The group has
care homes across Devon, Somerset and South Wales, offering a place to call
home to people living with a varying range of needs, from dementia and complex
care to residential and respite support.
The training
sessions ran across four days so that all team members from the homes were able
to take part.
The training
covered a wide range of learning, including Evolve’s practice frameworks,
shaped around the work of Thomas Kitwood and Carl Jung, dementia-friendly
language, clinical knowledge, and ways to build connection with people living
at the home who may find communication or engagement more difficult because of
their cognitive journeys.
In one exercise
from the day, small bags containing five random objects were placed on each
table around the training room. Team members were invited to take out one item
at a time and create a story inspired by it with the rest of the group.
The exercise
encouraged creativity and storytelling as a way of connecting with others,
using everyday objects as a jumping off point for conversation. The stories
could be personal memories, stories heard from others, or completely imagined.
What mattered most was the act of sharing and creating something engaging.
For people living
with a Dementia or are on a cognitive journey, being asked direct questions can
sometimes feel overwhelming or confusing. But if a story is being shared, it
may evoke recognition or familiarity and encourage sharing of their own life experiences.
Something as
simple as picking up a beach towel and talking about a sunny holiday in Spain
may encourage someone else to speak about their own experiences of travelling,
holidays or time spent with loved ones, bringing comfort, familiarity and
positive feelings into the conversation.
Another part of
the training included exploring a number of simulated environments built within
the training room. Bedrooms, living rooms and dining rooms were set up as
examples of inviting and colourful environments that encouraged stimulation,
alongside environments which felt uninviting, dull or institutional, to show
the impact and importance of creating spaces that feel positive, homely,
engaging and personal.
Eve Carder,
Clinical Lead of Evolve Care Group shared, ‘We are not creating institutions,
we are creating homes, places of safety, of creativity and hopefully magic.’
Established in
2015, the groups care academy was born out of a realisation that outsourcing
e-learning alone was not enough to upskill teams to provide the emotional
support needed for individuals living in Evolve’s care homes. Recognising the limitations of standalone
digital learning, Evolve embraced a holistic approach that combines e-learning
with interactive face-to-face courses and hands-on experience gained through
understanding the lived experiences of people living in their homes.
To read more
about training, learning and development provided by Evolve Care Group in their
Evolve Care Academy, visit https://www.evolvecareacademy.com/
