Category: Licensed Trainers

Triangle to launch updated Outcomes Star training course for learners and Licensed Trainer community

Posted on by Donna

New resources meet dual face-to-face and virtual training needs

The Covid-19 pandemic propelled organisations delivering training to shift training delivery online immediately. In the early days, it was a hectic scramble to make the most of technology for teaching and to produce virtual training resources quickly.

Two years on, we are delighted to announce the launch of our new eighth-edition Outcomes Star Core Star training course with improved exercises and a training manual suitable for use in both face-to-face and virtual learning settings.

After creating a new set of training resources for the virtual training environment we quickly developed a vision to combine the two and used the opportunity to update and revise the Core Star training resources.

The cover of the Outcomes Star core course training presentation & training manual 2023

We can now provide learners with the same high-quality, engaging, and consistent training experience in both environments and trainers with a single source of resources.

How we created the resources

In the summer of 2021, to start this initiative and achieve our aims, we brought together our in-house training team, associate trainers, and licensed training community to harness our collective knowledge about training in the Stars.

Over 18 months, we carried out 1-2-1 interviews, focus groups, and workshops with our community of trainers to completely revise and update the resources.  

Key members of our in-house training team upskilled and undertook industry-leading LPI online training course designer and facilitation qualifications to meet the challenges of achieving the same high level of engagement virtually as in the classroom.

We drew on best practices for successful virtual learning and incorporated the latest thinking on trauma-informed language and accessibility needs. We also infused our thought leadership views on into the new resources.

Kate Hamill, Training Manager of Triangle, said:

“I am excited to be able to offer this new training package for the benefit of our learners and to support our community of Licensed Trainers to deliver great training in their organisations.  We have all learnt so much, and I feel that the package has really benefited from our new skills and experience.   I want to thank everyone involved in its development, particularly Laura Baker, who led the project – the training specialists, our implementation team and licensed trainers, designers, associates and other partners”.

Read more about how we developed our virtual training package.

How we evaluated the resources

With the needs of our learners and their managers at the heart of our work, we considered what they needed to know to enable them to use and implement the Star well within their service. We tested new resources with our in-house training and implementation teams and our associate training professionals, all experts on the Outcomes Star.

We collected, organised, and modified the information and delivery methods. We then tested the new resources with new learners to see what worked and didn’t, ensuring they were equally effective in both learning environments.

What’s new?

The first thing Licensed Trainers (LTs) will notice is how different they look visually. The second thing LTs will notice is the increased number of slides. We can reassure LTs by saying more information is displayed visually to make it easier for learners and accommodate different learning styles.

We’ve also introduced new graphics, icons, multimedia, and links to support and embed learning. We have included a new trauma-informed practice session, visuals of the different Journeys of Change, and the materials learners need to use in practice.

There is a greater emphasis on pre-and post-session objectives and new engaging activities to reinforce learning in each session. The slide deck and training manual are also coloured-coded to match each other. 

  • New course structure
  • Now delivered in two half days or one full day
  • Reduced sessions from 5 to 4
  • Greater emphasis on pre-and post-session objectives
  • New learning methods and terminology
  • New graphics, icons, multimedia, and links

“The new course reflects the changes we’ve made in helping to ensure the Star is used consistently well by practitioners and in being more trauma-informed. The materials are more engaging, taking into account the different learning styles of our learners. I am so looking forward to delivering it!”.

Nick Carr, Associate Triangle Trainer

Sarah Brimelow, Associate Trainer for Triangle, views on the new resources:

Mick Caroll, Associate Triangle Trainer said:

“I was part of the St Mungo’s team that first worked with Triangle Consulting to develop the Outcomes Star in 2003. I have used it in many other organisations in the years since. Seeing its growth and development in that time has been inspiring.

These new training support materials are the culmination of that: clear and simple, and very powerful. They contain the distilled knowledge and insights of frontline social care, academic and policy practitioners, as well as seasoned trainers. And it shows.

Triangle used pencils and rulers to draw the first stars and Windows 3.1 for the slides. These materials result from a constant reinvestment of passion for human development. They put 21st-century tools in the hands of trainers for learners to inherit all that brilliance for the people they support. I’m very proud to have been there at the start and to have been able to witness this wonderful process”.

How can I access the latest resources?

  1. Training package [PowerPoint slide deck & training manual] will be available from Star Online from March 2023 
  2. Triangle will send hard copies of the new Training Manual to all LTs after they have attended a CPD session.

When can I start using the new resources?

We are holding several launch events to introduce the new Star Core package and training manual over the next six months, you only need to attend one of these.

LTs will be able to start using the new resources after this training.

Licenced Trainers (not Aus/NZ) will receive an email listing all the upcoming launch events and CPD sessions with registration links. We look forward to you joining us!

Please view our 2023 CPD calendar to book

January 2024 update: The introduction of the new Star Core package and training manual has now finished. To book for CPD sessions, please access the booking link via Star Online.

