#JoharisWindow- public, real-time CPD on Twitter

January 27, 2013 2 Comments


The #nhssm chat: “What are you an avatar of?”

During a recent #nhssm chat, @MarkOneInFour started to explore what our presence in social media represented about our selves. We didn’t have time during the chat, but we did decide to explore the concept through the evening that followed. People very generously offered their feedback on how they viewed us, which was really helpful, because one can never really know how one comes across to others without specifically exploring it!

Personal reflection: if you ask for feedback, what if you get it?

It felt quite exposed to do this experiment- I wasn’t sure if anyone would respond, and if they did, what they would say about me! I was prepared to deal with any feedback that I got on the basis that it represented how I came across in social media- it didn’t reflect how people felt about me, personally, as many of the people responding don’t know me personally. I am a confident person, and I knew I had personal resources to keep myself safe during the experiment, including having friends and followers to call on for support if I felt hurt by any comments made.

Mental health warning: do you feel safe to hear feedback?

If anyone is interested in doing this experiment for themselves- just take a moment to check out that you’re okay with receiving feedback before you start.

My Johari’s Window:

Arena

(known to self and others)

able, caring, energetic, friendly, sympathetic

Blind Spot

(known only to others)

accepting, bold, brave, clever, complex, confident, dependable, dignified, extroverted, giving, happy, helpful, idealistic, independent, intelligent, kind, knowledgeable, logical, loving, modest, nervous, observant, organised, powerful, proud, reflective, responsive, searching, self-assertive, self-conscious, sentimental, trustworthy, warm, wise, witty

Façade

(known only to self)

Unknown

(known to nobody)

adaptable, calm, cheerful, ingenious, introverted, mature, patient, quiet, relaxed, religious, sensible, shy, silly, spontaneous, tense

All Percentages

able (13%) accepting (9%) adaptable (0%) bold (9%) brave (4%) calm (0%) caring (27%) cheerful (0%) clever (9%) complex (9%) confident (18%) dependable (13%) dignified (9%) energetic (4%) extroverted (9%) friendly (27%) giving (4%) happy (4%) helpful (50%) idealistic (9%) independent (22%) ingenious (0%) intelligent (40%) introverted (0%) kind (4%) knowledgeable (45%) logical (9%) loving (4%) mature (0%) modest (9%) nervous (4%) observant (13%) organised (9%) patient (0%) powerful (9%) proud (4%) quiet (0%) reflective (18%) relaxed (0%) religious (0%) responsive (18%) searching (9%) self-assertive (36%) self-conscious (9%) sensible (0%) sentimental (4%) shy (0%) silly (0%) spontaneous (0%) sympathetic (4%) tense (0%) trustworthy (13%) warm (27%) wise (9%) witty (9%)

Created by the Interactive Johari Window on 27.1.2013, using data from 22 respondents.
You can make your own Johari Window, or view MeOT’s full data.

Personal reflections

As more and more people added feedback, Johari’s Window showed increasing congruence between my internal idea of how I come across, and the views expressed by the people who kindly offered feedback. This is an example of the “Wisdom of Crowds”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wisdom_of_Crowds

It is also interesting to note how this could contribute to personal resilience in the face of criticism. It can be important to remember that the views of a single person don’t reflect the general way one is seen by everyone one encounters: sometimes, we’ve all experienced a personality clash. Perhaps this is of interest to people seeking 360 degree feedback- which may be more accurate with an increasing number of contributors?

Storify

I storified the conversation, see this link:

http://storify.com/claireOT2/johari-s-window-real-time-virtual-cpd-experiment

Grabchat

Some of the interesting comments wee made before we settled on a hashtag to help collate the Tweets. However, once they were collated under the #JoharisWindow tag, it was easy to grab the chat:

Involved

Top resources

http://kevan.org/johari?name=shirleydsc
http://kevan.org/johari?name=uk_james
http://socialinnovation.typepad.com/silk/silk-method-deck.html
http://kevan.org/johari?name=jonbolton
http://kevan.org/johari?name=fi
http://kevan.org/johari?name=amcunningham
http://kevan.org/johari?name=fionaarttwitter
http://kevan.org/johari?name=@ajax_63
http://kevan.org/johari?view=MeOT
http://kevan.org/johari?name=MeOT

