Jane Sherwin Consulting
  • Welcome
  • Capacity development, incl workshops & mentoring
  • Articles by me
  • Articles/links by others
  • Contact
  • Welcome
  • Capacity development, incl workshops & mentoring
  • Articles by me
  • Articles/links by others
  • Contact
Articles by Jane
Topics include: 
  • friendships and other relationships
  • assisting people to get better lives
  • person centred approaches
  • quality and what leaders can pay attention to
  • (marginalised) people having more say and control
  • ​older people​ and 
  • the use of Social Role Valorisation

Articles about friendships and other relationships

​'The desire for friendship comes quickly, friendship does not': an exploration of roles and relationships
​There is professed enthusiasm - but little progress - for people who are marginalised to experience community membership and belonging. This article explores the links between the roles that people are in and the extent to which they are likely to experience community membership and belonging. In particular, the potential of roles that give two types of social participation (task and relationship participation) is explored. Implications derived from the theory of social role valorisation are outlined.
​Leadership for social inclusion in the lives of people with disabilities
​While there is widespread espousal that social inclusion is important in the lives of people with disabilities, significant progress is yet to occur. This article identifies five challenges for those in leadership roles and explores the attributes of those in leadership roles, so that they are more equipped to respond to these challenges.
The human search for belonging,
written with Lynda Shevellar and Neil Barringham

​
​This article is based on an evaluation of a small service that supports people with significant mental health issues. The article explores their experiences of 'belonging' and identifies five principles that support the development of community participation and freely given relationships.

Articles/resource about assisting people to get better lives

 Good ideas for better lives 
An easy to read booklet of 15 really important ideas if you want to assist people with disabilities and older people to be citizens, just as others take this for granted in our communities. With one idea per page, the booklet outlines why each idea means, why it is important, and provides reflection questions.  
​Acceptance and belonging: the usefulness of being in valued roles
Bring a sense of possibility and explore three ideas which help individuals get everyday, typical lives like others without impairments.
​Journeying into the everyday: fostering the application of SRV
​This paper concerns itself with the application of the theory of Social Role Valorisation (SRV), and will be of relevance to those people who have attended an introductory workshop and the PASSING practicum. It describes the elements of a ‘thinking framework’ to assist someone to take the many concepts that they were exposed to during these workshops and to use them with and for a devalued person towards achieving a better life.
'The purpose of life is a life with purpose: creating meaningful futures through valued roles.', written with Meg Sweeney
​The article explains how valued roles can bring purpose to someone's life, and shows how attending to 'role communicators' can assist someone to be authentically in a role. Meg shares a story from her daughter's life as an illustration of how making conscious decisions about each of the role communicators assisted in Joscelyn being in the valued role of Creche Volunteer. Presented at the Family Advocacy Conference. Go to http://www.family-advocacy.com/conference-2012.html to see other papers.
​Imagining better: a first step on the path to a good life
Written for a book for family members and published by ImagineBetter in New Zealand. It outlines some reasons why 'dreams' get lost, and eight things that help develop and sustain a vision for the son or daughter. 
​Acceptance and belonging: the usefulness of being in valued roles
​Five things that families can do to strengthen the likelihood of belonging for their family member.
Think typical: the culturally valued analogue
Our mindsets can often lead us to 'think special' which leads us to solutions away from typical and ordinary life i.e. disability specific solutions or aged care solutions. In contrast, we can develop mindsets of 'thinking typical' which, if the goal is to help people have ordinary and valued lives, helps ground us in solutions that anyone else (without an impairment) would use.

Articles about person centred approaches

A brief overview of the elements of person centred approaches
by the Consortium for Person Centred Approaches: Judith Ellis, Trudy van Dam and me​
We developed an original (and unique) framework about Person Centred Approaches that engages one's values and identified strategies for self determination and community life, before using the many tools that are now available. The framework maps seven key ideas for use in person centred work: the outcomes are meaningful community life and having one's authority and voice respected. The efforts are founded on a deep appreciation of the individual's needs that if met, would allow the person to thrive. The four areas that services must pay attention to are their beliefs and expectations, partnerships, individualised roles-based needs-based planning and support, and enabling structures and relationships. This framework had its genesis in resources we developed, listed below.
Person centred planning: a review of the literature. ​Lead author: Trudy van Dam, in conjunction with Judith Ellis and me as the Consortium for Person Centred Approaches.
​One of the few international literature reviews on person centred planning (as at 2008).  Notes problems when person centred approaches (to use our term) are not well understood in their fullness and when the leadership is not committed.
 
