The purpose of this paper is to describe an example of a practical evidence‐based approach to improvement in the current climate of funding cuts.
The paper describes synthesizing insights from leadership, change management and psychodynamic theory to inform a practical change programme to develop services that meet the needs of clients more efficiently.
The paper finds that rather than simply doing less – cutting staff or reducing services to meet the constraints of funding cuts – it is worth taking a long term and strategic review approach and doing something quite differently.
New ways of working can improve client outcomes and deliver better services and the funding cuts can provide an opportunity to thoroughly re‐examine existing provision; but, significant changes will only be accomplished by change processes that pervade the whole organisation – they cannot just be add‐ons/afterthoughts. The implications of the new way of working are that: even when funding increases, old ways of practice will not be restored; that the use of theoretical approaches from a variety of disciplines can deliver innovative responses that are likely to be sustainable in the medium term; and to improve service standards and outcomes into the future.
This paper finds value by looking to neurobiology, clinical psychotherapy, recovery‐oriented practice, change management theory and practice, and client involvement to try to resolve the current housing crisis.
