Our Shared Agreement stories
Our Shared Agreement is creating new ways for health, care, people, and communities to work together to share knowledge, build skills and confidence, and grow relationships and support we can draw on to live our lives.
At the heart of our Shared Agreement are the Five Foundations, which inspire us to move beyond problems and processes, and instead focus on strengths, hopes, and what truly matters most.
The following real stories show how the Five Foundations are being used to create more meaningful care and support.
Hans' story
Hans' story is a great example of all Five Foundations in action.
After having a heart attack, Hans was feeling overwhelmed and out of control with his health. He had lost hope.
Amanda, a Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse Specialist, supported Hans using the Patient Activation Measure (PAM).
Using the PAM enabled Amanda to talk with Hans about why he had feelings of being overwhelmed.
Hans: ‘Yes, the process was tailored to me, because Amanda sat and listened to what my lifestyle was, and she asked what I needed.
“And Amanda’s response wasn’t a global “Oh, Hans has had a heart attack – this is what he needs”. Instead we took the time to work out who I was, and she could then offer support based on my needs.”
Amanda: “We talked about how overwhelmed Hans was, and that actually didn’t take much time at all, but that established a baseline for us to work from. And without the Activation Measure, I wouldn’t have known where his knowledge, his skills, or his confidence lay.
“The Activation Measure just gave me a number for that, and a level at which to give him the information he needed. So, the information was tailored in very small sessions, and small bites.”
The outcomes of working in this way
Amanda: “As the time went on, and we approached the end of Hans’ programme, we did another Patient Activation Measure Score, and he had absolutely zoomed through to a Level 4, where he was back in charge, and moving forward with his own health requirements.”
Hans: “The changes I made through working with Amanda gave me positivity, because a lot of things were still very negative. And she gave me hope, in what I had to look forward to.”
How Hans and Amanda used the Five Foundations to guide their work together:
Foundation 1: Being prepared to do things differently
- Amanda used a different approach - the Patient Activation Measure - to establish, and then measure the change, in Hans' ability to manage his own wellbeing, and work out how best to support him towards self-care.
Foundation 2: Understanding what matters to ourselves and each other
- Amanda took the time to work with Hans to find out what was important to him, what he needed, and what he could do to support himself moving forward.
Foundation 3: Working together for the wellbeing of everyone
- Amanda and Hans worked together, bringing their individual experience, knowledge, skills and resources to the table, to co-create a realistic and workable plan for Hans.
Foundation 4: Conversations with and not about people
- Amanda spent time with Hans, listened to him and got to know him. She involved him at all stages of the process to build his capability and motivition to manage his own care.
Foundation 5: Making the most of what we have available to us
- Amanda's work with Hans uncovered and built on his skills, confidence, and motivation to better manage his health moving forward.
WATCH THE VIDEO of Hans and Amanda's collaboration below:
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW to read the photostory of Hans and Amanda's collaboration.
Katie's story
“Even though I am a severely learning-disabled wheelchair user and need 24-hour support, I can weight bear for short periods of time. The Our Shared Agreement Five Foundations have allowed me to achieve a life that is more normal and is worked around what I love. Without the Five Foundations, my life would be dramatically restricted.”
Foundation 1: Being prepared to do things differently
“I use a recumbent tricycle to help me to get out and about.”
Foundation 2: Understanding what matters to ourselves and each other
“I’m passionate about being out in nature and seeing birds, rabbits and squirrels. My bike means I can get out into the countryside on the local cycle tracks to have nature all around me.”
Foundation 3: Working together for the wellbeing of everyone
“My support organisation worked with my Mum, the NHS, and Social Services to get appropriate equipment to help me get onto and off my trike safely and easily. Being able to get out on my trike meant my physical well-being was improved as well as my mental health.”
Foundation 4: Conversations with and not about people
“I have been involved in all of the meetings that led to choosing appropriate equipment and how it should be used.”
Foundation 5: Making the most of what we have available to us
Even though I need 24-hour support, all the equipment and staff training has meant that I can go out for rides, not only with my Mum, but also with the staff that support me. This means that I can go out on my trike much more often than if my Mum was the only one who could take me. Without the Five Foundations, my life would be dramatically restricted.”
