you shared, we listened, - edge hill university · 2018-07-06 · you in mind - : this website...

You shared,we listened,we made a differencetogether

Final Report:West Cheshire Poverty TruthCommission 2017/18

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02 Poverty Truth Commission Final Report

This final report has been created by the Institutefor Public Policy and Professional Practice (I4P) atEdge Hill University to consider and reflect on thekey learning from the development stage of theWest Cheshire Poverty Truth Commission (WCPTC).

The purpose of this report is to follow on from ourFebruary 2018 ‘Briefing paper: learning fromdeveloping the West Cheshire Poverty TruthCommission.’ It will detail the achievements andoutcomes from the first Poverty Truth Commission(PTC) in west Cheshire.

Poverty Truth Commission Final Report 03

ContentsThe West Cheshire Poverty Truth Commission

Deciding on Priority Areas

Beginning the Work

Sub-Group: Mental Health and Wellbeing

Sub-Group: A Person Centred Approach

Sub-Group: Benefits System

Wider opportunities for PTC Commissioners

Work with Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF)

Media Opportunities

The Celebration Event

Reflections on the Commission and Learning

from the first WCPTC

Areas for Reflection and Learning

Where next?

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This final report seeks to draw out thelearning from the eighteen months of WestCheshire’s Poverty Truth Commission.

The report reflects on the participatory process ofdeveloping, launching and delivering thecommission. West Cheshire Poverty TruthCommission (WCPTC) was launched in February2017 when fifteen residents, now calledCommunity Inspirers came together with a numberof civic, business and faith leaders to develop realsolutions to problems faced by those in poverty.Community Inspirers were recruited to a broadlyrepresentative sample of the west Cheshirepopulation via existing relationships that wereheld with Cheshire West and Chester Council andvoluntary organisations. With the aim of tacklingand eradicating the root causes of poverty, WCPTCdiffers from the norm in that it ensures that peoplewith first-hand experience are at the heart of howthe borough thinks and acts in tackling povertyand inequality.


The West Cheshire PovertyTruth Commission

“WCPTC differs from thenorm in that it ensuresthat people with first-handexperience are at the heartof how the borough thinksand acts in tacklingpoverty and inequality.”


Deciding on Priority AreasWest Cheshire Poverty Truth Commission was chaired by David Briggs, Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire.Additionally, there was significant support from Cheshire West and Chester Council, who committed abudget to fund a small delivery team to support the PTC process.

“PTC meetings were… shall I say, differentfrom anything I had chaired before. Therewere no papers, no board table, everyonesat around in a circle and we all treatedeach other as equals.” David Briggs, MBE,KStJ, Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire.

The first informal meeting of the Community Inspirersand civic, business and faith leaders was at a showing ofthe Ken Loach film, I Daniel Blake. The event was hostedat a local community centre and after the film, adiscussion was facilitated by I4P asking the group toconsider what a ‘Good Society’ might look like. The firstmeeting of the PTC was held in March 2017 and by May2017 the commissioners had agreed to focus on threepriority areas; Mental Health and Wellbeing, A PersonCentred Approach and The Benefits System.

These three priority areas were agreed by a democraticvoting process. Sub-groups were formed to focus oneach of the three priority areas. Each sub-group was co-chaired by a Community Inspirer and a civic, business orfaith leader. Conversations were initially facilitated bythe PTC team, so that Commissioners could buildeffective working relationships.

Each sub-group took its own approach to decidingwhich issues it would concentrate on. They invitedexperts in relevant fields to talk at meetings, sharedpersonal experiences, mapped out key issues anddiscussed what success might look like.

Improved Access to Mental Health SupportServicesYou in Mind - www.youinmind.org: This website existedwithin Cheshire East and the PTC felt that the websitewould be very helpful for residents in Cheshire West.The PTC worked with You in Mind to expand the websiteto cover Cheshire West and invited the founder, KateCarney to speak at the celebration event, offering anopportunity to advertise its existence and expand itsnetwork.

Assisting where there are gaps in service:Advocacy Training:

A small selection of Community Inspirers attendedadvocacy training with a local charity, Turning Point, andare now volunteer advocates for them. Turning Pointworks with communities across mental health, learningdisabilities, substance misuse, primary care, the criminaljustice system and employment, providing specialistservices to improve lives.

Peer Support Groups:

Having listened to stories regarding the benefits ofpeer support, the PTC visited local projects andidentified a need for mental health peer support in theNorthwich area. As a result, the PTC is helping to set upa peer support group in Northwich.

