Staff storytelling
A storyteller is a staff member from within the organisation who has volunteered or was invited to share a story related to an event at work or at home. The story will focus on the social and emotional impact of the event and will be prepared in advance of the storytelling session by the trained storytelling facilitator via two 30-60 minute online or face- to-face sessions. The storyteller will debrief with their fellow storytellers immediately after the storytelling session to ensure psychological safety. A facilitated discussion between the storytellers and the audience members under the guidance of the facilitator will take place following the stories. The discussion should be inclusive, safe, and respectful. Rather than a ‘how-to-fix-it’ debriefing where people reflect on how things could have been done better, or a question-and- answer panel session between audience and storytellers, the discussion instead focuses on the emotional impact of the narrative. Audience members could be from within the same team but could also be from different sections of an organisation, or even stakeholders or external collaborators who work with the care home. Three key sub-themes have emerged from the central healing theme of workplace-based storytelling. These are: n revealing of self; n being heard; and n feeling supported.
Interestingly, these run parallel to the principles of psychological first aid advocated by the World Health Organisation: Look, Listen, and Link – the same psychological first aid that surveyed UK care home workers suggested would be useful for their working environment. Storytelling is an excellent way to pause and reflect on a work-related event. It is a great opportunity to receive support and compassion from work colleagues. It is a powerful tool for an organisation to acknowledge and show appreciation to their employees. According to Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy,7
‘diversity is having a seat
at the table, inclusion is giving staff a voice, and belonging is having that voice be heard’. Storytelling does this.
The importance of being heard Storytelling ticks many boxes in the New Economics Foundation’s Five Ways to Wellbeing (2008),8
back with storytellers, have many positive outcomes for individuals and team cohesion. Sometimes people just need to have their story heard. Listening with the intent to understand rather with the intent to reply is often highly beneficial. Staff who are redeployed are at particular risk of emotional wounds and stress. Storytelling provides them with kindness plus the time and space for reflection. The time used in advance of storytelling sessions to craft personal stories is invaluable in terms of reflective practice. Safe spaces where all emotions are welcome can provide much-needed support between colleagues. However, to establish these in certain working environments will require perseverance, tenacity, and cultural change. Storytelling could bridge gaps both within the care home sector but also between collaborating agencies such as health and social care. Digital self-help is readily available in the sphere of wellness and wellbeing. The focus of these websites and apps is usually on individuals. Surveys across all sectors reveal that staff feel these initiatives are often difficult to navigate. Group storytelling focusing on both individual (storytelling preparation) and group wellbeing (listening and resonating to stories) is a powerful hybrid that will create more compassionate workplaces and a more desirable places to work. Grant and Kinman assert that carers must be supported by a system which supports wellbeing through the development of reflective thinking skills.9 I left a stable NHS career to champion storytelling in the workplace and I am passionate about its power. Having been recognised with national awards in staff engagement (Health Services Journal, Point of Care Foundation, HPA Excellence in People) and a Tate Liverpool exhibition on the NHS workers of the global pandemic (Aliza Nisenbaum), I am using this exposure and platform to take storytelling to the masses. I am open to speaking to anyone from the care home sector to see how this could work for you and your organisation. n
References 1
https://www.ons.gov.uk/ employmentandlabourmarket/ peopleinwork/ employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/ uklabourmarket/december2022
including: Connection;
Learning; Giving; and Taking Notice. The deep listening that audience members have to do, and the resonances they share
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2
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC8921437/
3
https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy- responses/an-assessment-of-the-impact-of-
covid-19-on-job-and-skills-demand-using- online-job-vacancy-data-20fff09e/
4
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ tracybrower/2021/09/19/empathy-is-the- most-important-leadership-skill-according- to-research/?sh=780e23d63dc5
5
https://www.theguardian.com/ commentisfree/2022/jul/03/im-a-gen-z- but-i-want-all-that-millennials-want-too-so- dont-pigeonhole-me
6
https://www.communitycare.
co.uk/2021/09/23/retain-care-home-staff- need-make-sure-access-better-support/
7
https://www.lizandmollie.com/workshops 8
https://neweconomics.org/uploads/files/ five-ways-to-wellbeing-1.pdf
9
https://www.scie-socialcareonline.org. uk/developing-emotional-resilience-and- wellbeing-a-practical-guide-for-social- workers/r/a116f00000UPq8lAAD
www.behindyourmask.co
Lalith Wijedoru
Dr Wijedoru is a third culture kid with heritage from southern Sri Lanka. He was born and raised in Hong Kong and finished secondary school in mainland China before settling in the UK after university. He has nearly 20 years of experience as a doctor in the NHS and is passionate about child health, the safeguarding of children, and teaching. His most recent NHS role was that of a consultant in paediatric emergency medicine at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. As founder of Behind Your Mask, Lalith champions staff stories as a way to support the wellbeing of both clinical and non- clinical care staff. He strives to improve working relationships, raise the profile of employee engagement within public and private sector organisations, and promote human connection through the healing power of storytelling.
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com February 2023
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