Social Role Valorisation Theory as a Resource to ‘Person Centred Planning
​Human services regularly look for what appear to be easy-to-apply collections of support strategies. One such family of strategies with much current international interest is person centred planning. This article defines what is commonly understood by the term, and identify some of the limitations in the current practice conducted under the guise of ‘person centred planning.’ It then considers what Social Role Valorisation (SRV) as a theory might offer to those practitioners who are working in systems that have adopted ‘person centred planning’ at a statutory and/or policy level.
A person centred response: keeping Nan at the centre of her life.
​A personal description of what it took for my grandmother to stay in her own home, and a comparison between a service-centred response and a person-centred one. This is particularly relevant to the current context of Consumer Directed Care. 
​Right relationship and person centred approaches 
​A paper presented to a group of older people and workers in agencies that support older people about the link between the nature of the relationship between worker and person, and person centred approaches 

Resources about person centred approaches

Exploring and implementing person centred approaches: a guide for NSW Community Participation Program
A guide book particularly for those working in day services or working with individuals towards social, educational or economic participation. It was developed following an extensive literature review and case study interviews with people with disabilities, families, and service workers.  
Working in person centred ways: a resource book for NSW Advocacy and Information Services
This is also a guide book, and while the reflection questions (the challenges) are particularly directed at Advocacy and Information services, the content from our framework for person centred work is relevant to all.  

​Articles about quality and what leaders can pay attention to

​Seeking authentic indicators of quality in human services 
This article was published in 2001 (!) yet still has relevance today, especially as our energies (in services) are diverted to business activities.

Resource about people having more say and control

Seven propositions for fruitful directive control
This half hour youtube video (a summary of a workshop I present - you will get more out of it if you attend the 1 to 2 day workshop) outlines a framework of propositions for use in a context of 'self direction'. It answers the questions: directive control (or self direction) for what? what paradigm does directive control exist in? what happens to the power in the relationship? is self direction for everyone? can people's capacity be built? what should agencies pay attention to?

Articles about the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

Like the Beatles said, money can't buy me love.
​
​While many are rejoicing that the NDIS will bring funds to vulnerable people, Queensland Parents of People with a Disability asked me to write some reflections on what money can't buy. The article prompts people to think about what it takes to create meaningful and fulfilling lifestyles, and therefore to think more broadly than simply focusing on the money.
Making the most of the NDIS using Social Role Valorisation
​The NDIS promises much, but those who are trying to improve people's lives also need a values base and a helpful theoretical and practice framework to people get a fulfilling life. Down Syndrome Australia asked me to write for their journal 'Voice' on how the theory of Social Role Valorisation might help create opportunities rather than simply 'more of the same'. While the article refers to people with Down Syndrome, the content is relevant to anyone with an impairment. 


Articles particularly about older people

Exploring three contemporary residential responses to older people, through a Social Role Valorization lens
This book chapter uses the theory of Social Role Valorization (SRV) to critique three contemporary responses to the 'home' needs of older people. The three models, the Eden Alternative, the Green House Project and Humanitas Apartments For Life, were chosen because they have been embraced very widely across Western societies, despite little empirical basis for their adoption. Although written with a focus the experiences of older people, the content could be instructive to any who live in a residential environment. Soon to be published book chapter.
A person centred response: keeping Nan at the centre of her life.
​A personal description of what it took for my grandmother to stay in her own home, and a comparison between a service-centred response and a person-centred one. This is particularly relevant to the current context of Consumer Directed Care. 

Other articles about the use of Social Role Valorisation (note: more SRV articles are in the sections above) 

List of SRV and SRV related articles and booklets 
This two page document will be helpful if you are looking for articles and web-links for easy to read SRV material; SRV based stories, videos and ideas for use in the lives of older people, people with disabilities, and people with mental health issues; and in person centred practice. 
Choice, ideology and the challenges of applying Social Role Valorisation in mental health work, written with Lynda Shevellar.
Written in the style of a conversation between two colleagues, this article explores the complexities to do with 'choice' as a guiding principle, using an SRV lens.​  
​A re-imagined identity: building a movement in Brisbane for the practice of Social Role Valorisation, written with Lynda Shevellar and Greg Mackay
​This is a chapter by Lynda Shevellar, Greg Mackay and me that appears in a book about community based education and training. Using Values in Action Association as a case study, the chapter argues that if local groups thought of themselves and acted as communities of practice rather than simply promoters of training, then a base of SRV practice is more likely to be built. In other words, if we accept that learning and using SRV theory has the potential to transform individuals, services and communities, then not only is conducting training events important, but also efforts around building relationships between and among people who are trying to apply SRV is vital. 
Articles by me that demonstrate the use of SRV and that are described above are also listed here for your convenience:
More resources

​Click for articles by others
​about SRV (and other topics)
Social Role Valorisation Theory as a Resource to ‘Person Centred Planning

​Making the most of the NDIS using Social Role Valorisation
More roles, more community life
'The purpose of life is a life with purpose: creating meaningful futures through valued roles.'
written with Meg Sweeney
Think typical: the culturally valued analogue
​Journeying into the everyday: fostering the application of SRV
​Acceptance and belonging: the usefulness of being in valued roles
Choice, ideology and the challenges of applying Social Role Valorisation in Mental Health work, written with Lynda Shevellar.
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