Category: Triangle

Vacancy: Client Services Advisor

Posted on by Donna

Looking for a new challenge? Are you interested in being a part of a social enterprise and with supporting our client organisations to make a measurable difference in the lives of vulnerable service users?

Triangle is seeking a capable client services advisor to support our clients, and provide excellent customer service to assist in responding to pre-sales and post-sales enquiries, provide a first point of contact with organisations and individuals and more.

We’re looking for a pleasant and self-confident customer service professional, preferably with familiarity and experience in the health care and social sectors, who will respond to all client enquiries and advise clients on our products and services. Working closely with your colleagues, you will help clients and prospective clients to make the right decisions about how their frontline services can evidence and support change of service users and ensure organisations have the right licences and training to use the Outcomes Star.

The Client Services Advisor will play a vital role in responding to and managing the growing level of enquiries about the Outcomes Star. You will have great listening skills, able to identify and respond to concerns, queries and issues and provide information to organisations. You will be great at handling enquiries, as well as pinpointing key individuals in the organisations and building rapport and relationships with them. Main tasks will include answering telephone and digital enquiries, and understanding how our clients work, the services that they offer and their needs, as well as the needs of the people that they help. You’ll also work to help them to discover if the Star is relevant for their needs and, if so, which Outcomes Star will best fit with their requirements.  You will also need to use Salesforce and generate quotes, provide account maintenance to existing clients, follow up and continue to build on those relationships.

Ideally, the successful applicant will be based in Hove, although we are open to flexible working arrangements.

Find out more and apply

Visit our Careers page to find out more about us and the role.

*****

You can download the job description and application form from our careers page to see if this is the next step for you. If you’d like an informal conversation about the position, please email miranda@triangleconsulting.co.uk

Making that change: new year, new role

Posted on by Donna
Jim Boreland

Changing jobs during a pandemic, just before Christmas, isn’t usually the best laid plan of mice and men. But for Jim Borland, Triangle’s Implementation Lead (Scotland), the opportunity to work at Triangle was too hard to resist…

“I saw the role of Implementation Lead as an opportunity to do something different and worthwhile, learn new skills and meet new people (albeit virtually), and help support others making big changes in their lives. That in turn would provide me with the motivation to look forward to each working day, instead of looking back with a degree of disappointment.”

When’s the best time to change jobs?

Just before Christmas probably isn’t an ideal time,  especially in the midst of a pandemic. I expect a lot of people would be more inclined towards the status quo and not opening themselves up to any more potential risk, but that’s the time I happened to start working with the team behind the Outcomes Star.

Prior to this, I was in a stable, well-paid job that utilised my skills, with working hours and a flexibility around them that was good for the work / life balance. Nevertheless, everything was very much the same day after day. Looking back, the phrase ‘Ground hog Day’ springs to mind, as each day merged into one, and I was left at the end of it thinking, “What did I actually achieve?” Generally, the answer was “nothing” or “not a lot” and, whilst there was no pressure on me to do any more than I was, I found myself becoming really de-motivated and wanting to feel as if I was contributing more during my working day, rather than just being present. So, something needed to change.

Making that change

When I reflect on the past 40 odd years of my working life, a lot of career changes have happened around Christmas time. The opportunity to move to Triangle was no different in timing, so maybe it was fate telling me to move on and do something different. So that’s what I did!

It was fascinating to me when speaking to former colleagues before I left, that the most common statements said to me were – “I’m really sorry you’re leaving” and “I wish it were me”. I think that speaks volumes and if anything gave me some justification about my decision to move on. 

I saw the role of Implementation Lead as an opportunity to do something different and worthwhile, learn new skills and meet new people (albeit virtually), and help support others making big changes in their lives. That in turn would provide me with the motivation to look forward to each working day, instead of looking back with a degree of disappointment.

Working with Triangle

After I started, the first thing that struck me was how welcoming everyone was and how willing they were to spend time with me to explain about their roles and their experiences (good and challenging) and help me to settle in and feel part of the team. I know that’s generally part of any induction, but for me, this felt very genuine and not just a thing that had to be done. I’ve never worked anywhere else, where everyone from the Directors down to staff on the ground (and everyone in-between) took the time to talk to me and welcome me to my new role.

That meant a lot to me and again, it’s interesting speaking to the other new members of the Triangle team who have felt the same about their own onboarding experience; I think it’s something that everyone should take a great deal of pride in.

As for my role, so far, it’s everything I thought it would be. It’s busy and at times challenging as I get to grips with new working practices and processes, especially the IT whilst working remotely!