Related tags

#socialmedia #some #hubmsi

See Twitter for more tweets, people, videos and photos for #johariswindow

@claireOT @shirleyayres @MarkOneinFour fancy giving me some feedback? Go to http://t.co/WEzLelUO #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:29:11 +0000)
@uk_james @shirleyayres @claireot #johariswindow good tool – one of many in Social Innovation Lab Kent’s Method Deck http://t.co/Zo4PKzO3 (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:32:46 +0000)
@shirleyayres @claireOT done I like this tool! #johariswindow @MarkOneinFour (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:33:35 +0000)
@MarkOneinFour @claireOT @shirleyayres Done it! Also, now get what it is and how it works #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:37:14 +0000)
@shirleyayres Fascinating! Social Innovation Lab Kent’s Method Deck includes #johariswindow http://t.co/ewrdKbqt HT @uk_james @claireOT (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:38:53 +0000)
@shirleyayres @uk_james @claireOT @MarkOneinFour starting to feel my age now realise I first used #johariswindow in 1975!(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:40:49 +0000)
@claireOT @MarkOneinFour you and Shirley agreed on one word “knowledgable”- isn’t it funny? I didn’t pick it! #johariswindow @shirleyayres (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:41:20 +0000)
@shirleyayres @claireOT @MarkOneinFour I’m such a simple soul this is now my new most favourite tool – thanks Claire! #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:43:45 +0000)
@claireOT @MarkOneinFour done it! What do you think? #johariswindow @shirleyayres (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:44:41 +0000)
@shirleyayres @MarkOneinFour done – interesting the areas @claireOT & I agree on! #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:46:45 +0000)
@shirleyayres @MarkOneinFour @claireOT this ihas to be the *must do* activity of the evening! Love your feedback http://t.co/KKGlwgdJ #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:50:56 +0000)
@shirleyayres @Ermintrude2 I’d love your feedback! http://t.co/toQXSl0a #johariswindow HT @claireOT for discovering this tool! @MarkOneinFour (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:56:57 +0000)
@claireOT @MarkOneinFour it’s so interesting, isn’t it? @shirleyayres @Ermintrude2 #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:09:05 +0000)
@claireOT @RobWebster_LCH @PlanetPavs @AgencyNurse @JoWren1 thanks for your feedback, guys, really helpful #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:11:54 +0000)
@Ermintrude2 @MarkOneinFour I added my thoughts to your #johariswindow :) @claireot @shirleyayres (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:12:17 +0000)
@claireOT @shirleyayres i agree :-) @markoneinfour perhaps “conflicted” or “confused” is what “complex” feels like, inside? #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:12:58 +0000)
@claireOT @JoWren1 yes, I’ve never used it publicly before today… go on…. Get involved! #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:15:17 +0000)
@shirleyayres @PaulBromford a great tool we’re experimenting w/ I’d love your feedback! http://t.co/toQXSl0a HT @claireOT for finding #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:17:22 +0000)
@Ermintrude2 How do you perceive me? (well, it’s limited to nice things!) http://t.co/iT5sE5ex #johariswindow @shirleyayres @markoneinfour @claireot (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:22:36 +0000)
@shirleyayres I’d love feedback – how do I come across to you via #socialmedia ? http://t.co/toQXSl0a #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:22:53 +0000)
@uk_james @claireOT @shirleyayres @markoneinfour @ermintrude2 done! It’s quite smart isn’t it?! Shirley… You’re next…. #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:24:46 +0000)
@claireOT @Ermintrude2 done it! What do you think? #johariswindow @shirleyayres @markoneinfour (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:27:02 +0000)
@uk_james @shirleyayres done! It’s a picture that keeps building… Right, time to make me one…. #johariswindow @claireOT (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:29:15 +0000)
@ajax_63 @shirleyayres how could I resist :) Found it hard to separate out social media and IRL though! #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:32:31 +0000)
@shirleyayres @uk_james @claireOT @MarkOneinFour @Ermintrude2 @PaulBromford #johariswindow the latest tool to sweep across Twitter!(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:33:11 +0000)
@shirleyayres @ajax_63 thanks I hope you are going to do one too Andrew :-) #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:34:00 +0000)
@PaulBromford @shirleyayres @claireOT certainly! here you go http://t.co/hhN0zekb @ paulbromford #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:34:21 +0000)
@FionaArt @claireot @shirleyayres @MarkOneinFour I added my thoughts to your #johariswindow :) Will you fill in mine please :-) .(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:34:38 +0000)
@uk_james . @shirleyayres @claireot @markoneinfour @ermintrude2 here’s the link http://t.co/9OgxDIpy how do you perceive me on Twitter? #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:36:41 +0000)
@ajax_63 @Ermintrude2 a pleasure, but six was not enough :) #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:37:19 +0000)
@claireOT Thanks for the valued feedback, @_jonb @FionaArt @anniecoops #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:40:48 +0000)
@amcunningham My #johariswindow http://t.co/ETqqOdk9 … thinks @shirleyayres !!(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:40:52 +0000)
@uk_james Hello Twitter followers! How do I come across on #socialmedia ? Please let me know at http://t.co/9OgxDIpy #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:42:23 +0000)
@claireOT @Darrenruddick thank you- I value the feedback- it’s so interesting to learn how I come over vs how I think I come over! #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:42:31 +0000)
@claireOT @jaxrafferty thank you- it’s really valuable to get feedback, don’t know why I didn’t think of doing this before! #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:46:38 +0000)
