At work:
- Social care engagement project: an event or meeting nearly every day this week, collecting more stories. The project is nearly complete, just one more event in a few weeks, and in the meantime I’ll make progress on collating the report. I’ve rediscovered how much I love driving, and the space that you get going to and coming back from a meeting – time to think ahead and time to reflect – which we have lost somewhat with online meetings since Covid. I have plenty of reflections to write up, not just on the content I have gathered but on the approach and methodology, it should make a good little engagement “recipe kit”.
- Picked up a new project developing resources for the Co-production Network for Wales – it’s already under way and I’m adding capacity due to some staff movements. Been doing the handover this week and getting my head round where everything is at.
- A co-production proposal I wrote about a month ago has been approved and we got the contract! Always satisfying. It’s going to be an interesting project but on very tight timescales. The kick-off meeting is early next week.
Deliverables this week:
- Completed the final session of mentoring with local health board senior leaders; I’ve been working with 3 people over the last 6 months. One of them was a senior nurse and in her last session with me, she ran through a presentation I helped her with – she was about to deliver it to directors and board members to showcase the transformation and improvement project she worked on with her team regarding dementia assessments, and I AM SO PROUD OF HER. The journey travelled from our first chat to how spot on and polished her presentation was… oh! It made me so glad. She was just shining with confidence. What a star.
Also got very lovely feedback from the other two, a win across the board! I’m going to miss them all but I’m so happy they have got lots out of it and are doing well.
“The sessions have been highly valuable and have had such a positive impact in supporting me to reflect and positively challenge the work we are enabling and embedding within the health board and wider partners. During my sessions I have felt listened to, empowered and enabled to take positive action moving forward – which has supported me in making significant progress in the work that I am supporting as part of my strategic role. As well as sessions leaving me feel inspired, motivated and valued. I want to say a huge thank you for the opportunity as these sessions have been highly valuable and I would absolutely recommend anyone to complete if there are future opportunities.”
“It’s been very cathartic. It’s been very good to talk and hear myself think outside of my team’s supervision sessions, and managers who are in the thick of it – like me and with me. Having that space and time with an outside person – you’ve asked questions and helped me reflect. It’s definitely reduced my stress levels in these times of change. Every practitioner should have access to this, it’s made such a difference. And it’s been very timely.”
“Just saying things out loud is helpful! You hear yourself mention things and you think, what am I doing about it.”
“That session was really, really valuable, having the space to stop. There’s so much happening! I’m thankful for these sessions. It allows just this focusing on what are we doing, where are we with it – and the reflection time, and reassurance through talking to an expert.”
“Thank you for your time, and for being open to shaping the agenda as needed. You remembered what I said the previous time and you asked the right questions. It’s really reduced my stress! And as well as helping me with my stress it’s helped me with my service development. Thank you also for your humanity.”
Development this week:
- Put in a new proposal for some research and engagement work, now waiting to hear back.
- Been approached to facilitate 2 days of team strategising and thinking in early December. Looking forward to hearing more details about what we will need to cover.
- Pulling together some notes about mentoring sessions for the Co-production Lab Wales. This is something we could offer more of, both as part of consultancy projects and as a standalone, but we need to find the right words to talk about it, so doing some thinking about that.
- Made some progress on building the website for the New Idea, which has been neglected for a while. It’s not there yet but it’s one step closer!
- Ooo also I’m going to be on a podcast! Details to follow.
At home:
- Did a dawn swim on Thursday, as high tide time coincided with sun rise time. It was beautiful. It’s starting to get chillier now, but it’s still an invigorating and life-affirming experience.
- The weekend was very sociable and I saw many lovely people and had a lot of much needed downtime. A good balance of solitude and people-itude.
