The Guiding Principles of Delivery - The Dulwich Centre

A narrative approach to building resilience

The Guiding Principles

for Delivery

The Guiding Principles for Delivery

2

Preparation

Targeting

Experience of sport

Group size

The role of competition

Workshop space

Use of PowerPoint

Sporting equipment

Evaluation of outcomes

Delivery

Programme structure

Programme duration

About PasSports

Session structure

Warm-up

Activities

Cool down

Team tactics

Home-goals

Facilitation style

Behaviour and time management issues

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4

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5

6

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12

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Contents


3

PreparationIn advance of delivering the Team of Life programme, there are a number of important features that you will need to have considered.

TargetingYoung people at risk of, or already, showing social and emotional difficulties may benefit most from programmes aimed at fostering resilience. For example the UK Resilience Programme (Challen, Noden, West & Machin, 2011) found the intervention showed greatest impact for pupils who were entitled to free school meals; who had not attained the national targets in English or maths at Key Stage 2; or who had worse initial symptoms of depression or anxiety. However, this impact was shown when at risk pupils participated in ‘universal’ or mixed groups. When schools opted to deliver the UK Resilience Programme to groups consisting entirely of targeted pupils, staff reported that the groups were generally problematic and viewed as less successful. The authors noted the tendency for young people with behavioural problems to be selected when targeting interventions in schools, which may lead to more challenging groups. In addition, at risk pupils may benefit from interactions with more resilient pupils. Facilitators may therefore wish to give some thought to the configuration of targeted groups to ensure there is some mix in terms of levels of functioning.

A further disadvantage of targeted programmes is that they can attract stigma, especially when delivered within universal settings. Universal settings like schools may wish to give some thought to how they ‘pitch’ the programme both to young people and their families who may be wary of being singled out for intervention.

Experience of sportThe Team of Life was originally inspired by the wish to engage young people who love sport to use their knowledge of sport to find empowering ways of living their lives. However, young people who are less keen on sport still have knowledge of sporting metaphors and are able to enjoy running with these ideas. Indeed, it is possible that participation may encourage some young people who have been turned off from sport to change the story of sport in their lives. Facilitators need to be mindful of this issue when selecting group members and when setting up the group, to ensure they are being inclusive and allowing those who have negative perceptions and experiences of sport to have space to express such views.

It is also important to convey that sporting ability is not a requirement. This goes for facilitators as well as young people, in fact, expressions and even demonstrations of their own physical limitations by facilitators go a long way towards putting those with less confidence in their physicality at ease!


4

Group sizeThis manual is written with groups of 6-12 participants in mind. For groups of this size, splitting the main group into two smaller groups (described as ‘home-teams’ throughout the resource) is recommended for some of the activities, to enable young people to interact more easily, share ideas and work collaboratively. The availability of two facilitators (or a group leader and an assistant) is preferable when the group is being split up in this way, so the two home teams are adequately supported. Alternatively peer mentors may be able to offer support.

With smaller groups (less than 8), facilitators may work more with the group as a whole rather than home-teams and facilitators may feel that they do not require the support of an assistant or co-facilitator.

It is possible to deliver the approach with larger groups (i.e., more than 12) by splitting the group into 3 or 4 home-teams. Facilitators will require more support for this to work and it will inevitably impact upon the level of engagement and timescales for delivery.

We recommend that you consider how you will divide the participants between the home-teams, drawing up a list of names in advance of running the programme. This helps ensure you have had time to consider potential group dynamics, a balance of abilities and aptitudes between teams and that group members are in a position to engage with all of the activities from the start.

The role of competitionThough the Team of Life is an inclusive approach, an element of competition may be evoked between home-teams, helping to increase engagement and involvement in the activities. Whilst many participants enjoy the playful rivalry, it is important from the outset that facilitators are mindful that this element remains in the spirit of fun.

If a degree of competitiveness between individuals or home-teams emerges, which begins to feel like a negative force, facilitators can use their judgement and adapt the structure to reduce competition (e.g. work less in home-teams and instead work more as a whole group or work in smaller groups of two or three). You might also choose to use the debriefing component (described as ‘team tactics’ throughout the resource) as a way of exploring possible tensions as potential learning opportunities. If significant issues develop between individuals these are probably best dealt with in private afterwards.


