Collaborative Co-production creates Mutual and Sustained Learning
Author: Sharon Sharman, Learning and Evaluation Manager, VOICES
A reflection of positive partnership work during some of our toughest times
Opportunities included a variety of masterclasses, bespoke workshops, short courses, accredited courses, and co-delivery of online conferences and webinars in which organizations have worked together to deliver positive practice. These include Homeless Link, Adult Safeguarding Boards, NHS and LGA (Local Government Association).
Although the delivery route had changed (moved to online platform during lockdown) we applied the same logic model that had been tested over previous years and captured in the Citywide Learning Progamme Evaluation 2020:
The influence for the design and delivery of the learning opportunities were the core success factors of the learning programme:
The creation of a shared-learning environment across organisations working with people with multiple needs
The provision of high-quality learning opportunities that are current, tailored to participants’ needs and delivered by engaging and skilled trainers
The centrality of lived experience to the programme
How did we make it happen?
Although lockdown measures did not come into force until 26th March 2020, the VOICES team acted rapidly to support customer, staff, and stakeholders considering Covid – 19. Urgent meetings were held to inform colleagues that substantial changes to working practices were… Continue Reading
Listening and Learning in Lockdown: a learning and evaluation update from VOICES
By Sharon Sharman, Learning and Evaluation Manager, VOICES
Since 2015 the VOICES citywide learning programme has provided a huge number of regular learning opportunities that are FREE to access for services across Stoke-on-Trent who are working to support people experiencing multiple needs. An external evaluator has recently conducted an evaluation of the learning programme which is soon to be published; this will be distributed to contacts and be available through the VOICES website. Within this independent report there is a focus on learning activities throughout 2019. We were blown away to realise that, during this period, we had delivered to more than 2000 attendees from more than 30 organisations.
As part of the evaluation a range of services were contacted by the evaluator to participate in telephone interviews that have contributed to the findings; we would like to say thanks to those involved as well as to all the individuals who have engaged with opportunities since the start of our project who provide feedback at each event. Your views are crucial to the development of the learning programme and we aim to include ideas for events based on needs identified from across the city.
The impact of Covid 19 resulted in the learning… Continue Reading
Lost – Recognising and responding to loneliness
By Steven Talbot, Training and Consultancy, Steven Talbot Consultancy
“A subjective, unwelcome feeling of lack or loss of companionship. It happens when we have a mismatch between the quantity and quality of social relationships that we have, and those that we want.”
Perlman, D.
Hello all,
I’ve recently been delivering my course, ‘Lost – recognising and responding to loneliness.’ The course was designed in collaboration with customers from across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.
VOICES commissioned me to spread the word through their citywide learning programme1, especially regarding the amount of people across Stoke-on-Trent who are experiencing loneliness. The VOICES project is aimed at testing alternative approaches to tackling systemic barriers to effective support along with learning and evaluation to identify what works well. The project has achieved numerous examples of coproduction and lived experience (Expert Citizens) is included in the design, development and delivery at all levels.
I was asked to create the course to assist workers in recognising the signs of loneliness, tackle the issue, listen to customers and support people into embracing company and companionship. Learners are often shocked by the figures and statistics relating to loneliness, especially the amount of young people and young parents who are isolated and alone. There’s a slight myth… Continue Reading
Please don’t call us ‘difficult to engage’
By Sharon Sharman, Learning and Evaluation Manager, VOICES
Last year VOICES, along with Expert Citizens C.I.C. were approached by the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Adult Safeguarding Partnership Board (SSASPB) to support with the delivery of learning events planned over several months across Staffordshire. This was following a case review; professionals were seeking a deeper understanding of why some people experiencing multiple needs had difficulties in engaging / re-engaging with services that could support them through recovery and to live more fulfilled lives. We agreed to participate and have since delivered a series of seven bespoke workshops throughout the region.
Within the workshops we were able to share insight from experiences and findings from evaluations in relation to fair and equal access; attendees could better understand systemic barriers to engagement, motivation and recovery.
Content of workshops included:
Barriers and challenges with GP registration (Click here to read ‘Access to Primary Care Services for people with “No Fixed Abode”‘)
People experiencing homelessness unable to access Social Care assessments
Unable to open bank account for benefit payments
Inability to attend support and medical appointments
No communication (medical and other)- postal appointments
Dual diagnosis – mental health services / drug and alcohol support services
Housing issues – past… Continue Reading
Care Act Advocacy Training
Ruth Francis, Service Manager, Inspiring Change Manchester
On the 18th June VOICES delivered Care Act Advocacy Training to the Inspiring Change Manchester Service Delivery Team. Below Ruth Francis, ICM Service Manager, kindly gives us some feedback and shares with us how the learning has been useful in practice:
Feedback – Frontline staff and Managers found this training very useful and informative. Bruno (VOICES) is a very knowledgeable facilitator who knows about the subject matter and was able to talk through the toolkit and different options available to staff when working with vulnerable adults and people at risk. Staff advised that they now feel much more confident in challenging the decisions of the local authority, and have a better understanding of the options available to them in order to advocate better for clients and can identify the appropriate way forward, whether that be raising a safeguarding concern or requesting an assessment or both.
Examples of where this has already changed staff action – since the training an Engagement Worker has made a referral for an assessment for a homeless man (previously we had only raised safeguarding concerns for this person) – the local authority have agreed to carry out an assessment involving a capacity… Continue Reading
What on Earth is Motivational Interviewing?
