Participation - Victoria Castree
Participation Award winner Victoria Castree gives back to the community of Coventry by encouraging people with lived experience to develop themselves, their strengths, and reach their potential.
Her main role is Scrutiny Co-ordinator for Coventry City Council, and with her recent part time secondment to the public health team to support the Multiple and Complex Needs programme, she has worked creatively to develop the authority’s approach to supporting people with multiple and complex needs at Steps for Change.
“I am passionate about raising the profile of multiple complex needs and improving opportunities for experts by experience to have their voices heard.
“My role has enabled me to give a platform to people with lived experience, through presenting at the scrutiny co-ordination committee. With my scrutiny hat on, scrutiny works best when we’re able to engage with service users and those with lived experiences so the benefits of this were two-fold.” Victoria said.
This includes supporting one of the experts by experience that sits on the scrutiny board for housing through her extended role working on the Multiple Complex Needs Programme for Public Health helping to tackle issues like homelessness, vulnerability and alcohol addiction.
Steps for Change started to grow and expand its influence after the business community contacted the City Council about wanting to do something to help the homeless. It was then that the organisation began a joint up community working approach to improve the situations for those with multiple complex needs and Victoria has been part of that journey.
Victoria was nominated on her commitment, going above and beyond to support people and their projects within the community, being a hands on and part of the clean up day for Steps for Change.
“It has been a fantastic journey working for Steps. I was lucky when I started the programme because it was already well established having been set up by passionate officers and partners who wanted to improve the situation for those with Multiple Complex Needs. It was a fairly steep learning curve to build up my knowledge, but I had great support from those I was working with.
Victoria has also been involved in other projects to help service user:
“As part of the Multiple Complex Needs programme, I've supported the Making Every Adult Matters (MEAM) work which is a national programme which focuses on empowering experts by experience and establishing co-production to provide better outcomes for those at multiple disadvantage through systems flex and change.”
Victoria has also actively worked to encourage ARC, a voluntary partnership for individuals with lived experience of complex need, to develop and flourish.
“A great example of a positive outcome was asking, on behalf of The ARC, who had worked hard with an individual, for flex to be applied to the residential rehab criteria. This was granted and has had a really positive result for this individual.”
Victoria won the Participation Award because of her outstanding contribution in working to improve situations for individuals in Coventry.
“I’m chuffed to have won as it’s really nice that the work and effort I put in has been acknowledged” she said.
“The partners I've worked with on this project are really passionate about getting the best outcomes for individuals and their enthusiasm and commitment meant I wanted to try and go the extra mile to support them to get the best outcomes for those we work with” she said.