This week we’ve been at the Unusual Suspects Festival …a free-flowing smorgasbord of workshops, fostering learning and connections between the network of agents who are passionate about using new methodologies to drive social change and better outcomes for the public.

Yesterday Essex colleagues gathered for Deliberation Day: the mid point in a review of the Early Years system commissioned by Dave Hill, the Executive Director for People Commissioning, and led by Chris Martin, Integrated Commissioning Director. In a wonderful space at Zinc Arts, we curated a space and time for consideration, deliberation, and voting. And stickers.

This week we have taken over a fantastic space in the snazzy Harlow Leisure Zone, to run kick-off workshops with colleagues from across Essex who are seeking to change the way they deliver services for working age adults with disabilities.

We designed and ran these two workshops. Ruth left Caireen on her own to deliver one whilst she went off to speak at a UN conference, but Caireen nailed it. All was well. Through the workshops we set out to: Build an understanding of and desire for innovation: make clear that ‘more of the same’ is not an option if the ambitious vision for numbers, speed and experience of adoption is.