Better Partnership Working:

Through listening to the lived experiences of PTCcommissioners with a dual diagnosis, service providerswere able to facilitate a networking and partnershipbuilding opportunity with drug and alcohol and mentalhealth support services. This meeting offered anopportunity to listen to people with lived experience ofa dual diagnosis and for services to consider what animproved experience for those with a dual drugs /alcohol / mental health diagnosis might look and feellike. By involving a range of agencies in the work of thePTC, conversations were started.

These conversations helped to develop a more joinedup approach to delivering services, and by having thebenefit of lived experience in the room, clientsperspectives were given voice. This led to betterpartnership working between a multitude of agencies.This improved partnership working with the PTC andother groups has led to PTC representation on theMental Health Partnership Board.

Inspiring Angels:

This project was launched at the celebration event withthe aim of helping to support people with mental healthand/or addiction issues. Through this project membersof the community are encouraged to help to findrecovery through dance and movement. The project isbeing led by Fallen Angels Dance Theatre.

Improved Understanding of Mental IllnessThe Community Inspirers experienced amazing changesin their self-confidence and improvements in theirmental wellbeing whilst supporting the PTC. The key tothis was 'listening'. Public services really need to listenand understand individuals and their experience ofpoverty, so services can better support them.

Mental Health Awareness Training:

The sub-group identified that training front-facing staffin public and voluntary sector organisations andcommunities would raise their awareness of the signsand symptoms of mental health and increase their skillsand knowledge when working with people with mentalhealth issues. As a result, training has been madeavailable in the Ellesmere Port area for 300 front-linestaff, with the aim of extending this across other areasonce funding can be secured.

The Mental Health sub-group shared frustrations thatthe changes the PTC have enacted are a drop in theocean, compared to the depth of need, particularlyregarding long waiting times for services and gaps inprovision. They questioned who can put pressure onmental health organisations and suggested thatcontinued work was needed. They did, however, feelthat they had made positive changes in the time-framegiven and these are listed above.


Sub-Group: Mental Health and Wellbeing

Beginning the work


Developing Customer Voice: Working with the PTCenabled Wyvern House to recognise the customeras a key stakeholder and developed a customervoice focus group. This customer voice focusgroup will continue to work alongside the projectto promote the importance of listening to thosewith lived experience and to develop a listeningapproach by public services across the borough.

Cheshire West Navigator: During the PTC, thecommission recognised there were a variety ofservices offered to those in poverty across manydifferent organisations and this became confusingfor an individual. A possible solution was to have aCheshire West Navigator, where individuals canwork with a Navigator and find out about all theservices available to them, depending on theirneeds. The Navigator would then put them directlyin touch with the relevant agencies. The PTC isworking with Cheshire West and Chester Counciland Cheshire and Wirral Partnership with the planto pilot this new concept. The aim is that thesenavigators would be in a position to enable anddirect individuals to the most appropriate helpand support as quickly as possible.

PTC Pledge: Through listening to the CommunityInspirers, many voiced negative customer serviceexperiences when accessing benefit systems andsupport services. The lack of empathy and respectfor people accessing these services had a negativeimpact on people’s mental health and wellbeing.

The PTC worked collaboratively to address thisissue, creating the PTC Pledge. The Pledgepromotes honest and respectful treatment of allpeople, encouraging the development of positiverelationships rather than transactional processes.The aim is that by signing up to this, organisationsand the people within them become more self-aware, and are accountable for their behaviour.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)(Cheshire) has worked with the WCPTC over thepast year and signed up to the Pledge. DWP(Cheshire) has made positive changes to theirservices, following feedback from the CommunityInspirers. They are creating best practice inCheshire with the hope that other areas fromaround the country will also adopt the Pledge toimprove the overall customer experience, treatingpeople with dignity and respect.

Sub-Group: A Person Centred Approach

Respect is a two-way street

I’m doing everything I can to really

make a difference

I feel understood and positive

I’ll listen, take time to understand

and take ownership

I’ll try and explain my situation

the best I can

“I pledge to treat you how you want to be treated”

I’ll give you clear information to guide

you through

Working together

I’m ready for the next step



Cheshire West and Chester Council

Groundwork Cheshire

Department for Work and Pensions (Cheshire)

EPNAVCO

Weaver Vale Housing Trust

Diocese of Chester Church of England

Pennysmart CIC

Turning Point

Brio Leisure

Urenco

Active Cheshire CIC

For Housing

Cheshire Agricultural Chaplaincy

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP)

United Reformed Church Mersey Synod

Save the Family

All the above organisations have committed todemonstrating how they will embed these values withintheir organisations. One example is Brio Leisure. As partof their commitment to the Pledge, Brio Leisure hasgiven Community Inspirers a one year free membershippass in return for mystery shopping their experience. Thiswill ensure that Brio staff are enacting the values of thePTC Pledge.

