Facilitation skills
Many facilitation skills have been identified which assist in the successful delivery of the Hospital-based Group Education Program. When conducting the education program, effective facilitators typically:
Promote a sense of cohesion within the group
A facilitator can focus on building a sense of community and group cohesiveness between carers in many ways. A facilitator can promote cohesion by encouraging members to explore the similarities of their experiences, emotions and issues. Supporting other carers to make decisions can also help them appreciate what they share and enhance their confidence in being able to help one another.
Help carers support each other and identify their own solutions to problems
Carers may feel overwhelmed and helpless to their situation, so an education facilitator should encourage behaviours that promote carers taking charge of their problems and finding solutions. An effective facilitator will not decide what is right for the carer, but provide a safe environment where they can explore options and alternatives and come up with potential solutions for themselves. Demonstrating empathy will also provide an example to other carers and build their skills to help one another.
Reinforce the positive
In any group, negative emotions such as anger, sadness, depression and grief can be prominent, and sometimes become counterproductive to effective problem solving. An important facilitation skill is to balance grief with hope, by discussing both the positive and negative aspects of the situation. Effective facilitators will empower carers to feel like they are capable of controlling their own problems and situations in a positive way. This certainly doesn’t mean being positive all the time. Everyone is entitled to have a bad day, including carers.
Key facilitation skills
- Maintain a steady pace
- Keep the discussion on track
- Be enthusiastic, positive and supportive of carers' efforts and ideas
- Be alert to potentially distracting situations
- Acknowledge everyone’s point of view
- Be aware of body language - are participants looking bored?