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Further information

If you would like further information about Outcomes Star training or becoming a licensed trainer, please email us at info@triangleconsulting.co.uk

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New GIRFEC mapping guidance for Scottish organisations and practitioners using My Star (Scotland)

Posted on by Donna

My Star aligns with Scottish Government’s ‘Getting it right for every child’ approach

In November 2022, Triangle published new GIRFEC mapping guidance for licensed Outcomes Star users of My Star (Scotland).

The My Star (Scotland) guidance for workers covers how to use Star data to report against the eight indicators of well-being (often referred to as SHANARRI). It can be found within the Star Online system via the following link to the resources section: Resources – Triangle (staronline.org.uk) and clicking into the ‘Additional Star Resources – Scotland’. There you will find the following documents:

  • My Star Guidance for Workers (Scotland)
  • My Star Chart (Scotland)
  • My Star Flashcards (Scotland)

Within this section, similar guidance is also available for the Family Star (Scotland) and the Family Star (Early Years) (Scotland).

History

Wellbeing sits at the heart of the Scottish GIRFEC approach to provide tailored support and help for children, young people and their parents.

To help ensure everyone (children, young people, parents, and the services that support them) has a common understanding of what wellbeing and the GIRFEC principles mean, practitioners and organisations are asked to consider each of the eight SHANARRI well-being wheel indicators when working together to address individual issues.

The approach considers children’s well-being to be rights-based, strengths-based, holistic and adaptable enough to take into account the stage of development and the complexity of each child or young person’s individual life circumstances. It provides a consistent framework and shared language for promoting, supporting and safeguarding the well-being of children and young people.

SHANARRI Indicators

  • Safe
  • Healthy
  • Achieving
  • Nurtured
  • Active
  • Respected
  • Responsible
  • Included

My Star (Scotland) was developed in 2015.  At that time the GIRFEC framework and the associated SHANARRI indicators were in their infancy. Consequently, although many of the outcome areas of My Star directly related to the eight SHANARRI well-being indicators, these were not automatically included or referred to within the My Star (Scotland) resources. 

In 2022, during Outcomes Star training sessions facilitated by Licensed Trainers with North Lanarkshire Council, involving staff from education, children & family services, feedback suggested benefit in creating bespoke guidance which, whilst not changing the content or data obtained from using My Star, directly linked the outcome areas of My Star with the eight SHANARRI well-being indicators.

Staff from these services aim to support children and their families to thrive within their families, school and the local community. It was felt there would be distinct benefits for staff having clear correlation guidance between the child or young person’s circumstances, the interventions supporting them and how this meets the GIRFEC framework.

The development of the mapping guidance was a collaborative process involving managers and staff from North Lanarkshire Council and Triangle.

After several months of work, My Star/ SHANARRI mapping guidance was agreed, and the supporting materials were produced.  These resources were then circulated to all organisations in Scotland using the My Star for further feedback and comment.

Following a subsequent feedback review, the resources were finalised and published in November 2022. 

If you are a Star Online user, these documents can be associated with your service by your Account Lead, who will give you access to the materials required. Alternatively, if you are not a Star Online user, your Account Lead will have individual access to the system and can save these documents to your own internal systems for distribution and use.

It is hoped that the guidance and associated materials will be of benefit to all organisations in Scotland using My Star and will assist both at an operational level in providing support to the child, young person and their families, but also at a service level, whereby services are easily able to link their delivery of services to the well-being indicators outlined by the Scottish Government.

Background information

My Star for children was originally developed in 2013 in collaboration with Family Action, Action for Children, Westminster Council and Coram.  In 2015, Triangle developed My Star (Scotland) in collaboration with Fife Council and input from Dumfries and Galloway Council.

Further information

If you would like further information about My Star or the Outcomes Star, please email us at info@triangleconsulting.co.uk

Stay updated

You can subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates directly to your inbox, so there is no need to keep checking for new blogs.

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Outcomes Star ‘virtual training’ package developed as a result of Covid-19

Posted on by Donna

Delivering increased flexibility and choice for UK and international clients

When the Covid-19 virus shut down the world in March 2020, many organisations had to quickly revise their face-to-face training to deliver online learning. Our training team did a fantastic job of rising to the challenge, and within weeks we had a virtual training offer, we adopted new digital learning strategies to produce an online version of the Core Star training course by May 2020.

Now the Outcomes Star virtual training delivery has been implemented for a while. It’s time to evaluate the engagement and benefits and explore the importance of high-quality Outcomes Star training in a classroom or a virtual learning setting.

Why is engagement so crucial to learning, especially online?

If you’ve ever taught a course, you’ll have seen how easy it is for learners to refrain from paying attention, participating or putting forth effort. The level of engagement and understanding directly impacts an individual’s ability to apply Star information and skills we teach in practice.

