Mentorship

Because SeniorLink is impacting seniors on a one on one basis, and because it is a service business, our impact is not measured on a large scale, similar to completing a project. Rather, success is based on effectively helping seniors one at a time. Our success is relatively basic- assist as many seniors as possible while still making a profit.

Our long term goal is to add additional tutors and grow SeniorLink from a small organization to one that it more mechanized in terms of scheduling. Ultimately, my goal is that SeniorLink will thrive on its own after I graduate high school and leave for college.

Success is measured is a variety of ways. Obviously, SeniorLink has been successful to date in that significant revenue has been generated by its services. Based on our current business model, I am confident that more revenue can be generated as tutors and customers are increased.

More importantly, I measure success based on the impact that SeniorLink is making with specific customers. The opportunity that seniors have to connect with their children and grandchildren and enjoy the benefits of technology is the real measure of success. The aptitude of seniors in using the computer varies greatly, but I have found that after a series of lessons, it is rare that the senior does not enjoy the experience.
Success can be measured by witnessing increasing desire of seniors to expand technology knowledge. SeniorLink has had some measure of success as it has witnessed advancement among its clients.
Additionally with new devices such as IPADs and Kindles, provided by the client, clients have become more interested in learning and some more adept at operating such devices. At one assisted living facility Seniorlink holds a group class which has turned into a technology group which meets independently of me. This is proof that exposure to technology has led to incorporation of it into daily life.
Regarding health issues, SeniorLink has introduced memory assistance software and seniors have shown improved memory. Additionally, the use of the fingers while typing helps with arthritic conditions. Seniors with Alzheimer's also benefit from tutors creating a personalized instruction manual that is left with the client. Clients who have Parkinson's disease have been able to use the IPAD with a stylist.
ultimately the question of success in the social entrepreneur setting is whether there is a benefit to society while generating revenue and profit. In the brief history of SeniorLink, I have seen the important connection that technology can make. The walls of isolation can come down.

Patient leaders have a valuable role to play in tackling the problems facing health and social care at a national and local level, but we need to improve the development of and access to learning opportunities in order to grow this pool of talent, Amidst chaos of reform and unprecedented challenges to improving health, the biggest asset we have - people who live with health problems and use services - remains untapped. Instead, patients are a problem to be solved, not the solution. Meanwhile, patient and public engagement has been co-opted by institutional interests as a buffer against change, rather than as a co-production engine for it. We need a new generation of 'unusual suspects' who can act strategically to help tackle crises in health and social care

Patient leadership is:
Rooted in self-leadership - patients learning about themselves to steer their own life.
A work in progress - good leaders develop through continuous learning
Dependent on context - involves a complex mixture of interdependent behaviours

Our learning approaches incorporate:
Co-design and co-delivery
More than ‘chalk and talk’ - We use highly interactive methods
Working with what happens in the room - Leaders learn from practicing and reflecting on how they behave
Acting into a new way of thinking - We help people to construct meaning and knowledge from experiences by practicing on their ‘live’ issues
Working with others – integrating dialogue and inquiry
Process skills of leadership - skills of relationship-building and influencing

We provide patient leaders - patients, service users and carers who influence change with:
Learning and Support - a variety of face to face offers and facilitated e-learning
Network and Community of Practice - Patient Leaders become Members of The Centre for Patient Leadership
Ongoing support to take next steps

We provide healthcare organisations with support based on co-production principles to foster patient leadership

Equipped with the capability to influence change, PLs will help shift power relationships underpinning healthcare to a truly patient-centred model. This will transform:
Patient experiences and outcomes (responsiveness)
Quality of decision-making (transparency, governance and accountability)
Trust and confidence
Financial viability of healthcare systems

We are in a unique position with regards to the UK and international market, as
Thought-leaders (around the policy and practice of patient leadership)
Pioneers in providing learning and support to a new generation of health leaders able to shift the very fabric of how health and healthcare is delivered.
Offering constructive and sustainable solutions to healthcare organisations in the current economic climate

Our customers are two-fold:
1. Health and healthcare organisations (customers) - local, regional, national, international - these organisations resource individual beneficiaries (patient leaders) who are:
2. Patients, service users and carers (direct beneficiaries)

We have run learning programmes for organisations at national, regional and local level (e.g. NHS Commissioning Board, now NHS England; NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement; Midlands and East Strategic Health Authority; National Voice - the umbrella organisation for the health voluntary sector; various commissioning organisations and provider trusts). We have undertaken a variety of programmes, ranging from one day workshops to five month programmes (with coaching) to over 500 patient leaders.

We have marketed progammes to commissioners, providers & national agencies. Given the shifting policy environment, our marketing strategy will segment in the following ways, towards:
1. National agencies (in service development, research, third sector) - these will also help ceate the environment for patient leadership
2. Commissioners of health and social care
3. Providers (acute hospital trusts, community and primary care providers)
4. Condition-related organisations/initiatives (eg. building on recent success in renal field) & moving towards focus on long term conditions
5. Locality and regionally based work (building on recent successful programmes in the Midlands)

Each of the above require bespoke business cases that focus on relevant incentives (e.g. safety for hospitals)

We provide
Learning and support for Patient Leaders
Networks and communities of practice;
Information, advice and support for Patient Leaders

For organisations:
We provide organisational development support that fosters the cultures and systems for patient leadership (NB. We have just produced the first Guide for NHS organisation to foster patient leadership - see 'resources' section on our website)

We also undertake research and policy with partners that will help create the wider cultures and systems and enviornment for patient leadership

We are unique thus far. National professionally-led training organisations are beginning to take an interest in patient leadership, but don't (and may never) truly understand the model; Patient-led & Third Sector organisations are at an early stage of being able to deliver training programmes and these are based on very different learning models to those we believe in and offer.