5

Workshop spaceThe possibility for movement around the room at times is important both for enabling group members to ‘loosen up’ and interact more easily and for some of the experiential elements of the approach to take place. However, these activities can be delivered in any room with chairs and tables organised to provide a space to move around, such as a classroom or group community space.

An informal semi-circle arrangement which the group comes back to for whole group activities with space in front to move around works well. Separate work zones for participants to move to for smaller group work and to develop supporting documents is ideal.

For groups who are more comfortable with physical activities and struggle with more reflective activities, it may be helpful to bring the whole programme into a sporting setting. Interspersing the reflective activities with sports can work well for certain groups. Brief periods of reflection while having a drink break on the floor of an astroturf pitch may be the most effective way of working for some groups of young people. You may even wish to consider delivering the Team of Life outdoors, which can provide great opportunities for demonstrating ‘goal scoring’ and ‘tackling skills’.

Facilitators will also need to think about requirements and adaptations for the less able bodied, ensuring they are inclusive. The Paralympics are certainly a great potential source of inspiration for young people and could offer many exciting alternative ways of demonstrating ‘goal maps’, which are the way we facilitate participants to tell the story of achievements in the Team of Life (see session 5 for activity specific details).

Home-team/Breakout tables

Warm-up/Whole group

space


6

Use of PowerPoint Another factor in your choice of workshop space will be the availability/use of presentation/multimedia equipment. Each of the 10 session plans are supported by their own PowerPoint. The presentations help structure delivery and are designed to appeal to young people. As well as slides, the PowerPoints also contain some video and audio components that help bring the approach to life.

Whilst these presentations will add an engaging visual element, the programme can be delivered effectively without PowerPoint support. If you choose not to use the PowerPoints, additional guidance and resources are provided within the session plans to support delivery.

Whether you do or do not choose to use the PowerPoints, we recommend that you take time to work through all the presentations as you familiarise yourself with the session plans. To help you get started with the PowerPoints, please begin by viewing the ‘PowerPoint Overview’ PowerPoint which guides you through the conventions used within the presentation materials.

Sporting equipmentTo help strengthen the link between the Team of Life programme and sport, each of the 10 sessions make use of a different warm-up activity. Intended as ‘ice-breakers’, these warm-up activities are described in their respective session plans and help introduce the session’s theme.

If you do not have access to these items or the workshop space that you have available is not suitable, a simple warm-up including stretching and basic movement will suffice.

The use of a real ball is preferable for ‘goal map’ demonstrations, which are a key feature during the second half of the programme (session 5 on). During ‘goal map’ activities the ball is used symbolically with little risk for breakage or injury. If you are concerned that participating group members could get carried away, a foam ball could be used or alternatively participants can simply mime kicking a ball, though some of the pleasure of goal scoring would inevitably be lost!

Item Number

Footballs/Large soft balls 1 Home Team

Soft balls/bean bags 1+ per participant

Tag belts/sport bibs/scarves 1 per participant

Balloons 1+ per participant

Some of these warm- ups require basic equipment. The table opposite provides an overview of the additional items used throughout the programme.


7

Evaluation of outcomesBefore you run your own Team of Life programme it is recommended that you use the evaluation sheets provided. The Team of Life self-evaluation sheets are reflective tools which aim to help the young person to reflect upon their life and what they would like to be different.

The Starting Whistle sheet is given to participants before taking part, to orientate them to the Team of Life and support them to think about change. The questions ask participants to think about how they ‘position’ themselves in their life, inviting them to consider whether they want to change the way they are currently approaching their lives. From a narrative therapy perspective, the aim is to help young people to begin a process of ‘re-positioning’ or ‘re-storying’ their lives. The tone is lighthearted and fun, in keeping with the Team of Life approach.

The Final Whistle sheet is completed as part of the final session and supports participants to reflect on what has changed for them and what enabled this to happen.

