Planning Delivering And Evaluating Group Work

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Developing Practice

C:\Users\Elaine Thomas\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\Y2XKJ5IE\MC910215945[1].jpg

Elaine Thomas

Introduction 2

Planning, Delivering and Evaluating Group Work 3-5

Working with individuals and one-to-one working support 5-7

Working in partnership with other agencies/managing/working in teams 8-7

Conclusion 10

References 11

Foundation Degree in Working with Communities and Young People

Introduction

Professional practitioners working with young people often have to think and reflect on their feet, making use of the repertoire of images, metaphors and theories (Smith, 2011). Schön (1987) defines reflection-in-action to the signpost with young people to build up their potential and develop.

It is essential to keep reflecting on one's practice. Kolb's (1984) experiential learning cycle states that reflection allows for improvement and best practice, and this is a good rule to develop and use. Being a practitioner is about engaging young people in planning and organising. It is also about empowering and enabling young people to learn by reflecting on their own experiences.

Relating this to a youth work situation, Mary (18) tells a support worker about difficulties at home. Mary is constantly ending up in arguments with her dad and is thinking about running away from the situation. Whilst out and about any adult may offer their advice which Mary may or may not take. Practitioners make the most of any opportunity to empower and enable young people to work through the problem from their own perspective and build on what they have learnt about life, not simply taking on board what someone else has learnt. Egan’s model (2002) is a useful model for people to solve problems in their everyday lives. This is a three-stage model used in counseling or mentoring, based on Carl Rogers (1967) core conditions for the helper’s approach to the practitioner, based on respect, empathy and good, active listening skills.

In this assignment, I will draw from three different areas of my practice. Firstly, working in a group setting and for this, I am using extracts from my learning journal in my placement, carrying out activities with five service users. The second example is one-to-one work with a service user. The third example is working with other agencies I come into contact with as a worker in the hostel.

Planning, Delivering and Evaluating Group Work

According to Gibson and Clark (1995), the role of the practitioner in groups is to identify three styles of working: authoritarian, consultative, and enabling. (For example, my role as a practitioner is in enabling and empowering young people, especially in group work practice. I encourage them to adopt a similar style of decision-making themselves. Other strengths are that I am a people-centred, hands-on, kinaesthetic person, who is aware of body language in an activity. If I see any closed or negative, disengaged body language, then I try to break the ice to get rapport, using ice-breakers, or offering hospitality to the group. The role itself brings with it some power and authority, whatever style of working is adapted.)

In order to illustrate my point for reflection, an incident took place where I asked to support the service users to do an activity. The group was given the task of preparing a meal. I observed the group and gave them basic instructions in cooking to build up their essential skills. According to Marken and Payne (1987), there is a ensuring and monitoring that conflict between them. For example, as part of planning, questions were raised about resources and this may mean going back to adjust the aims and objectives. On the other hand, to discover that problems have arisen from group members means to monitor and adjust as part of the process. I asked the group what they would want to cook and how they might go through the activity. I made posters for events and displayed them in the hostel. The extract I am including refers to cooking a Sunday roast as a session. Five attended the session; all had different needs, so differentiation was necessary. I decided to give each group member different tasks. The session for the first service user was difficult. I did use an icebreaker by starting with refreshments and letting them know what we would do together.

The food items were placed on the table for the service users for them to choose. As part of the group, service users Susie, 17 years old, and Mary, 18 years old, where the only service users from an ethnic background who attended the session. At first, I observed Susie to be well-liked and accepted by the rest of the group. However, Mary seemed to be left out and preferred to have one-to-one. During the session, I allotted tasks to prepare the meal. There was a period of tension and conflict, wherein Mary was being blamed for not taking the task because she felt uncomfortable working with them. During this part of the task, a discussion broke out between four service users; they all wanted the same tasks, but it seemed there was only enough for two. So I quickly intervened to get each person to explain what they wanted from the rest of the group, and made sure the others were listening respectfully. This has helped them to understand everyone else's view. I then asked the service users how they thought they could solve the problem, and told them that they could work together as a group. I also explained that once out on your own, you needed to be able to use these basic skills interactions.

I placed all items on the table and allotted prep tasks for each item. This worked well; all giggled while prepping and we all knew we would eat the meal together. I spoke of the importance of learning in this session in order to acquire the skills for independence later. Thompson (2006) also believes in active listening, body language, and tone of voice. I let the group members make some mistakes, such as pouring rice directly into the pan rather than cleaning it first, and I asked her if she had ever washed rice. Then I asked the rest of the group, and one of the groups that had washed rice. I asked to demonstrate this to the young woman who had not done it in the past. The theory related to Thompson's (2006) People-Centred and Anti-Oppressive Practice theory. Thompson believes that people's input should be valued in an activity. He believes that trust should be built with individuals and practitioners. Trust can be built through establishing ground rules in any care and social settings. In the group, there was a signed agreement to stick with these rules.

