Paper short abstract:

Re-imaging accountability practices in the malfunctioning Dutch care system for unsafe families is preceded, and should be nurtured, by the confrontation with pain caused by the current system; pain as a source that boosts transformation and reflects on accountability practices for the future.

Paper long abstract:

The current Dutch system of care for unsafe families is composed of a variety of institutions that have to comply with different and an increasing number of, organization focused, accountability practices. These practices  are designed to monitor the tasks of each separate organisation instead of the whole system around the people concerned.  This is a problem since this current individually focused system doesn’t provide sufficient quality of care for people living in unsafe family situations. This insight has led to a new scenario for the future.  

  Encounters with professionals, boardmembers and local authorities, collaborating in living labs, made clear that they believe in the promise of the scenario. At the same time the lack of insight on everyone's own share in the malfunctioning system and of conducive conditions causes 'defaulting‘ into the old system. A clear need was found for different accountability practices, practices that boost transformative power of families, professionals, organisations and authorities.

To boost the transformative power and support these living labs in fostering transformation new accountability practices are needed that challenge the various people involved to embrace disconcertment and reflect on embodied sensibilities towards multiple accountabilities. Our hypothesis is that this needs to be preceded by the individual and collective assignment to (repeatedly) feel and deeply understand the pain and unintended effects of their involvement in the families they care for. Only when the urgency to transform is painfully felt and continuously nurtured, a start can be made to reflect on meaningful accountability practices for the future.