5 Tips to get started with the new programme

A new Girl Guiding web page has been launched with tips on getting started on the new programme, look under making guiding happen-how we're being our best-discover, grow: updates for members. It's a bit animation heavy!

Tip no 3 is all about getting the girls to do the planning and I couldn't agree more, its adding a new dimension to planning the programme in that we are doing it differently now. The extra effort is going into the back end to record the UMA's & Skills Builders undertaken rather than in the planning stage. The times on both elements of the programme are over estimated, as we are finding so many of the activities the girls have already done at school so they are storming their way through them! Can't wait to buy and try the new UMA's.

The interest badges are working well, the girls are doing them at home, but we're making a really big deal when they do, and getting them to present to the rest of the unit. So far we've seen coin collections, heard counting in French, read a thank you letter from grandparents and flown paper airplanes. This is generating interest amongst the other brownies and keeping the idea of doing a badge at home in their sights.

Region Safeguarding Forms

Girlguiding South West Region have made available safeguarding forms including a guidance sheet on how to complete them. Part 1 is a Notification concern form and should be used after a disclosure has been made to Safeguarding at HQ or your Commissioner. Part 2 is a Concern form and is designed to allow for the recording of all actions as they are taken and importantly the guidance note provides email addresses at Region & HQ and details on when to delete the form from your local records. They are available from the Region "useful downloads" page at safeguarding@ggswe.org.uk.

I did try to download the national pdf from from the Girlguiding website but couldn't make it work, so for our Region, this is a useful resource. I've printed for my next Safe Space L3 training on Saturday.

Free domestic abuse training

The training was launched in November and is running in several parts of the UK it runs over 2 days,  is free and aimed at any one in the community who comes into contact with people and could support others who need help. It's worth 12 CPD points and Woman's Aid (who appear to be the main promoters) are looking to establish Community Ambassadors as a result of undertaking the training. It looks like a really good idea, I just wish I could spare the 2 days to do the training. Further details are available at:
https://www.womensaid.org.uk/our-approach-change-that-lasts/askme/ask-join-scheme/

Evaluation Safe Space L3 (revised)

I did discover a new risk to add to my risk assessment and that is the M5 being closed - it was really eerie being on a completely empty motorway yesterday morning. I think I must have joined just as they closed it above our junction, luckily I had built a lot of time into set up so it was ok, but glad I wasn't diverted down the A38.

I had 20 leaders in the morning and only 10 in the afternoon. The quality of the discussion was much richer, I think  partly, because of three disclosures being made, but also because the new revised slides brought more detail to the discussion. Contributions included a nurse with experience of FGM, and 2 leaders with non-guiding disclosures from a long time ago. Fortunately both had had very positive legal outcomes and this provided a good rationale for why the training was necessary. Also had a leader who needed to use the quiet room at the break.

I'm going to cull even more slides now as the more detailed ones mean I'm summing up with the material from the later slides before I get to them (I know some of the content so well by now I don't need the slides). I'm also getting  a bit more of the content into the facilitation of the exercise's so it feels less stilted.

I had a leader in the afternoon who clearly didn't want to be there so I made a point of drawing her into discussion and fortunately her mate was engaged. I fixed it so they got the EastEnders type scenario, and as I suspected that provided the opportunity to discuss how things should be handled regardless of what you may want to do!

The pm group who were mainly from outside Bristol had been told it was a 2.5 hour training with the last 30 mins on the follow up conversation for L2. Obviously that didn't happen but I told them all to go back and ask their DC's about the follow up conversation. Odd it hadn't come up in the morning group.

I thought I would be getting bored of L3 trainings by now having done it so many times, but I think the richness of the Leaders input is adding to the interest for me. Whilst in essence the content is the same each time the end product is shaped very much by the Leaders level of participation. Therefore I'm learning new stuff each time myself. There was a Leader with a connection to women's shelters who was telling everybody about new training that had just been launched called "Ask Me for Abusers" so I'm going to check that out next, as well as do the FGM e-learning.

Level 3 again next month in my own division so haven't even unpacked my bag!      

An inclusive icebreaker should be.....

Foolproof             has been tested and works
Amusing               leaders should enjoy it
Bridged                 linked to the topic of the training if possible
Unique                  leaders should not have done it before
Lively                   has movement and interaction
Optimistic             is positive and non-threatening
Uncomplicated      is easy to explain and organise
Short                     lasts between 5 and 10 minutes.

I found this today by accident, whilst searching for something else, now all we need is one to help us remember the 6 themes!