Systems Changers

Systems Changers in Oxfordshire brings together different members of local communities – including families, voluntary groups and other professionals. Systems Changers supports these groups to work collaboratively to change how we provide early support for families and children experiencing intergenerational disadvantage. This involves working together to build protective factors, to reduce the risk of families facing challenging times.

The programme is structured around the following question:

How do we holistically support families to thrive in, and with, their community in order to prevent crises and break cycles of intergenerational disadvantage?

This work is geographically focused on the Community Impact Zone: Blackbird Leys, Northfield Brook, Cowley and Cowley Marsh.

 PROGRAMME FAQs

Why join the programme?

These are some of the things you can expect to experience if you participate in the process. You will:

• Learn new skills, approaches and methods that will enable you to drive improvements in the system and lead change with peers and colleagues, beyond the time of the program

• Collaborate with others to understand the system and act on current challenges

• Build more relationships in the community, supporting you in your day-to-day as a parent or professional

Who can join the programme?

The programme will bring together 20-25 passionate and committed people from the community, including parents and professionals. You can join System Changers in Oxfordshire if:

• You feel connected to the challenge described and want to take a role in preventative community help

• You can commit 95 hours of dedicated time to work for the purpose between April and October 2022 (approximately 20 hours per month, school term time only)

• You are a parent, children’s services or community sector professional, local representative or a resident who is open to engaging with different people and perspectives

• You are open to changing yourself, while also changing the system

What does the programme involve?

Over the months of May-September you will be involved in in-person meetings (taking place in Blackbird Leys in half days during term time), as well as online sessions and fieldwork. Throughout these experiences, we will help you to:

1. Gather new knowledge about how early intervention and family support currently happens so that you can understand the whole picture

2. Identify what aspects of the system you want to change

3. Reimagine how the system could be in the future

4. Test your vision for the future through experimentation

5. Continue to learn and act on the system

What support is there to take part?

The commitment required is significant, and proportional to the scale of the challenge - we are aware that coming together for a day or two of training is unlikely to result in the systemic change required to better support families in the community. Instead, we have built and immersive and comprehensive programme.

If you are a local parent or if you are not in employment, you will be remunerated for participation in the programme (£1,000). If you are a local agency or community partner, and this level of remuneration would support your full participation in the programme, we are able to contribute to this support via your organisation.

Who runs Systems Changers?

The Systems Changers programme was originally designed by Lankelly Chase with Point People and Snook, with the aim of enabling frontline workers to contribute to and create systems change. It was designed to support people to develop a sense of agency to influence the multiple systems that they’re working within.
Systems Changers Oxfordshire is supported by Lankelly Chase and the Oxford Hub team working in the Community Impact Zone. It builds on the previous System Changers experience in other place based work.

How can I get in touch?

If you’re interested in taking part or have any questions, please get in touch at [email protected]