Jane comes to our Lifelong Learning Centre in Hasland on just one day per week. So time is of the essence to get to know and spend time with her. When I became Jane’s link worker, I was told she had the most amazing memory! Over a period of time we had lots of chats and it became really obvious how important Jane’s family are to her. She was able to tell me all sorts of dates and places that were significant to her and her family. However, there were some missing pieces in the jigsaw. Jane seemed really sad not to know much about her Grandad on her Mum’s side. At Hasland, we have been building a great relationship with the local library and on one of the visits Susan, the librarian, explained that we are able to use the computers and gave us examples of how other people used them. One of these was to search for your family tree! This REALLY sparked Jane’s interest. Could we find a bit more about Jane’s Grandad. Jane talked about this a lot more when we got back to Hasland and the information that Susan had given us about searching for family trees. Jane was really keen to bring in some photos of her family, and so the journey began……. The photos were beautiful and Jane was delighted to tell all who would listen about them, where they were taken, who was in the photo, what memories they sparked. I loved spending time with her, listening to her enthusiastic stories. It is not easy for Jane to use a computer keyboard so not to be beaten, we found one that has bigger keys and started to search the internet using the websites that we had been given at the library. I supported Jane to find the 1901 census and she eventually found a name the same as her Grandad’s. Jane’s face was a picture! The information was basic and Jane was rightly insistent about checking with her sister to see what she knew about Grandad to see if the details matched. When Jane came to Hasland the next week, she had barely walked through the door when her excitement took hold! This was definitely Grandad! Our plan is to visit the library, where we can spend some time undisturbed, looking for what else we can find out about Jane’s family: who knows what our adventure will uncover. Jane has decided she would like to put together a presentation and deliver this to other people who attend Hasland. We will let you know how it goes. Carole Hodgson Support Worker Inspired for Training – I4T, Chesterfield For those of you who don’t know, we are a department at MacIntyre’s Central Office and apart from our many different responsibilities, we support people with learning disabilities to learn administrative skills. There are twelve people who attend on various days of the week. The Assistants duties are many, not least manning the reception desk, accepting deliveries and greeting visitors. Everyone seems to enjoy their work and it’s great to listen to and watch the interactions between the Assistants and people coming into the building. They do an amazing job, both face to face and on the telephone and being the first point of contact for many visitors they are strong ambassadors for MacIntyre. This blog is about one particular Assistant, Jonny who works every Monday and Friday. He is keen and enthusiastic and always excited about being here. His favourite job is greeting the morning postman and taking the post from him. Jonny is so excited in the mornings; he’s on edge waiting for the moment the postman arrives and finds it very difficult getting involved in anything else in the meantime. As soon as he sees the post van pulling up outside, Jonny is through the front door at speed, arriving before the postman has a chance to step out of his vehicle! They walk back in together, chatting as they go, like old friends. This is a relationship that has developed over time and there is a genuine fondness between the two men. They laugh together and tease one another and of course we can’t help becoming involved too sometimes. A while back the postman (we all call him Andy Alan as no one seems to be sure what his name really is!) arrived with a Royal Mail tabard, all neatly folded and still in its packaging. He presented this to Jonny, saying as Jonny carries the post in and therefore does part of a postman’s job, he should have a “uniform”. To say that Jonny was pleased is an understatement! Jonny takes this duty very seriously. Now, every Monday and Friday, he puts on his orange tabard which he calls his “post jacket”, ages before the post is due to arrive, does his usual meeting the postman then takes it off and hangs it back up when all the post is finished. Apart from Jonny gaining a friend, someone he feels comfortable with, he has also gained in confidence. Now, as well as bringing the post in, he will sign for any recorded and special deliveries, which he does very professionally. Although this interaction is with a visitor I wanted to share it as this is what our department is all about: supporting Office Services Assistants to develop their skills to interact with and provide a service for MacIntyre’s visitors. The staff team here have done a great job supporting Jonny to develop his skills and I’ve seen many Great Interactions day to day. Our postman, however, deserves a special mention as he has succeeded in making Jonny feel very proud of himself. He’s done this by taking the time to get to know him and recognising what is important to him. Jenny Hunt Office Services Co-ordinator Milton Keynes Barry has lived at The Cherries for 25 years. He is a chatty, happy man who enjoys being made a fuss of. I observed an interaction between Barry and a member of staff called Jon. Jon has worked here for 8 years. Barry and Jon have a very good relationship. Barry will only talk about what Jon has done with him or where they have been even if other staff members have been there as well, so other staff rarely get a look in even if we have interacted with Barry too. Needless to say if ever anyone has met Barry all he talks about is Jon this, and Jon that. They really are very close. So one particular day I thought I had caught Barry’s eye smiling at me as I came out of the kitchen. I stood there for a few minutes thinking great what a lovely interaction and a massive opportunity to smile back and feel a connection with Barry. But when I looked closer at Barry and thought ‘right here’s my chance to interact and be a memory for Barry’, it wasn’t me Barry was smiling at. It was... wait for it... It was Jon! Jon was standing behind me and Barry was looking past me at Jon and it was their special moment, their Great Interaction, not mine. I want to improve my interactions with Barry so I asked Jon what was it that made Barry smile, what was it that he was doing to have a Great Interaction with Barry. Jon said that while he was in the kitchen he was singing and he continued to sing on leaving the kitchen because he knew Barry would hear this and like it. So Jon was being creative before the interaction really started and then used eye contact to catch Barry’s eye, and make a connection, on leaving the kitchen. So that’s where the big smile came from and that’s all you need to see to know you have made a difference in somebody’s life: A GREAT BIG SMILE. I’m going to try some of Jon’s ideas and maybe, just maybe, I too can make Barry really smile. Katrina Ryan Senior Support Worker The Cherries It is just so easy to support people to buy flowers and cards for Mother’s Day, but this year Carole, Hayley's linkworker, wondered if they could make this a bit different and go together to the garden centre where Hayley could choose the pot and plants she might like to give her Mum. Carole asked Hayley, using her preferred method of communication, if she would like to go to the garden centre and get some plants to pot for her Mum. Hayley, who is always keen to go out, clapped her hands and signed "yes please", so off they went and made their purchases. The next day they would pot the plants. I observed Carole and Hayley get the pot, plants and compost together before the planting began. Hayley was most excited when they both put on their aprons; she clapped her hands and laughed as Carole explained every step of the way. Carole opened the bag of compost, lifted out a handful and put it in the pot. She then encouraged Hayley to do the same. This is when the expression on Hayley's face changed and her hands shot under the table! Carole continued to encourage Hayley, but Hayley just gave Carole a sideways glance, as if to say "my hands stay clean!” and her hands remained firmly under the table. Once the pot was full and the compost was put to one side out came Hayley's hands and the smile returned to her face. Carole then asked Hayley to choose which plants she would like to put in the pot. Hayley did this and she pushed them in firmly, quickly brushing off any dirt from her fingers. Once the pot was finished, Hayley had her photo taken to put in with the gift for her Mum. During the activity you could hear and feel the warmth and trust between Hayley and Carole and although Hayley does not use speech, there was non stop communication between the two. What a great activity with Great Interactions...and clean hands for some! Vivien Morgan Senior Support Worker Montfort Fields |
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