Who’s signed upto the PTC Pledge:


Changes in Housing Benefits letters: The PTC hasworked with Cheshire West and Chester Councilto change the wording of Housing Benefit lettersto make them more understandable and customerfriendly for clients.

Suggestions from Inspirers included:• organise the letter so it is easier to read –

perhaps use bullet points• make an offer of assistance• make the letter more personal• don’t use difficult words or phrases,

e.g. defective claim• make contact numbers prominent.

Letters have now been re-designed taking onboard all of the suggestions and letters nowinclude the line “Please do not ignore this letter –Act Today!” to prompt customers to return therequested information sooner.

Skills Training for Community Inspirers:Pennysmart CIC has made available a range ofskills training. This will enable CommunityInspirers to develop the skills that they havegained through involvement in the PTC Process,which will help increase opportunities and helpthem to continue their community work in avoluntary or paid capacity.

Contributing to Policy: Written evidence wassubmitted by the WCPTC to the Work andPensions Select Committee.

House of Commons: In January 2018 JustinMadders MP sponsored the WCPTC to attend theHouse of Commons and present their stories. Theevent focused on three key areas - BenefitSanctions, Universal Credit and PIP Assessments.Their stories were emotive, inspiring andchallenging. The stories shared the difficultiesand frustrations of the Community Inspirers livedexperience of poverty and the work of the WCPTC.Their presentations offered proposed solutionsand championed the PTC approach; the value oflistening and involving those with livedexperience in key decision making. The event wasa real success with several MPs and their officersattending, further developing the network andvoice of the WCPTC Commissioners.

GP Engagement Strategy: The DWP havedeveloped new links with the Cheshire ClinicalCommissioning Groups (CCGs) and are, as aresult, working more closely with GP practices.The NHS and DWP are building strongerrelationships and aim to work together to supportpeople back into employment. This will also leadto a GP forum, working with both trainee GPs andexperienced GPs to improve the knowledgeshared across the two organisations. This teamwill work with organisations within Cheshire andseek to continue the good work that has beenachieved as a part of the PTC.

Local Offer: PTC members wanted a directory ofsupport services available for those looking formental health support. The Local Offer is a localgovernment run directory that exists in CheshireWest and Chester, providing information andservices for adults and children in the borough.The WCPTC sub-group worked with Cheshire Westand Chester to improve the Local Offer websiteand continue to work with the Local Offer to makeit more accessible, improving the informationoffered on the site. Following a workshop withPTC members and mystery shopping byCommunity Inspirers, updates and improvementsmade to the current Local Offer include:information in relation to sanctions and the HELPprogramme, improved search functionality, out ofdate information removed and contact detailsupdated where appropriate.

Sub-Group: Benefits System


Work with Joseph RowntreeFoundation (JRF)West Cheshire Poverty Truth Commission havedeveloped an excellent working relationship withJRF, attending National Poverty Truth Networkmeetings and participating in the On Road Mediapilot project as well as becoming involved in asteering group to learn from the PTC nationally.

Media OpportunitiesDecember 2017: One Inspirer successfullycontributed to an article about the JosephRowntree Foundation (JRF) State of the Nationreport and featured on both the BBC News at sixand the BBC Radio Two Jeremy Vine Show. WestCheshire Poverty Truth Commission was contactedby JRF who wanted Community Inspirers to workwith the media, in order to highlight the real lifestories behind their latest State of the Nation

report (published early Dec 2017). The reporthighlighted the struggle for working families andthe Community Inspirer was able to share herexperience of a zero hour contract, low pay, theimpact of unreliable hours and how she tried tonegotiate these unreliable hours with the highcost of childcare. JRF shared with West CheshirePoverty Truth Commission that it was the bestcoverage they had ever had.

January 2018: PTC Commissioners have featuredon the North West’s Sunday Politics Show, sharingtheir lived experiences and discussing their workwith the Poverty Truth Commission.

May 2018: PTC Inspirers have also shared theirstories and discussed possible root causes andsolutions to poverty on BBC Radio Merseyside;Roger Philips’ Show. The PTC Commissioners wereinvited onto the show because they were keen tohear more about the Poverty Truth process, whythe Inspirers had become involved and what theyand the commission had achieved.