A key challenge for us was how to emulate our in-person Outcomes Star learning experience in a live synchronous virtual environment. We were determined to create the same high level of engagement, enjoyment, and interactivity learners experienced face-to-face and virtually to ensure the Outcome Stars are understood and used well.

Key members of our training team upskilled and undertook industry leading LPI online training course designer and facilitation qualifications to meet the challenge.

We also explored technology options and now mainly deliver training using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other platforms upon request.

Creating virtual training was an exciting evolution for us. We learned how to use embedded tools such as polls, chat, whiteboards, and breakout rooms to bring people together for valuable discussion, practice, and collaboration. We discovered we could use these tools to stimulate thoughtful and fruitful interactions to enable peer learning virtually. We now use a range of interactive activities that support and reinforce content to help virtual learners connect with the content.

We have been delighted with the engagement and participation levels. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and reassuring. We know virtual learners feel confident in their understanding of the Star and have a positive outlook on their learning experience.

“Thank you, … that was genuinely some of the best training I have had virtually. You were very engaging and understanding”
Outcomes Star client
"The trainer was excellent at executing the delivery, and I will be adopting some of her techniques within remote delivery"
Outcomes Star client
“The ability of the facilitator to adapt to the experiences of the participants showed their in-depth knowledge of the Outcomes Star and how it can be used to benefit our clients”
Outcomes Star client
“The training was excellent. The way it was delivered and explained really helped me understand the Star”
Outcomes Star client.
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We found organisations welcomed the flexibility, saving time and money.

Traditionally face-to-face learning is a one-day event. If you can’t get everyone on your team there, they miss the training, which is now a thing of the past with remote training. Our remote Star training option is also available in ½ day modules, suiting clients not wishing to close a department for a whole day, reducing travel costs and time, and supporting geographically dispersed teams with networking opportunities. Training remotely means we can also match your service with trainers knowledgeable about your sector, wherever you are.

Virtual Core Star training advantages

  • ½ day modules
  • Reduced travel costs
  • Less time away from the job
  • Convenience of not needing to travel physically
  • Opportunities for isolated or dispersed teams to interact and network

Whilst many organisations opt for the ease and convenience of virtual training.  There are many situations when training your staff face-to-face is the right, if not better, option. There are several advantages to conducting face-to-face training as opposed to doing it virtually to consider.

Face-to-face Core Star training advantages

  • Being part of group learning ‘live’ is a powerful learning method
  • Fosters connection and collaborative social interaction
  • Strengthens workplace relationships
  • Trainers adapting to body language leads to better learning results
  • No option to multi-task

Why is Outcomes Star training so important?

When the Outcomes Stars are used well, they have the capacity to transform lives and improve services in a wide range of social provision sectors. 

We learned early on that although the Star looks like a simple and intuitive tool, training to understand its values and how to use it properly is vital. Without training, the Journey of Change, the User Guides, and the detailed descriptions of the scales (the numbers on the Star) can too often be put to one side by practitioners. Unfortunately, using the Star in this way undermines the meaningfulness of the data and the benefits for the practitioner’s keywork and the person receiving support.

The Outcomes Star is a trauma-informed relational tool that supports change in keywork relationships. It helps practitioners and the people they support to have better conversations.

It does this by helping create a better quality of listening to develop a shared understanding of a person’s life, priorities, and needs from their perspective, using an evidence-based conversational framework to guide the conversation.

As well as the tools themselves, training and guidance around the Outcomes Star emphasises flexibility in responding to a client’s window of tolerance and preferences – for example, about when and how to introduce and discuss the different outcome areas.

There is also guidance about identifying appropriate action plans in a trauma-informed way that is sensitive to the client’s capacity to drive things forward themselves.

It’s important to understand the Star’s focus on engagement, choices, and actions is more valuable than a tool that measures the severity of problems because the Journey of Change breaks down complex, personal change into small steps.  

It helps spotlight the positive shifts and incremental progress that can be overlooked. Identifying and celebrating the small steps that make a difference in people’s complex lives is a key benefit of the Star– helping to counter-act any reliance on unrealistic expectations, which can have a detrimental, demotivating effect.

The Outcomes Star tools have many features that directly support trauma-informed working that we explore in detail in training, including:

  • Relationship-based
  • Empowerment
  • Focuses on the present, not someone’s history
  • Strengths-based not deficit-based
  • Holistic
Triangle’s values

Outcomes Star training equips practitioners and licensed trainers with a deeper understanding of the theory and values behind the Star so that they can build this into their practice, training, and induction processes.

Whichever training delivery option you choose, our flexible hybrid offer will meet your practitioner and manager’s need to understand and use the Outcome Star well in your service.

  • Understand how to co-create sustainable outcomes for people receiving support
  • Measure outcomes for adults and children
  • Analysis your data and innovate service delivery

Making an impact

As part of our strategic review in 2019, we surveyed our clients to find out what difference the Star makes. We expected broadly positive findings, but the appreciation and impact delighted us.

