Our Blog

I was offered an opportunity to attend a course on Developing Your Team’s Resilience which is a five-session training programme where different topics were covered each month. And guess what? The topics that caught most of my attention were constructive conversation and emotional intelligence. The course has really made a difference in my work and personal relationships. So, what is constructive conversation and emotional intelligence?

Change is a fundamental aspect of delivering effective treatment within mental health services.  Innovation enables us to respond to patient needs, work more efficiently and embed excellent clinical practice in accordance with latest research.  It is widely reported that a key component for initiating and sustaining change is supporting and validating the emotional impact it has on our workforce.  Yet, at times the growing pressures to meet demands with fewer resources causes personal factors to be overlooked in mental health services. Instead, projects can prioritise surface level adjustments that promote organisations without addressing underlying issues.  This culture can lead to a demotivation of a work force whilst being counterproductive for services.

This blog reflects on observations of an innovative project that considered emotional transition of team members to collectively embed meaningful and effective change.  This project took place in a forensic environment and was aimed at increasing opportunities for patients to engage in vocational activity.  Patients within Forensic services experience a lack of opportunities to gain employment when discharged due to stigma and restrictions around their offences.  

As an Occupational therapist we practice that motivation and confidence is necessary for completing a task to a good standard. As human beings we see each other everyday strive to feel important, have a sense of control and seek personal satisfaction. A lot of us choose careers that perhaps we have an underlying skill in, a passion for or enjoy doing. Yes, of course we get paid, but we also chose our careers for a sense of job satisfaction. So, what happens if our desired profession doesn't give us the self-esteem boost or feeling of power that we had planned? 

Multiple morbidity across the lifespan in people with Down Syndrome or intellectual disability: Population-based cohort study using electronic health records

What is in your leadership toolbox? 

Resilient leaders can sustain their energy levels under pressure and are able to cope and adapt to disruptive changes. The concept of leadership, resilience, emotional intelligence, mindset, stress, and wellbeing are interconnected and often referenced in the field of leadership training. They explore individual and group dynamics to help answer questions on how best to leverage benchmarks such as performance, productivity, and staff wellbeing. This blog touches on these concepts to help you understand their connections and how they can be applied to develop functional teams.