Wider opportunities forPTC Commissioners


The Celebration EventIn February 2018 a celebration event was heldat Chester Racecourse to celebrate the successand achievements of the PTC. The event wasattended by approximately one hundred andfifty people. The celebration event includedpresentations from the sub-group co-chairs onwhat each group had achieved, and speechesfrom the commissioners about their experiencesof being involved and what they had learned.

20% very happy80% happy

Feedback from the Celebration EventHow has today made you feel?


We are part of the Community Inspirers, the PTCWhat an amazing experience, I think we all can agree

My whole life I never imagined I would be on the news, the BBCI’ll tell you what tho the amount we drunk in coffee and tea

Causing endless trips to the toilet, needing a peeReturning back to resume our positions, in guiding others to see what we see

But on a serious note, there was no other place I would rather be As everybody simply accepted me for meThis time last year, it only just begun

Although very serious, I didn’t realise it would be this much funI felt I was a part of something massive, even when the weight of the world felt like a tonne

A wonderful bunch of people were there to see me when I wonOk, so then we had a new member, the PTC baby to join the crew

Everyone accepted him and enjoyed a cuddle and cooHe became a part of the meetings, he was involved in the process too

He even enjoyed his first trip to the zooFinally, it’s only took months to think of what to write

To turn my negatives into something brightAll these people were a spark to my lightI shall be sad to see this come to an end

But one thing for sure, we all made a friendSo to all I met on the way and those in need, love light and peace I send.

Karla, Community Inspirer


After the Commission ended, a learning andreflection session was facilitated by I4P, in April2018. This session was attended by the PTC deliveryteam, Community Inspirers and civic, business andfaith leaders. Overall, the feedback is felt that theWCPTC had done a good job. There was a sense ofpride in what was felt to be a very positive process.

The Commissioners felt connected to everyoneinvolved in the PTC. They shared that when theybegan the project they had felt excited and nervous,and that at points they had felt frustrated. Theprocess of being involved with the PTC had builtconfidence, had been empowering and rewarding.The commissioners felt energised, inspired,humbled and hopeful about what it had achieved.Commissioners shared;

“[I have] enjoyed my involvement,as this was the most proactivecommittee I have had involvementwith and enjoyed that things cameout of it. The PTC has had positiveoutcomes, it wasn’t a talking shop.”Anne - Civic, Business and Faith leader

“I have gained confidence, I feltthat my voice was heard. I havefound myself and made a greatgroup of friends.”Karla, Community Inspirer

The Power of VoiceBeing involved has enabled people to feel that it’sok to have a voice – that it’s ok to overcome morebarriers and move out of their comfort zone. Theadvice ‘Never underestimate what you can do,’ wasshared by commissioners. Being involved in theprocess made commissioners feel important – likethey had a voice. One commissioner in particulardescribed how being involved had given her anopportunity that she had wanted for a long time;

“I wanted to change things, Iwanted what happened to me notto happen to others.”Barbara, Community Inspirer

Reflections on the Commissionand Learning from the first WCPTC


Language and ListeningThe language used within the commission was anarea that could be improved. At times it feltinaccessible to Community Inspirers and madepeople feel uncomfortable. It was felt thatculturally, we as a society need to start movingaway from formal terms.

An area for development that one commissionershared, was that it was important that allcommissioners are supported to actively listen.It is important to know what it's actually like tobe poor, actively listening and understandinghow things are for people when designing servicesor support.

The Celebration EventWhen reflecting on the celebration event thecommissioners shared their pride at the journeythat everyone had been on. The celebration eventwas felt to be an excellent way to show levels ofconfidence and how experiences had affectedthem. The commissioners shared WE are on ajourney and that’s only the start – the impetusneeds to be maintained. The celebration event hadvery positive feedback.

‘The celebration event just madeeverything seem real – there was somuch…that I didn’t know, for examplewhat other sub-groups had done, so itwas great.’Debbie, Faith Leader

Some commissioners felt that they had beenso busy with the work of the commission thatthey didn’t have as much time as they would haveliked to focus on the celebration event. Onecommissioner shared that at the celebration event,they felt anxious beforehand, as she was standingup and speaking in front of the audience, butshe had enjoyed the event afterwards, once shehad got over her nerves. She shared that she felta bit sad and wistful at the celebration event, asshe had enjoyed the process of the PTC and herinvolvement in it and was keen for the work of thePTC to continue.