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 it helps service users to get an overview of their situation
  • 93% say that the Star supports person-centred, strengths-based working
  • 92% say that the Star motivates staff and service users because it makes change visible.

Licensed Trainers and the CPD Community

Licensed Trainers (LTs) are individuals who have received training and achieved the LT qualification to deliver training and support effectively within their organisations. Licensed Trainers become part of a community of Outcomes Star trainers.

The ‘train the trainer’ route can be cost-effective for large organisations.

At the end of 2021, we launched our of CPD sessions for Licensed Trainers to educate, inform, and inspire for free. Our CPD program has increased workplace engagement, improved communication, and generated significantly more opportunities to share top training tips and good practices via professional peer-to-peer learning.

In 2022, we delivered a wide range of informative and interactive sessions focussed on supporting our community of licensed trainers (LTs) globally. We aim to provide key ‘takeaways’ in every session for licensed trainers to use in their own training rooms immediately. The intensive development and delivery process results have been very positive, and over 66% of our Licensed Trainers globally have already attended sessions.

These sessions cover a range of subjects and draw on specialist knowledge and information across Triangle and beyond.

Please view our 2023 CPD calendar to book.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information on becoming a Licensed Trainer.

New resources for Licensed Trainers coming soon

New dual face-to-face and virtual training slide deck and training manual will be available for Licensed Trainers from March 2023. Read more. 

We look forward to training you soon, face-to-face or remotely, to demonstrate how well the Stars measure service user progression and distance travelled, how they can highlight areas for service delivery improvements, and illustrate your social impact to funders. #Enablinghelp

The cover of the Outcomes Star core course training presentation & training manual 2023

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The Outcomes Star is available under licence with training in the UK and internationally. 

We usually need around 4-6 weeks’ notice to organise a trainer and materials, so please speak to us about your timescales.

Training prices start from £240 per person.

If you have any questions about remote training or new Stars, or want any information on the new Star Online or anything else, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@triangleconsulting.co.uk

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Outcomes Star Licensed Trainers – Continual Professional Development programme (CPD)

Posted on by Donna
In this blog, Laura Baker, Trainer/ Implementation Lead and Kate Hamill, Training Manager of the Outcomes Star, detail how Triangle has launched a new online annual CPD programme to support licensed trainers.

Before the pandemic, we were all familiar with training delivered face-to-face in city-centre venues, and Triangle had already started trialling new ways to support licensed trainers. Still, the pandemic accelerated our plans to develop and deliver a new CPD training programme online for our global Outcome Star licensed trainer community.

Our CPD programme has increased engagement, increased communication and generated significantly more opportunities to share top tips and good practices.

"That was a really enjoyable and informative session. Many people could take a leaf from your book, such a pleasant group of people to be involved with. Please pass on my respect and appreciation".

During the last twelve months,  we have delivered a wide range of informative and interactive sessions focussed on supporting our community of licensed trainers (LT’s) across the globe. We aim to provide key ‘takeaways’ in every session for licensed trainers to immediately use in their own training rooms.  The intensive development and delivery process results have been very positive, and over 53% of our global Licensed Trainers have already attended sessions. 

Our new and free online CPD programme is now available to book for 2022, using both MS Teams and Zoom to deliver the sessions.

“The (CPD ) sessions are an inspiration.”

We are committed to providing the highest quality training support to ensure the highest quality use of the Outcome Star suite of tools. We want to thank all those who have attended, and we look forward to welcoming more of our Outcomes Star licensed trainer community into your free CPD sessions soon.

Licensed Trainers can download the full timetable with details and registration information here or book their places below.

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Please note that the above sessions are subject to change. Licensed Trainers must complete a total of 6 hours of CPD training across the year in order to maintain their LT status. These sessions cover a range of subjects and draw on specialist knowledge and information across Triangle and beyond. Licensed Trainers are encouraged to book sessions in areas that are of interest to their work and organisations.

For more information on how to become a Licensed Trainer and the CPD sessions please contact us.

Mental Health Awareness Day 10th Oct 2021

Posted on by Donna

To mark World Mental Health Day 2021, Triangle has spoken to two Outcomes Stars Licensed Trainers from Alternative Futures Group to get under the bonnet of life as a Licensed Trainer in Mental Health.

Anthony Szuminski

Learning Partner

I view the Outcomes Stars as a compass, that guides the people we support in a holistic way and empowers them to gain awareness of which important areas of their lives they can improve upon. Which is ultimately is why we are here.

What is your role?
I am trainer/ facilitator working for a charitable organisation called Alternative Futures Group. Our organisation provides support to people who have a range of conditions, learning disabilities, mental health issues, dementia, epilepsy and physical disabilities.

