Applying the Gloriously Ordinary Lives lens since launch!
So, we’ve had a great couple of months since the launch of Gloriously Ordinary Lives, and lots of you are telling me that the Four Tests* resonates hugely with you.
In November 2023, I ran a prototype course to introduce and explore the basics of Gloriously Ordinary Lives. A wonderful group of individuals who work for organisations that support people directly gave up their time to be involved. They tried out some of the ideas around the Four Tests and challenged whether or not they hold true for the people who draw on support. There were some fabulous moments:
It’s more than just the ‘heart sing’
The realisation from everybody that life is more than just the ‘heart sing’ moments. Our mundane day-to-day stuff is equally important as it gives that rhythm to our life that we all need. Mundane can move into heart sing, and some of us owned up to the genuine joy of a pile of neatly folded ironing, or pulling out and cleaning behind the fridge! Okay, so not everyone agrees but that’s the joy of the mundane.
Bizarre and ridiculous language
The wonderful Bryony Shannon joined me for the second session. We explored the bizarre, and sometimes ridiculous, language we have created in social care. A great insight came from Rebecca who realised that a team supporting Anya in her own home were asking Anya to ‘help with the laundry’. They had a real moment when they realised it wasn’t the team’s laundry, it was Anya’s!
The power of a photo
The session about Test Three gave us the chance to explore the power of the ‘photo test’. The photo test has the power to expose great and not-so-great support and reflects on how we want to be recorded ourselves and preserved in photographic memories. For example, Steve who manages a team who support Jake in his own home, noted that there were images of Jake with a large mouthful of burger being shared as an example of him having a good time. Steve reflected that this probably wouldn’t be an image that he would want to be shared. We did have some great images, though, including this one that popped up of the boy, the day he had his tattoo… without me knowing, along with this text, ‘Behold. Done for tattoo left over colour Disney pirates of the Caribbean funny movie’. Made my day!
The importance of connection
Our final session was on Test Four – the importance of connection. We realised how often the lives of people who draw on social care support are dominated by people who are paid to be there. We had a really interesting (and unresolved) conversation about where the boundary lies between people who are paid to support us and people there because they love us. How can we make sure that our policies around safeguarding and professional boundaries don’t kill any opportunities for people to realise they genuinely like someone they are currently paid to support? What could they do if they wanted to explore how to change that relationship into more of a friendship? Lots more on this to come!
(*The Four Test are now The Five Tests)
Want to learn more about Gloriously Ordinary Lives? The training course launches soon!
Contact me if you would like to be notified as soon as course dates are announced.