Aims, objectives and expected outcomes from the Team of Life, as well as potential applications of the approach within different settings, are discussed within The Framework.

Session by session aims and outcomes are shown on the front ‘at a glance’ pages in each session plan.

Depending upon the requirements of settings, facilitators may opt to collect additional impact and outcome data to supplement the Team of Life self-evaluation sheets. There are a wide range of measures available. ‘Goal Based Outcomes’ (see CORC, 2011) is one useful service user-rated measure, which invites young people to identify goals for change and rate how they see themselves in relation to these goals on a scale of 0-10.

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1. If you imagine that you are a

football team, how well is your

team doing in the ‘league of your

life’ right now? Tick your choice.

2. How would you know you

were moving up in the league of

your life? What differences

would you see, hear or feel?

3. How are you approaching your

life right now? What position or

role do you play in your life?

Outline the circle alongside your

choice.

4. How happy are you with the

way you are approaching your

life? Add a number 0 - 10 to your

circle. 0 = unhappy 10 = very happy

5. What is your goal for taking part in the

Team of Life? Is there anything you would like

to change or achieve from taking part?

Top of the league

Jossling for 3rd or 4th place

In the middle of the league

Slipping down the table

In the relegation zone

I am ...

...of my life

the manager

on the sidelinesa team playerthe goal scorer

My goal is...

in the

net

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1. How well is your team doing in

the ‘league of your life’ right now? Tick your choice.2. Have you moved up in the

league of your life? How do you know? What differences do you now see, hear or feel?

5. What score would you give Team of Life?

Add a number 0 - 10 to the shield. 0 = poor

10 = excellent

4. The tactics I have learnt to help me achieve

my goals are...

Top of the league Jossling for 3rd or 4th placeIn the middle of the leagueSlipping down the tableIn the relegation zone

in th

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f a r a w a y

Name

final

whistle

making friends

increasing skills

working in a team

helping others

learning how to plan and organise

3. What has the Team of Life meant for

you? Circle your top 3 choices or add

your own.Team of Life was about. . .increasing confidence

improving behaviour

learning to ask for help managing feelings

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DeliveryProgramme structure

Getting in the Zone - Working together in teamsSporting Heroes - What can they teach us?Our Team - What do we stand for as a team?My Team - Who’s on your team?Goal Maps - Demonstrating team goalsCelebrating Goals - How do we celebrate our achievement?Tackling Problems - Sharing know-how and tackling skillsAvoiding Obstacles - Responding to setbacks Coaching Champions - Developing skills and helping othersFinal Whistle - Strengthening and training for the future

Session 1Session 2Session 3Session 4Session 5Session 6Session 7Session 8Session 9

Session 10

Programme durationThis Team of Life manualised programme consists of 10 x one hour group sessions. Delivery can be adapted according to the requirements of the setting e.g. 10 x weekly sessions over the course of a term, 5 x 2 hour sessions or more intensively over half or full days. For new groups, where the participants have not met one another it may be beneficial to meet in advance for a welcome and orientation session to enable participants to settle into the group before the programme begins. This is especially helpful when participants are also new to the setting.

There are likely to be advantages and disadvantages to different modes of delivery. Fortnightly may be too infrequent to allow for consolidation of learning and for group rapport to be retained. Weekly delivery allows for more regular practise of the mindfulness component, making it more likely that this skill will be assimilated and practised. It also allows for group members to get to know one another over time and where opportunities arise, group members may choose to socialise in between sessions leading to additional benefits in terms of social support. More intensive delivery may have benefits in terms of group cohesion and levels of involvement. Intensive delivery could also take the form of away days which could be used to engage harder to reach groups, for example, if combined with sporting activities. Note that if the programme is being delivered more intensively, facilitators may wish to adjust the frequency of some of the repeated activities e.g. the physical warm-up and the Zone-In practice.

Facilitators may also wish to integrate the programme with broader service related aims and objectives. Please see the case studies, described within the framework document, which illustrates possible extensions in terms of combining the programme with sporting activities and involving families or peer mentors.