But perhaps the biggest difference to how you would normally start a new job, is that this introduction to Triangle, and all the other meetings I’ve had since I started, have taken place remotely. That, is in no way strange due to the circumstances we find ourselves in. However, it does give me the opportunity of meeting people away from the traditional formal ‘face to face’ settings within an office. With our current ways of working, I get to see people in their natural environment, without any ‘professional’ trappings around them.

For me, being able to look past the person to see the art on their wall, what their workspace looks like, what’s out of their window and being able to speak to them when they’re sitting on a couch or at the kitchen table surrounded by their children and partners, rather than across an office table, gives me more of flavour of the ‘real’ person. In my opinion, that can only lead to more honest and open relationships, which in turn enhances the whole of the work experience.

As a result, this ‘positive’ impact of the pandemic, in causing us to change from the traditional working methods, has hopefully been beneficial and given us a better understanding of each other, rather than just a work ‘image’ of a colleague.

So, as I finish looking back over my first few months in my new job, I can honestly say I’m glad I made the move. It’s been a good start and provides a solid base from which I can build on.

*****

Sign up to our newsletter to get updates on Triangle, news on Outcomes Stars and new resources and more. Contact us to speak to Jim or anyone else on the team, or if you would like any more information.

Introducing Miranda Costin, Triangle’s Finance and HR Administrator

Posted on by Donna
Headshot photo of Miranda Costin

Miranda Costin joined Triangle in the role of Finance and HR Administrator just over 3 months ago. Here she shares why she joined the team, what it was like joining during lockdown and how her expectations have been exceeded in more ways than one…

How did I hear about Triangle?

I was sitting ’round my friend’s kitchen table (socially distanced, of course) when I mentioned to her that I would really like to work for an organisation that makes a difference, especially in the current climate. She said “Have you heard of a job site called Charity Jobs? It’s specifically for charities, not for profit and third sector organisations to advertise their vacant positions”. A cup of tea later and a quick boot-up of the laptop led me to Triangle’s ad for a Finance and HR Administrator. I applied…

Interviewing amid a pandemic?

A few weeks after applying, I was over the moon to hear from Triangle with a date for an initial interview. As there couldn’t be any face-to-face contact we arranged a Zoom call instead.
I had a total of three interviews.

  • The first was all about the position itself with the Finance and HR Director.
  • The second was with two potential colleagues.
  • The third was with the Managing Director.

 

Henrietta

“Three interviews?!” I hear you cry. Yes, and apart from the first one, which included some actual accounting tasks, the calls were more like informal chats. To give you an idea… I was in my son’s bedroom (the Wi-Fi signal is strongest there) and someone spotted the vivarium to the side of me. At first, I think they thought “Is it a snake?!”, but I explained it was my son’s pet bearded dragon and offered to show her to them. Afterwards I was sure me digressing from the task in hand meant I’d scuppered my chances. Who in their right mind would do that during an interview?! But I was wrong, the next day I was offered the job!

Meeting the team

The week before my start date I was invited to their annual “Away Day”, which due to COVID was more of a “Together Day” via Zoom. With presentations, a “who’s desk is this?” quiz and an afternoon conversation café/social it was a great way to meet the team. I also received a bottle of bubbles beforehand to raise a toast to Triangle’s achievements and the new year ahead.

Work-life, home-life

My first week and a half at Triangle followed a well-structured induction.  My predecessor moved on to pastures new, so I went solo fairly quickly, working from home. On top of this who could have predicted a third lockdown? My children were with me, at home and needing support with their home-schooling. Arghhhhh!

A day in the life as Finance and HR Administrator:

My day normally starts around 8:00am when I download the bank feed and let relevant departments know what monies have come in. I then work through my emails and any accounts related tasks I have in my diary for that day, raising sales invoices, bill processing, credit control, staff expenses etc. I’m soon to take on payroll and HR duties in the coming months.  A fair part of my week is taken up with Zoom meetings with colleagues but I’m sure this will subside when we’re back in the office, whenever that may be. I close making sure most emails (particularly the urgent ones!) have been answered.

What do I bring to the role?

Having worked in accounts for over 25 years I bring depth of experience an all-round good understanding of bookkeeping procedures and excellent time-management skills. Such a role is integral to an organisation, as is one that supplies the team with cake and baked goods – I’m hoping my daughter will keep up with her newfound lockdown skills of baking so I can bring her creations in for my colleagues!

