In a groundbreaking initiative, Moorview Care has ushered in a new era of co-production and empowerment with the launch of the Moorview Mentors group. Established in August 2023, Moorview Mentors was born! This innovative program is spearheaded by individuals supported by Moorview Care, aiming to shape and enhance our organisation's training and workshops.
Those at Moorview Matters - our client-led inclusion group, thought it would be beneficial for the team, clients and the wider organisation if they were able to have a greater involvement of Moorview Care's training initiatives and workshops. Then, following discussions within the Learning & Development team (L&D), under the guidance of the Head of L&D, Moorview Mentors held their very first meeting. The inaugural meeting marked a significant step towards fostering a positive learning experience for all involved.
Moorview Mentors is our co-production and training group led by the people we support.
Will: In preparation for our first meeting, the L&D team met to plan the session which included icebreakers and activities. We were nervous as supporting the brand new Moorview Mentors group was something very new to our trainers and we very much wanted the people we support to have a positive experience of what L&D is all about and how they could help guide and shape the learning of our future.
"We were very aware of wanting to set a standard that the people we support would both enjoy and approve of." - Will, Learning & Development Officer
During the first, highly anticipated Moorview Mentors meeting, the L&D team greeted the Mentors and explained the agenda for the day. Icebreakers were used to get to know each other and they all discussed the purpose of Moorview Mentors. Why was the group set up? What did they want to achieve? Subsequent meetings delved into various aspects of training and co-production, with Mentors actively contributing to role descriptors and content creation.
Will: The people we support discussed at length what they wanted to get from Moorview Mentors and they set ground rules. We then discussed areas that our Mentors felt we needed to explore and which topics they wished to focus on improving within Moorview Care. The Mentors decided they wished to first focus on how we represent our Values and Dignity in support.
At each meeting, Will, the rest of the Learning & Development team and the Mentors have explored many different aspects of training and co-production. The Mentors have set role descriptors and they identified areas they wish to support as Mentors.
The Mentors have discussed and agreed on how they would prefer the information, and their views on Moorview Care's training and how it is to be presented. They have helped to shape the training done at Moorview Care and will continue to do so effectively and purposefully. A great aspect of the training that the Moorview Mentor's group has helped to shape, with the support of Robyn, our Head of Communications, was videos which have been embedded into the current training. Feedback on these videos has been overwhelmingly positive. They have been very well received by new team members joining Moorview Care during their pathway training and it's just one of the things which our Mentors should be extremely proud of.
Move over L&D team, Dale has arrived!
Will: In April of this year, we held our pathway for new team members. We were joined by Dale, who is supported by Moorview Care in Scarborough and as well as being a key member of Moorview Mentors, it also an active member of Moorview Matters. Dale joined us in the training room for the first time to co-present our welcome to Moorview Care and Dignity In Care topics.
We worked with Dale on what areas he wished to present and take part in beforehand and he could not have handled the pressure of presenting and the new experience any better. Dale was supported to talk about Moorview Matters and Mentors and he spoke about why respect is so important as one of our values.
Later in the day, he led a discussion and activity around our values and how these can be implemented when supporting our people.
"Although Dale was very shy and nervous at first, as the session went on, he became more comfortable with our new team members. It was amazing to see his confidence grow and to watch him engage with new members of our team whom we had never even met before." - Will, Learning & Development Officer
Will: New team members who were fortunate enough to attend Dale's pathway have given positive feedback and comments on how much more impactful it has been to hear directly from our people and how much they have learnt from their experience of meeting, listening and engaging with the fabulous Dale during their training sessions.
For me, it has been a privilege to support Dale during our pathway and I'm immensely proud to have watched his confidence grow throughout the week. He even joined me for additional days and presented why a person-centred approach to medication support is important to him and took part in group activities during moving & handling.
He has brought enthusiasm and greater context to the training sessions and I believe for the team members who have listened and engaged with him throughout their pathway, he has left a lasting impression on what it truly means to support our people.
Some of Moorview Mentors achievements over the past 8 months:
Mentors have identified areas they wish to improve
They have worked on producing training videos, images and content for our pathway training materials
Moorview Mentors have build their confidence when talking in front of others and when sharing their personal views
They have been advocating for changes they wish to see within the language and approach of team members
Mentors have co-produced training, led group activities, discussed topics and worked closely with learners to understand the impact of poor-quality care
Dale has been supported to attend a pathway and share his thoughts directly with new team members whilst taking part in activities and being able to foster new working relationships while building his confidence and self-esteem
What have Will and the L&D team learnt?
We have learnt a lot about how we can adapt styles of learning, and build on strengths
We have learnt to focus on breaking down topics and identifying what the important message our people want to be heard is
Through smaller group activities, we have been able to support our people in building their confidence, advocating for themselves and sharing their experiences.
We have learnt that co-production and co-presentation are impactful and important in fostering teamwork and respect between our teams and those we support, while also being a tool to build confidence and self-esteem. Overall, the program has surpassed expectations. Furthermore, it has highlighted the importance of adaptive learning styles and the transformative power of co-production in nurturing teamwork and mutual respect.
As Moorview Care continues to champion inclusivity and collaboration, the Moorview Mentors initiative stands as a testament to our commitment to empowering individuals and enriching learning experiences for all.
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