Our points of view are the lenses through which we see the world around us and the people within it. Metaphorically speaking these lenses can become cloudy, they can be outdated and incorrect, not enabling us to see the full picture. Whilst it’s always important to try to see the bigger picture, this is particularly so in the context of people-related service reviews….
Social Impact Statement 2025
Introduction Positive About Inclusion is an equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) consultancy and training provider. Founded in 2020, when our two Directors - Lucy Malarkey and Karen Faulkner - took the opportunity to pivot from careers in the public sector to follow...
The challenge this person had experienced related to the preconceived ideas that some of the scrutiny panel members held about who were the most likely perpetrators. Even though the landlord had shared their ASB data and analysis, they felt that some of the residents’ strongly held beliefs had impacted the scrutiny outcome.
We, of course, spoke about bias and how positively powerful it can be to have a gently challenging discussion about this at the start of any scrutiny review. This can be really valuable where the service being scrutinised is one where assumptions and stereotypes can persist – allocations, rent arrears, gas servicing etc (to name just a few).
I was reminded of The Guardian’s ‘Points of View’ advert from 1986 (blimey they were ahead of their time!). The advert features a young man with a shaved head who appears to be wrestling an older man’s briefcase from his hands. But the camera then cuts and viewers see that he is in fact trying to rescue the man from falling bricks. The voice over makes the point that an event seen from one point of view can give one impression and that it’s only when we get the full picture that we can fully understand what’s going on. So true!
If you haven’t watched the award-winning advert then I can recommend it as a great way to start a conversation about challenging assumptions and stereotypes.