We are pleased to share our latest report The Meanings of Funded Support. This looks at key aspects around our Discretionary Fund (which offers funded support to people working with us).
We see how accessing funded support can help people achieve their goals, work towards their outcomes and create change in their lives. We also look at the complexities around accessing funded support, such as the ways negative self-perception or complicated interactions with money can create barriers and prevent equity.
The report draws together learning from previous evaluations, such as how we manage funded support in an accountable and equitable way, and how funded support can make a difference. It was also prompted by reflections from within the Future Pathways team around the challenges that can arise when supporting someone to access funding. For example, discussions around funding can, in some instances, detrimentally effect the relationship between the person and their Support Coordinator.
The context within which people access material support at Future Pathways is nuanced. A person’s financial circumstances and relationship with funded support can be affected by their previous experience of trauma. We must, therefore, be aware of such barriers and how we might achieve equity for people we support. This is particularly important in the context of working with people who may have experienced multiple inequalities in their life, and who may have conflicting feelings about accessing funded support.
Given that relationships are at the core of our support, it is vital that we acknowledge the complexity, nuance and dynamics involved in accessing funded support. We see that prioritising transparency, self-awareness and active listening can help mitigate potentially negative experiences of associated with accessing funded support.
This is especially significant given that we know that funded support can make a real impact in people’s lives. It can support a person in achieving their goals and reaching their intended outcomes, such as improving overall wellbeing, self-worth, self-esteem and confidence, and gaining increased independence and freedom.
We hope that our Delivery Partners and other services that work with people accessing funded support or financial payments may also benefit from our learning. By looking in-depth at how people access funded support, and acknowledging the multiple complexities involved in this, we can work towards ensuring that people can access the support they need, tailor our support to ensure greater impact and help people make the changes they wish to see in their lives.
“It was huge. Future Pathways have been able to help with things I never thought they could help with. A lot of other services I have worked with could only listen. Nobody was able to do something. Future Pathways really did make a tangible difference in my life.”
(John, Person supported by Future Pathways)
“The cinema membership encouraged me to leave the flat and venture into town. When the cinema was quiet, I felt safe, like I didn’t need to scan the place. Then, I started going to other places in the city like the Gallery of Modern Art.”
(Anne, Person supported by Future Pathways)