After the celebration event, time was spent withPTC commissioners discussing and confirmingthe learning. PTC commissioners reinforced theimportance of valuing those with lived experience,relaying that it had built a sense of community anda real feeling of belonging. Community Inspirersleading the process is an important part of the PTCmethodology. The process of sharing stories andbeing heard was vital to the Community Inspirers.PTC members wanted to recognise the amountof time involved in the process and that being acommissioner should be prioritised.

Maintaining relationships and keeping the samepeople involved throughout the process wasimportant for the Community Inspirers in order tobuild strong relationships. The commissionersfelt that they didn’t know what to expect at thebeginning of the process and that, with thesecond commission beginning, there werepositive opportunities to support the new groupof commissioners.

The PTC facilitation and budget was hosted withinthe Council and the PTC commissioners felt thatthis helped conversations with system leaders tobegin change. Having such a high profile Chair,David Briggs, was felt by commissioners to bea helpful door opener. The Chair’s connections hasenabled links to be made across Cheshire.

The impact of the launch was important. The PTCCommissioners felt, perhaps prior the launch, thereshould have been a meeting to establish sharedunderstandings. Mentors within the PTC Commissionhelped manage expectations. It was important toall commissioners that the PTC was not a twelvemonthly wonder, but needed to consider the nextsteps that they might take. The journey of theCommunity Inspirers and civic leaders doesn't endwhen the PTC does and it is important to captureongoing changes at organisational level. Keeping intouch informally, participating in national forumswith other PTCs and lobby groups, will keepeveryone connected and help build on momentum.




• It takes time: It’s important to recognise theamount of time involved in the process. Therole of a commissioner is time intensiveand being involved in the PTC needs to beprioritised. Mentors within the PTC Commissionwould be helpful to manage expectations ofnew commissioners.

• It takes more time: The Community Inspirers asa group of people needed a lot of pastoral careand support. This was very time andemotionally intensive for the PTC coordinatorand facilitators, yet essential for the successfuldevelopment of the project.

• Who comes first?: Bringing together a groupthat might become the Community Inspirers ordeveloping trust and confidence in the processby political and civic leaders, or creating asteering group that could act as a broker ofrelationships to start the process.

• Supporting transition from Community Inspirerto Poverty Truth Commissioner: The small tightknit group of Community Inspirers thatdeveloped before the launch needed supportto transition into Poverty Truth Commissioners.The PTC meetings were more formal andchaired. This transition could be improved byPTC facilitators running the meetings andmaking them more participatory.

• Defining those agencies who have ‘authority’:The PTC model – to be successful – needsprivate, public and not for profit organisationsto work together. Local Government is thesole agency who can get decision makers inthe room.

• Working across boundaries: Thepublic/private/not for profit collaborationneeds individuals who can work across thedifferent organisational and institutionalboundaries to secure the active support offaith, business and civic leaders and, at thesame time, support the Inspirers. This requiresa team with a range of skills and capacities.

• Establishing shared understandings is key:steering group, civic, business and faith leadersand Community Inspirers didn’t always havethe same shared understandings of what the

PTC was about. Establishing these sharedunderstandings from the outset is essential.

• Relationship building: The mentoring that tookplace one-to-one between Community Inspirersand civic, business and faith leaders was verypositive. Civic, business and faith leaders couldbe encouraged to share their story of why theyare sat at the Poverty Truth Commission table,what their motivations have stimulated theirinterest. By making the story sharing processreciprocal, power is broken down.

• Sustaining and managing expectations: Eachof the constituent groups involved in the PTC– the Community Inspirers, the civic, businessand faith leaders, the steering group andthose supporting and facilitating the processin west Cheshire had different expectationsand assumptions about what could happen.How these were supported and / or managedwas often un-resolved.

• Managing tensions between wanting people tobe real and not exposing themselves to risk:As the group got to know each other there wasa sense of trust and empowerment which ledCommunity Inspirers to feel safe sharing theirstories. Balancing the wish of the Inspirers toshare the very real and distressing details oftheir experience and the duty of care towardsthem in terms of protecting their confidentialityand vulnerability at the launch was a challenge.

• Enlarging the group supporting the Inspirers:As the group became settled and focussed onthe launch, it was necessary, at different times,to draw in individuals and members of the localauthority’s services and this required a re-visiting of the values and PTC model.

• Linking the individual experience to thebroader community experience of poverty:The sharing of stories is an incredibly emotivemeans of explaining the experience of povertyto the launch. The risk is that it places theexperience of poverty with the individualswhen often it is a broader structural issue thatneeds to be addressed.


