For the being active sessions , people were encouraged to develop their problem-solving skills further with developing options for a weather dependent activity . They decided to start at a local coffee shop , bringing crosswords , colouring and brain teasers to engage in mental activities .”
For the being active sessions , people were encouraged to develop their problem-solving skills further with developing options for a weather dependent activity . They decided to start at a local coffee shop , bringing crosswords , colouring and brain teasers to engage in mental activities .”
active roles in brainstorming outings , identifying preferences and goals , as well as problem solving difficulties related to the outings , for example timings . From the first session we allocated roles , from buying milk , to packing up and being the photographer .
Progress and feedback
Occupational therapists developed an individualised first-person report for participants to commend their progress , alongside their certificate and the final party session . Participants celebrated with bringing in food and drink , and photographs – taken during sessions and outings – were used to stimulate occupational stories to discuss participants ’ progress and achievements .
Participants were mostly seen to demonstrate skills in vocal expression , communication and social interaction . For some clients , regularly attending the group when feeling low was the most important part of the group process .
It was interesting to see friendships develop over the programme , with lots of humour and inside jokes – a regular topic of discussion being favourite biscuits . With some encouragement this led to people exchanging numbers to continue social connections after the group .
Participants regularly reflected on the importance of achievement and maintaining commitments made to other participants , for example when taking on roles such as bringing resources that supported decisions to attend .
While people consistently struggled with time keeping and getting to sessions on time , across sessions we were able to develop their skills in time management and organisation to make it to sessions and outings .
Participants were also seen to take on responsibilities that were not even planned , such as bringing the biscuits or baking for the group , and they often worked as a team .
Some people , who were previously very passive in their recovery , took responsibility around session planning , including organising materials , managing transport and the finances involved .
In the being active outing , people were initially prompted to consider weather dependent options , for example mental activities , however as sessions progressed they actively sought roles . One participant who is usually very quiet , problem solved and communicated her idea to the group to bring her own colouring and puzzles .
Through observations , participants were seen to improve their social interaction and communication skills due to the element of community outings . At the start of the programme , participants chose to go to a local café and expected the final goal to be going to a restaurant . However , through occupational achievement , group members were able to engage in more challenging environments .
The final outing was at the Matrix , an amusement arcade in the middle of Hereford town , where people played activities including ping pong and crazy golf . This environment proved more challenging , being in the centre of Hereford , as many of the group struggled with social anxiety and busy places . The environment was also difficult for some due to the bright lighting and loud music .
Other outings included going the library and museum , where participants discussed items on display and took photographs of the local
36 OTnews July 2023