@claireOT Lol! No suprise for me that no-one has identified me as “introverted” or “mature”! #johariswindow @shirleyayres @MarkOneinFour @Ermintrude2 (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:48:33 +0000)
@uk_james RT @shirleyayres : @uk_james @claireOT @MarkOneinFour @Ermintrude2 @PaulBromford #johariswindow the latest tool to sweep across Twitter!(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:48:39 +0000)
@FionaArt http://t.co/9G6upeQm How do u think I come across? #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:51:03 +0000)
@ajax_63 TY @shirleyayres :) and so, I’d love to know, how do you see me via social media? http://t.co/qFTAy5Op < experiments with #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:51:14 +0000)
@claireOT @Ermintrude2 lol! You may be “silly” in real life, but your blog and feed belie the reality!! @shirleyayres @markoneinfour #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:52:42 +0000)
@claireOT @jaxrafferty I think that congruence in #some is really important. I am fortunate to feel safe enough to be honest. #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:53:42 +0000)
@claireOT @Darrenruddick really? I was surprised people identified me as “brave”, it certainly doesn’t feel like that from inside! #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:54:50 +0000)
@shirleyayres +1 RT @claireOT @Ermintrude2 lol! You may be “silly” in real life, but your blog and feed belie the reality!! @markoneinfour #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:55:01 +0000)
@FionaArt Thanks @claireOT @shirleyayres @MarkOneinFour for completing my #johariswindow , definitely food for thought :-) .(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:56:02 +0000)
@claireOT Anybody want to offer me some feedback on how I come over on #SoMe ? Follow the link- it is very quick! #johariswindow http://t.co/aPZNfdXp (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:57:49 +0000)
@shirleyayres @Ermintrude2 @claireOT @MarkOneinFour @PaulBromford I now have about 12 #johariswindow open. I agree fascinating how others perceive us!(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:01:43 +0000)
@Chris_Goulden RT @uk_james : @shirleyayres @claireot #johariswindow good tool – one of many in Social Innovation Lab Kent’s Method Deck http://t.co/Zo4PKzO3 (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:11:48 +0000)
@shirleyayres @HelReynolds a great tool we’re experimenting w/ I’d love your feedback! http://t.co/toQXSl0a HT @claireOT for finding #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:14:27 +0000)
@shirleyayres @whatsthepont a great tool we’re experimenting w/ I’d love your feedback! http://t.co/toQXSl0a HT @claireOT for finding #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:14:50 +0000)
@shirleyayres @MindingsStu a great tool we’re experimenting w/ I’d love your feedback! http://t.co/toQXSl0a HT @claireOT for finding #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:18:43 +0000)
@shirleyayres @PaulBromford starting to feel my age now realise I first used #johariswindow in 1975!(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:23:50 +0000)
@shirleyayres @DCCTayside a great tool we’re experimenting w/ I’d love your feedback! http://t.co/toQXSl0a #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:25:25 +0000)
@shirleyayres @clarkmike a great tool we’re experimenting w/ I’d love your feedback! http://t.co/toQXSl0a #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:28:03 +0000)
@shirleyayres @TomSprints a great tool we’re experimenting with I’d love your feedback! http://t.co/toQXSl0a #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:28:42 +0000)
@claireOT I’m really interested to know what you think of me, do you have a couple of minutes to describe me? #johariswindow http://t.co/E1wxNOF0 (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:32:00 +0000)
@ajax_63 @shirleyayres @amcunningham @ermintrude2 @claireOT TY all! do you know how hard this is for an INFJ :) #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:32:28 +0000)
@shirleyayres @ajax_63 showing my ignorance here what is an INFJ? #johariswindow @amcunningham @Ermintrude2 @claireOT (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:37:20 +0000)
@shirleyayres @jonbolton a great tool we’re experimenting with I’d love your feedback http://t.co/toQXSl0a #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:50:22 +0000)
@shirleyayres @Action4Ageing thanks Chris for completing my #johariswindow – are you tempted? Looking forward to catching up at #hubmsi (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:53:22 +0000)
@shirleyayres A big thank you to @kevan a lot of us have had great fun with your interactive #johariswindow this evening!(Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:22:54 +0000)
@shirleyayres @jonbolton @Accaber_Red starting to feel my age now realise I first used #johariswindow in 1975!(Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:24:21 +0000)
@shirleyayres @jonbolton thanks for the #johariswindow feedback a fascinating picture emerging! Are you tempted?(Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:41:43 +0000)
@jonbolton So a few of us were experimenting with #johariswindow last night. Can you describe me in 5-6 words? http://t.co/EKki3jzM (Thu, 24 Jan 2013 08:21:55 +0000)
@AMLTaylor66 RT @jonbolton : So a few of us were experimenting with #johariswindow last night. Can you describe me in 5-6 words? http://t.co/EKki3jzM (Thu, 24 Jan 2013 08:38:55 +0000)
@shirleyayres I’d love feedback – how do I come across to you via #socialmedia ? http://t.co/toQXSl0a #johariswindow (Thu, 24 Jan 2013 09:45:25 +0000)
@FionaArt http://t.co/6DYEl0KX? How do u think I come across on twitter as @FionaArt ? #johariswindow (Thu, 24 Jan 2013 13:29:24 +0000)
@shirleyayres @whatsthepont I would have liked to be able to add analytical to your #johariswindow ! @claireOT @ena_lloyd (Thu, 24 Jan 2013 23:42:31 +0000)
@akosiabiegalet Wag masyadong malinis ang tingin sa sarili. Ayan tuloy hirap tumanggap kapag sinisita ng iba. #johariswindow (Sun, 27 Jan 2013 05:03:49 +0000)