Which Star do you deliver training in?
We use the Recovery Star  in our treatment recovery centres and community houses to support people with Mental Health conditions. As well as Outcomes Stars training, I also facilitate a wide range of other training, such as understanding learning disabilities, first aid, organisational inductions.

What do you most like about being a Licensed Trainer 
What I appreciate most about being a Licensed Trainer is that we are helping to train and support our staff to use a tool (Outcomes Star TM), based upon a proactive and proven approach which fits well with our charity’s ethos.

How does the Star benefit your work and support your service users? 
Our charity believes that understanding people’s unique needs and exploring how best to support them should be rooted in fact and evidence as this is what ultimately leads to better outcomes. The Outcomes Stars are rooted in these beliefs as well, making them a great fit for our charity.

I view the Outcomes Stars as a compass, that guides the people we support in a holistic way and empowers them to gain awareness of which important areas of their lives they can improve upon.  Which is ultimately is why we are here.

The Star is a great tool as it guides our staff to ask the right questions to be able to have meaningful conversations with people about their lives as a whole.  This uncovers the areas people need most help with, in a flexible, consistent and trauma-informed way. The Star data collected also helps to inform and improve our service delivery support.  As well as evidencing the range of support we have provided for people.

How does it feel to be a licensed trainer?
I find the Recovery Star  can truly reflect what an individual’s support needs are, if completed properly, the difference it can make to people’s lives is what inspires me. It’s also very interesting being a Licensed Trainer.  The people I train in how to use the Star, often have fantastic insight into the wide range of life experiences people have which is fascinating.

I deliver ‘Introducing the Star’ training, two mornings a week (3.5 hours) remotely and this is working very well for our organisation. My recently completed certificate of online facilitation accreditation (COLF) has also helped improve my online delivery and raise the standard of all remote training at AFG.

Any trainer tips to share?
I would highly recommend recording yourself if you can get permission when doing a session. You will see many things you may not be aware of, such as your pace, tone of voice and clarity. All of which can be improved upon, doing this has worked for me.   

Simon Porter

Learning Partner – Mental Health Division

The Star benefits our work... being able to clearly demonstrate progress and change for our patients, as well as create action plans that are meaningful is greatly valued.

What do you do/role?
I am a Learning Partner for Alternative Futures Group.  We are a social care charity with around 2000 employees covering the whole of the Northwest of England. Training in the olden days (how we now refer to pre -March 2020) meant a lot of travelling around, but today I will be at my desk in my home office, delivering virtual training.

Which Star do you deliver training in?
Our charity mainly provides support for people with learning disabilities and people with mental illnesses.  We use the Recovery Star  to support people’s recovery journey deliver our mental health services in 6 independent hospitals. 

What do you most like about being an LT? 
I have only recently completed the accreditation to become a Licensed Trainer and it was really enjoyable. I am very lucky as I work as part of a very supportive team. I am looking forward to co-delivering with my colleague Anthony, so that I can try out my new knowledge, with support.

How does the Star benefit your work and support your service users? 
Being able to clearly demonstrate progress and change for our patients, as well as create action plans that are meaningful is greatly valued. We’ve had lots of positive feedback from both the staff and the people we support since we launched the Recovery Star  in our hospitals.  

Any top training tips? 
We have recently undergone a Certificate of Online Facilitation, which has really opened our eyes to the differences between face to face and online delivery. A tip about online delivery is that learners need to be encouraged to contribute every three to five minutes, as what worked in a classroom, will not necessarily work online. It helps keep the learner engaged which has always been the key to effective training. 

Together we are pushing for a cultural change towards openness and honesty surrounding mental health and that can only be a boost for everyone. Thanks for reading.

 

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The Recovery Star is the Outcomes Star for mental health and well-being. Other Stars developed specifically for use with organisations working in the mental health sector include: My Mind Star (for use with young people) as well as the Recovery Star Secure, Preparation Star and the Parent and Baby Star. Stars developed with other sectors also include an area focussing on mental health.

For more information on how to become a Licensed Trainer and/or the other training needed for using the Outcomes Star, or for any information about how the Stars could support your organisation please contact Triangle.

CPD Session: The Outcomes Star™ and the Care Act 2014

Posted on by Donna
In this session, Implementation Lead Rox Faulks will discuss how the Outcomes Stars supports alignment with the requirements of the Care Act 2014 concerning Well-being assessment and outcomes planning. This briefing will help you decide if the session will be of value to you.

Licensed Trainer CPD Session Tuesday 12th October 2021. 2 pm – 3 pm GMT

Briefing: The Outcomes Star™ and the Care Act 2014 with Outcomes Star Implementation Lead Rox Faulks

To sign up for this session, Register here

Does the Care Act 2014 apply to you?

The Care Act 2014 (the Act) is UK Legislation; however, due to Social Care being a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the Act generally* only applies in England. With this in mind: If your Outcomes Star Licensed Trainer role does not relate to service provision or commissioning within England, then this session will not be directly relevant to you.