Three fun facts about me:

  • At the age of 11 was advised by career advisor to become a bicycle repair (wo)man. I started studying English instead and ended up working in accounts.
  • Whilst working for an African Cargo Airline almost ended up on a flight from Shannon in Ireland to Tripoli in Lybia on a horse flight for Colonel Ghadaffi. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have my passport on me that day!
  • During Whalefest 2015 tried to convince Michaela Strachan that she used to present Big Cat Diary, completely mixing her up with Saba Douglas- Hamilton. So embarrassing!

Fast forward

It’s been a bit stressful at times, but overall, I’m really enjoying it. Working at Triangle and home-schooling! I can be on a Zoom call and my daughter walks in needing help with her schoolwork or my son starts playing his guitar in the room next to mine.  I’ve been able to get to know my colleagues really well having discussed tooth decay, digestion, art projects and various other school topics in parallel to doing my work! The team is really friendly and veery supportive of one other. They are an amazing bunch!

The “hopefully not too distant” future

So far, I have met two of my colleagues in person as well as my predecessor. While remote working hasn’t hindered my induction or onboarding experience, I’m really looking forward to being in the office and meeting the rest of the team. Until then, my cats will continue to walk over the keyboard and my daughter will remind me it’s time to log off!

*****

Sign up to our newsletter to get updates on Triangle, news on Outcomes Stars and new resources and more. Contact us if you would like any more information.

International Women’s Day: I didn’t choose to challenge – but that’s the outcome

Posted on by Donna
sara

Sara Burns reflects on the 2021 International Women's Day theme “choose to challenge” in relation to founding a women-led organisation and creating the Outcomes Stars.

She highlights the recently published Change Star, which is designed to help reduce violence against women and being presented this week at the ANROWS conference in Australia.

I haven’t chosen to challenge. That’s not how it feels. Challenge was not what motivated us, as three women creating the effective and widely used Outcomes Star tools, and Triangle, our successful social enterprise. Rather, my response – our response – was always to recognise when something wasn’t working and get on with finding a better way. We never overtly challenged, confronted criticism or found out what the competition might be, we just didn’t accept the status quo and did something different. We didn’t have the time or energy to directly challenge because there was so much call for what we were doing, because it worked for people in a huge range of services. We invested our energy in creating tools that were helpful, engaging, demystifying and accessible. It felt pragmatic and positive and it did challenge. It still does.

Doing things differently does challenge

I was working in monitoring and evaluation of health and social care, particularly addiction services, in the late 1990s when the concept of outcomes measurement first crossed from the States to the UK. I was commissioned to look at what that would mean, on the assumption that it was wholly inappropriate. I concluded that while funding on the basis of blunt, end outcomes was unhelpful, focusing monitoring more fully on the people you support and understanding how change happens for them, could be transformative. Rather than focus on ‘bums on seats’, this opened the potential to listen to people and witness their progress directly and holistically. Further, I could find practical ways to identify and measure even amorphous, internal changes so they could be part of the conversation. That was 20 years ago, and my work won a charity award. I was invited to speak at conferences and widely challenged. I hadn’t chosen to challenge, but I had found a different approach.

We just didn't accept the status quo and did something different.

Sara Burns Tweet

Creating the Star and Triangle as a women-led social enterprise

A couple of years later, around my kitchen table, the ‘triangle’ of Joy MacKeith, Kate Graham and I were grappling with the considerable challenge of measuring how people change across the wide range of St Mungo’s services. We were faced with far more variables and questions than anyone could possibly be asked in a questionnaire. Out of our grappling arose the prototype for the Outcomes Star, a genuine collaboration and co-creation. Working together was so effective, the three of us formed Triangle. That was nearly 20 years and 40 Outcomes Stars ago. Kate moved on after a few years, choosing new challenges, and recently, we recruited a managing director, a man, but Triangle is still mostly women-led, with a workforce of mainly women. We are passionate about work life balance, having created the enterprise while raising children; we believe people, and especially women, can have meaningful and responsible roles, part time and without working silly hours.

The Star supports gentle, considered and appropriate challenge

Choosing to challenge is relevant when it comes to using the Outcomes Star and challenge is a word often used in Star training for workers. It is a gentle, considered and appropriate challenge. When a worker sits down with someone they support, the Star can help guide a conversation about the different aspects of their life, and the completed Star reflects information back to both of them in an accessible, visual way. Workers need all their keyworking skills to choose when to focus on building trusting relationships, reassurance and confidence and when to challenge someone’s perspective or point out dissonance. The aim is to arrive at a realistic, shared understanding of where somebody is in their journey of recovery or change, so that support can be tailored to what they need and can engage with.