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Filed under CPD, Interprofessional practice, Reflection, Research, Social Media, Twitter Tagged with , , , , ,

#Occhat Nov 20th- Using equipment to facilitate occupation

November 20, 2012 2 Comments


I’m in the hotseat for the #occhat Twitter discussion tonight- and it’s been a while since I was able to facilitate, so I am looking forward to it and feeling anxious about it in equal measure!

Why are we looking at equipment?

One of our core skills as OTs is the prescription of environmental adaptations including adaptive equipment, so of course, we’re always interested in gadgets and things to make life easier.

As a disabled woman, I’m very grateful for some of the equipment that has become part of my everyday life, like my mobility scooter, or my bed stick. But equipment is much broader than just the stuff you can get through your local equipment store.

I consider my eye-Pad to be one of the best bits of adaptive equipment I have. It’s a multi-functional entertainment system, so if I’m ill, I can watch TV in bed, or catch up with my friends on social networks. If I have light sensitivity, I can alter the settings to make using it more comfortable. If there is nothing for it but to keep my eyes firmly closed, I can switch to listening to radio comedy or drama. This is brilliant for keeping me entertained and distracted from the pain when I am ill!

My children are able to use the features of the tablet to pinch, select, turn and type emails to their family, using a simple email app. They also play with their Moshi Monsters, dance to films on YouTube, and draw and make videos. They can do all this with me in my bed, when I’m ill- there is no bit of kit in the equipment store that you could say that about! So a tablet computer can help me to perform the life role of “Mum”, even when I have a disability that makes some activities very difficult indeed.

Image

I know people who use Siri as speech recognition software- where they have spasm or pain in their fingers, for instance. (p.s. if you have Siri, do ask him/her “Who let the dogs out?”- it’s very funny!)

But this isn’t an advert for Apple, and yes, other tablet computers are available (my partner loves his Google Nexus). We’re thinking about equipment in it’s broadest sense, and how it enables us to perform occupations and life roles.

