Do you work in the care sector? Help this Fellow-led project develop

RSA Catalyst grant recipient Lydia Hirst FRSA seeks care providers with whom to test the Talk Reflection App.

Reflect, Recruit, Retain

It’s in the news! Finding and keeping care workers is a nightmare and yet with more people living beyond 85, the need is growing rapidly. Staff turnover is almost double other professions. How can we help?

Clinicians are taught to reflect on their experiences as part of their training. It is understood that experiential learning is very powerful: the process of bringing back to the front of one’s mind emotions and experiences helps to embed the learning. Reflection has many definitions: part intuition, part remembering, part learning, ideally all leading to problem solving and new solutions. By collaborating in groups, reflections can be shared with others to enhance the experience, as the comments and perspectives which others bring offer greater opportunities to discover new ideas and solutions.

At present, carers are not expected to undertake reflection formally as part of their development, although many will do so informally. The Talk Reflection App, developed as part of the pan-European MIRROR project on Computer Supported Collaborative Working, has been proven to help groups of care workers. It connects care workers across shifts, units or different locations. It offers support, reduces isolation, helps the group generate new ideas, gives supervisors and managers insights into real situations and builds confidence in communicating and addressing challenging situations. It’s a simple messaging tool, easy to use and built for professional use with appropriate security.

Get Involved

Several academic trials have been undertaken with positive results. We are now seeking care providers with whom to work to test the App for a period of 3-6 months to prove its efficacy and improve the User Interface. Currently in discussion with providers in London, St Albans, Manchester and Devon, in both residential and home care provision, we would welcome further interest.

For more information see www.talkreflection.com or contact Lydia on 07958 445902.