 

What is the Care Act 2014?

The Act came into effect in April 2015, supported by the Care and Support (Assessment) Regulations 2014. It is primarily for adults in need of care and support and their adult carers.**

 

The Care Act 2014 created a primary statutory responsibility on Local Authorities to promote individual Well-being and put people at the centre of their care and support. The Act defines well-being under nine areas and sets out 10 Wellbeing Eligibility Outcomes against which the Local Authority must assess need and apply the National Eligibility Criteria. It is to this core element of the Act that this CPD session relates.  The Act’s scope also includes Safeguarding Adults arrangements, the provision of Information and Advice to citizens, Commissioning for sustainability and diversity of the Care & Support market and integrative partnership working.

 

Is this session relevant to me and those I train?

This session will be of relevance to you if you or your Licensed Outcomes Star Practitioners that are

  • Connected to the Local Authority arrangements for the assessment of care and support needs of Adults or Carers (in England) against the Wellbeing Outcomes and the Eligibility Criteria of the Act
  • Or connected to the review of those care and support needs
  • Or expected to report on your provision’s impact outcomes directly correlating to the Wellbeing Outcomes and the Eligibility Criteria of the Act. More broadly, this session may be of value to you if you or your Licensed Outcomes Star Practitioners are.
  • Working with people who may have care and support needs that require assessment by the Local Authority under the Care Act 2014.
    • For example, you/your Licensed Star Practitioners support service users (adults or carers) within your services who you sometimes help to access an assessment of needs, intending to get more help and support in place for them. Perhaps by making a referral to the Local Authority or being present at assessments of need or reviews.

 

How will this session be of value to me?

This session will allow you to build confidence, ideas and understanding about

  • how the Outcomes Stars reflect the principles and values of the Care Act
  • how Outcomes Star outcome areas can map to the Wellbeing Outcomes and Eligibility Criteria of the Act
  • how your use of the Outcomes Star can integrate with your Care Act assessment and review processes
  • how your use of the Outcomes Star enables your Licensed Outcomes Star Practitioners to be objective advocates when referring for or supporting within, assessment of needs under the Care Act 2014. As with all our Licensed Trainer CPD sessions
  • you will have an opportunity to connect with others who have a shared interest in this topic area
  • the session will fuel ongoing conversation between us about how we can support you in this topic area moving forwards through information, resources and networking.

Ready to sign up for this session?

Register here

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Links to more information:

SCIE have recently updated their information and resources on the Act at www.scie.org.uk/care-act-2014. Watch their short introduction video here: https://youtu.be/l-yeoMMKIto

The Local Government Association website has a wealth of articles and resources at https://www.local.gov.uk/search/all/care%2Bact, including a guidance document precisely for Providers, which you can view here Guidance_on_the_impact_of_the_Care_Act.pdf (local.gov.uk)

*You can find out more about the UK Territorial extent and application at Care Act 2014 – Explanatory Notes (legislation.gov.uk)

** “The Care Act is mainly for adults in need of care and support, and their adult carers. There are some provisions for the transition of children in need of care and support, parent carers of children in need of care and support, and young carers. However, the main provisions for these groups (before transition) are in the Children and Families Act 2014.”
https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/practical-support/getting-care-and-support/care-act-faq

Implementing the Outcomes Star: my path to Triangle

Posted on by Donna
Headshot photograph of Helen Bacon

Implementation Lead Helen Bacon reflects on her experiences to date, and how her career path has led her to Triangle.

I vowed I would one day work for Triangle since I first discovered the Outcomes Star in 2009. I’d rooted this milestone on my career path while working for a consortium and helping the voluntary sector prepare for the NHS Personalisation Agenda. The Outcomes Star was the answer to our question “How do we evidence change and demonstrate we are working in a person-centered way?”

It has taken me 12 years to get here, and after 12 weeks it felt like home!  The team is exactly as I imagined they would be – knowledgeable, passionate, and generous with their time in supporting frontline staff using the Outcomes Stars, as well as each other, helping me feel included early on. 

My path to Triangle has provided me with a wealth of knowledge across criminal justice, social care and community mental health to bring to this brilliant team, and an understanding of how to implement the Outcomes Star from the experiences I’ve had along the way.

My path to Triangle

In the 90s my forward-thinking secondary school trained us young volunteers to set up our own bully-line listening service, which helped develop my empathy skills.  A solicitor once excused me from lessons post work-experience because I engaged well with a victim of domestic abuse; I gained resilience from supporting her through the traumatic court case. At 17 I was given permission for work experience in a unit for people with long and enduring mental health issues; this experience shaped my view of the world. I learned early on that life is complicated and the way to help someone depends as much on the person rather than the perceived problem.

