What are reflective practice groups?
Reflective practice groups provide a confidential, safe and non-judgemental space for workers to discuss frontline patient work as well as issues impacting on their working practice and wellbeing, alongside developing their skills and techniques.
As we know, frontline roles can be interesting a rewarding, but they can also often involve stress, challenges and can sometimes lead to burnout and compassion fatigue. These groups allow members to reflect on patient issues and workplace challenges, as well as benefitting from the support, skills and perspectives of their peers. These groups aim to help staff process and move on from work related issues and difficulties. These groups aim to cultivate a sense of support, kindness and encouragement.
What happens in a group session?
Groups will be online and will run monthly for 6 months at the same time on the same day of the week. Each online group session will start promptly and last for approximately 90 minutes.
Groups will be facilitated by the supervisor and will follow a reflective practice/learning cycle structure which will involve two people each month bringing a prepared case or challenge which the group will go on to discuss together, with the aim of supporting and helping the ‘presenter’ enhance their practice, resolve issues, deepen their understanding and develop new insights.
Every group will be ‘closed’ in that there will be set members of each group who will attend every month, rather than a drop-in style. Having a closed, set group encourages the development of a sense trust and psychological safety for all members.
What do group members need to do?
Groups members will prepare for the monthly sessions in advance by reflecting on their client/patient work, workplace dynamics and relationships, wellbeing needs or any other support needs, with a view to sharing the issue or case within the group (we can follow an agreed rota to give everyone the opportunity to share over the course of 6 months).
As well as preparing cases or issues to bring, for the group to run well members will all need to:
• Have the intention of joining each session
• Be set up and ready to start on time
• Join the session from a private room where they won’t be disturbed and they are on their own
• Have a working camera and microphone for the duration of the group
The facilitator and supervisor
The role of the group facilitator and supervisor is to provide useful feedback, help with problem solving and self-care and more generally provide a supportive, listening ear.
The supervision space is private; the content of sessions is not shared with managers or other staff. The exception to this is where disclosures are made that indicate a risk to clients/patients or others or unacceptable practice that presents a legal or reputational risk to the organisation, and/or presents as a safeguarding issue.
As this is a pilot, brief information will be fed back to the management, however this will be limited to attendance numbers, engagement and broad themes and will be anonymised so that no individual is identified.
Your supervisor/facilitator – Alice Everett
I am a counselor/psychotherapist working in private practice, alongside offering clinical supervision to social prescribers working across several PCN’s in East and North East London.
I have worked for over 20 year in a variety of NHS services and voluntary sector organisations in a number of different roles, all focusing on supporting patients/people to make positive and sustainable changes. In the past I have myself worked as a link worker in two different London teams so know first hand some of the challenges that come with working in primary care and the community with patients experiencing physical and mental health challenges, as well as social issues.