Further, the Star can be used not only for workers to challenge, but to be challenged by those they support, who can use the Star to collect evidence of the difficulties they face and the achievements they make. That can demonstrate powerfully how the service user can take responsibility for and drive the change processes they are involved in. There aren’t many tools out there that provide this opportunity, but by being collaborative, accessible, visual and shared, the Star does.

Creating the Change Star for men – to challenge violence against women

Using the Star to help workers challenge is perhaps particularly pertinent to the new Change Star, being presented as a poster last week at the ANROWS conference in Australia. Developed in collaboration with UnitingCare Queensland, it is for use with men who have been violent or abusive in other ways towards women partners or ex-partners and are in support programmes to change. I lead on and am integral to the development of new versions of the Star, now supported by a small team. I find it completely fascinating to engage at that level in a new sector, listening to people and understanding how things change for those they support. Often, I get to hear from clients directly, and they are always part of the co-creation process. It is rare that I am not excited when we start a new Star. But the Change Star was one of those – our exploratory literature review was not optimistic about the outcomes of these support programmes and it was not a client group I was interested to get to know.

From the first workshop, my views were challenged, through listening to workers who run groups in the change programmes, who are themselves fascinated by what motivates the men and how to enable at least some of them to make real and lasting change. I wasn’t confident that the Star was the right tool, because most versions for adults rely on the potential for self-awareness and honesty, at least as people progress. But it does work. The Journey of Change maps progress from men not recognising or denying any wrongdoing or harm, including some men who are experts at image management, through different levels of acknowledgment and taking responsibility. Towards the top of the scales, men are able to put themselves in the shoes of the women they have harmed and get some understanding of the impact from the women’s perspective. This is key to enabling them to make lasting changes. Not all get there.

The Change Star also recognises that many men who are abusive have also been abused or traumatised. We needed to write the scales to hit the right tone between not colluding with the men and not shaming them, as shame is so unhelpful for change. I was inspired by the workers because they are expert at that, learning when and how they choose to challenge, without collusion or shaming, enabling the men to recognise and build on the positive strengths and values they do have to confront the harm they have caused and how they need to change to be safe for women and children to be around. The pilot response was extraordinarily positive; the Star helped make the change process more transparent and shared, giving men in the programs clear feedback about where they were and their possible next steps.

The vast majority of the Outcomes Stars are ungendered. The only other exceptions are the Empowerment Star for women who have experienced domestic abuse, and one of the suite of Family Stars – the New Mums Star. Others for parents are largely used with women as they tend to be the ones engaged with services to enable their children to thrive, but those and also the Parent & Baby Star in the field of perinatal health mental health equally work with fathers and those who are gender diverse.

Challenge helps us keep learning and responding to a changing world

The Outcomes Stars being out there so widely, naturally invites challenge. This we welcome. We choose to respond to challenge and engage with it as helpful information. The world has changed a lot in the 15 years that we have been developing versions of the Star, and we have learned a lot in developing successive versions, now spanning conception to grave. The challenge includes in relation to gender. For example, we are currently reviewing the first Star we created, in the homelessness sector; one of the reasons to review now is that women made up a very small proportion of the client group when we first developed it in 2006, but many services now support significant numbers of women who are homeless. We are sometimes challenged about the Stars that are gendered, including the Empowerment Star, which we are also reviewing this year. However, in that case it is clear that the vast majority of domestic violence and abuse is against women, even more so looking at serious abuse and death, so while we are open to collaborating on a variant that could be for men and gender diverse, we will keep the focus on women for that Star.

In conclusion, I have enjoyed reflecting on this year’s theme for International Women’s Day. Though my starting point is that I haven’t consciously chosen to challenge, and I’m grateful to the many people who do overtly confront and challenge injustice, challenge takes many forms and is relevant and integral to many aspects of the Star and Triangle. This includes the skilful challenge of workers helping men acknowledge and take responsibility for harm without falling into colluding or shaming. It includes how we respond to those that challenge us as an invitation to look and learn and change and different aspects of the Outcomes Stars and Triangle.

***

The Change Star was published in 2020 and is designed to support organisations working to empower men in behavioural change. Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety Limited  (ANROWS) is an independent, not-for-profit research organisation established to produce evidence to support the reduction of violence against women and their children. Their 2021 conference was held on 1-5 March 2021 and explored how policymakers, practice designers and practitioners are using evidence to understand, respond to and prevent violence against women and their children.

