About the Network

The National Brokerage Network

The National Brokerage Network supports the innovation and development of Support Brokerage, a Strengths Based Approach which is fundamental in the realisation of Self Directed Support.

The National Brokerage Network strives to achieve a world in which all people are free to make their own choices, express their individuality, pursue their dreams and live the life that they want to lead.

The National Brokerage Network believes that:

• People should have informed choice
• People have the right to control their own life
• People should be able to assert their identity
• People are citizens, entitled to participate in and contribute to their community
• People are of equal worth and deserve respect

The Aim of the National Brokerage Network:

The aim of the National Brokerage Network is to provide strong leadership, drive and guidance in the development of Support Brokerage and Self Directed Support.

The National Brokerage Network achieves this through the provision of:

• Information, Advice and Guidance
• Training
• Mentoring
• Events
• Sharing good practice
• Tools and Resources

At the National Brokerage Network we:

• Connect people to Support Brokers who are able to work with individuals and families to explore and develop their choices and possibilities
• Provide Support Brokerage training
• Develop and sustain a network of Support Brokers coordinated on a local, regional and national level
• Represent the views and interests of the diverse Support Broker movement with key politicians, strategic leads and policy makers

National Brokerage Network – The People 

The National Brokerage Network consists of members and organisations who are actively involved in the provision and development of Support Brokerage.

The National Brokerage Network forms a Sub-Committee of Imagineer, a social enterprise providing innovative solutions for Self Directed Support.

NBN Quality Charter (for Independent Support Brokers)

Independent Support Brokers who are members of the National Brokerage Network are committed to working within the NBN Independent Support Brokerage Quality Charter.
The charter sets out the key values and approaches which underpin our work as Independent Support Brokers.

Values & behaviours which underpin Independent Support Brokerage:

• I will work with you positively
• I will not discriminate against you
• I will work with you as an equal partner and a fellow citizen to self-direct your choices and decisions
• I will work with you to address and overcome any limiting beliefs about what is possible and practical
• I will be honest, respectful, responsible and reliable
• I will work under your direction and instruction in a way which makes sense for you
• I will act quickly and carefully if I have concerns about your safety or wellbeing
• I will help you to understand your rights and responsibilities as a citizen
• I will work with you (and anyone else you choose to involve) to produce a written agreement for how we will work together so that everybody is clear about their involvement and responsibilities

Person-Centred and Co-produced Approach:

• I will work with you to identify all of the things which make you into the person that you are, so that I understand you really well
• I will respect your views and values which come from your culture and/or your faith
• I will respect your choices and work with you without trying to take control
• I will help you to make decisions, only involving other people you have asked to be involved
• I will help you to say what is important to you and make sure we focus on that
• I will help you to explain what you want to other people, or speak up on your behalf if you would prefer
• I will help you to think about all of your choices and also your responsibilities to help you to understand any risks or barriers
• I will work with you in a suitable place which you have chosen, where you feel comfortable

Communication:

• I will make sure you understand how to contact me; and that I understand the best way that you would like me to contact you
• I will listen to you and repeat information back to you to show that I have been listening; and to check that I understand what you are saying

In this section of the website you can:

• Choose a Support Broker from your local area
• Find out how to become a Support Broker
• Find out about Support Brokerage training
• Find out what is going on in the world of Support Brokerage
• Discover links to other related organisations and useful websites

The idea of Support Brokerage seems simple; helping people to find their way through barriers and complexities to a better life. However there has been a lot of confusion about what it should mean, who can do it and how it works. This important paper from the Chair of the National Brokerage Network provides a new starting point for Support Brokerage:

• Not another industry – just a new way which frees up peoples creativity
• Not a narrowly defined planning role – but working alongside people to make change happen
• Support Brokerage is a good way of thinking about how we can become allies to positive change as people take control over their own lives.

The publisher is The Centre for Welfare Reform.

Re-Imagining Brokerage © Liz Leach 2015.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this paper may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher except for the quotation of brief passages in reviews.