January-March 2020
DCT worked with Devon County Council Adult Social Care Services and One Ilfracombe on a project to better understand the realities for people with living with disabilities in Ilfracombe, and help develop new solutions to challenges.
We designed and delivered four workshops to a variety of participants, bringing together a total of 41 service providers, service users and persons with varying disabilities to engage in a design-led thinking process.
Impact
Through an inclusive, user-led process, two prototype ideas were generated from the workshops, with the aim of creating positive change for those living with a disability in the town.
You can read our final report here
BOB’S CONTRIBUTION
One of the participants at our workshops was Bob*, who is living with Alzheimer’s disease. Aware that his insights, and that of his wife Helen* (also his carer) could prove valuable, we put special plans in place to ensure that both voices could be heard.
Rather than making each workshop completely different, we overlapped some tools and structure to aid with familiarity, build confidence and create further group connection.
One of the DCT team members was assigned to work with Bob on a 121 basis. To ensure positive engagement with the tools, other participants and the workshop themes, the staff member worked through the tools and continued to remind and update Bob on what he was doing and what he had said already, as well as documenting his subsequent thoughts.
This 121 support extended to the group work, where Bob would be informed about what others were saying and invited to add his own contribution, whilst being reminded of the themes being discussed.
This enabled Helen to engage with the workshops as a participant in her own right, allowing both of their unique perspectives to form part of the process.
Bob and Helen attended three of the workshops and one of Bob’s ideas was considered during the final workshop as a possible prototype to put forward.