• Balancing empathy and practicality: The launchwas an incredibly powerful event but it wasperhaps so emotive that the response of the civicleaders was overwhelmed. Perhaps the civicleaders should have met Community Inspirers inadvance and prepared their response.

• The power of stories: The personal experiencesand the different ways in which they werepresented meant that the Inspirers were able tobe direct and connect with the audience: simple,direct and personal accounts are more powerfulthan anything.

• Thinking about those who are present as well asabsent: The challenges and impact of poverty onindividuals and families reminds us that we needto be mindful of reflecting different and diversevoices and experiences from young people, toLGBTQ and BME communities.

• Sharing the journey side by side is as importantas the destination: Once the commission islaunched, it is natural to immediately want tomake changes and take action, but taking time tobuild relationships and to gather theunderstanding and support of the whole team,civic, business and faith leaders and communityInspirers is important.

• What happened next?: The power of the stories,the connections made on the day of the launchand the commitment from the civic, business andfaith leaders made possible a sense of

movement and change. Communicating whathas happened since is key to understandingwhat happened and why.

• From Inspirers to Commissioners: Supportingpeople through this transition needs to beconsidered carefully, to keep them engaged.Meetings of the PTC can feel very different tothe gatherings they have come to feelcomfortable in.

• Ambassadors for the PTC: Thinking about thedifferent roles that are needed to initiatechange, support the Inspirers and facilitatenetworks and collaborative conversationssuggest that no one individual should be askedto take on the roles. Creating a network of PTCAmbassadors, made up of people who have allbeen involved in the first PTC, might helpsustain and shape the next phase of the PTC.

• Chair or Sponsor?: To have a commissionsponsor who overseas accountability couldcreate a more cooperative approach to thePTC process.

• Learning the lessons across the UK –connecting internationally and making animpact: The potential of the UK based PTCinitiatives to share experiences, inform practiceand build up an evidence base of insights andunderstandings is huge.



Where next?The West Cheshire Poverty Truth Commission hasbeen a process of culture change. The process hasbeen about empowering voice within policy, aimingto change the way that policy operates. The focus ofPoverty Truth Commissions, on the right to truth, theright of those with experience of poverty to a voice, isa slow but successful means of re-enacting democracy.

Key learning from the WCPTC has centred on time,language and accountability. The time invested by allinvolved in the PTC; Commissioners, facilitators, Chairand other supporting staff had been significant and keyto its success. The language of the commission wasimportant, at times, the first commission hadn’t alwaysgot this right. The language used has included jargon orterms that are difficult to understand. The challenge forthe second commission will be to manage the tensionbetween using direct and plain language and of notover simplifying the complex and contested nature ofthe lived experience of poverty within a complicatedpolitical, practice and policy situation.

Accountability, how to maintain the impetus forchange was a challenge for the PTC and will continueto be a challenge now that the first commission iscomplete. To continue to keep an eye on the work ofthe first commission whilst effectively facilitating asecond independent commission, will involve timeand commitment.

For the PTC to avoid being a ‘twelve month wonder’and require long term accountability to organisationalcommitments it has achieved, such as the PTC Pledge,it will need ongoing support and perhaps regularfollow up meetings. Perhaps alongside the next cohortof PTC commissioners from the second commission,the first commissioners might check on the Pledge andthe updates to the local offer in a year and ask localpeople if it is working for them. Perhaps too, the firstgroup of commissioners could support the newInspirers, as they begin the second commission toensure that they are treated in a person centred way.

The impact of the West Cheshire Poverty TruthCommission has achieved a lot, as detailed in thisreport, but its impact has also been broader than itsoutcomes. The process of giving a voice to people withexperience of poverty leads to better decision making,at local and national levels. The plan is to take thelearning from the experience of the West CheshirePoverty Truth Commission from the local policy arenato the national policy arena. A second Poverty TruthCommission in west Cheshire will continue thesuccesses of the first, and build momentum. As thenational Poverty Truth Commission movementdevelops, they can work together to gather momentumand represent the diverse voices of people who are sooften silenced in their experiences of poverty. Theprocess of giving voice to those with experience ofpoverty is complex, emotional and fragile. It is aprocess which takes time, pastoral, financial andpolitical support, but it is a process which is framed inthe most basic principles of democracy; voice. Theright to truth for all citizens is one that is fundamentalto British values.

For further information visit:www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/povertytruth

or email: [email protected]

confident

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inspiredgrowthinvolved

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you shared, we listened, - edge hill university · 2018-07-06 · you in mind - : this website...

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