COT partnering with Boots

We’re also prompted to consider this topic in the light of the recent announcement by the COT of the new partnership they have developed with Boots- please see http://www.cot.co.uk/homepage/new-partnership-puts-occupational-therapy-high-street

Do we think this promotes the benefits of OT to a wider audience?

Are there concerns related to this?

Does it help or hinder the public perception of OT to be linked so explicitly with equipment provision- after all, we do so much more?

I know you will have lots of brilliant examples of how equipment helps you to live life your way. You may also have opinions about COT partnering with Boots. To join in the conversation, please join us for our Twitter chat tonight at 8-9pm.

Just add #occhat to your tweets, so we can all see them. And do please remember your responsibilities related to your HPC registration when you Tweet.

See you there!

Filed under CPD, Healthcare Apps, Occupational Therapy, Social Media, Twitter, Uncategorized Tagged with , , , ,

#MindTech- Thoughts and Reflections

March 31, 2012 1 Comment


This post discusses the recent Mind Tech Unconference, a transcript of the back channel discussing the day can be found in my previous post http://claireot.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/mindtech-the-unconference-grabchat/

There are several issues that I immediately wished to comment on, namely, commissioning criteria in the new health economy, how this is impacted on by the ides of  #mentalhealthpound, the scope of using Apps to support mental health, social prescribing, and the place of the social enterprise in poulation based mental health promotion activity.

Commissioning

This point in time is fairly unique, in terms of the transitions happening in healthcare commissioning I was reliably informed at the #AHPNorth Conference this week by very senior members of the Department of Health just how the new commissioning environment is likely to work. Currently, the system of tariffs for work done has contributed to the “Cinderella” nature of mental health services, as well as thorny issues in attempts to implement Payment by Results etc. One of the salient points is that rather than rely on these historic tariffs as a system for commissioning care, we are more likely to see population based commissioning coming to the fore. Now, one of the advantages of this is that (in theory) it then becomes possible for a successful mental health promotion service to be commissioned, if they can show an effect at  population level for reducing the incidence of mental illness, and a reduction on other areas of the service such as inpatient admissions. This has huge implications for the work of organisations working to promote good mental health such as Moodscope and Mindapples, who both presented information at the Mind Tech event. I’m not clear about the outlined ideas of the #mentalhealthpound presented at the event, but look forward to exploring these and looking at how this in combination with the commissioning environment means we can address funding issues relating to many fantastic projects that many people like myself wish to engage with.

Apps

We all know that the recent MapsandApps project run by the Department of Health was a huge success, and that it really shifted some thinking about how to use crowdsourcing and technology to help to address health inequalities, and to promote good health. In my opinion, this benefit has hardly been touched on in health services, and particularly in mental health services. There are concerns with the Informatics agenda related to this. Who owns the information uploaded by the patient? What are the ethics of allowing the app development company to be selling this (anonymised) information on as another income stream? If these issues are worked out, how do they impact on how our statutory services are funded-will they be expected to pursue similar revenue streams using their valuable data?

It is also worth noting that apps and devices that can take advantage of gaming theory could have an impact on adherence to treatment regimens, perhaps even medications compliance. We know that there is a cost impact to this- as people adhering to treatment regimes and medications schedules are cheaper to engage in health services. If we see the wholesale adoption of gamification in tech applications in health and mental health, how will this affect the bottom line of organisations delivering care?

We know the future is co-morbidity. In the same way that we are now comfortable with APIs that mash up data from several social networks, could we see implications in Telecare and Telemedicine as APIs are developed that mash up data gathered by different specialists, different healthcare providers, that bring personalised, granulated information down to the point of care delivery by doctors and healthcare providers? What does it mean for the de-professionalisation of medical and therapeutic services when these APIs become available to the general public? Will they result in greater self-care, or will they result in people choosing to treat themselves rather than engage in formal healthcare provision?

Social Prescribing- or Occupational Therapy?

I was interested to read one of the first blogs produced upon reflection of the Mind Tech event, by Puffles (working, as ever, with his Bestest Buddy). To read the blog, please see here http://adragonsbestfriend.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/mind-tech-unconference-30-march-2012/

I can’t resist adding one of my favourite photos from Mind Tech: here is @Puffles
lovely to meet @Puffles2010 and his charming handler at #mind... on Twitpic

Picture from @Gandy’s FlickR site, used with thanks.