There is a window of opportunity (3-5 yrs) to create a social movement for patient leadership before an idea like this is 'captured' by mainstream organisations and distorted to fit institutional needs and the status quo. In this time, In this time, our work needs to support & develop a critical mass of patient leaders who share the values and have the skills necessary to radically shift the face of healthcare

The current policy and practice environment is volatile and organisations do not yet recognise the value of patient leadership - and may not want it if they truly understood it! On the other hand, the steep rise in demand demonstrates that another set of players want us to step up to the mark. To overcome this paradoxical state of affairs, we need to:
Hone and articulating the vision - communicate the business case to all stakeholders
Build capacity for delivery at scale and pace
Refine the operating and business model
Clarify roles & responsibilities;
Move to mixed investment strategy
Ensure quality
Beware of mission creep (eg other areas of citizen/lay leadership)
Stick to our values
Develop range of accessible learning offers/curriculum (incl. facilitated e-learning)

These phases are largely being run in parallel:
Phase One: Market Research & marketing strategy based on refined assessment of current landscape and potential funders (including assessment of investment and philanthropic options)
Phase Two: Building infrastructure, operating model and capacity for delivery at scale;
Phase Three: Developing the offer (to patient leaders, organisations)

We have significant interest in our work from organisations & Patient Leaders themselves; hugely positive feedback from programmes (500 'alumni') Recent experience of delivery at scale and pace; Proof of concept of operational and delivery model (incl train the trainers; online network; virtual learning environment); high profile (e.g. articles and network interest)

In the next 3-5 years, we aim to grow from £100k/yr turnover to £1-2m/year (yr 2) and double that by year 5. This will depend on developing 'Patient Leaders' as the 'go to' place for an expanding range of learning programmes and establishing the Centre for Patient Leadership as a non-profit making research & policy organisation.

Short term (1-2 yrs): £500,000 turnover, six new learning programmes (300 alumni); development of online network; six new core associates; Establishment of operational model to deliver at scale and pace (with financial director on board at least p/t and project manager f/t)
Medium Term (3-5 rs): £1-2m turnover, 40 programmes, expansion of offers; Thriving membership of community; UK-wide delivery;

NB. There will be a general election in 2015 and this will inevitably lead to shifts in policy and practice. We will need to adapt our work and growth plans for these circumstances.

Having strong administration of a system is important however, success will ultimately be based on the amount of impact it has on the relationships between youth and elders. The discovery of knowledge and information between the youth and elders.

In the long-term, which would most likely be more than one year, success would be the adaptability of the service to variance in the volume of participants large or small and the ability to sustain itself as an organization.

I will measure success based on my sense of developing leaders within the community in both the youth and elder demographic. I feel that the wisdom that is being passed on is a two-way street – elders provide experience and perspective and youth can bring a modern version of that but also a rejuvenating level of ambition and courage. I would feel accomplished, when I know that this service has sparked behaviour change in a way that it facilitates relationships by removing stigmas between the different generations – relationships that are ongoing, fruitful and loving.

The aim for the Global Stewardship Initiatives 2013 is to engage and inspire youth. We would consider ourselves successful in the short term if we deliver high-caliber programs that attract more than 100 youth participants. We would assess the short-term impact of these programs through evaluations completed by the students after participating. Success can also be defined through the degree of youths’ participation on the social media sites to be maintained by the Capilano students, such as the blog and the Facebook page. This year we hope to stay connected to the students we work with and use their feedback to improve our initiatives. We will consider Justice High a success if our host high schools invite us to deliver our programs to their students again in 2014. Change Pilotz will be judged successful if the camp participants continue to seek our mentorship and we are able to help them implement their social entrepreneurial projects.

The long term goal of the Global Stewardship Initiatives is to create a body of passionate vocal and informed youth who will take a stand and give a strong articulate voice to the concerns of the younger generation. We would define success as the movement that the youth created within their high schools, in their communities and in their homes. Success in the high school students' schools would be defined as the creation of a social justice club, where issues of injustice, movements of social change, and event planning can be discussed. The success within the high schools could also be defined through the interest and enrollment in such courses as Social Justice 12 or Global Stewardship 12. Success can be defined in the students' communities through a dedication to volunteer their time to stewardship activities through local organizations. Community success can also be demonstrated through the creation of social entrepreneurship projects and/or organizations dedicated to supporting local and global causes. The success of the Global Stewardship Initiatives can be further defined in the homes of the participants through sustainable changes to practices and household management that are sensitive to global and local issues. Finally, the Initiatives can also define success in the ways in which next year's organization of the projects is adapted to the measurements of successes and failures, as a result of the previous year's analysis of success.

The measure of success for the Global Stewardship Initiatives is gauged on our ability to foster the development of social projects spearheaded by youth who attend our programs. As inspiration is sometimes hard to measure, our success will be based on the number of youth who attend our programs, the initiatives taken by the youth afterwards, and the continuation of those initiatives in the long run. Success can be monitored through the responses on the Global Stewardship Initiatives blog and Facebook page. We will measure success through the youths’ continued visitation of the page and participation in question and response sections on the blog, as this type of participation represents the students' continued interest in developing their social change toolbox. Success will also be measured from the continued contact of the students with their Capilano mentor. Our success will be defined by our ability to help the students along the way and the inspiration we can offer through our availability to them. A continued communication between student and mentor demonstrates a furthered interest in social change work and is beneficial to both parties. While we hope that youth who attend our programs continue projects started with us, it is reasonable to expect that not all of the projects taken on by the students will continue past their creation. We will still however consider ourselves successful so long as we have engaged the youth in a positive way and fostered the ideals of social change work in them.