Iriss

What is this guide?

This guide forms part of the Iriss Leading for Outcomes series. The guides are designed to support team leaders, managers and trainers to lead teams in the adoption and implementation of a personal outcomes-focused approach. The initial guide, Leading for outcomes: a guide, gives general evidence-based advice and support in leading this approach within the context of adult services.

During 2012-13 Iriss, in partnership with the SSSC ran a series of workshops for people involved in designing or delivering learning.

Why?

The Knowledge Management Strategy for the social services recognises that web-based tools - social bookmarking, Twitter, newsfeeds, Google search and Facebook - are now widely used for communication, collaboration and learning.

This event was held on 19th March 2013 at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh and was a collaboration between, ADSW, Care Inspectorate, COSLA, IRISS, SASW, SSSC and The Scottish Government

St Joseph's Service is part of a registered national charity- Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. St Joseph's provides support services for people with a learning disability in Midlothian and Edinburgh. The Service supports 85 people through person centred planning and service delivery in a variety of locations. St Joseph's is set up in circles of best practice which ensures their focus is on connection, friendship inclusion and belonging.

Being innovative is not a detached activity to be undertaken once and never to be repeated again

Innovation is not only for small organisations that can react quickly, or large organisations that invest vast quantities of money in developing ideas. An innovative organisation is a place where new ideas are embraced and praised, where old ideas and traditional approaches are freely challenged and adapted, and where failure is tolerated and learnt from. Sounds simple.

There are a number of conditions that can be created by managers and leaders that can create a favourable climate for innovation to flourish. However, innovative organisations can, and do, look very different. For example:

The Linux movement has been described as a 'revolution' sweeping the software world. It describes a group of dedicated software hackers who, in their spare time, created an open operating system.

Despite a strong history of innovation and improvement in Scotland, some organisations have many structural and cultural features that impede its development by limiting risk taking and imposing tried and tested standardised solutions.

I introduced the topic of risk and innovation with a colleague the other day who managed to summarise some of the main challenges in a quick anecdote:

These guides aim to explore how you can approach innovation in your social services organisation, embracing the change that presents, and managing the risks that ensue.