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About PasSportsThe term PasSport refers to the store of completed resources, notes and documentation that a participant collects during their time with the Team of Life programme. Though PasSports are core to the learning record, they are never assessed or marked. Instead, this growing collection of tools, tips and team cards is seen as an ongoing kitbag for the individual, which they can both add to and draw upon in the years ahead.

PasSport tipsEach participant will have his or her own PasSport.

PasSports are typically stored in a two-hole A4 ring binder. These should be prepared in advance of the first session by adding the Team of Life cover sheet.

We advise you make a suitable hole punch available.

To ensure that the punched paper is stored neatly in the binder, some two-hole punches come with an adjustable guide. Those without a guide, often have a line marked halfway between the two punches, behind where the paper will reach when inserted. Prior to punching the holes, a small fold/crease can be made to mark the papers mid point by carefully holding the corners of the paper together with one hand and gently pinching the edge that is to have the holes, with your free hand. This can then be lined up with the mark on the hole punch.

Some of the printable resources, mainly the Team Cards and Coach Cards, are A5. These are doubled up on an A4 sheet for printing purposes and will need cutting in half before you distribute them to your group. These smaller sheets can also be hole punched and stored within the PasSport file. A centre line has been added to their design for convenience.

Depending on the setting and the nature of your group, you may want to look after the files during the course and explain that they can take them home at the end.

1. Gently join the corners

2. Pinch one edge

3. Align creaseand punch

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10

Session structureThe 10 sessions repeat the same basic structure, building incrementally to carefully nurture a safe and supportive community. Each session comes with a detailed set of instructions explaining how to run the activities, along with guidance notes describing how the content links to the principles underpinning the approach. This kit also contains all the necessary printable resources (including homework/self-study activities), accompanying PowerPoints and links to downloadable files.

Session plans Each session plan opens with an ‘at a glance’ cover sheet intended to support session preparation and - as you become more familiar with the materials - act as an aide memoire.

1

Slide Activity

Minutes Resources

1-3Welcome and

orientation

5PasSport files

1

Team of Life intro R1.21

4 Physical warm-up5

5 Home-teams15

Home-team Shield R1.5

1

Home-teams R1.5

1

6 Home-ground rules10

7-8 Cool down15 Zone-in Script R1.8 (for the facilitator)

9-11 Team tactics5 Get in the Zone Coach Cards R1.11 1

end Home-goal5 Zone-in HG1

1

! Getting across to participants

that the programme is about

sharing and extending their

ideas and knowledge rather

than being ‘taught’ skills.

! Ensuring participants feel

safe in the group through

exploration of ground rules.

Coaching points

Aims

Outcomes

To introduce the Team of Life programme.

To establish home-teams.

To agree ground rules.

To introduce the Zone-in mindfulness practice.

Participants are engaged and understand what the

programme involves.

Participants have signed up to a team code of ethics

established by the group.

Participants have established rapport in their home-

team and are beginning to feel settled in the group.

Participants are interested in finding out more about

the Zone-in practice.

This session focuses on what to expect

over the coming sessions, establishing

a team code of ethics or ‘home-

ground rules’ for working together, as

well as introducing the mindfulness

component.

Getting in the Zone

The ‘at a glance’ sheet summarises:

Key ‘coaching points’ helping you focus the session’s emphasis.

The session’s learning aims and objectives.

Running order detailing the corresponding slides/activity and allocated time.

Session title, number and overview.

Alongside these are visual reminders that you will need PowerPoint/audio equipment, flipchat paper and pens, and/or handouts.

The single smiling face column indicates the number of resources you will need per participant. The team ball column indicates the number per home-team. A plus symbol in a column suggests that it might be worth printing additional copies.

Shaded rows detail optional printable resources that can be used to support session delivery without access to PowerPoint or as additional handouts with PowerPoint.


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1 Getting in the zone

Sport can help us see the value in being part of a team, the benefits of

working together, shouldering responsibility and supporting each other

to accomplish a common goal. It teaches us how to plan for and focus on

a specific task, how to celebrate our achievements as well as how to cope

with defeat and failure. Through sport, we can learn about consistency and

concentration, how practise can help us prepare, ready to successfully push

beyond our limits.

