WORK A Journal of Prevention, Assessment II Rehabilitation
ELSEVIER
Work 9 (1997) 299-301
Consumer outcomes
Restore, a user-friendly system Nettie Chance* RESTORE, Manzi! Way, Coley Road, Oxford OX4 lYH, UK Received 1 May 1997; accepted 1 May 1997
1. Introduction Restore is an organisation where people are busy, friendly, sharing experiences and being tolerant with each other. There is a very great sense of shared purpose, and also one of striving. In the gardens people are digging, picking flowers for sale, weeding, potting up, cutting bunches of flowers and pricing plants. In the woodwork department they are making dolls houses, children's toys, and special order furniture. In the print room, they are designing and printing greetings cards, printing business cards, invitations and letter heads. In the- computer room people are doing NVQ training in computers, typing work for administration, compiling the Annual Report and printing price labels for the shop, and in the shop they are selling goods and stock taking and much more! This does not mean that there are not pockets of great tranquillity as well. Sometimes people have difficulty in concentrating and need short breaks from work, other times, people are visibly upset and some people need to work on
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +44 1865790193; fax: +44 1865 241434.
their own. At coffee breaks and lunch breaks, there is a healthy hum of conversation, with people reading newspapers and sometimes playing cards or chess. Restore has a fundamentally democratic rather than autocratic basis. Restore believes in 'user involvement' and provides for this in its structure. It is a charity which provides a therapeutic work place for 55 (full-time equivalent) people and offers realistic and flexible work conditions for its users. It takes people who come straight from psychiatric hospital and from community settings and offers them work at whatever level they feel able. It allows for worker participation at many levels and it encourages individuals, from the outset, to make decisions about their own personal development. In the main psychiatric hospitals are autocratic in the way they function. Patients are considered ill and need help. Responsibility is taken away from patients and decisions are made for them. When someone comes to Restore, they are usually choosing to become more independent, and to change in some way. They need time to be able to make these changes without undue pressures. They are testing themselves and making a new
1051-9815/97/$17.00 © 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. PII S 1 051-9815(97)00051-X
300
N. Chance / Work 9 (1997) 299-301
start. They need to find the confidence to make decisions for themselves and to feel that their views are valued. 2. The review system When workers arrive at Restore they choose which section they wish to work in, and then they decide how much of the working week they want to be at Restore. Their keyworker (e.g. community psychiatric nurse), their staff supervisor and they themselves spend time together making these decisions. They also set short- and long-term goals in what is called the review system. This is not an assessment system to be feared. It is rather a forum where individuals can make decisions for themselves and review their progress, not only in terms of skills acquired, but also in terms of life outside and beyond Restore. Goals vary and change. There are both short- and long-term goals. Short-term goals might be 'I want to be able to get out of the house', 'I want to mix more with people', 'I want to improve my computer skills', etc. Longer term goals are such as 'I want to be ready to apply for full-time work', 'I want to have the confidence to apply for a place at college', 'I want to use Restore as a base to help me manage my long-term illness,' or 'I want to ask Restore to be a supportive place for me while 1 undergo intensive psychotherapy'. Thus each individual has their own agenda. People do not compete, they are seeking to achieve what is necessary for their health, change, training and life goals. They find their feet in their own way. 3. The workers' meeting The workers' monthly meeting is a process for change within Restore. It is a place where information is shared and where issues are raised and discussed. It is followed by a smaller group where workers discuss in greater detail any matters arising from the larger meeting. These meetings have a group agenda in that matters may be raised by staff and workers alike. It is also a place where workers are informed of events, matters concerning mental health, and issues concerning Restore
and the smooth running of the organisation. Discussion for change may take place. Workers views are valued, open discussion is encouraged and action planned. Topics can vary from cleanliness of the building, smoking times and areas, views on how events such as the Open Day went and how it might be improved next year, the colour of decoration, matters of security, the voluntary staffing of the shop, lunch-time arrangements, the quality of food, fund-raising plans, the arrangements for the annual outing, ideas for improvements and future plans. 4. Planning day and goals Planning days have become quite an excItmg event at Restore. Everyone is invited and everyone is asked to participate in group discussions. It aims to identify short- and long-term objectives, to define these more clearly and to come up with new ideas. It is a huge think tank, a day of brainstorming and a buffet lunch is provided! It is followed by the formation of goal groups to look more carefully at specific goals, both short- and long-term, break these down into target dates, how much money is needed, how it should be raised and who takes what action. Workers are invited to every goal group and there is provision for worker representation on the Management Committee. Evidence of how flexible Restore is, and how open to worker participation, can be seen in changes that occurred this year: one worker became a member of staff (as cleaner), and one worker changed his status from worker to volunteer (he had been off medication for a long time, had married and has a small child and is now returning 1 day per week to offer his skills in a voluntary capacity). Another worker has been trained to take over in the print workshop, when the print supervisor is away. In the last 2 years a computer department has opened. Some of the workers are very skilled in the use of computers. In that department staff are teaching workers, workers are teaching staff, workers are teaching workers and staff are teaching staff. It is a very inspiring place to be. It would seem that as staff
N. Chance / Work 9 (1997) 299-301
allow workers more responsibility, so too are they learning to let go of their fears of doing so, and the trust works to the benefit of all In conclusion, at Restore, there does not seem to be a problem about worker involvement and 'the user friendly system'. Workers make decisions about themselves and about the workplace on a regular basis - and why not? They are,
301
after all just adults recovering from bad times. Most of all workers are asking when they come here, for their confidence to be restored. It seems too, that this is what happens over a period of time. Undoubtedly it is part of the reason why visitors experience a sense of business and purpose about the place and it is the reason it is an inspiring place to be.
