Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Update and information pack
On 16 March the national Brook board voted unanimously to become "One Brook". Since this time an Interim Advisory Group of trustees and directors from across the Brook Network worked with the national office Senior Management Team to create an information pack for Centre Directors and the Chairs of our Trustee boards to help them make a decision about remaining part of the "One Brook" organisation. The pack was sent out on 4 June as scheduled and incorporated answers to the questions and issues raised during the consultation period which ended in February.
The information pack was produced in a record six weeks and I want to thank all of the IAG who worked above and beyond the call of duty to provide information and advice. All Centres now have until the end of June to make their decision and they must now agree how to best meet young people's needs now and in the future.
It is my sincere hope that everyone will opt to remain within Brook so that we can continue to innovate, pioneer and fearlessly campaign for the sexual health rights and needs of young people and to achieve our aspiration to become bigger, bolder, better!
I will update this blog you in July once I have feedback from all Centres.
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Thursday, March 18, 2010
Decision by the national board
The national office trustees met on Tuesday and spent the afternoon in interesting and lively debate before voting unanimously to make the move to 'One Brook'.
I observed the meeting and felt proud to be associated with a board that has so much passion, interest, experience and care for Brook and for the young people it serves. Their decision did not come without a great deal of discussion, reflection and consideration of the views of people from across the organisation and outside it.
The trustees were clear that we can only successfully change if we continually keep the organisation's values at the heart of One Brook. So there will be pledges, agreed now, that will ensure, for example, that any new organisation is able to deliver local flexibility, to help more young people, and to draw on the wealth of knowledge and experience and history that exists in Brooks all over the country.
Now this decision is made, we can move to the next stage of the change programme, and there is much work to be done and many questions we still need to answer. I will continue to keep you updated here and through other communications, and you must continue to challenge, feedback, praise, comment and question whenever you feel the need.
It's an exciting and challenging time for the organisation, but I believe it will make a Bigger, Bolder and Better Brook which can reach thousands more young people.
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Thursday, February 04, 2010
Consultation closing soon and weblink to survey
The consultation period will soon be closing.
We are now in the final stages of the consultation on the organisational design and governance structure. Here is the link to a survey monkey for consultants, stakeholders, funders and members.
Please take five minutes to complete the survey below and let us know what you think by 26 February 2010. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B2WF7RB
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Monday, December 21, 2009
Thank you
Thank you to all of you, staff, trustees and stakeholders for actively participating in the organisational review this year. It has been a privilege leading this work, working with you as colleagues whose creativity, commitment and expertise will absolutely guarantee we make the best decision about the future organisational design and governance structure.
The consultation pack 'Have your Say' includes a feedback form which some people have completed and returned. The deadline for responses is 28 February so there is still plenty of time. I, and the national board really want to hear your views to help inform decision making. Please dont waste this opportunity to make sure your voice is heard.
Whatever you are doing over the festive holidays, have a wonderful time, thank you for your commitment to Brook's work enabling thousands of young people to enjoy their sexuality without harm every single week of the year, and here is to all good things in 2010.
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Monday, November 30, 2009
‘Have your say’ consultation pack and teleconference dates
All Brook staff and trustees should now have received the consultation pack ‘Have your say'. If you have not received it, please talk to your Centre Director and make sure you get a pack.
Many staff and trustees have already sent back the form with their views and thoughts about the proposal to merge into one national charity. You have until 28 February to get your views known either by writing directly to me at , or by completing and posting back the form which is included in the consultation pack.
There are more teleconferences organised for staff and for trustees. Some people have told me they are unsure that they have anything to say or don't know what questions to ask - it is fine to join a call and just listen!
The dates and times for staff teleconferences are:
- Friday 11 December - 9am
- Tuesday 12 January - 4pm
- Monday 15 February - 6pm
The dates and times for trustee teleconferences are:
- Wednesday 9 December - 6pm
- Thursday 14 January - 1pm
- Tuesday 16 February - 6pm
We expect all Centre Directors to be holding discussions within Brook Centres so you can make your views know that way too.
However you get your voice heard, please make sure if you have something to say about the proposal to merge into one national charity please make sure you say it!
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Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Consultation document - have your say
The consultation document has now been circulated via email and hard copies will be landing in all Centres this week.
Let me start by thanking everyone whose thoughts and ideas have got us to where we are now. The intelligent, creative and positive thinking of Brook people is absolutely tremendous. One thing I know from the contact I have with Brook people on a daily basis - whether it be with managers, reception and information workers, education workers, clinicians or trustees, whether they think the proposal to be 'one Brook' is the best thing, a bad idea, or are currently unsure and have lots of questions that need answering - everyone wants the best for young people and their sexual health and for the organisation. It is this thinking, questioning and commitment that makes me proud to work at Brook. With this commitment and brain power I believe it is inevitable that we will through the consultation process find the right answer about how Brook should look in the future.
The consultation document 'Bigger, bolder, better together - have your say' sets out the proposal to become one organisation. It provides the background rationale to this recommendation that the Blank Sheet Working Group has made to the Network, as well as some information about the benefits for young people and staff that any change needs to achieve, and the types of activities that we think would need to take place at local, regional and national levels. It also sets out the next steps and timescales. There is a sheet within the pack for you to send your thoughts back to me at the national office to inform thinking and decision making. The email is still open and I will continue to reply to any thoughts and questions that come in.