Slide 2 - Whole group

‘What to Expect’ orientates participants to what will happen in each session,

explaining that throughout the course each session will include a physical warm up,

some fun activities to practise our team working skills and exercise our brains and

at the end of each session we will have a ‘cool down’ activity which we will explain

more about later.

Highlight that the Team of Life is about sharing ideas and knowledge to develop

our ‘team know-how’; in other words building on the ideas we come up with

Slide 3 - Whole group

Referring to the slide/handout, take the group through the programme content

explaining that we will be taking inspiration from sport to think about these

questions and ideas :

Getting in the Zone - Working together in teams

Sporting Heroes - What can they teach us?

Our Team - What do we stand for?

My Team - Who’s on your personal team?

Goal Maps - Demonstrating team goals

Celebrating Goals - How do we celebrate our achievements?

Tackling Problems - Sharing know-how and tackling skills

Avoiding obstacles - Responding to setbacks

Coaching Practice - Developing skills and helping others

Final Whistle – Strengthening and training for the future

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

2

1 Getting in the Zone

Slide 1 - Whole group Introduce yourself and welcome the group to the Team of Life.

Explain that today we will be finding out more about the programme and agreeing

how we want to work together over the coming sessions.

Point out their individual PasSport files you have prepared in advance, explaining

that these are for storing their work, handouts and homework.

Invite participants to complete their details on the front sheet. Depending on the

setting, you may want to look after the files during the course and explain that

they can take them home at the end. Explain that the Team of Life involves taking ideas we have about sport and

applying them to our lives. Some of us may love playing sport, some may just like

watching it, while others may be less keen.

Welcome & orientation - 5 minsLetting participants know what to expect during sessions

Try to establish a welcoming atmosphere to ensure that as far as possible all

participants feel involved and able to participate. Taking time to prepare the

space prior to the group will convey a great deal to participants. Making sure

you are familiar with the programme content will also help you feel confident

delivering the programme.It is important to emphasise from the start that the programme is about

the values and ideas we might choose to take from sport rather than about

sporting abilities. Some young people have been turned off sport in the past

because they have felt they aren’t good at it so it’s important to get across

that sporting abilities aren’t required. At the same time, many aspects of sport

can be meaningful when thinking about our lives whether or not we think of

ourselves as ‘sporty’. The key word ‘team know-how’ is emphasised from the start to highlight that

the Team of Life aims to enable participants to share their knowledge and

ideas rather than to ‘teach’ them particular skills or concepts. It is assumed that the Starting Whistle Self-Evaluation Sheet

has been given to participants to orientate them to the

programme before the first session. Alternatively this could

be given as part of the welcome and orientation within the

first session in which case you would need to allow more time

(approximately 5 minutes) for participants to complete this.

Each new activity is introduced with its own set of guidance notes.Intended as background reading, these notes are best read in advance of delivering the session. The green arrows help you quickly navigate to the activity’s step-by-step instructions.

Some slides contain additional content that will only appear when you advance the PowerPoint. To help you know which slides this applies to and at which point you need to move forward, an orange numbering scheme has been applied. The orange numbering appears both in the corner of the slide and in the step-by-step instructions where applicable, giving you a countdown. A small triangle is used instead of the number one in the countdown to let you that know your next ‘click’ will advance the presentation to the next slide.

Sessions are broken down into smaller activites that fall into either ‘whole group’ or ‘home-team’ categories. Whole group activities require everyone in the group to either work together as a ‘team’ or to work individually, all completing the same task. Home-team activities require participants to work in their respective sub groups.

Step-by-step instructions detail the practicalities of facilitating the activity.

The session plans are set out assuming that you will be making use of the accompanying PowerPoints. Within the PowerPoints each activity has its own slide or slides.


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Each session involves the same basic five elements, easily identifiable by their corresponding icons. These include:

Warm-up The warm-up orientates participants to the overarching sporting metaphor; that it is possible to draw upon our knowledge and experience of sport and apply it to other aspects of our lives. It acts as an ice breaking activity and introduces the main theme of the session. While participants may feel embarrassed or be reluctant initially, the act of movement breaks down barriers and sets up expectations for an interactive group experience, highlighting the idea that by warming up our bodies we can also warm-up our minds ready for action.

