The MaRG and considerations for the (Changing) Futures

The MaRG and considerations for the (Changing) Futures by Fiona McCormack, CHAD researcher.

The CHAD team were delighted to be part of the VOICES legacy event last week. It was a real celebration of how much VOICES and Expert Citizens (now a Community Interest Company) have achieved over the past 8 years. There was a definite buzz of excitement about what the future holds, building on the learning from VOICES, with the Changing Futures Programme [1].

As Gemma Finn (strategic manager for Changing Futures) highlighted, the MaRG (Multi-agency Resolution Group) will continue to play a crucial role in the local system of support for people experiencing multiple disadvantage. This is great to hear because we know from our previous study [2] that there is pride in the MaRG and the way agencies came together to help ‘complex’ cases that were ‘stuck’ in the system. The MaRG was applauded for its ethos and how it managed to create a safe space for agencies to come together and work in a more collaborative, solution focused, flexible, and ‘creative’ way. Crucially, this also involved sharing potential risk. It was highlighted that, should the individual come to harm, the MaRG can show what had been put in place to try and support them.

Two strands of recommendations from our study are particularly important for the MaRG’s role within Changing Futures: (1) Involvement of lived experience, and (2) Collating and reviewing the evidence.

Participants felt that involving lived experience should be developed as the MaRG continues to evolve, by gaining the views of individual customers themselves. Whether the individual had been informed that their case was being discussed, and whether they were willing to engage were thought to affect the outcome.

Participants were not suggesting that customers actually participate in the MarG meeting, but that their views are obtained and shared by the professional presenting the case, or in a pre-recorded video with the customer that could be shared with the group during the meeting.

Collating and reviewing the evidence on cases was identified as another important development – demographics of the customers, and outcomes (achieved and not achieved) would help to understand common ‘sticking points’ (and for whom) in the system, and could provide evidence of the need for actual changes to some processes/procedures.

From what we heard last week, there seems a lot of potential with Changing Futures – with its core elements of co-production, lived experience and systems partnership, and the employment of an Evaluation Manager. Whilst it was highlighted that the MaRG’s function is primarily operational, it was reassuring to hear that it also: ‘has the ability to recognise wider service and policy gaps so it can make recommendations to system leaders about strategic work that needs to be taken forward, reporting to the Health and Wellbeing Board’.

Reviewing and learning from the evidence of cases heard at the MaRG will be an important step towards recognising and calling for action on the ‘sticking points’ in the system, to ultimately improve the way it works for those experiencing multiple disadvantage.