On arrival at the hall we were greeted by a table piled high with colourful craft materials and invited to make our own name badges which expressed our personalities. This was a lovely way to make sure that everyone felt relaxed, involved and get people working together. Staff members made their badges alongside the people they supported, and just offered gentle prompts or suggestions whenever anyone seemed hesitant or unsure. It was a bit of a free for all to be honest, which meant that staff weren’t necessarily working near people that they knew. It showed their skills in interaction, as well as their motivation to ensure everyone was happy and involved, when they were able to observe the person next to them and make a judgement about what kind of support they needed, regardless of whether or not they had met before. I observed careful, purposeful prompts and support – with no evidence of staff over supporting or taking over.
When the meeting started some members of the group were so keen to be involved in leading the meeting, feeding back and organising everyone that it was soon obvious that a chair person should have been elected. I think that it will be a tough election battle at the next meeting!
It was great to see so many people with the confidence to stand at the front and say what they thought about MacIntyre and our services, and I am sure that with the mindful facilitation skills of staff, people’s confidence will grow and grow.
Anna Perry
Head of Operations – On Track