There are teleconferences for staff, trustees and network managers. Please do join in the teleconferences even if you are not sure you have anything to say, or what you want to say, some people join them and listen to what other people are thinking. All of the teleconferences so far have been useful discussions, and have helped to highlight different ways of thinking, different ideas and different challenges or solutions. The dates are set out below.
Teleconferences for staff
Wednesday 18 November 12 noon
Friday 11 December 9.00am
Tuesday 12 January 4.00pm
Monday 15 February 6.00pm
Teleconferences for Centre Directors (chaired by Helen Finney)
Monday 16 November 4.30pm
Tuesday 15 December 11.00am
Monday 11 January 5.30pm
Thursday 18 February 9.00am
Teleconferences for trustees
Friday 20 November 9.00am
Wednesday 9 December 6.00pm
Thursday 14 January 1.00pm
Tuesday 16 February 6.00pm
Finally, we are developing a FAQ list - as people are sending in questions we are going to update the question bank and the answers - we won't have all the answers now, and if we don't know then we will say we don't know and when we hope to - even if that is the case it won't be forgotten. The more questions we have, the more likely it is we won't forget anything so please do keep asking.
This is a really important consultation exercise through which I want to hear the thoughts, challenges, opportunities, concerns and hopes that you have for Brook in the future. Please do take the chance to have your say so you can help shape the future of Brook so we can achieve our aim of reaching more young people and build on our proud history of innovation, creativity and excellence in sexual health. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Update on progress and teleconference dates
We are almost at the evidence and information gathering stage and the blank sheet working group has been doing an analysis of the different design options against the tests. A final consultation document will then be circulated to all staff and trustees in early October. Once that is circulated there will be a website where staff and trustees can tell us their preferred option and why this is their preferred option to inform the decision making process.
Over the next three months there are a series of teleconferences, some for staff and some for trustees so people can dial in, ask questions, get more information, seek clarification or give their views. The dates for the teleconferences are set out below. If you intend on joining into a teleconference please email joy at and confirm which teleconference you are going to join.
Teleconferences for trustees:
- Wednesday 23 September - 6.00pm
- Saturday 17 October - 10.00am
- Wednesday 28 October - 6.00pm
Teleconferences for staff:
- 22 September 2.00-3.00pm
- 8 October 9.00-10.00am
- 13 October 3.00-4.00pm
- 30 October 1.00-2.00pm
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Thursday, July 23, 2009
Update on progress of the review
The review is progressing well. The blank sheet working group has explored the range of possible organisational design options which range on a spectrum from 'staying as we are' through to 'merging into one charity'. The group has also developed a series of 'tests' which all the options will be measured against. A review update will be sent to all staff and trustees next week which sets out the different options that have been identified, and the tests. The review group is currently testing the different design options against these tests. That review update will be published on the website next week.
In september all staff and trustees will be sent information about the options that have passed the tests and a commentary on each of them. That will be the point at which we hope every staff member and trustee will have their chance to discuss the design options and make their views known to managers and chairs.
Helen Finney, Centre Director in Liverpool, and Chair of the Network Managers, has begun a round of visits to all Centres to meet with staff and trustees to discuss the review and to give as many people as possible another opportunity to feed in to the process. I asked Helen about the visits so far and she said 'people want to work more collectively across the Network on a whole range of issues, including practice with young people and sharing support services. There is a great deal of enthusiasm about extending our services and a strong belief that more young people should benefit from Brook services. There are a range of different ideas of and views about the organisational design which are very similar to the ones that have been identified in the 'blank sheet working group. Helen ended by saying 'I am enjoying doing this very much'.
Thank you again for continuing to send your ideas and questions to . I have, I think managed to respond personally to all of the points that have been raised. Please keep your thoughts and questions coming because it helps to formulate our thinking in this exciting, developmental process.
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Monday, June 22, 2009
Six months of the review
We are now six months into the review of the organisational design and governance structure. It’s been a really busy six months of activity, including;
- My roadshow of meetings across the Network to talk about strategic direction and hear the views of staff and trustees
- Two Open Space meetings – open to all – which raised some fascinating questions about the way Brook works
- Research with trustees, local and national commissioners and stakeholders about the opportunities and challenges for Brook in the future,
- Visits from Helen Finney, Chair of the Network to all centres to meet with staff and trustees to get views and ideas about the future of Brook
- A web based survey has been set up here http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Y0OfHd02d2bRPgvRjoXpwQ_3d_3d I really encourage you to take part – the responses we’ve had so far have been really useful.
All of this work has generated a lot of information, ideas and intelligence about Brook's strengths, areas that we need to address and the way the external environment will impact on Brook in the future. Key issues that come up time and again are;
- A renewed commitment to being a brave, outspoken organisation
- Money! Where will it come from and what happens if it runs out?
- The need for young people to be involved in all of our work
- The importance of evaluating the difference we make for young people
- We must have the ability to recruit, develop and retain a gold standard workforce with the right skills
- The importance of high quality clinical governance and client care
- The ongoing need for a mix of campaigning, advocacy, education and clinical and support services
- The impact of the changing external environment including safeguarding,
- Competition from other services working in Brook's traditional territory
- The implementation of the ‘You're Welcome’ criteria.
All of this information will be used to inform the next phase of work which began last week. This includes:
- Exploring the range of ways that some other organisations are set up and whether these are possible models for Brook.
- Developing some tests against which we can judge which of these could be an effective organisational design and governance structure for Brook (for example, any new design must enable us to continue to provide the highest quality of services for young people).
We will be sending the results of this work to all staff and trustees for comments in July.
Do keep your ideas and views coming by completing the survey or emailing me at
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