Toolkit for using the scenarios

There are several ways to engage with this work. Here's a quick guide to the different ways it can support you and your organisation.

The Scenario toolkit

Download version

Download a copy of the Scenario game to print yourself, instructions are included.

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Order print version

Order a print version of the Scenario game and other key resources in a sturdy metal tin. Cost is £80.00.

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Introduction

This free guide accompanies the Staff College Project 2035 materials which can be found at https://staff2035.3rdhorizons.com/

Purpose

Get your team together over coffee and cake and run a training session with a difference. Get people debating and sharing ideas about the future of Children's Services

Time required: 2 hours

Who might find this workshop useful?

This short workshop is ideal for those wishing simply to come together in a group to discuss the four scenarios: activism, left behind, divided and networked set in 2035. This session can be used by teams and lends itself well to a short workshop over lunch.

Pre-workshop design

Send out the four scenarios in advance of the workshop and invite delegates to read each one. Lay out your venue informally, suitable for a relaxed and open discussion, perhaps as a café.

Required resources

A copy of the Scenario toolkit game:

Introducing the workshop

The organiser should use the project 2035 Introduction Powerpoint to explain the aim of the workshop is to imagine the future and make the following points very clear:

1. We are going to look at four divergent scenarios for 2035

  • Activism
  • Left Behind
  • Networked
  • Divided

2. The four scenarios are not predictions but have been written based on research, evidence, views, opinions collected over a six month period. The organiser should introduce the 12 critical uncertainties used to develop the four scenarios.

The 12 Drivers.

  1. Children and young people will increasingly have a need to feel safe, listened to and have opportunities to improve their lives
  2. Children and young people and their families will increasingly find their voices
  3. New community spaces, networks, mutual help and community-led services emerge
  4. Professional roles begin to change to become enablers and facilitators of system change
  5. Communities will increasingly start to meet their own care needs
  6. Rising inequalities, poverty and failures of leadership
  7. Increase in the levels of stress, anxiety and mental ill-health in an increasingly complex world
  8. Changing labour market for young people ill-equipped to meet the challenges of the workforce
  9. Static education system with a one-size-fits-all education experience
  10. Changing labour market and rise of AI
  11. Mass investment to support public health revolution to tackle negative behaviours
  12. Schools become inclusive centres of learning for tailored to each student

3. Explain that the point of the session is to explore each scenario and consider which elements we like and dislike and what we might usefully do as a team now to move towards the more favourable elements of the four scenarios.

Suggested format

  1. Split into 4 groups (optimal number per group is 5)
  2. Each table appoints a leader who keeps time and ensures the format is being adhered to
  3. Appoint a scribe
  4. Each group receives cards relating to one of the 2035 scenario
  5. The 40 cards per table are dealt out to the five participants
  6. First, the table leader reads out the ‘scene setting’ speech from the fictitious ADCS President from 2035 from the website.

    Note: Participants should not comment on the cards as they are being read out. Wait until all cards have been read and everyone has a general sense of the scenario.

  7. As the cards are being read out one by one, each participant are encouraged to write down the elements they:
    Like Dislike Things that will never happen See already happening
  8. Once all the cards have been read out, the table leader will read out the card that describes the backstory to the scenario, available from the website That is essentially a timeline of the significant events that would need to have occurred for that scenario to come about.
  9. The table leader then facilitates a discussion on what the group likes, dislike, thinks will never happen and what is already happening.

    Note: The table scribe should record highlights, including what participants agree upon and disagree upon.

  10. Participants are then invited to discuss, debate and agree what would need to be put in place in the short and medium term to realise the elements of our scenario we like and avoid the elements we dislike. (innovations, changes to services, changes to organisational culture, change in leadership style etc). The group should also decide who would need to act in taking these actions forward.

    Note: each scribe should take note of the group’s views on flipchart paper

  11. Each group should then prepare and give a 5 min presentation to the other three groups including (i) a brief description of their world (ii) what the liked and disliked etc (iii) actions / changes that need to be made in the short term (iv) what those changes might mean for our team
  12. The workshop organiser should bring everyone is a large group and invite each table to share the learning written on their flip chart paper. The organiser should reflect back the group any common issues, barriers, opportunities identified across the groups.

