The Flourishing Lives Charter
In 2017, we launched ‘The Flourishing Lives Charter for Innovation & Best Practice in Arts & Wellbeing Services for Older People’ at conference, with the support of Glenda Jackson CBE.
The Flourishing Lives coalition is united by this shared vision of excellence, and our members are committed to realising its core aims and values.
The Flourishing Lives Charter identifies the foundations for best practice as:
Building Quality Relationships
We believe that building quality relationships with people is the heart of our work. Quality relationships require respect, and engender dignity, equality and a striving to see someone for all that they are, have been, and could yet become.
Reflective Practice
We think it is important that we foster an awareness of ourselves in how we are working with people. Working self-reflectively means striving to be aware of not only what we are doing but how we are doing it and what factors are motivating us to do it.
Aspirational and Inspirational
We want to facilitate people to be all that they can be. We want to provide aspirational activities and groups and we want to seek inspiration and partnerships externally to help us do this. We aim to make the most of the cultural, sporting and social capital of the areas in which we operate.
Variety, Choice & Life as Normal
Just because someone reaches a certain age does not mean that they automatically want to reduce their existence to one of passive nostalgia. Most of us want life to continue as normal. As providers of services, we want to be able to provide variety, choice and normalcy, where we can, and point people towards choices elsewhere if we don’t provide them ourselves.
A Shared Vision of Best Practice
We believe that by working closely together, sharing our research, resources and experience, the Flourishing Lives coalition can lay the foundations for a shared vision of progress and quality assurance across the sector. We want Flourishing Lives to be a catalyst for change; a kite mark of excellence; a union of progressive organisations working together to unite communities and enhance the lives of older people.