Adapt & Overcome the Challenges…
This year has been challenging to say the least – but when it comes to our care and support colleagues, adapting and overcoming is a natural reaction to a difficult situation.
That’s exactly what happened in the summer, when the individuals at Ty Eirlys, our supported living service in Newport had to cancel their trip to Butlins, due to the risk of Covid-19. Understandably, everyone was really disappointed that their five-day break was no longer on the cards – but the support team had a plan!
They decided to put on a show to ensure that everyone had something to look forward to.
They encouraged the individuals to take part in a Wizard of Oz themed show, but the individuals had other ideas!
They wanted the team to take part too… so eventually the one-off show became a full week extravaganza, with an itinerary as follows…
Tuesday: Spice Girls starring the support team
Wednesday: Wizard of Oz starring the individuals
Thursday: Islands in the Stream starring the support team
Friday: Karaoke and Cocktail Night enjoyed by everyone!
Rachel Filer was a Lead Support Worker at Ty Eirlys during this time and she explains that whilst the shows provided a distraction for the individuals, it didn’t come without its own challenges.
"As there would be multiple tenants taking part, we had to think about how we were going to keep them safe. We had previously worked with them to understand social distancing and the importance of hygiene.
“However, this could have become an issue when they were engaged in an activity, so we came up with the idea of putting crosses on the floor as a visual prompt to remember the two metre rule – similar to what would be placed on the floor of a stage in a theatre.” Rachel Filer
With the health and safety of everyone ensured, the team were comfortable with their plan.
However, no cocktail night is complete without a stock of drinks. That’s when the team decided to transform their bike shelter into a bar!
With the help of a support worker, one of the individuals at Ty Eirlys set to work and thoroughly enjoyed building it. It was well received by everyone.
So even though the Butlins break was a no-go, the week turned out to be a huge success. So much so, it’s going to become a yearly occurrence – and the bar has become the venue for a weekly social club and a monthly bar evening with music and drinks.
What a perfect story of adapting plans to truly overcome a challenge!