This worked very well as a shared experience in anti-oppressive practice. On this occasion the possible scapegoating of the group member gave me a major challenge to face, but they all had to tackle it because of the situation. The part that did not work well was at the start, when the group was reluctant to engage. I addressed it by making coffee for everyone in a bid to include everyone and break the ice. I am artistic and creative in my thinking, and I like to keep activities to be simple, creative, and fun. I add music to what I am doing, and add banter to encourage communication. I bring stationery with me to activities (doodling, colouring, designing things), and encourage people with praise and display all contributions. I like to use other activities like cooking because this also encourages empowerment.

Empowerment is very much linked with anti-oppressive practice, in that the practitioner can work for young people; enable them to overcome barriers to solving problems (Dalrymple and Burke, 1995). The basic idea underpinning empowerment is that people should be helped to gain power and control over their lives and circumstances. For example, the effects of sexism are such that women have to fight harder to make their voices heard in a male-dominated society. The important aspect of empowerment is to help young people have a voice, to have the opportunity of putting forward their point (Harrison and Wise, 2005).

According to Thompson (2006), the practitioner should reflect within the group. Feedback in these settings remains confidential within the setting. I ensured anti-oppressive practice of asking how individuals were in the group while preparing the meal. I used open questions and rewarded all with praise. When we sat together to eat, I sat between two people who may have been at risk of conflict.

Next time when I am facing this scenario, I would do an ice breaker, like a word game or a quiz. This helps if some of the group members are more one-to-one than group-oriented.

Reflective Account.

Working with individuals and one-to-one working support.

The aim of this paper is to reflect and discuss the development of my knowledge and skills in relation to working with individuals and one-to-one working.

As part of a placement at SVP Ozanam House which consists of two buildings, Ozanam and Rosalie House, are 10 single homeless women in self-contained flats and three self-contained flats in the Rosalie House. The service users are presented with a variety of issues, including families’ involvement, mental health, probation, and alcohol abuse issues.

The example of working as an individual was when I worked with an individual. This young person is pregnant. She is a further education student, studying Leisure and Tourism. She is nineteen years of age and has been living in the hostel for almost a year while studying at college. This person disclosed her pregnancy to staff at the hostel before she even told her mother. I became concerned for the young woman because she was confused in her situation and did not know what to do. I sat with her and told her that irrespective of what she decides, she needs to have an appointment with her GP. I also asked her to speak with her key worker about the situation. In this case, her key worker supports her and signposts her basic needs such as health, education, money and benefits. In this case, the young woman would now need support with the pregnancy. In such circumstances all young women are able to stay in the hostel until 28 weeks after which they have a choice, whether to stay or go to family, or go to a mother and baby unit if there are spaces.

My anti-oppressive practice here relates to Rogers (1967). He says that empathy is essential. When Gemma asked about the pain of labor, knowing that I had given birth, I said everyone is different, and their experiences are different. I listened to her and sat in her room where she was more comfortable and relaxed (Egan, 2002).

How I developed the relationship with Gemma is through ongoing one–to-one support. I used these interventions to open up young people to correct expressions by using key sessions. It can stimulate a young person's ability to connect with the environment around her in a positive nature. As a support worker, I identified links within the project to refer to external agencies, such as social services and welfare agencies. Using Egan’s (1998) 3 stage model for helping and problem solving helps the young person focus on what was most beneficial at the time. I identify what a young person wants and what is possible. Finally, to action, the interventionist is to plan and choose the right intervention to support the young person in activities to achieve goals for building resilience. Prevention needs to take place in the context of person-centered support and personalisation, with individuals empowered to make choices and supported to manage risks.

Establishing one-to-one support with a service user aims to encourage them to broaden their minds and opportunities to move forward. The young person is not expected to accept the practitioner's authority but to suspend disbelief in it. (Schon, 1991). What should be changed to improve interventions is to invest in multi-working as partnerships provide more such as funding for the young person's provision. Trust is a choice based upon dialogue and information.

To earn the trust, the practitioners must take a stand for where they are from and what they believe, value and seek to achieve. The trust between the practitioner and the service users is building a trusting relationship with them (Smith, 2008). For example, Gemma has built a trusting relationship and when I am on duty she seeks the position of trust or share her concerns about the pregnancy. She believes that being heard is indicated a positive response acceding to Thomas (2005) acknowledges to engage effectively indicates positive outcomes than being not heard. Supporting one to one interaction with a service user aims to encourage them to broaden their minds and opportunities to move forward. The young person is not expected to accept the practitioner's authority but to suspend disbelief in it (Schon, 1991).What should be changed to improve interventions is to invest in multi-working partnerships, and provide more resources such as funding for the young person's provision.