Bestest Buddy has frankly documented his own difficulties with managing his menetal health, and gives us a great insight into tunderstanding of the nature of mental illness. He describes:

one of the big challenges I faced was getting away from the idea that a short course of medication was going to solve things. It didn’t and it hasn’t. If anything, it’s made me realise that medication in my case has only suppressed the worst of the symptoms and that a longer term recovery is only going to be achieved through a tailored/personalised combination of other things.

Bestest Buddy relates his idea

Conditions such as moderate to mild depression and anxiety by their nature affect and are affected by the lifestyles that we lead. Every time I’ve been through an acute period of anxiety, depression or generally being ‘a mess’ I’ve tried to pick myself up by trying new actions and activities to deal with it.

When I read this sentence, I was struck by the notion that if I had been asked to define what mental health occupational therapy does, my definition would have been very close to that of Bestest Buddy’s idea of social prescribing.

giving patients and GPs the option of looking at what activities might be beneficial for patients I think would be brilliant. Rather than a course of medication and a few sessions of counselling alone, what about things that can complement such treatments? And how about making them on the NHS? This could include things like exercise classes, cooking classes covering things such as foods that help and hinder conditions such as anxiety. It’s one thing saying ‘avoid X,Y & Z’ but quite another to build it into a lifestyle.

It is clear that despite the wish of the public for activity based intervention to mediate mental health difficulty, this is not associated with Occupational Therapy treatment We have to ask ourselves as a profession, why is this? Despite our rich and growing evidence base within the profession and the related dicipline of occupational science, why is the message not getting through to the general public about what we do? How can it be that people who are engaged in mental  health treatment, and who are in attendance at events with other members of clinical staff are not being informed that what they are talking about is occupational therapy?

This is a topic we may cover on the #OTalk #occhat hashtags on Tuesday nights as part of our regular weekly peer-supervision Tweetchats. I think its an issue that deserves some of our attention. The analysis, prescription, and grading of activity to facilitate health really is the bread and butter of what we as OTs can offer. In the new health ecology, we need as a profession to start to stand up and define ourselves in terms that the public can understand- perhaps social prescribing should be added to our list of core competencies? I certainly believe that this is in line with advice I have taken on board from Karen Middleton, the Chief Health Professions Officer at DH after listening to her rousing speech at the AHP North conference.

Social Enterprises in Population Based Commissioning

Taking on board the Section above looking at commissioning, it becomes clear that this is a real opportunity for ex-NHS staff, service uers, mental health activists, and social entrepreneurs who want to make a shift into promoting mental health rather than waiting for mental illness to develop. It’s my belief that this commissioning environment will start to have an impact on the number of Social Enterprises, and the reach that they will have- moving out from community development activities into health promotion, and hopefully into peer-support networks commissioned to mediate mental illness.

I’m working on an interesting Social Enterprise idea which uses peer-support, in combination with appropriate APIs and my Occuaptional Therapy background to both promote good mental health and to catch the early warning signs of mental illness developing. Although it is a worrying time for people who care about healthcare in our Country, I am beginning to think that if we do get this sea-change in the nature of commissioning decisions, then we can see the stage opening up for players like myself and many others, who find their innovative ideas are very difficult to develop within traditional statutory services, and within the big voluntary sector organisations. We are nimble and agile in our peer-to-peer solutions to these issues, perhaps our time has come?

Filed under AHP, Anxiety, Commons, Conference, CPD, Depression, Evidence based practice, Inpatient Services, Recovery, Reflection, Social Media Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

#benefitscamp hack day at Westminster Hub @FutureGov

February 21, 2012 10 Comments


I was intrigued to see the hack day advertised through my networks, hosted by the Westminster Hub and Future Gov, and the invite list looked like it contained a good mix of people from all different walks of life. I knew I wouldn’t be able to attend in person, so I thought I would test out my theory that it would be possible to participate in an event like this entirely online. The advertising led me to believe I wouldn’t be the only one participating in this way, so I thought it would be a great experience.

I also believed that my dual perspective as a healthcare professional and as a person with a disability and limiting condition meant that my insight might be of value to the group, although I wasn’t sure I was expert in any particular area. I thought that at the very least I could contribute my skills in group facilitation and help the other participants voices to be heard. So, with a mixture of excitement and trepidation, I waited for the day to approach.

