Luck of the Irish

 

St Patrick’s Day in California, is a huge event. The Department for Social Services and just about everywhere else turned green today. From ties, shirts, skirts and even socks, everyone made the effort to give a nod to the lucky Irish.

At lunchtime, I enjoyed my first American (or Irish) pot luck, which as it turns out wasn’t a special department raffle, or quiz, but an absolute feast of Irish home baked food. Of course I was the traditional brit at a buffet, and I happily mixed roast cabbage with pasta, and loaded my single plate up with cobs (sliders) and mashed potato.

The atmosphere was lovely, and it set up nicely an afternoon of pre hearings, with the Senate Budget and Review Fiscal Review Committee on Health and Human Services. I remain bemused that these hearings are scheduled for four hours on a Friday afternoon when the sun is out, but then I remind myself sunshine in California is not a limited quantity.

Currently here, the development of the Governors new budget is in full swing, and departments are busily preparing projections and political justifications ready for the scrutiny of the hearing process later this month.

What I am struck by is the lack of spin, and as someone with a degree in it, it is really apparent. But partly this is driven, at least in this process by the lack of obvious or pervasive party politics. In Britain, even when one party holds the power balance for a period of time, the bi partisan nature of our politics still underpins everything. Now that I am here in America, a few weeks in, I’ve realized that stepping out of your norms, and everything that you are familiar with is very scary, but it is also enjoyable, because when you are plunged into a new context you are reminded that there are many different ways to do business, political or not.

At the pre hearing staffers intently listen to officials from CDSS, who provide complex details around the financial delivery of services, in a way that informs the staffers, and I would imagine also gives them a headache. As a former staffer, keeping up with the level of activity and detail, in a way that would enable me to guide good political scrutiny is a real balancing Act, and I look forward to seeing the angles that the politicians will take at the hearing at the end of the month.

Also, and as ever with California, I am still taken aback by the sheer level of activity, and the numerous programmes that are being delivered. Add into the mix that the federal government both fund and decree the delivery of particular programmes, and it can be a confusing and fast paced picture. It’s also not helped by the Acronym culture, but I am starting to improve, also at rapid pace.

I have to say, I am still gripping tightly to my sense of comfort, which in practice translates as me saying at least 10 times a day ‘in wales we do this…..’ it’s my way of putting what I’m learning here into context, but I’m pretty sure I became the epitome of the annoying tourist when I compared the California State Capitol Building to City Hall, proudly announcing even the carpets are the same. Which they are….but still!!

That said, our legislation on Integrated Family Support Services has been a hit, and I’ve been very proud when it has been mentioned by my colleagues in meetings with officials and with county directors this week. The ACE’s agenda is also a huge driver, and though in California it isn’t termed as that, it is the foundation of their largest reforms on the continuum of care, and it is these that my research will focus on.

The atmosphere here, and the high level of activity has mean  that I feel I have a really strong sense of direction for my research, digging deeper into their policy making process-if I can catch it, and embedding myself in the Continuum of Care Reforms- or CCR as its actually known. There is such a wealth of talent, of information and activity here, that each day is a pleasure, and I have now started to develop the structure of my report.

Seeing the title page on my computer is strange, it means I am here, and although what is on the pages of the report is now familiar to me, it will, I hope be completely new to you as the audience reading it, and will I hope inspire some challenging debates, but also policy and political action.

There is a sense here, like at home that things are possible, and that the needs of the child should dictate the service structure and provision. It’s absolutely true that people have objected to some of the proposals, true too, that there remain ongoing discussions about responsibility and delivery, but at no point do I think that delivery will be incremental or improved outcomes slow. In part that’s my new found optimism, due to the endless sunshine, but actually I think it’s more about the pace of activity, and the culture here, and that’s something that I am very much enjoying.