Aims

1. Transition Project – Shadowing PilotMarie Curie & adult hospice workers shadowing Ty Hafan & Children’s Services workers Aims The shadowing pilot was carried out to help workers from Adult Hospices (Marie Curie and George Thomas) to learn about working with young people with life limiting illnesses so that they could: experience a range of local agencies who can act together to create a positive transition, the multiple issues and opportunities facing this group of young people and their families explore broad concepts of wellbeing for young people and families, social issues and issues of freedom/ independence as well as care needs experience individual journeys of young people in terms of both their condition and their growing up process engage with complexities of transition for families in terms of services, funding and support explore how far they can bring/encourage more flexibility and responsiveness into their own service in relation to young people develop confidence and competence in caring for young adults with complex disabilities reflect on how they can take an enabling approach that builds on what young people can do and on their aspirations for a ‘normal life’ Feedback on the shadowing process After Initial feelings of not really knowing what to expect and what the purpose of the shadowing was, people carried out shadowing and attended reflection sessions 11 out of 12 shadowed - most the planned 2 sessions. Participants were positive about the approach and the learning gained. Small groups for reflection really helped people speak. Participants fed back valuable learning through the shadowing The process 10 participants took part in the shadowing process, consisting of: A half day briefing session for shadowers to engage with shadowing process and think about their learning Learning support materials to help participants prepare for shadowing Shadowing placement 1 Learning support materials 1 Facilitated reflection session 1 to surface learning and questions from shadowing Shadowing placement 2 Facilitated reflection session 2 Learning support materials 2 Overall learning and review day – shadowers and shadowees to review the process and learning. 9 people attended the 3 reflection sessions and 8 the overall learning and review day. Messages for the future At the review day, 8 shadowers and shadowees discussed ways forward and identified a number of ideas and questions: Wanted to develop and maintain contact Two way events For young people’s staff to shadow adult’s workers To ensure clear communication about shadowing and developments Shared teaching sessions Continuing open days Developing meaningful tools and systems Exploring emotional investment and rituals. • Reflections • A shared feeling from shadowing was of not having had much idea of what transition would involve and then being overwhelmed with the size of the task they would take on in integrating young people into Holm Tower. • A feeling of ‘Ignorance is bliss and the feeling of teetering over the edge’ from before shadowing to finding out some more about what this entailed and a view that there might be ‘faceless thousands of potential service users and lots to be sorted out’. • Though people expressed feelings of anxiety and uncertainty, there was also some feeling it would be ‘calm and easy but don’t know how it would work’. Also that it was an area people hadn’t really thought about ‘Thinking, didn’t want to have to think about this, but there is a glimmer of light’. • The experience of shadowing made people realise there was a ‘long way to go’ but this had ‘opened things out’. • Key differences between the two units were seen in Resources, Culture, Mourning practices, Complexity of cases and Funding. • Learning from shadowing • How much more time, staff and resources were available to the young people’s service • The differences in the depth of care offered by them • The different rituals and styles of working between the two services • The complexity of young people’s needs • The need for resources and equipment • The need for effective processes • Differences between people at the start of their life and towards their later years • Young people and sex In reflection sessions Participants: • Looked at what they were thinking and feeling • Evaluated what was good and bad about the experience • Thought about what sense they made of the situation • And what they would do in that situation Abyd Quinn Aziz, University of Cardiff