Timings

  • Allocate people into four groups (5 mins)
  • Introduction to the workshop, setting out aims and purpose using the short powerpoint presentation (workshop leader) (10 mins)
  • Each group reads out the 30 cards relating to their 2035 scenario (15 mins)
  • Each group discusses amongst themselves what they liked, disliked etc (20 mins)
  • Each group discusses and identifies the actions, innovations, changes that would need to be put in place in the short and medium term (20 mins)
  • Each group gives a 5 minute presentation to the other groups (20 mins)
  • Large group facilitated session between groups (30 mins)

Conditions for success

  • Send the website link to Project 2035 out in advance and encourage people to look about the site, read the flash fiction stories describing different experiences of living in each scenario
  • Ensure an informal and discursive setting for the workshop
  • Emphasise there are no right and or wrong answers and everyone will have views to share
  • Participants should be encouraged to suspend their disbelief. Whilst there will be things each participant hates about their world and some events they simply cannot see happening, the scenarios are nonetheless plausible.

Other tools, formats and session ideas

The Staff College offers a range of support packages for your organisation or Partnership to engage purposefully with the Project 2035 materials. Get in touch to discuss and co-design a tailored approach.

I want to run a two hour training session with my team

Get your team together over coffee and cake and run a learning session with a difference. Get people debating and sharing ideas about the future for children and young people.

Time: 2 hours
Download free game and instructions
I want to bring up to 24 people together to explore our shared values, shared priorities and practice development

Using the Project 2035 materials, explore aspirations for the future, identify what staff see as the key barriers and opportunities when working with children and young people and develop ideas for service improvements. This session includes hard copies of the scenario game, expert facilitation from The Staff College, and access to other useful tools.

Cost: £1,500

Time: half or full day

Register interest
I want to use the scenarios with senior leaders and managers from within my own organisation or amongst my partnership to reassess and test our strategic assumptions for the short and medium term

The Project 2035 materials can be used as a practical strategic tool to support leaders and managers consider service improvements, workforce development and organisational culture. Supported by expert facilitation you will also receive our strategy tool, presentations, desk resources and handouts.

Cost: £1,950

Time: One full day with optional additional days

Register interest
I want to use the scenarios to engage a wide group of stakeholders, including those who access services, to help co-produce ideas for service priorities and service redesign

The Project 2035 material offers a simple and engaging framework to guide people from all kinds of backgrounds to have their say and help shape services. This session includes expert facilitation from The Staff College, hard copies of the scenario game, our co-production tool and access to other desk resources and handouts.

Cost: £1,950

Time: 5-6 hours with options for add on sessions

Register interest
I want to join the Project 2035 systems leadership programme

This unique four day development programme will explore the big questions for the future leadership of social services and will build the skills and capabilities needed to respond to these changing demands. The programme includes expert inputs and facilitation and a range of systems leadership tools and resources.

Cost: £1450 per person

Time: 4 day programme including a two day residential

Request prospectus and application
I want to use the materials to support people to adopt systems leadership and collaborative practices

The Project 2035 offers a practical resource to support those wishing to develop and systems leadership practices to work with complexity and uncertainty. Focussing on developing practical collaborative practices, this session includes expert facilitation from The Staff College, hard copies of the scenario game, our system leadership tool and access to other desk resources and handouts.

Cost: £1950 (one day) or £2950 (2 days)

Time: Two one-day sessions

Register interest
I want to bring a group of people together to develop our own local, or regional, scenarios for the future

Using the Project 2035 national scenarios as a backdrop, this session guides participants through a creative and engaging scenario planning process where groups produce their own scenarios based on local drivers-of-change - a useful framework to help plan in the short term. This session includes expert facilitation from The Staff College, our scenario planning tool and access to other useful desk resources and materials.

Cost: £1950 (one day) or £2950 (2 days)

Time: One or two full days

Register interest