Activities The activities are the core narrative components of the approach. They are intended to engage young people in thinking about their lives in fun and unthreatening ways which highlight their skills, qualities and the potential resources available to them. Young people may choose to share elements of their own experience but this is not expected or necessary for them to engage. The activities also frequently involve teamwork, providing experiential opportunities for young people to practice and appreciate the importance of teams in all aspects of life.

are easily identifiable by their suffix. The code for resources begins ‘R’ followed by what looks like a two/three digit decimal number, indicating the point in the programme when the resource is first employed. Many of the resources are reused throughout the programme but they always retain their original reference number, making it easier to return to the session containing the explanatory guidance.

Team Badge

Team Name – Think of a name that is special to your group and has not been used before. It

could be the name of a place you all know or a belief or interest that you share. Be creative and

be sure to involve everyone in the decision.

Draw a badge design that represents the things that are important to your team.

Many teams have a motto or slogan that puts into words the essence of what they

are about. Use the space provided to add your own statement. Keep it short and simple but most

R1.5

R1.5‘R’ for resource

‘5’ for slide 5

in session 1

‘1’ for Session 1

Many of the activities have their own dedicated resource sheets, provided as printable PDF files. As well as a title the resource sheets


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Cool DownThis Team of Life programme incorporates a mindfulness activity called ‘Zone-in’ that is practised towards the end of each session as a ‘cool-down’ activity. This is a simple mindfulness ‘breathing space’ practice, which utilises the sporting metaphor to engage participants.

Mindfulness can be practised formally or informally. Formal practices, such as the Zone-in exercise, offer support to help people learn the skill of mindfulness. However, many young people will have insider knowledge and experience of ‘being mindful’ or ‘in the zone’ in more informal ways, perhaps through intense enjoyment or focus on simple everyday activities including eating, playing, being at one with nature or for some through spiritual experience. When introducing the mindfulness practice, it is important to acknowledge any prior awareness and experience, which can be brought to the more formal practice.

Young children tend to be more connected to their senses and all young people will have experience of being engrossed in the sensations involved in an activity they enjoy. Participants may also have had some experience of focusing their mind and ‘getting in the zone’ in the same way as we may focus our mind when we get ready to take a penalty or run a race in sport. The aim is to build upon this knowledge and experience to encourage participants to practise mindfulness more formally.

The ‘Zone-in’ cool down uses the analogy of the mind as a busy stadium and highlights mindfulness as a skill which enables individuals to find focus and calm. The practice provides an opportunity for young people to try mindfulness within a group setting and encourages further practise at home through the use of a podcast, which can be freely downloaded via the MyMind Centre on iTunes.

The podcast, which is approximately five minutes long, is played at the end of each session to support regular practise. The repeat of the practice and modelling of a mindful pose (i.e. back straight and unsupported, eyes closed or fixed on one spot, feet flat on the floor) within each session helps establish the ritual and routine of mindfulness.


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Team TacticsThroughout the programme the term ‘team know-how’ is used to get across the idea that the knowledge and skills of each participant is important and contributes to the shared knowledge of the group.

The well known phrase ‘greater than the sum of the parts’ is a useful way of thinking about the potential for constructing collective skills and knowledge as a group. ‘Team tactics’ is the time at the end of each session when the group takes a few moments to summarise the team know-how they have developed, by sharing their ideas with one another.

During the team tactics activity each participant is given a Coach Card that summarises the session’s main theme. These A5 sheets also have space for the participant to record one of the team tactic discussion points in the space marked ‘keeper’s net’. This should ideally be anything that they felt was important and would like to remember.

These bite-sized records are then added to the individual’s PasSport file so that they can be referred back to in the future.

card

keeper’s net

In the Zone

1

Being in the zone is about bringing

your attention to what you are

doing here and now.

