Guide for facilitators

Time: Depending on the size of the group and their enthusiasm, you could allow between 20–40 minutes for this activity (excluding reflection time).

This activity can be done as a personal reflection, using the table provided in the Reflection Log. Learners could then bring it back to the group for discussion. Alternatively, learners’ thoughts could be represented visually and this could be done, after the reflection, as part of a group.

One idea is to create a mood or vision board. This can be a fun and creative way for learners to get insight into their thinking. Encourage them to flick through the magazines until they see images or words that catch their attention. They can cut or tear that page out, gathering pictures and words that summarise their thoughts. Sometimes a creative activity can release thoughts or ideas that people find difficult to put into words.

Before the session, you will need to gather (or ask learners to bring) a range of catalogues, magazines and newspapers, some scissors, glue, coloured paper, maybe even some glitter!

Time: 20–30 minutes, depending on the methods used.

Having looked at the carers’ timelines in the course, it may be interesting for learners to draw their own timeline. They should reflect on this before the group activity.

What they add to their timeline is up to them – they can focus on just their career, or they can incorporate their childhood and family life if they choose, their whole lives or a specific period. It may be that some learners will identify that they have a caring role themselves and will want to explore this. It’s entirely up to them what they choose to represent.

The timeline can be done is a number of ways. You can work as a group or allow learners to choose the method they prefer:

• Using a pen and paper, position positive experiences higher than negative ones to create a simple timeline (there is a template in the Reflection Log).
• On a computer, using Microsoft Word or a similar programme, the timeline can be represented as a diagram.
• Another option is to use bubbl.us, which is free online software, to create images.
• Think of creative ways to visualise the timelines, getting as artistic as you want. Some learners have produced timelines using Celtic strapwork, with the low points going under the high points to create a pattern

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Figure 8

If learners are working online, remind them to save and/or print out their timelines as they will be referring to them in other activities.

Before the session: If you are working offline, you will need paper, pens of different colours, and templates if you are using them. If working online make sure there is access to a printer.

Time: 10–15 minutes

Figure 9 Lesley

This is can be a reflection or a discussion activity. Having listened to Lesley talk about what she has learned from her caring experience, learners can discuss the following:

• Was some of Lesley’s learning unexpected?
• Did she learn from difficult times as well as good ones?
• Did Lesley learn things while caring that will be useful in studying and employment?

You can prompt the discussion, picking up on some key words from Lesley’s story, such as: resilient, managing her time, budgeting, managing stress, capable of learning, coping with difficult situations, communication skills.

Time: 10–15 minutes

This is an optional activity. Having looked at carers’ life experiences, learners may find it interesting to try this activity for themselves, revisiting their timeline and thinking about what skills and qualities they have learned from their experiences.

They can add their learning points to their timeline using a different colour. Remind them to save their timeline if doing this activity online.

Learners may prefer to do this activity alone, but you can invite them to share and discuss their learning points with the group if they feel comfortable doing this.

Time: 10–15 minutes for each activity

Having reflected, encourage learners to share their thoughts with the group, or you can use the reflection questions to facilitate discussions of about 15 minutes each.

Time: 10–15 minutes

This activity could be carried out either as a discussion or as a group activity.

Using the resource The SCQF: A Guide for Employers, which maps skills to qualifications, you can encourage the group to identify the skills, qualities and attributes of carers and link them with those they would recognise in their own workforce.

Time: 10–15 minutes

Can be carried out either as a discussion or as a group activity.

Figure 11 Naomi (Library image)

Using the list of skills, qualities and attributes that a social worker would need, learners can reflect on or discuss how Naomi’s caring experience might help prepare her for a career in social work.

Time: 30 minutes

If you are delivering this course to learners from the same organisation or sector, this activity can be carried out in pairs or small groups. If each learner has a different background, it might be easier for them to do the activity on their own and discuss their thoughts with the group afterwards.

Bearing in mind what they have learned about the carers’ and their experiences in a caring role, encourage the learners to consider what carers may bring to their organisation(s).

Each learner or small group should identify a person specification for a job in their organisation. Exploring the information in the person specification, they should respond to the following questions:

1. What knowledge, skills, qualities and attributes are required in the person specification?
2. What might someone with experience of caring bring to the role?
3. What kinds of question could an interview panel ask to identify some of these things during recruitment?

A table is provided in the Reflection Log that learners can complete individually or in small groups.

Time: 10–15 minutes

This is a reflection activity that can also be done as a group discussion.

Thinking of the carers you have met during the course, or carers that you know or support at work, think about some of the factors that may help or hinder them.

You can prompt the discussion with some of the factors listed in Session 4.

Time: 10–15 minutes

This would work well as a group activity. Having explored the different supports available to carers, break into small groups of 3–5 and provide each group with flip-chart paper and pens in different colours.

Each group should draw a ‘spider diagram’ with the carer in the centre.

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Figure 12

Using one colour, learners should draw a ‘leg’ for each of the supports available for carers in their workplace that they are aware of.

Using another colour, they can add ‘legs’ to represent other sources of support they have explored in the session, such as family networks, carer centres, community organisations or statutory services.

Considering the example of the Scottish Court Service in Session 3, and any other ideas the group may come up with, they can use another colour to add support that their organisation could possibly provide for carers in the future.

Before drawing the spider diagram, you can give them some points to consider:

1. What skills and qualities should a supportive line manager have (such as tact, sensitivity, empathy, ability to build mutual trust and respect, communication skills, fairness, reflective)?
2. What factors might you need to consider when supporting a carer in your workforce (such as impact on rest of the team, workload, staff awareness, supportive culture, policies)?

Remind learners that they should respect the privacy of carers they manage and not share identifiable information with the rest of the group.

Time: 30 minutes

This is another activity that can be done as a group if the learners all come from the same organisation. Otherwise, it may be best done individually or in small groups of learners from the same organisation. Learners can then share their ideas for action with the group.

There is a template for an action plan in the Reflection Log. This is based on the criteria for creating a Carer Positive workplace under the following headings:

1. Identification of carers
2. Policy
3. Workplace support
4. Communication, awareness raising and training
5. Peer support

This is a useful exercise for learners to identify steps they will take to put what they have learned on the course into practice, even if their organisation does not intend to apply for the Carer Positive status.

Time: 30 minutes

This is an activity for learners to reflect on their own practice, and how well they demonstrate the Core Principles for Working with Carers and Young Carers. This can also be carried out as a group activity, using the image of the Core Principles to stimulate discussion.

Before the activity, print out or draw a large image of the Core Principles hexagon below. If you click on the link to the larger image, then right click on that image you will be able to save it to your desktop and print it out.

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Figure 13

You will also need:

• a copy of Level 3 of the Core Principles framework
• some post-it notes
• coloured pens.

It would be useful for you to familiarise yourself with the Core Principles, which are intended to provide a framework to support workforce learning and practice with carers (read more about the Core Principles).

Encourage the group to reflect on some of the knowledge, skills and qualities that they use in their roles as employers and managers. You can use the knowledge and skills outlined in Level 3 of the Core Principles framework to prompt discussion, such as:

• Promoting carer awareness training for all staff
• Supporting carers in your workforce to manage their caring role
• Working with carers to identify how your organisation can support them to have time out from caring
• Ensuring that carers are free from disadvantage or discrimination related to their caring role
• Evaluating how well you involve carers and addressing any barriers
• Demonstrating the Core Principles in your own practice.

After the discussion, learners write on the post-it notes the skills and knowledge they use in the workplace. Using the large image of the Core Principles, they can attach the post-its to the relevant principle. This will create a visual representation of the extent to which they demonstrate the Core Principles in their practice.