Working in an approved premises at 20 taught me clear boundaries, compassion and fairness keep you safe.  After the first 6 people I supported left in a police car, I realised there was no place for my ego – to succeed in adversity you need self-efficacy.  My (incredible) manager at the time explained “If you have done your job well don’t expect thanks.  You have empowered someone to know that it’s their choice, their life, and their achievement.  That is your reward, watching them leave believing in themselves”. 

I set up a mentoring service to help steer people away from offending.  The partnership between mentees and volunteer mentors changed lives.  A diversity of mentors from bankers, vets, refugees and ex-offenders provided a commonality – they were themselves.  They gave their time freely, showing genuine positive regard to listen to someone’s life story.   If only I had the Outcomes Star then, I could have shown it more tangibly.

It was when I delivered cognitive behaviour group work programmes I really understood the value of motivational interviewing as a practice.  This is where my passion for the cycle of change ignited and how important it was to match the intervention to where someone was on their Journey of Change.

Over the last decade I have worked in the voluntary sector, in service user engagement and quality assurance across a variety of services in regulated and unregulated environments. Implementing Outcomes Stars across such a range of settings and client groups has enabled me to gauge collaboration and interpret the findings with teams, using that information to identify and address gaps in service delivery.  It has also helped me to understand when the Outcomes Stars are not the right tools for a service.  

Using Outcomes stars throughout my career has enabled me to hear the client’s voice in their own support, providing opportunities for workers to build the inner wealth of their service users by positive affirmation of distance travelled.

A terminally ill patient once told me “Work is part of your life, not your whole life.  Make it worthwhile and get the balance right”.  With this ringing in my ears, I know this is exactly where I want to be –using my experience to support organisations to implement Outcomes Stars well. I’m building relationships to understand what organisations are passionate about and what they want to achieve from implementing the Outcomes Stars. 

I feel very privileged to work for Triangle now, where the ethos resonates precisely with my core values.   

*****

Helen Bacon is

For more information on Triangle, our mission, vision and the people who help to make the Outcomes Star please visit our About Triangle section. 

The importance of listening

Posted on by Donna
Headshot of Tom Currie against a white wall
Ahead of Samaritans Awareness Day this Saturday, 24th July, Trainer and Implementation Lead Tom Currie reflects on the power of listening and why it is so important in relationships that are committed to supporting change.

Hopefully we all know how important listening is. Really listening. Listening fully to what is being said and what is not. In relationships that are committed to supporting change listening is essential, literally, the essence of the purpose of the relationship is to listen. Yes, the listener may need to speak at some point but, when they do, what they say will be a lot more valuable if it is informed by good listening first. What they say is also much more likely to be heard when spoken to someone who has first experienced being fully heard.

In the almost 200 courses that I have led in using the Outcomes Star, listening is always talked about. Usually brought up by practitioners when talking about effective work with clients. They know how important it is to their work.

The Outcomes Star is a relational tool that supports change in keywork relationships. It helps practitioners and their clients to have better conversations. It does this by helping create a better quality of listening. There are three ways that it does this: by creating permission, by providing frameworks and by opening a space for sharing.

Creating Permission

Each Outcomes Star has between 6 and 10 points. Each point describes an Outcome Area, an aspect of life that contributes to the client fulfilling their potential. This holistic model provides a framework for the conversation between keyworker and client that helps create permission to discuss a range of aspects of life that the client may otherwise not have brought into the conversation. It also helps the keyworker build a fuller, more rounded picture of the client and their life, to go beyond the presenting issue and work to support the whole person.

A practitioner working with a Probation Trust to support prisoners through the gates and help them find accommodation told me that the wide-ranging conversations she had with her clients when discussing Outcome Areas like ‘positive use of time’ and ‘mental health and well-being’ helped her build a fuller understanding of them and their interests. This not only meant that she gained an understanding of what would be right for them but helped her, when finding them a new place to live, to present a better account of them to prospective landlords.

Providing Frameworks

All Outcomes Stars are underpinned by the Journey of Change. The Journey of Change is a model that outlines the stages people go through when making sustainable change in their lives. The attitudes and behaviour at each of the points on each scale are clearly defined. There are five different types of Journey of Change. Being able to create a shared language for where someone is and where they have not yet got to on their journey through life is a useful step in helping them get there.

I was delivering training to two women who set up a charity supporting parents of children who developed a neuro-degenerative disease that is sadly commonly fatal before the child reaches adult hood. They use the Support Stars – for use with parents, children and young people facing serious illness – which we developed in partnership with CLIC Sargent.

When supporting parents through these difficult times, they said the Journey of Change was key to helping parents make sense of what they were going through. It helped them to acknowledge the overwhelming nature of the shock of the diagnosis, to take in their new reality and begin to engage with how they might navigate the challenges they faced. As human beings we need to make sense of the experiences we face and be able to own and author the narratives of our lives – listening plays a key role in enabling us to do that.