ELSEVIER
Work 9 (1997) 299-301
Consumer outcomes
Restore, a user-friendly system Nettie Chance* RESTORE, Manzi! Way, Coley Road, Oxford OX4 lYH, UK Received 1 May 1997; accepted 1 May 1997
1. Introduction Restore is an organisation where people are busy, friendly, sharing experiences and being tolerant with each other. There is a very great sense of shared purpose, and also one of striving. In the gardens people are digging, picking flowers for sale, weeding, potting up, cutting bunches of flowers and pricing plants. In the woodwork department they are making dolls houses, children's toys, and special order furniture. In the print room, they are designing and printing greetings cards, printing business cards, invitations and letter heads. In the- computer room people are doing NVQ training in computers, typing work for administration, compiling the Annual Report and printing price labels for the shop, and in the shop they are selling goods and stock taking and much more! This does not mean that there are not pockets of great tranquillity as well. Sometimes people have difficulty in concentrating and need short breaks from work, other times, people are visibly upset and some people need to work on
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +44 1865790193; fax: +44 1865 241434.
their own. At coffee breaks and lunch breaks, there is a healthy hum of conversation, with people reading newspapers and sometimes playing cards or chess. Restore has a fundamentally democratic rather than autocratic basis. Restore believes in 'user involvement' and provides for this in its structure. It is a charity which provides a therapeutic work place for 55 (full-time equivalent) people and offers realistic and flexible work conditions for its users. It takes people who come straight from psychiatric hospital and from community settings and offers them work at whatever level they feel able. It allows for worker participation at many levels and it encourages individuals, from the outset, to make decisions about their own personal development. In the main psychiatric hospitals are autocratic in the way they function. Patients are considered ill and need help. Responsibility is taken away from patients and decisions are made for them. When someone comes to Restore, they are usually choosing to become more independent, and to change in some way. They need time to be able to make these changes without undue pressures. They are testing themselves and making a new
1051-9815/97/$17.00 © 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. PII S 1 051-9815(97)00051-X
300
N. Chance / Work 9 (1997) 299-301
start. They need to find the confidence to make decisions for themselves and to feel that their views are valued. 2. The review system When workers arrive at Restore they choose which section they wish to work in, and then they decide how much of the working week they want to be at Restore. Their keyworker (e.g. community psychiatric nurse), their staff supervisor and they themselves spend time together making these decisions. They also set short- and long-term goals in what is called the review system. This is not an assessment system to be feared. It is rather a forum where individuals can make decisions for themselves and review their progress, not only in terms of skills acquired, but also in terms of life outside and beyond Restore. Goals vary and change. There are both short- and long-term goals. Short-term goals might be 'I want to be able to get out of the house', 'I want to mix more with people', 'I want to improve my computer skills', etc. Longer term goals are such as 'I want to be ready to apply for full-time work', 'I want to have the confidence to apply for a place at college', 'I want to use Restore as a base to help me manage my long-term illness,' or 'I want to ask Restore to be a supportive place for me while 1 undergo intensive psychotherapy'. Thus each individual has their own agenda. People do not compete, they are seeking to achieve what is necessary for their health, change, training and life goals. They find their feet in their own way. 3. The workers' meeting The workers' monthly meeting is a process for change within Restore. It is a place where information is shared and where issues are raised and discussed. It is followed by a smaller group where workers discuss in greater detail any matters arising from the larger meeting. These meetings have a group agenda in that matters may be raised by staff and workers alike. It is also a place where workers are informed of events, matters concerning mental health, and issues concerning Restore
and the smooth running of the organisation. Discussion for change may take place. Workers views are valued, open discussion is encouraged and action planned. Topics can vary from cleanliness of the building, smoking times and areas, views on how events such as the Open Day went and how it might be improved next year, the colour of decoration, matters of security, the voluntary staffing of the shop, lunch-time arrangements, the quality of food, fund-raising plans, the arrangements for the annual outing, ideas for improvements and future plans. 4. Planning day and goals Planning days have become quite an excItmg event at Restore. Everyone is invited and everyone is asked to participate in group discussions. It aims to identify short- and long-term objectives, to define these more clearly and to come up with new ideas. It is a huge think tank, a day of brainstorming and a buffet lunch is provided! It is followed by the formation of goal groups to look more carefully at specific goals, both short- and long-term, break these down into target dates, how much money is needed, how it should be raised and who takes what action. Workers are invited to every goal group and there is provision for worker representation on the Management Committee. Evidence of how flexible Restore is, and how open to worker participation, can be seen in changes that occurred this year: one worker became a member of staff (as cleaner), and one worker changed his status from worker to volunteer (he had been off medication for a long time, had married and has a small child and is now returning 1 day per week to offer his skills in a voluntary capacity). Another worker has been trained to take over in the print workshop, when the print supervisor is away. In the last 2 years a computer department has opened. Some of the workers are very skilled in the use of computers. In that department staff are teaching workers, workers are teaching staff, workers are teaching workers and staff are teaching staff. It is a very inspiring place to be. It would seem that as staff
N. Chance / Work 9 (1997) 299-301
allow workers more responsibility, so too are they learning to let go of their fears of doing so, and the trust works to the benefit of all In conclusion, at Restore, there does not seem to be a problem about worker involvement and 'the user friendly system'. Workers make decisions about themselves and about the workplace on a regular basis - and why not? They are,
301
after all just adults recovering from bad times. Most of all workers are asking when they come here, for their confidence to be restored. It seems too, that this is what happens over a period of time. Undoubtedly it is part of the reason why visitors experience a sense of business and purpose about the place and it is the reason it is an inspiring place to be.
