Manager