What I have learned about this case was listening and explaining the options to the Gemma, and she listened. I used active listening like nodding and acknowledging that I had heard, leaving space for her to think and finish. I did not offer advice about what to do about the pregnancy. I asked her how she felt, and she said she had pain. I did not conclude what this was, but said that I would check her every hour to see how she was. However, if the pain had increased I would go for medical help.

I further train need in this situation is to learn more about working with young people who are hard to engage because this young person is very popular and wants people to draw to her when she is in a group situation. While in a group, she may dominate the group and sometimes lead the group in a manipulative way. She likes to control the group to find out what is happening and then tells staff. However, if she is on her own in a one-to-one setting, this young woman becomes unusually quiet and can be withdrawn to most members of staff and help me learn more about engaging people (Egan, 2002).

Reflective Account

Working in partnership with other agencies/managing/working in teams

This reflection account aims to discuss and describe my learning and professional development in relation to working in partnership with other agencies, managing, and working in teams.

At SVP Ozanam House, the service users are referred from Housing Aid. On arrival, the service provides initial needs assessment that covers several areas: physical and emotional well-being and any medication or health concerns. Each service user is given a key worker who expects to attend a key session weekly. The primary aim of this measure is to prepare service users for independent living and to be a signpost for specialist help, for example, counselling, mental health or education.

The example I am using here will show how operating with other agencies is working in my practice placement. I am speaking specifically of agencies such as Nottingham Community, Housing Aid, social services, Connections, NHS Services , Probation Services, and Counselling Services.

Developing a partnership with different agencies occasionally seems to increase conflict due to the pressure and constraints of political change and new policies. As a result, setting new joint targets needs to be encouraged. However, working across agencies requires a clear plan to help those in need. In good operating procedure in reflective practice should involve gathering accurate information to make a difference and change someone's life.The key message to this is that the laws are a legal tool to enable and work positively for young people in trouble. This is to offer them a choice to rebuild themselves and gain enough personal development to move forward. It is the main tool that shows an insight around the practitioner and the young person that they work with. In order to help, they reflect more on the practice and develop the best needs for the young people. There is also some wisdom needed; service users get support to help them with form filling whilst recognizing the need to empower service users to do things for themselves.

My role as a support worker is to put support around the young person needs, such as a college courses, training, or employment, and ensure the young person can identify his or her choices. Finally, they give transitional skills and support to move on to finding housing. This includes completing application forms for housing and practical help with tenancy forms. There is support with things such as community care grants, setting up utility bills, and benefits. I have addressed the tenancy agreement to new service users when moving into the project. Identifying the risk factors for the young person involves the planning intervention and assessments. Building upon the positive aspects of a young person’s life may help them to improve resilience in the face of the negative risk factors. Fairness and equal opportunities mean that all parties can discuss targets set in the agreement. Data-protection of personal documents and confidentiality must be upheld to respect safeguarding standards.

On my nightly support of duty I was I introduced to a new service user into the project. Ruby who is 17 years old was referred from the housing aid agency . I used the NAOMIE framework to identify the needs of the young people (Ingram et al, 2001). For example, tenancy agreement, risk assessment and safeguarding policy agreements. Ruby is new I sense that she did not engage well enough with me. So I decided to give some time, step back and make another arrangement so she could settle in at the project.

What I have learned is about the boundary behaviour of everyone involved in youth work must be followed to deliver services is followed and youth services or build on a trust between the workers or younger people (Wood and Hine, 2009). Using Egan’s (1998) 3 stage model for helping and problem solving helps the young person to focus on trust. The aims are building trust with the service users, acceptance, encouragement and motivation. And if you cannot manage to build a trusting relationship with the service using you are not be able to motivate to them at all. This helps with introducing empowerment, and ownership can be defined as enabling service users to take action to improve their lives.

Conclusion

In relation to the label of professional, it depends on the training, values, and personal experiences. Being a practitioner is about thinking on one's feet, it's about engaging, planning and organizing. Seeing the results is an ongoing journey for me as there are no right or wrong answers. It is also about empowering and enabling young people to learn by reflecting on their own experiences. So I am still learning new interventions and applying to it. Using theory is a guiding tool for me to safeguard myself, young person or group to build up a relationship and trust.

Practitioners can make the most of any opportunity to empower and enable young people to build on what they have learnt about life, not simply taking on board what someone else has learnt. By the help and support in developing a partnership with different agencies are working under pressure with cuts, resources and the building has increased conflict due to the pressure and constraints of political change and new policies is moving on. This will continue to allow me to obtain a clearer picture of my behaviour and a better understanding of my strengths and weakness, so I can learn from mistakes and take appropriate future action. As my role as a practitioner supports the need to empower service users to do things for themselves using different interventions are implementing around in young people's lives to get results.