I feel strongly that the population of this country support the right of its citizens to fair treatment and a basic level of income no matter what our personal circumstances are. It is my concern that we are facing a political narrative that the economic crises we face are as a result of an “overindulgent” welfare state. I disagree with this opinion. I believe that the welfare state guarantees the basis of many of our freedoms in this country, and is a marker of our civilization.

As a person with a disability, it is important for my self-esteem to work. However, I am unable to work in the way that I did before I became disabled. My situation is not unusual, I have met many people online who wish to have the right work- work which suits their personal circumstances, the adjustments they have to make to accommodate their health and disability, work that is supportive of their recovery and which promotes self-esteem and societal regard. This may, or may not, include paid work. Volunteering and community work, caring responsibilities, childcare, study, all these activities are grouped under the heading of “productivity” for occupational therapists, and when I discuss work, these activities are all implicit under that description.

The hack camp decided on several themes that were important to the people in the room and the people online. These were:

1. Money saving and sharing

2. Personal data

3. Local impact

4. Better communication / information

5. Collaboration and peer to peer support

6. Skills and volunteering

7. Jobs, flexible working and enterprise

8. Better admin

Through conversations with the people involved, I decided that the group that I most naturally belonged in was the jobs, flexible working and enterprise group.

Here is a little further description of the group aims:

7. Jobs, flexible working and enterprise: be allowed to get income from work around benefits system, home working for people with disabilities, support for people to start their own business, post a profile of yourself and make employers find you, new types of jobs as old work models outdated, confidence-building to encourage people to have confidence to apply for jobs

  • Home Work Net – “Bring your service back in house – Literally!” – Home Working
  • Bring in an enterprise scheme, reduced or no rate for 2/3 years.  Possible tax concessions
  • People allowed to work flexibly on benefits – like consultancy
  • You should be so lucky – profiles to show skills, employers come and find people – reverse recruitment
  • Welfare/benefits sat nav.  Given skills, it plots path through to desired job outcome based on what other people with similar skills have done
  • How can the benefits system better reflect the changing patterns of work – FLEXIBLE
  • How can we reduce the stress of the application process?
  • @janetedavis: confidence-building to encourage people to have confidence to apply for jobs (using social media/web)
  • @CathyAitchison: the concept of ‘jobs’ is outdated – need a way of thinking which counts/values all areas in a person’s life via a paid job, freelence, voluntary, care (family) – could an electronic system manage a person’s ‘credits’ of all kinds?

Participation in this group was incredible. The members of the group were spread all over the country, from the Isle of Wight to Newcastle, (@creativecrip @claireot @nancyrowena @janetedavis with two members on-site at the Westminster Hub (@Lisybabes and @Lucy_Watt)

Incredibly, within the space of an hour, our team had developed a website (currently kindly hosted by @creativecrip) which used a bespoke logo and presented our findings in blog format.

The site is still under construction, but provides a space where we may return to our findings and refine them with reference to future funding opportunities or other ways to develop our ideas. Having a skeleton site up and running in the short time available is, in itself, testament to the currently underused skills and abilities of people with disabilities, who are currently excluded from making choices in the jobs market that fit their circumstances.

We worked on our presentation as a Google Doc, which meant that it was hosted in the cloud and accessible to all of us for editing and commenting.

We talked about our presentation using Skype chat facility, which meant we were able to share our opinions and improvements for the project as we went along.

Our presentation was a mock-up of a user interface for a website or mobile application which detailed how we thought we should develop the ability for the benefits system to accommodate the various different work patterns likely for those with fluctuating conditions.
If you would like to view it, it is available below.

I have to mention the amazing job that Lucy and Lisa did in facilitating this in the physical space of the workshop. We online participants felt as involved as if we had been there in person- we had as much influence on the project development as the people in the room. I felt it was an important model of inclusive practice, which still seems to be an alien concept for so many events when simple adjustments such as these made our participation possible.

Participants in the group were:

Lucy Watt (@Lucy_Watt)

Lisa Egan (@Lisybabe)  http://wheresthebenefit.blogspot.com/

Lisa Ellwood (@CreativeCrip) http://uk.linkedin.com/in/iconicimagery

Nancy Farrell (@nancyrowina) http://www.nancythroughthelookingglass.blogspot.com/

Janet Davies (@janetedavies)

Filed under Digital Inclusion, Interprofessional practice, Recovery, Social Inclusion, Social Media, Web 2.0 Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

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