Life Academy's Practice of Faciliation programme attracts people from many varied professions and interests. Gail Maguire, the Manager of a Guildford based Cancer centre, attended the introductory course in the Spring of 2005. Gail says:
"My initial interest in the Facilitation programme Level One was fuelled for two reasons. Firstly, as the Manager of a small cancer charity within an NHS setting, we are always looking to meet the needs of a greater number of patients and to provide more effective services. Facilitating a group support programme was one option that came to mind. This would enable cancer patients and their carers to take stock, to make sense of their situation and to share with others experiences from a similar journey. Secondly, I had previously undertaken a postgraduate module with Life Academy that I found both satisfying and rewarding and therefore anticipated this facilitation programme would prove to be as invaluable.
The programme covered all the tools I needed to become a facilitator. Focusing on facilitation at a micro, macro and meta level, identifying skills and competencies required for facilitation and becoming aware of those we already had. This was drawn together by exploring relevant theories for practice.
The programme was well paced giving adequate time for process and reflection. The richness of the group experience enhanced my overall knowledge and understanding.
I have learnt to feel more confident as a co-facilitator which means in practice that I get much more out of facilitating. The programme has allowed me to promote experiential learning within a patient group. It has enabled me to guide a group through the complex stages of the cancer journey. With the awareness that each participant has different learning styles, which will impact the way they behave in a group.
One of the best outcomes for me from this programme was that I could instantly apply it to practice. A gap had been idenitified in service provision and as a direct result of the facilitation programme, a course was designed to address this need. The programme was assessed through four assignments that linked theory and observed practice which enabled me to feel confident in delivering my first faciltated Bereavement Support Programme. This specific programme has continued, with further courses currently being designed for delivery.
The facilitation programme has equipped me to work with groups, thus meeting the needs of a greater number of people. In the longer term this is a more financial viable way for the charity to extend its range of services."