The Empowerment Star is the Outcomes Star for use with women who have experienced domestic violence. For more information on either Star or to find out more about, and feedback into, the upcoming reviews of the Stars please contact us. 

Vacancy: Marketing and Product Manager

Posted on by Donna

Want to be a part of something good? Seeking a new relationship (with an employer, not romantically)?

We are looking for a marvellous marketing and product manager to take our brand and products to new heights and push us forward into the future.

You:

An amazing, creative and driven marketing and product manager with a desire to make a difference in the world. You’ll enjoy long walks (possibly), creating stimulating campaigns, writing copy, working on several strands of work across different sectors. You’ll love co-ordinating and commissioning content, creating plans and product launches. You won’t mind nurturing long-distance relationships with several remote based staff.  

 

Us:

A growing social enterprise, committed to strengthening our brand and identity. We’re still trying to find ourselves and our marketing voice, but we have a strong foundation in products, tools and a long history of working to support other organisations, charities, local authorities and in working to empower them, their keyworkers and, ultimately, their service users. We’ve recently committed to really upping our game and working on our brands and messaging and would love you to be a part of that.

 

Our hiring process:

  1. You find or are sent our job ad
  2. You read the ad
  3. It interests you
  4. You might read it again
  5. You visit our website and download the job description and application form
  6. You take a look at our website and realise the impact you could have on our organisation
  7. You decide to apply and fill in the application form
  8. We are interested in you and you attend an interview
  9. You complete our tests and accept our job offer
  10. You start to make a difference in an organisation that exists to make a difference

 

Find out more and apply

Swipe right, (aka visit our Careers page) to find out more about us and how we could be the perfect match.

Choose us to take your career to the next level.

*****

You can download the job description and application form from our careers page to see if this is the next step for you. If you’d like an informal conversation about the position, please email angela@triangleconsulting.co.uk

May you live in…2020/21

Posted on by Donna
Photo of Patrick Toland

Our newest staff member Patrick Toland gives us some thoughts on...

"May you live in interesting times" is an expression that can be taken, or given, as a blessing or a curse.

The blessing being – may you live in a time that is full of new experiences, innovation or the movement between epochs.

The curse being – may you live in a time that is filled with drama, turbulence and the kind of professional and personal upheaval that plays out within and beyond your own front door.

Of course, the blessed side of life for me, now, is bountiful.

The blessing

As someone who has a background in education and training, social enterprise, homelessness provision, support for care experienced young people, lived experience development, patient voice and mental health advocacy in Ireland – the chance and opportunity to work and learn within the leading provider of Outcomes tools and approaches has been a gift of good fortune – especially at a time when many capable and talented people are finding their career prospects profoundly contracted, through no fault of their own.

Even in such a short time of employ, I also consider myself lucky to be working with colleagues and clients who truly do ‘walk the talk’ when it comes to striving to make a difference in the lives of those who have the most challenged, troubled or marginalised lives themselves.

The curse

The blighted side of life (which is the slim, minority of things against what has been said above) is the paw thorn of not being out and about meeting new clients and getting the chance to drop in with other clients on the way home just so you can start to build those all-important relationships of trust and mutual comprehension.

It’s the challenge of starting the day with work to do but knowing that your own partner is downstairs straining the Wi-Fi signal with her own crucial meetings as a manager in the NHS. That there are the new cats to feed who really haven’t grasped the manners required to not walk across your keyboard when you are trying to make a good impression with a new client or colleague. Oh, and there is one son’s project on the French revolution to help do and the other son’s Zoom call with Mrs Ryan further to him building a working model of the arm with balloons and cardboard by tomorrow and he needs brass paper fasteners for the elbow joint mechanism…

…I mean, come on Mrs Ryan, we’re good but we’re not that good…who has brass paper fasteners at home during a time of non-essential shopping and travel – I mean we already did a model of the lung last week! And we ran out of rubber bands and double-sided sticky tape during last lockdown!…

Please note

Just because I have worked in mental health doesn’t mean I automatically garnered the wisdom of this sector for myself when it comes to mental bandwidth, balance of mood or the ability to remain resilient and zen or resist a self-centred whine!

Yet, the counterbalance to this has been how paramount all Triangle staff place well-being, good induction and on-going learning at the centre of their approach. From chances to chat with the Founders about the Triangle vision, regular team meet-ups, cool down sessions, drop-in sessions, messages of regard and support, opportunities to shadow, one to ones with team members to introduce yourself and learn more about their roles, flexible working arrangements, as well as the opportunity to blog about such – all these designed activities have made living and working in such interesting times much smoother, humane and uncomplicated.

