Monthly Archives: October 2019

PIP Stories: What the Foucault?

​The importance of theory

Let me take you back in time dear reader.  When I was doing my PhD, I had a session with my supervisors.  I had very clear ideas on what I wanted my PhD to be, and what I didn't.  I wanted my PhD to be a very practical one, that wasn't bogged down by what I thought was a lot of dense and obscure theories that didn't mean very much.

However, it turns out that far from constraining the work that I was doing at the time, looking at the work I was doing through a theoretical lense actually ​helped​ me to see what was going on in a broader sense.  In this way then, theories give us a way to view things, and a set of tools to view them in more detail.

​Enter Foucault

​​​​​So with some trepidation dear reader, I embraced theory, and in doing so, discovered the French professor called Michel Foucault.  He was interested in a lot of things, and though not without his critics, is widely considered to be one of the most important and influential thinkers around.

In the context of PIP, Foucault is important as one of the things he is interested in is power, how it is used, and with what consequences.

Using some of Foucault's ideas, and those who have followed him, a much wider exploratory space is opened up, which then become about bigger questions, and helps us to find better solutions.  So PIP is not seen in its own right, but as part of a broader analysis of policy and practices in relation to disabled people over time.  Consideration of how power is used also brings us to consideration of how power should and should not be used.

That is where the stories come in, and why your voices are so important.  Every story counts in this sense, and this is why I keep raising awareness about this and asking for more stories to be sent in. Each story received adds to the robustness of the work that is being undertaken, and makes any conclusions drawn from analysis more credible.

​So what are you doing now?

​​Good question!  There is lots of reading, coupled with the things I talked about in last week's blog.  Reading Foucault is hard (his ideas are complicated, and need to be read and re read very carefully to be grasped) and a bit like a jigsaw.  

The first step in a jigsaw is gathering all the pieces together.  In the case of Foucault, his work is a bit fragmented and takes the form of translated lectures and interviews as well as texts.  There are also many others who have been inspired to follow in the footsteps of Foucault, so this subsequent work needs to be considered too.

It is early days, but having used some of this work when I did my PhD, I know that it can be really useful in this context, and critically, will help to add depth to the understanding of what is happening in and around the PIP process.

Aside from the reading, momentum is good, with over 560 stories received at the time of writing.  Each time I tweet about this work, I receive more stories from people, so it is important to keep doing so to maintain that level of awareness. More and more people are learning about this, and I'm really grateful for all the support I have had so far.  A big thank you 🙂   

I also have some important ideas from the stories I have received to date, which I'll share when the time is right. It is key that any work I do is as careful and considered, so this may take some time. I am keen to share these with you, but I also need to take time and care so these ideas are as good as they can be. 

As my mum always said, slow and steady wins the race. Here's to continued steady progress!

If you have a PIP story that you feel able to share, please click here to do so.

PIP Stories: Fire, composure and compassion

Let me introduce you to a conversation that I have had a lot of over the past few weeks.  It goes something like this:

A friend: 'So just how do you do it Chris?'

Chris: 'Do what? What have I done now...?!'

A friend: 'No, not in that way! I mean all the PIP stories stuff?'

Well.  I hope you are sitting comfortably, because now I'm about to tell you.  But first, some context!

Fire in your belly, composure in your mind, compassion in your heart

The above saying is something I always come back to with the PIP stories work, especially when the going is tough, which it sometimes is.  Make no mistake, it is my choice to take this path, but its not always an easy one to create and follow.  Thats where the fire comes in.  I just remember the stories I have received, and what they have revealed, and my resolve is restored.


Composure is needed in lots of ways, especially to make sure that fire is well used.   As I have said before, running this race is a marathon and not a sprint.  It can be easy to forget that.  As I'll shortly outline, making this work happens also involves the juggling of a lot of components, all of which need careful consideration.


Compassion.  Doesn't the world need more of this, especially of late?  My parents have been (and are) one of the biggest influences in my life.  A saying of my dad over the years has been to be 'firm minded, and tender hearted.'  Compassion is there as I think this is what the PIP process needs more of in general too.  


I'm privileged to be given the insight I am into the experiences people share with me, and one of my stand out reflections is that I think the whole process would be vastly improved if it was completed with greater levels of care and compassion.


