The High Intensity Use service, Think Outs’ founder , Rhian developed has been adopted by NHS England’s RightCare programme and is currently mandated to be implemented in every area of England. Here, in poetic voice, Rhian gives her own personal reflections on the work.
“Hi, You…”
Our work with people who use make frequent use of services has shown, time and again, that when you put these people in a box and label them – regardless of the label – you miss the point about how best to help them.
Our experience shows that the underlying personal reasons for reaching out do not lend themselves to models, averages, or trend-lines.
They cannot be generalised.
They cannot be viewed usefully from the safety of an office, nor do they allow the luxury of a top down view. And this is why solutions designed at a safe distance for an abstract ‘typical’ person tend to fail.
We have succeeded by starting and finishing our interventions with the individual. We test what might work in the field; we’re fearless about the risk of mistakes; and we’re rigorous in learning from those mistakes before we move ahead.
In order to lead, we must first serve. We serve by listening before we decide. By understanding before we act. By personalising before we deploy.
And then listen, learn, and act.