At the heart of everything we do here at Bright Futures is a commitment to empowering the voices of those we support, ensuring they aren’t just heard but actively shaping the way we grow and evolve. Bright Ideas Among Us, our co-production and self-advocacy forum, exemplifies this commitment. This initiative provides a platform for individuals to influence our direction and advising on key policies and practices – grounded in the experiences of those we support.
Reflecting on the remarkable progress made by the Bright Ideas Among Us group, we share and celebrate what the group has been focusing on throughout 2024.
Recruitment
With person-centred practice at the heart of what we do, getting the people we support involved and seeking their expertise and input surrounding their own care has been pivotal in shaping our recruitment and selection. By inviting feedback from the people we support, we gained invaluable insights into the qualities they value most in their care team.
Through open and honest discussions, they outlined the traits that make a meaningful difference in their daily lives – compassion, patience, good communication, and a genuine understanding of their needs. This will be an ongoing project into 2025 and beyond, as we continue to build teams that reflect the values and aspirations of those who matter most.
Accessible Voting
With the UK General Election in July 2024, we wanted our adults to feel empowered and confident to have their say. Getting together every Friday afternoon for a whole month in the lead-up to the election, our Bright Ideas group held weekly meetings and workshops with the people we support and their support teams.
Session 1: Focused on the importance of voting, how to vote, and why it’s important – providing information in accessible formats and easy-read guides.
Session 2: Supported them in registering to vote and completing the online process before the deadlines.
Session 3: A dedicated reading manifestos session, to provide them with enough information so that they felt confident to have their say.
Session 4: ID check and final round-up of information.
The way in which the information was provided in each session was also adapted to meet the needs of the individuals we support and their preferred method of communication/learning. As an example, we used talking mats, Picture Exchange Communication tools, social stories alongside short, informative videos.
You can read more about how we empowered people to vote in our blog: Supporting the right to vote.
Reviewing Accessible Policies
Demonstrating the true value of lived experience, we brought in the real experts – the people we support – to review our accessible policies. This collaborative effort aimed to ensure that every policy is not only accurate but truly accessible to those it impacts most. Through open discussions, practical evaluations, and valuable feedback, the Bright Ideas group played a crucial role in refining our policies to better reflect their needs and perspectives.
This process not only strengthened the clarity and usability of our policies but also reinforced our commitment to co-production, showcasing how working together leads to meaningful and lasting improvements.
Our Bright Ideas Among Us sessions always aim to improve the quality of life for the people we support, advocating for them, working together, and creating capable environments for them to thrive whilst embodying our Bright Futures values.
Our Person-Centred Planning Champion, Jenna explains that “In 2024 our main focus was on empowering the people we support to become more knowledgeable in areas of life that they were not necessarily aware of. It’s been incredible to work alongside the people we support on making longer-term impactful changes as part of these Bright Ideas sessions and can’t wait to see what 2025 brings going forward.”
