Leading the way to Hybrid: Neighbourhood Networks Case Study

Neighbourhood Networks is the fourth case study in a series on organisations who have built their hybrid format capacity with us. In these case studies we showcase how all businesses regardless of sector and size can benefit from the hybrid format and hybrid working patterns to become more accessible, more able to serve their customers and enable quality delivery for all. You can read the previous case studies here

Neighbourhood Networks is a charity supporting vulnerable adults with disabilities and mental health issues live an independent life and become more involved within their local communities. With the support of PlacesWork, Neighbourhood Networks have come together as a team to implement hybrid working practices, helping them save crucial time and money as a charity organisation.

Leadership the way to hybrid - involved from day 1

In November 2022 we led a governance review with the Neighbourhood Networks board, which included observing their current hybrid set up and making recommendations to improve how the board works and its use of the hybrid format. The CEO and IT lead officer joined us on our live 'How to Run Effective Hybrid Meetings’ course to continue their learning journey, this was further supplemented by us providing the online version of the course for them to use as continued reference. Consultation was then given about what kit they needed to make the meeting rooms at their head office work smoothly as hybrid.

In Spring 2023 our team joined them at their newly kitted offices to deliver a bespoke 1 day version of the 'How to Run Effective Hybrid Meetings' course for the central management team. The day was of course run as a hybrid event and gave the opportunity for the Neighbourhood Networks team to see the possibilities of hybrid and have some of the newly bought kit demonstrated by their colleagues. 

Working together as a team is core to the way.

Neighbourhood Networks has tackled hybrid meetings with a team approach. Staff members take it in turns to be producers for meetings, learning from each other and taking the pressure off the key leaders. It means there is always someone to deal with technical glitches and help ensure meetings run smoothly. National management/leadership and board meetings are continuing to develop in the hybrid format, saving time and travel budget.

CEO Heather Calvo said "I am really chuffed with how its working.  We said let's give it a go, and actually through this we realised that we have done a lot of tech during Covid and didn’t give ourselves enough acknowledgment of how much we have learnt.  This next stage of getting competent with hybrid format meetings has shown us how much we have gained and can now do even better."

By building their capacity together there is a lightness and laughter to the way they are approaching their hybrid meetings. Staff know they are not on their own and before meetings can get some help from Stephen or Andrew, the IT team who are there in the background, but problems are also shared around and there is an atmosphere of ‘just try it and we will learn from it’.

Things that have made the biggest difference in the way to hybrid.

There have been important practical things that have made big impacts when adapting to hybrid. The main room has now been kitted up, with two large screens and two cameras (one wide angle and one zooming) so that everyone is visible and included.

Meetings are planned with hybrid in mind, turns are taken in the producer role and the support needed for effective meetings is considered. The producer sending a preparation sheet out to those attending in advance. 

One of the key practical lessons is about etiquette and what guidelines work for them as an organisation. As a team they want everyone to actively participate, so all participants keep their cameras and mic on so that everyone is present and together.

However, having great leadership as the team moves towards hybrid has made one of the biggest differences. The CEO knowing the benefits of hybrid and taking part in the training first, has helped their team embrace the changes. 

The style of doing this together in a process of proper training, investment in the kit and then further integration of the practices, has enabled the changes to be exciting and done well. Successfully moving towards hybrid meetings and working requires leadership and investment of time and energy. We have seen in organisations floundering with the changes that they have tried to take the easy route, hoping problems to be solved by just buying the kit or sorted by the staff on their own. Whereas Neighbourhood Networks are going from strength to strength as things are solved and capacity is being built together.

A more hybrid future ahead - Leading the way in involvement and engagement work.

With national staff leadership and board meetings running smoothly, Neighbourhood Networks now want to apply this more widely with their involvement and engagement work. This group is called ‘Quality Street’ and is a long standing method where the people they serve explore, examine and develop improvements that the organisation needs to make. Quality Street uses the lived experience to improve the standards and ensure meaningful improvements are made.  Next year they would like to run it nationally using the hybrid format, making connections happen and making it even more accessible for everyone.

The decision to embrace hybrid practices and facing complexities as a team has led to an improved quality of meetings and an increased saving on time and resources. With the current amount of pressure in the health and social care sector it is of significant worth to be gaining advantages as a national organisation. However, this has been made possible by leadership pushing and being involved in the change, Heather Calvo, CEO of Neighbourhood Networks told us:

"Especially for a third sector organisation where budgets are tight and time is at a premium, what you can save in time and mileage is important. However, there is leadership required around making this all work and I would recommend to CEO’s that they get involved from the outset to really have a better understanding of the investment and the potential of this capacity."

If you want to lead the way in your organisation to go 100% hybrid then talk to us about your needs and we will support you throughout your journey.