Peter Bates > Social Inclusion Training Pack

Social Inclusion Training Pack

The Inclusion Traffic Lights highlight the need to build a life beyond the health and social care system – to contribute to the wider community. The Inclusion Web provides a baseline assessment to see where you are already connected and contributing. Now you need some tools to help you make some changes – to decide on what to do, to locate opportunities, to join and to contribute. This pack contains a catalogue of tools and strategies that, if used thoughtfully, will make all this possible.

The Social Inclusion Training Pack first saw the light of day as a book chapter. An attempt was made to build some inclusion planning software, but, after a time, that was abandoned in favour of a simple card index. The first print run sold out, and an updated and revised version was published by the National Development Team for Inclusion. They sold out too, so, as an alternative, the NDTi has kindly agreed for the whole pack to be made available online here.

The Social Inclusion Training Pack consists of five elements:

  • An introductory booklet that describes the pack in more detail and suggests various ways it may be used. This booklet also includes the lengthy bibliography that underpins the Pack.
  • A selection of training exercises that help people to explore the pack and try out different ways to use it.
  • A Worksheet to support inclusion planning.
  • A summary card showing the seven sections of a comprehensive inclusion plan.
  • Finally, the bulk of the material, which is the 113 individual tools that, when used creatively and in combination, can support people to find ways to be present in communities, to build real friendships and to contribute.

Evidence to show that use of the Social Inclusion Training Pack broadens staff skills to support innovative planning with individuals can be found here. Finally, while it is possible to adapt these resources to support people to access health and social care services rather than the wider community, that is not the focus. Of course, some people really do need help to access scarce, life-saving services, but the purpose of the Social Inclusion Training Pack is to support people to move into ordinary relationships with ordinary citizens, free from regulation by services.