The great thing is you can practice

any time and develop skills for

focusing your mind

Team know how

I have a team who are

there to help me do well

The key words for each session are shown on the PowerPoint slides and within the session plans. They are intended to provide a starting point for discussion at the end of each

session. They can also be written onto flipchart paper or a whiteboard as the beginning of a spider

diagram, which is added to as ideas are generated.


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Home-GoalsEach session concludes with a ‘Home-Goal’ activity that participants are invited to complete outside of the session. Home-Goals are not collected or marked, though some of these activities do feed directly into the subsequent sessions. Regardless of whether the activity plays a part in the following sessions, it is essential that facilitators show interest by inviting the group to share or display any ‘Home-Goal’ material if they wish.

It is also important for facilitators to communicate that these exercises are to support participants to reflect upon various aspects of their lives, rather than for the benefit of the facilitator.

Home-Goal activities are about engaging participants between sessions. They are intended to consolidate the new emerging stories and ideas participants may be developing in relation to themselves, their life teams and their life goals.

It’s all about using our 5 senses, such as concentrating on the taste and feel of the

food that we eat or being aw

are of what happens in our body w

hen we breathe.

Why use m

indfulness?

Our thoughts can often seem

like a ball being kicked around our mind, bouncing

between our w

orries and fears making it hard to focus on our goals.

By carefully observing our thoughts and experiences, mindfulness helps us find a quiet

and still place in the noisy stadium of our m

ind where w

e can begin to let go of our

distractions.

Everyday mindfulness

You can also practice mindfulness throughout the day in your regular activities. This

could be any everyday activity, from eating your breakfast or brushing your teeth to

walking to school.

Try ‘zoning in’ and paying attention to what you’re actually experiencing rather than

‘zoning out’ and letting your thoughts bounce around.

What m

indfulness isn’t?

It is important to know

that mindfulness is not about you putting up w

ith painful or

upsetting things that are happening. If you’re having painful or upsetting worries or

experiences then it is important that you ask for help.

Choose a place where you will be

comfortable and won’t be disturbed.

Think of your breath as the centre

spot, it’s always there to go back to.

You can use it when you are wound

up or struggling to focus.

Check out m

ore mindfulness tips and podcasts on w

ww.m

ymind.org.uk

Rem

ember it takes tim

e to learn a

new skill, so it’s im

portant to choose

a regular time to practice each day

and to be patient with yourself.

http://bit.ly/tol-zone-in

Dow

nload

1.2.3.

is your chance to take a break.P

OD

CA

ST

iTunes

also on

HG1

What is ‘m

indfulness’?

Mindfulness is a fantastic brain exercise that can im

prove our focus

and concentration; it can also help us to let go of the things that may

be causing us to feel sad, frustrated or angry.

HG1‘HG’ is for home-goal

‘1’ for Session 1

Some Home-Goal activities require copies of the resource sheets used during the sessions. These are listed on the ‘at a glance’ page of the session plans.


16

Facilitation styleThe Team of Life aims to be an interactive and enjoyable social bonding experience, which builds on the experience of sport as a community activity. Bringing people together in teams, sporting metaphors are used to engage young people in celebrating their personal and social achievements, sharing knowledge for tackling problems and scoring their life goals. The key to the success of the approach is the ability of the facilitator to create an atmosphere conducive to active participation and involvement.

Narrative therapy aims to work with the ‘grass roots’ knowledge of individuals, groups and communities, ‘thickening’ alternative stories that people may hold about their lives. Change is facilitated by enabling people to share lesser-told stories of hope, skill and knowledge, opening up their awareness of preferred ways of being in the world. In practice, this means using a young person led approach, working in a collaborative way to minimise the power relation between you as facilitator and the young people as much as possible.

The familiar phrase ‘the plot thickens’ not only describes intrigue within narrative but also characterises a richer more engaging story. In a similar way, ‘thickening’ within narrative therapy is the process of adding increased levels of detail, expanding conversations and deepening significance.

The group is the strongest resource and should be given the time and space to talk freely and share their ideas and beliefs. Valuing the group’s knowledge and experience is fundamental to the approach.