By Steven Talbot, Learning and Development Consultant, Steven Talbot Consultancy
Ambivalence, oh my – just the word, it can be a real downer. What does it actually mean? There’s no doubt in my mind that we’ve all of us looked at the alarm clock (at the allotted ungodly hour for work) and listened to that inner voice that said, ‘nah…’ and wanted you to turn over and go back to sleep. Then that **other** little voice in your head went, ‘you need to go to work,’ ’you can’t sleep the day away,’ ‘up and at ‘em!’ ‘Get up! Get up! GET UP!’ And we rolled out of bed, ate our breakfast, drank our coffee, stood under the shower and shook off voice number one that wanted us to just give up and stay in the warm, cosy bed. It’s ambivalence that keeps many people from making positive changes in their lives.
Greetings one and all, I’m learning and development consultant Steven Talbot and you’re reading my article about Motivational Interviewing. Now, I may have already bored you to tears, you’ve managed to get this far and then thought, ‘there are things I could be doing, like swilling a mug, buying a book,… Continue Reading
Learning Programme Update
By Sharon Sharman, Learning & Evaluation Manager, VOICES
The VOICES citywide partnership learning programme continues to engage professionals and services from across Stoke-on-Trent. In 2018 we achieved delivery of:
Working with Expert Citizens C.I.C. we also codesigned and co delivered bespoke workshops with specialist teams: these included engaging with Consultants, Nursing Teams, Administration and Occupational Therapy Teams within the Accident and Emergency Department at Royal Stoke Hospital and, more recently, the Stoke and Staffordshire Adult Safeguarding Board.
All our learning events offer delegates the opportunity to provide feedback, including ideas for future events. People who attended last years’ events requested further opportunities to better understand mental ill health and ‘trending drugs’ as well as preventing death by drugs. We have responded to these requests by commissioning high quality courses that meet these requirements.
New courses can be viewed on the VOICES website at https://www.voicesofstoke.org.uk/learning/
If you have requested your details to be added to our learning contact list, you will receive automatic notifications of new opportunities. If you are not currently on our list, you can request to be included by contacting me directly at [email protected]
… Continue Reading
Shared Learning creates an Integrated Approach and Holistic Support
Written by: Steve Gaunt, Employment Advisor – Families Matter Initiative, Department for Work and Pensions
As DWP Workers with various job roles, both in the Jobcentre and out in the community, we support similar client groups as VOICES; very often those who have the most complex needs.
Over the past few months we have attended a wide variety of courses provided by VOICES including Managing Conflict, Compulsive Hoarding and Working with Substance Misuse. These courses have all been delivered to an exceptionally high and professional standard. They have all been very informative, covering both theory and practical applications. The materials have been designed using a high proportion of local content reflecting the difficulties of clients we meet within Stoke on Trent so are particularly relevant; case studies and video recordings of people with lived experience. The courses have all provided ample opportunity for guided skills practice.
One thing that really works well in the VOICES learning programme is that each course has been attended by staff from a variety of other support organisations and, as such, provided not only an opportunity to practice skills from different perspectives but also an excellent networking opportunity. Each course has also led to a deeper understanding of… Continue Reading
Dean Spruce |
22 Feb 2018
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Communities of Practice, Community, Community of Practice, CoP, expert citizens, learning, VOICES
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News
Stoke-on-Trent CoP – Past, Present and exciting future
by Steve Freeman, Chair, Stoke-on-Trent Community of Practice
Communities of Practice (CoPs) generally and Stoke-on-Trent Community of Practice (StokeCoP) specifically have an impressive pedigree. From community development projects in America to the harnessing of technical expertise in the UK CoPs have been harnessing untapped resources for years.
The Little Miracles report from 2013 describes a project in which the impact of CoPs was assessed http://www.revolving-doors.org.uk/file/1808/download?token=hADIbO3p. Stoke was one of the research centres and the legacy group was developed by key CoP members Bruno Ornelas and Sarah Wilshaw. Phase two of Stoke’s CoP came with the introduction of a solution focused practitioner as chair/facilitator and the development of ideas from the defunct Staffordshire Community of Solution Focused Practice which had been established and run by Carl Plant and Steve Freeman.
So much for the history. What has StokeCoP actually done over the past few years? What difference has it make from its early days? Who has noticed a change? And what have they noticed? One of the most important things has been the development of a discussion forum with measurable impact on systems change and peoples lived experience in Stoke-on-Trent and beyond. This forum has seen a broad range of experience and expertise. Expert… Continue Reading
Some people need a damn good listening to!
By Steven Talbot
Steven is an independent deliverer of training, who contributes to the VOICES learning programme
It is often the case that when we attend training, we hear anecdotal stories of customers and service users and what we, the ‘WORKERS’, have done or could do to support them. We’re frequently told by very clever people what we can do to support people. We nod along, munch away on our buffet, (‘delightful!’) and make our notes and think, ‘Well wasn’t that nice’ and return to work. Sometimes we put what we have learned into practice and other times we revert back to type, we’re stressed, we’re ambivalent, we’re set in our ways and anyhow, we remind ourselves that we do a very good job.
We hear on the news of the hundreds of people left waiting in corridors at A and E and it leaves us feeling that the NHS is in dire straits. We read about chronic under funding and we are enraged. Then we vent on Facebook and Twitter or sigh and tut and discuss with our friends, ‘How has it got to this?’ To put it bluntly, it is quite difficult to empathise with a statistic. When we hear the… Continue Reading