Further to this, the professionalism, passion and ethos of mutual care that also exists between the Triangle team has certainly been the fuel I have drawn on for my own energy and drive in these interesting times – as well as the conviction and admirable tenacity of our partner clients as they push through their own pressures to remain committed to helping those they support to reach for impetus, change, progress and self-reliance in their own lives.

So, if my brilliant new colleagues can do what they do and our clients in Ireland can do what they do – well, I can find brass paper fasteners at 11pm at night, Mrs Ryan! 

*****

Sign up to our newsletter to get updates on Triangle, news on Outcomes Stars and new resources and more. Contact us to speak to Patrick or if you would like any more information.

We’re looking for a Implementation Lead (Client Advisor)

Posted on by Donna

WE’RE HIRING!

Do you have practical experience in a service sector? Do you have experience in account management, consultancy or client based experience supporting organisations through change? Know how to make clear and engaging presentations, with excellent communication and interpersonal skills and experience, education and/or skills in delivering training? Do you like working from home and travelling as part of your role?

We are looking for a new Client Advisor aka Implementation Lead, to support Triangle and our clients by building relationships, delivering training and supporting our clients to use the Outcomes Star well.

Triangle is a values-based social enterprise with a vision of a society in which people are enabled to thrive. We help homelessness, health, and social care providers improve services by creating engaging visual tools and promoting collaborative ways of working. We help to enable people to achieve their highest potential, by providing a suite of tools for promoting and measuring personal change called Outcomes Stars.

The Star has proved very popular and is now widely used in the UK by charities, social enterprises and local and health authorities in a wide range of fields including mental health, homelessness, vulnerable families and substance misuse. It is also being used internationally, with a particularly strong presence in Australia.

Implementation Leads are expected to work from home and to travel throughout their region (London and Central/East England) as required. As our clients are located across the country, there is a requirement for our staff to travel to deliver training and meet face to face, once this is permitted again and safe in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. All travel expenses are paid for and we have a policy around travel, TOIL and flexible working.

For more information about the position and to apply, you can download the job description and application form from our careers page

2020 – Not remotely what we expected

Posted on by Donna

Early in 2020 we were putting the finishing touches to our strategic plan and new online app.  We were approaching the new year with confidence and a strong sense of direction.  We really knew what this year was about – we thought! Like everyone else, Triangle has not had the year we planned. So what have we learnt from the unprecedented changes and challenges?

The Outcomes Star supports remote working

When people can’t be in the same physical space and must connect online or by phone, the Outcomes Star can help build connection, rapport and understanding by providing a shared map of how things are now and where they might need to go.  The visual of the Star and the Journey of Change ladders have always been important in engaging people, but this benefit can be even greater when other ways of connecting are stripped away. 

There are of course complications.  More advanced planning is required because the materials need to be posted beforehand if the person receiving support can’t access the Internet.  But overall Star users tell us it is well worth it.

How to complete the Star remotely

Download the PDF

When needs must, creativity flourishes

They do say that necessity is the mother of invention and that has certainly been the case for us when it comes to delivering training to use the Star.  Although we had been considering alternative delivery methods for some time, the first lockdown focused our minds. Within weeks we had a remote training offer and what was even better, was the excellent feedback we received. 

Now we are looking at creating more digital training content and ways of bringing Star users together both remotely and in person when Covid allows.  This will enable us to provide more support – particularly to smaller organisations and to managers who are really crucial to successful implementation of the Star.

Have a look at the Star training we have available

The Star is intrinsically trauma-informed

How to use the Star in a trauma-informed approach

Download the PDF

As trauma-informed working has risen up the agenda in many sectors we have been exploring how the Outcomes Star can support a trauma-informed approach.  What we have learnt is that part of what draws people to the Star is that it is intrinsically trauma-informed.  By focusing on the present rather than someone’s past, and their strengths as well as their challenges, the Star avoids the re-traumatising impact of going over previous experiences. 

The visual aspects help people get perspective and make links between different parts of their life, even when they are close to the edge of their ‘window of tolerance’.  And the Journey of Change recognises the importance of building trusting relationships with helpers as a secure foundation on which everything else depends.  We are exploring how to further support trauma-informed working so do get in touch if this is an area of interest and have a look at our briefing.

The evidence-base for Star validity is growing

Some things, such as our research programme, have continued more or less as planned.  We were delighted to have a piece on the psychometric validity of the Family Star Plus published in the peer reviewed Journal Family Relations. We also added many new pieces of independent research on other versions of the Outcomes Star to our online library where you can now find details of 55 independent studies.  Much more is planned with a new piece on the psychometric validity of the Outcomes Star for homelessness in the pipeline.