A space for Sharing

The Journey of Change is a universal model that resonates with all the people I have shared it with and provides new insights about our own part in the challenges we face. This creates the opportunity for keyworker and client to meet on a more human level and share more honestly about their own experience, moving beyond the usual paradigms of service provider and service user to a space that is more human, more healing and more hopeful.

In my own life, taking time to reflect on where I am in my own journey through the lens of the five stage Journey of Change often provides me with new insights on ways that I am stopping my own progress, whether by not asking for support or hanging on to outdated behaviours that no longer fit with who and where I am. It helps me to listen more deeply to my own truth.

So, for all these reasons, I celebrate the Samaritans Awareness Day as a chance to champion all those who support people to change by offering the generous, supportive, curious and subtle art of listening. Let’s all listen to each other (and ourselves).

*****

Tom is a member of Triangle’s Training Team and provides support to our clients across London and the South East, including 18 London Boroughs, a number of County Council services and a couple of national charities. He lives near Oxford and is a trustee for Spark Inside, an organisation delivering coaching programmes in prisons, where he leads on impact and evaluation.

The Support Stars were developed for use with children and young people who are facing serious illness. The Support Star (Parents) is designed to support their families.

“Tom is a fantastic trainer, very engaging and entertaining. We are on break at the moment but can honestly say it’s been flawless from start to finish”
Dewi Richards-Darch
Dewi Richards-DarchCurriculum Coordinator, Itec Training Solutions Ltd, Cardiff, July 2021

New demonstration dates for all clients in August

Posted on by Donna

Triangle will be hosting two Zoom-based free foundation sessions for all clients wanting an introduction or refresher into the Star Online System. 

These sessions are suitable for all clients, practitioners and managers who use the Star Online system. 

Topic: How to Use Reporting Dashboards on Star Online

When: Aug 10, 2021 10:00 AM London
Register in advance for this webinar on zoom here.

This session is suitable for all clients but especially relevant for any managers or staff responsible for creating documents or reports using Outcomes Star information and data. The reporting introduction will cover three report dashboards used in implementation, snapshot and distance travelled reporting. It will also introduce participants to using the filters and thinking about engagements, using them to create instant and engaging charts that can be downloaded to add to any report or funding bid. The session will also highlight what reports can tell you about how Stars are being used in a service and the progress made by service users.

Topic: How to use Star Online (Practitioners Guide)

When: Aug 17, 2021 11:00 AM London
Register in advance for this webinar via Zoom here.

This session will give Star Online users a foundation understanding of the essential and primary tasks that practitioners frequently complete, and will aslo cover essential basics such as how to create a service user, how to add Stars and Action Plans,  the Help center and how to navigate it. Also covered is where practitioners can find and download the key Outcomes Star resources that they need to support their work. The session will also cover general orientation, important features and how to set up engagements and manage notifications.

Please note: these sessions are not a substitute for official training and will only be relevant to those who are using the Star Online.

*****

If you have any questions about remote training, 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.

How Carers First use the Carers Star in their work

Posted on by Donna
Logo for Carers First - the words Carers First in purple on a white background
We recently caught up with Ferne Haxby – one of our Outcomes Star licensed trainers – and learned how the staff at Carers First use the Carers Star in their work.

I’ve been the Learning & Development Adviser for Carers First since 2016. My role includes ensuring the organisation is compliant by providing statutory training – GDPR and Safeguarding.  As well as championing compliance for Carers Frist, I author courses in a range of subjects that enhance the roles of the staff, source external learning providers, and arrange bespoke workplace training.

The Carers First staff team is committed to using the Outcomes Stars as part of their work; we have a large contingency who use the Carers Star.

The Carers Star is designed for use with a wide range of carers – anyone providing unpaid care for a relative or other person. It can be used by the carer whether they live with the person they care for or not. It’s primarily designed for adult carers but can be used with young carers.

The Carers Star is fundamental to the assessment of carers and allows Carers First’s staff to develop other supporting skills such as motivational interviewing, negotiating and communication as part of their roles. Using this, we can work with carers, supporting and empowering them, making their lives as best as they can be.

I am fully committed to using the Outcomes Star and after initial training it is good to see the number of staff grow in their use of it.  Refresher and reflective training is my favourite, as I facilitate sessions whereby staff are sharing experiences, knowledge and best practice together.  Each time, there is something new to learn and share between staff and this allows us to use the Star to the optimum advantage to help our carers in their journeys as carers.

What is so good is that the Star is a life tool and even though there comes a time when carers are not carers anymore, some keep on our books and check in every now and then and are still using the action plans and development tools as they live their lives. 

*****

The adult care sector is extremely broad, but most services in this sector focus on helping people achieve the outcomes that matter in their lives. Explore the Stars available for the Adult Care sector.

Full materials are available for organisations with a Star Licence and training for all managers and workers using the Star.

Triangle have also developed a guide for using the Carers Star and other Stars in the context of the Care Act 2014.