The PIP process would be vastly improved if it was managed with greater care and compassion

The elements of the PIP stories campaign

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​​There are five main elements of the PIP stories campaign.  which I will now outline.  Each element is equally important and inter related.

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a) PR

The PR aspects to the campaign are  important to keep this work on peoples radar.  The primary goal at the moment is to keep growing the number of PIP stories, as each one helps to strengthen the robustness of the findings. Thats why I say every story counts.  Activity on Twitter and Facebook is a big part of this, along with the production of things like the FAQ and posters to help spread the word.

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Recently I have also started to work with some organisations to help me spread the word too.  I've deliberately and carefully engaged with a range of people in order to make sure the reach of this work is as big as it can be and that as many voices are heard as possible.

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A big part of this work is what goes on behind the scenes and I'll do a lot of talking with people to raise awareness about what is being done and why.  I've deliberately been quite transparent about this in order that people can also have a greater understanding of my reasoning, approach and future plans.  

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PR also means looking at analytics to get a view of how I'm doing and writing a certain weekly blog....

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b) Admin

​Without keeping organised, it would be very easy to get lost with everything.  Making sure I am on top of my emails, calls, planning and to do list is key.  

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c) Research

Knowledge is power, and this particularly is the case in the world of PIP.  Via the research I'm doing I want to develop a proposal for some academic work, so this means doing the reading needed to so.  Research also means looking at things like the technical guidance and the latest legal rulings on PIP.

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d) Rest

I put the above in to partially remind myself to do this!  I have to keep my own batteries charged up in order to make sure that this work is sustainable.  This means making sure that I get at least some down time via breaks and time off at weekends.  Supervision is also another key part of this so that the emotional, practical and intellectual demands of these endeavours can be shared in my own safe space.

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So a typical week(end) in the life of will involve the careful balancing of the above elements.  Here's to further progress as a result!

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You can share your PIP story, by clicking here.  Thank you for your support with this work.

PIP Stories: Survivors guilt and unheard voices

There was a mixture of emotions. There was relief. There was reassurance that things were as I saw them and felt they should be. There was also a lot of guilt. A kind of survivors guilt. This is something I’m still experiencing. 


This was how I felt after I received my own result of the PIP assessment last year.  In this post I want to focus on the 'survivors guilt' that those who have been through the PIP process may experience.  My own sense of survivors guilt is something which I have rationalised, but remains something I can put my finger on.


Though it is still too early to talk about emergent issues with any great certainty from the PIP stories I have received to date, it is fair to say that reference to the psychological effects that the process has is a notable part of some of the account received.  


Part of any good research methodology is considering the voices that might not be represented in the accounts that you receive and to take measures to address this in order to make sure that you receive a range of perspectives.


Some people have said to me that they haven't written in to me because their process was as they expected it to be, or not as bad as they had heard it was going to be or imagined it would be.


Or because they felt a kind of survivors guilt.  My message here is simple: Every story counts.  I want everyone to be heard in this, and each account has an equal value and importance.  Equally, I understand that the PIP experience is not something that everyone is able or wants to revisit.  It is really important to keep yourself safe, and your own wellbeing comes first.  I'd rather that you didn't give your PIP story than risk compromising this.


I'll say it again as it bears repeating.  Every story counts.  I want every perspective to be heard.  I want to hear your voice.

Every story counts as part of the PIP stories work.  I want every perspective to be heard.  


So what is this coding you keep talking about?

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Ah, dear reader, this is a good question!  Coding is basically how you choose to approach the process of working with the stories received.  There are entire books devoted to the subject such as The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers by Johnny Saldaña.  This is the kind of detail that matters.  It is a bit like going on a car journey.  Sometimes you can just set off and follow your nose.  At other times, you need a route planner.  This is a journey that needs careful planning, so I am resisting the temptation to begin the coding process without having first carefully considered my approach.


Other developments

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I have now developed an FAQ to answer some questions I have been asked about this work.  I hope you find it useful, and do let me know if you have any further queries about this work specifically.  


Lots of people have been asking how they can help, which is much appreciated.  The best (and easiest!) way to help is by sharing the call for more PIP stories by clicking the Facebook and Twitter buttons below.  Thank you for your support.


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