Evaluation is becoming better integrated into service delivery

We have all learnt to be more responsive because of Covid and that is very good news when it comes to learning and evaluation.  Evaluators are reporting that people are becoming more interested in data day to day rather than seeing evaluation as something that happens after the work has been completed.  We see this as a good thing as it supports learning rather than an end of project report that sits on the shelf. 

We are starting to make the case that we need a new breed of tool that works well as part of on-going service delivery and provides ‘live’ management information on progress.  This contrasts with research tools that are designed for one-off studies.  We see the Star as one of the first of this new breed and would like to join with others in exploring how this kind of tool is best assessed and validated.  Please get in touch if this is something you are interested in too.

Counting the cost

Now at the beginning of 2021 we, like everyone else, are aware that we have only just seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to counting the cost of Covid.  We are exploring how we can continue to adapt to help the helpers respond to the rising needs.  One part of that could be looking at what Star data can show about the impact of the pandemic on service users across different services and sectors.   Is this and exploration that you would be interested to join?

***

Triangle is the social enterprise behind the Outcomes Star™. Triangle exists to help service providers transform lives by creating engaging tools and promoting enabling approaches. To talk to Joy MacKeith or another member of the Triangle team, or for any other information, please email info@triangleconsulting.co.uk.

We’re looking for a new Finance & HR Administrator

Posted on by Donna

WE’RE HIRING!

Do you have excellent organisation skills, consistency and an eye for detail? Can you learn quickly, be adaptable, flexible and be able to work in the ever-changing context of a growing organisation?

We are looking for a new Finance and HR Administrator, with a minimum of 2 years experience and who has AAT Level 2 qualification or similar, to provide a solid backbone to the organisation for all our financial and personnel aspects. As a key member of the team, you will work closely with our Directors, the Business Manager and other key staff, joining a friendly and dynamic team at the cutting-edge of thinking and practice in supporting and measuring service user change.

Triangle is the social enterprise behind the Outcomes Star. We are committed to supporting staff to reach their highest potential and there may be opportunities for personal development.

Initially this position will be based at home while Covid-related restrictions are in place. Thereafter, you will work from our Hove office and might be required to attend occasional meetings in London.

For more information about the position and to apply, you can download the job description and application form from our careers page

Year in review: Shining brightly in uncertain times

Posted on by Donna

Joy MacKeith, one of Triangle’s directors and co-founders, and co-author of the Outcomes Stars, explores her year in review, and shares her thoughts on the impact and successes of 2019, including the new Star Online and new Stars.

It’s week one back in the office after my new year’s break. My inbox is surprisingly full and the office is already buzzing with activity. Not everyone has taken two weeks off it seems. Before taking a deep breath and diving into the patiently waiting emails I allow myself the luxury of a moment to reflect on a very busy 2019 and anticipate what 2020 has in store.

Star Online 2 is unveiled

For me 2019 will always be the year that we built our new, improved software system and 2020 will be the year that the one thousand organisations working with the Star Online started to use it. The initial feedback from those who helped us test it in development has been amazing. I know many of our clients will be particularly excited about the reporting capability, with new visuals, new customisation and new time period reporting options. Other new features will make it much easier to manage implementation and data quality.  The fact that we now have a state-of-the-art platform for further developments is also very exciting. An off-line app is high on the list of new features we have planned. The new system is now live for new clients.  A massive thanks goes to Sarah Owen, our team member, who has led the project and QES our software development partners.

Making an impact

I will also remember 2019 as the year we conducted our strategic review. Thirteen years since the publication of the first Star it was time to look at how well the suite of tools had stood the test of time and how Triangle and the Star need to develop to stay at the cutting edge of practice. As part of the review we carried out a summer survey of our clients to find out what difference the Star makes. I know that people love the Star, so I was expecting broadly positive findings, but the level of appreciation and impact took me by surprise. Here are a few highlights:

  • 87% of Star users report that their keywork is more effective as a result of using the Star
  • 81% said that Star data reports enabled them to monitor and report on their outcomes more effectively
  • 95% say that the Star supports good conversations and collaboration between staff and service users
  • 92% say that helps service users to get an overview of their situation
  • 93% say that the Star supports person-centered, strengths-based working
  • 92% say that the Star is motivating for staff and service users because it makes change visible.