The facilitator’s role is to support individuals and the group as a whole, to share their knowledge rather than to ‘teach’ skills and concepts. The aim is to identify ideas and understandings that have authenticity with the young people; in other words ideas which are close to their experience and which have relevance in their lives now.

This involves facilitators taking a ‘curious’ rather than ‘knowing’ stance when relating to the young people. Learning is scaffolded by asking questions rather than telling or teaching ideas derived from expert knowledge. Within narrative therapy, this stance or posture is described as taking a ‘de-centred yet influential position’ in conversations (White, 1997). Narrative conversations aim to ‘centre’ or bring to the fore the expertise the person has in relation to their own life, rather than the expertise of the facilitator. It is therefore important that the facilitator tries to avoid being the expert in the lives of the young people, refraining from giving advice, solutions or making judgements. Instead, the aim is to bring the young people’s ideas to the foreground wherever possible, putting their views, preferences, desires, hopes, dreams and purposes in the centre of the conversation (Morgan, 2002).


17

In addition, narrative approaches aim to work not just at the level of the individual, but also at the level of collective (i.e., shared) experience. Identity is understood not simply as a personal process but is also viewed as a social achievement influenced by the stories those around us tell about our lives. An important and potentially therapeutic element is therefore the opportunity

Facilitated

Authentic

Questioning

Extended

Workshop

Group

High

Virtual

Self-managing

Role of facilitator

Nature of activities

Attitude to knowledge

Organisation of time

Organisation of space

Approach to tasks

Visibility of processes

Proximity to facilitator

Role of learner

Didactic

Contrived

Certain

Bell-bound

Classroom

Individual

Hidden

Face to Face

Directed

The section on narrative therapy gives a more detailed exploration of the underlying philosophy and principles influencing the approach.

for group members to share knowledge with one another, opening up opportunities for re-writing stories they may hold about themselves which may have a negative influence.

Literature within the field of education is also relevant in thinking about the style of facilitation which may be adopted when delivering the Team of Life. Educationalists such as Guy Claxton and Bill Lucas have written extensively on pedagogy (the theory of learning). The concept of ‘Learning Power’ is particularly relevant here. Learning Power refers to the persistent orientation to learning that those working with young people may wish to promote rather than on specific skills and areas of knowledge. It focuses on the more practical learning needed to prepare young people for life, the emotional resilience required to overcome frustration in the face of challenges and the role of experience in expanding knowledge (Claxton, 2004). Within this framework, the role of the teacher or facilitator is viewed more as learning coach than purveyor of knowledge.

Adapted from Pedagogy Unplugged ©Bill Lucas & Guy Claxton, the table above illustrates how the Team of Life resilience programme could be understood in terms of styles of learning, the green arrow indicating the direction the approach would sit on each continuum.


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Behaviour and time management issuesTo enable freedom of expression and the development of authentic stories which are meaningful to participants, the Team of Life encourages young people to take a questioning attitude to knowledge. Alongside the interactive nature of the approach this can create plenty of opportunities for group members to get rowdy and excited. Facilitators need to find a balance which suits them and their setting, but it is important facilitators are mindful that if they are too restrictive of young people they will stifle the process. At the same time, young people do appreciate structure and support to enable them to feel safe in a group. It can be useful to revisit at the start of each session the home-ground rules that will be created by participants during session one, reminding young people to think of one another if behavior gets out of hand.

The manualised approach described in this resource is structured in terms of the organisation of time to facilitate delivery within bell-bound settings such as schools. This more structured approach to the Team of Life has been developed in collaboration with young people who expressed a wish for clear timescales and expectations to scaffold the process. Optional features such as the ‘referee’s whistle’ in the PowerPoint presentations - which provide a timer for activities, were developed in response to feedback from young people in the development groups. However, some flexibility from facilitators with regard to the timing of activities is important. Different groups engage with some activities more than others, so timings should not be set in stone. If a group is animated and working well and if it is possible to allow more time, facilitators should feel free to use their own judgement.

The Team of Life Kit by Vicky Eames and David Denborough (Dulwich Centre Foundation)

©2015 Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Documents

The Guiding Principles of Delivery - The Dulwich Centre