There were so many stand-out findings that it is hard not to keep adding more, but you get the idea. Of course there are always things that can be improved, but it was heartening to hear that many of the developments people were asking for focused around the Star Online so it was wonderful to know that in just a few months those needs would be met.

Not only do the findings underline the positive way that the Star helps workers take an enabling, strengths-based approach, but they are also a powerful affirmation of Triangle’s decision to invest heavily in implementation support through our client services team, our trainers and our regionally based implementation leads.

Research shows that better results are obtained from good implementation of a poor tool than from poor implementation of a good one. We aim to provide both an excellent tool and excellent implementation support. It is so affirming to see that this powerful combination is really making a difference. 

The strategic review concluded that the Star is a tool whose time has now come because of the increasing recognition of the importance of person-centred, outcomes focused collaborative working. Although it is well known in some sectors and regions, it is still largely unknown in many others so the potential for further impact is substantial. A key theme for 2020 and beyond will therefore be doing more to communicate what the Star is, the way that it can transform service delivery and the wealth of research behind it.

An organisation with a mission

As well as fact finding, our strategic review also involved some deep reflection and soul searching on Triangle’s role in the current service delivery climate. We are painfully aware that the service delivery landscape has changed since 2006 when the first version of the Star was published. Assumptions that if someone is motivated to change then the services will be there to support them no longer hold. Many services are now much lighter touch and can find it challenging to make the time for an in-depth conversation about needs and plans. This has resulted in requests for ‘lighter touch’ or self-completion Stars.

Should the Star stick to its original formulation as a comprehensive and reflective tool or adapt to new realities? There are no easy answers, but we have re-affirmed and sharpened our mission as an organisation that is committed to both advocating for an enabling approach to service delivery and helping service providers make this a reality in practice.

We now begin a new strand of work to shape the debate around what matters in service delivery through research, blogs, conference presentations and making links with the many others advocating for this kind of approach.

Drawing together the evidence base

The Outcomes Star was born out of practice rather than research and quickly took root because many organisations were hungry for a tool that would evidence the effectiveness of their work without getting in the way. When they discovered that the Star positively helped them achieve their outcomes, there was no stopping it. 

As a result, the formal research evidence for the Star lagged behind its use. 2019 was the year that changed and we were finally able to draw together a decade of work on validation to publish psychometric factsheets on nearly all versions (we are still collecting the data on very recently published Stars). 2020 will see the publication of a paper in a peer-reviewed journal setting out the psychometric properties of the Family Star Plus, the most widely used of the suite of Stars. This is an incredibly important landmark for us in establishing the Outcomes Star as a different kind of tool that straddles the aims of both promoting and evidencing change.

Hello and goodbye

Closer to home, 2019 has been an important year of hellos and goodbyes. Hello to our first Managing Director, Graham Randles, who joined us from the New Economics Foundation consultancy service, and goodbye to Paul Muir, our Operations Director who pioneered our work on implementation support and much else besides. Hello to Tamara Hamilton who will be covering Sarah Owen’s maternity leave this year and goodbye to Susan Goodbrand who covered Emily Lamont’s maternity leave. Goodbye also to Roxanne Timmis who has moved on to an exciting new role with Think Ahead, a charity that supports graduates into mental health social work. Best of all, we have said hello to four new babies including Ziya Nisi born on 28th December to Giorgia, one of the staff at Unique Outcomes, our Australian implementation partner.

And finally

Triangle also gave birth to five new Stars in 2019 in a year of unprecedented Star development activity. We now have a Star for preparing for the end of life. Together with our Parent and Baby Star this means the Stars really can take you from cradle to grave.  2020 sees the publication of our new 3-5 year plan, a project to build on interest in the Star in the USA, the full implementation of our new software system and much more besides. 

It is incredible to see how something that started as an approach for one organisation in one sector has evolved and flourished over so many sectors and countries around the world. As we approach a very uncertain new decade, it gives me hope that when people collaborate to address specific issues with commitment, persistence, flexibility and creativity, we really can make a difference.

Graphic introducing the Planning Star - linking to the Planning Star webpage
Image introducting the Preparation Star - linking to the Preparation Star webpage
Image introducing the Pathway Star with a graphic linking to a blog on how the Pathway Star is a person-centered tool
Graphic introducing the Recovery Star Fourth Edition, linking to a blog post on the new Star
Image linking to a blog post introducing the new My Mind Star for use with organisations supporting young people's mental health and well-being

If you have any questions about our new Stars, or would like any information on the new Star Online, or anything else, please contact us on info@triangleconsulting.co.uk or +44 (0) 207 272 8765.