Creating safe space for dialogue and group work Suggestions for facilitators

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1 Creating safe space for dialogue and group work Suggestions for facilitators Introduction Safe space is a fundamental requirement for authentic and meaningful dialogue in diverse groups. This is particularly important when the focus is on conflict and reconciliation, or the theme is a sensitive one such as faith and belief. The perceived safety of an environment will have a direct impact on the ease with which relationships are formed and their sustainability. Below are some suggestions for facilitators and group leaders to support the creation of safe space. They will not all be relevant to every situation what is required will vary depending on the nature and purpose of the group. This is not a definitive guide but rather a collection of pointers towards the factors involved, and a means to stimulate thinking and help facilitators be prepared. Contents: Good beginnings p1 Ongoing factors p2 The impact of the facilitator p3 Group dynamics p4 Considerations for young people p5 Good beginnings 1. Start slowly: Don t plunge in too deep too soon. Aim to engage participants attention at the beginning and find creative ways for them to get acquainted and warmed up. 2. Ice-breakers: Choose a good, imaginative, and non-threatening icebreaker that is appropriate for the group in question. Good ice-breakers allow for depth of engagement but allow each person to choose their own level. (One of our favourites is the post-card exercise using a large collection of colourful and varied postcards, scatter them on the floor and ask participants to choose one or two they feel drawn to. Invite them to share in pairs, or in the group, why they chose that image and what it means to them. Alternatively, ask participants to bring with them an Page 1

2 object that has significance for them, and share its meaning with others. Both exercises have an interesting visual element that gets people engaged at the beginning of a day, and also offer plenty of scope for depth.) 3. Roadmaps: Offer a roadmap for the whole event or workshop so people know what to expect and where they are being taken. Remind people of the roadmap again after lunch if needed. 4. Practicalities: Be clear about practicalities breaks, food, toilets etc. 5. Transparency: Be transparent - about the motivation for the event, it s purpose, and (if appropriate) where you or the organisation you represent stand on the relevant issues. 6. Set ground rules. Ask the group what they need to feel safe and then write up the responses and get group agreement. (Ground rules might include: confidentiality; no interruption; respectful language etc.) Ground rules can be set right at the beginning, or you can make them the 2 nd or 3 rd exercise. The ground rules are likely to be more authentic if the group is slightly warmed up first. 7. Feedback: Communicate that you are endeavouring to create safe space and invite feedback about when it isn t working. Offer a clear route for participants to communicate with the facilitator. It may be difficult for participants to voice this in front of the group, so ensure that they feel they can approach you in breaks or in an on-going group, know how to contact you to voice concerns. Ongoing factors 1. Think it through: Try to second guess how people might feel about each exercise and offer solutions to potential issues (e.g. translating faith-based language into something that works for those with no faith; reassuring about confidentiality at points where participants need to take risks in what they share; offering safer alternatives for people who are new or shy etc) 2. Make it voluntary: Always offer people a choice they can opt out if something feels uncomfortable or they can choose a less risky alternative. 3. Avoid creating too many expectations: Ensure participants feel that there are no expectations put on them that they will go to a particular place (e.g. that in a forgiveness workshop they will actually have to forgive someone). Every step of the process is optional. In some exercises it may Page 2

3 be important to stress that there are no right or wrong responses or contributions or that they will not be judged for what they share. 4. Self-responsibility: Invite participants to choose their own level and be self-responsible. (e.g. when inviting personal disclosure, invite participants to take a considered risk not to go too deep or to stay too shallow). 5. Scales: Use a scale analogy. (e.g. we ll start with a number 3 (low risk)) 6. Texture: Varying the texture of the exercises and using all the senses will help the group go deeper (e.g. incorporate silence, music, an appropriate physical game). 7. Language: Pay attention to language. Acknowledge that people have different words for similar things. Invite people to translate. Vary the language you use so it includes as many as possible (particularly with religious issues). 8. Positive reinforcement: Thank participants who demonstrate particular authenticity or take appropriate risks. 9. Diversity and inclusion: Acknowledge diversity and difference every step of the way, for example: In a faith-based workshop, ensure that those with no faith feel included and not judged; Acknowledge and thank those who bring something different into the circle (e.g. the one who is sad when everyone else is happy, or the one who is angry when everyone else is polite). This enables others to feel they can be honest even if it means being different from the group); Welcome and include those who are in the minority (e.g. men in an majority female group); Name difficult emotions that may arise in advance in the introductions to exercises that may create such responses. The impact of the facilitator The facilitator contains a group partly through their own presence and quality of being, and will have both a conscious and an unconscious impact on the way the group functions. If the facilitator doesn t feel safe around the topic in question or the combinations of people in the room, the group won t either. 1. Preparation: The facilitator can improve the sense of safety they convey by preparing adequately. This could involve: getting clear about their own relationship with the issues involved; taking quiet time before the Page 3

4 meeting starts; or running through possible scenarios that might arise and possible responses either with a colleague on in their imagination. 2. Be a non-anxious presence: As a facilitator, being calm, attentive, and a good listener will increase the group s sense of safety. 3. Be comfortable with strong emotion. Have strategies for holding and responding confidently, so that strong emotions are contained and included rather than repressed. 4. Model the behaviour you want to see: If you want the group to share personal or risky things, make sure you are willing to do the same yourself. Obviously you don t want to tell them your life-story and leave no time for them, but you might need to show that you are willing to go to the place you are inviting them. 5. Facilitating in pairs: This can increase the sense of holding a group, particularly larger groups. You can divide the roles in various different ways e.g. sharing the leading of different exercises, or having one person attend to process and another to content. 6. Flexibility and welcoming what is: The confidence to be spontaneous or to move with the group in unplanned directions will keep the group energy alive. Confidence is also needed to consciously welcome in work with whatever arises Group dynamics 1. Buddies: Invite the group to pair up in a buddy system or form support pods and give the pairs or pods time to check in and support each other. 2. Group responsibility: Invite the group to look out for each other particularly in terms of noticing who might be needing attention, or who hasn t had much airtime in a dialogue. 3. Community roles: You may want to invite participants to volunteer for certain group roles at the beginning of the day (e.g. looking after refreshments, washing up, rounding people up to start on time). These roles can include appointing a couple of group members to be group carers and to notice and check in with others in the breaks, and to be aware of anyone who might feel isolated or need attention or support. 4. Space: Depending on the nature of the dialogues, empty space and digestion time can be very helpful. Page 4

5 5. Wobbly Wednesday : Be prepared for the mid-event wobble. The midpoint of any event (for example Wednesday in a week long event, or after lunch in a day event) is likely to be when emotions are strongest and when things are triggered. Be aware of this and factor in check-in time, or holding exercises. Considerations when working with young people We are working on a more complete resource in relation to young people and safe space. In the meantime, here are a few pointers to consider: 1. Clarity: Young people may well struggle to understand what is and is not appropriate to share: be very, very clear about what is needed (use plenty of examples, linked to the scale system). 2. Appropriate sharing: Think through prior to the event what you will do if inappropriate things are shared (everything from raised child protection issues to preventing teasing from the rest of the group). 3. Child protection: Know, abide by and enforce other adults abiding by all child protection policies: make sure you've got the right ratio's of adult : child in room, of the appropriate gender. 4. Authority figures: Be aware that existing group leaders (teachers, youth workers) will to a greater or lesser extent impact on how safe a space feels and what a young person may/may not talk about. 5. Follow-up: Post-event strategies or follow-up may need to be thought through - you may need to allow time within the session for a structured debrief as young people may lack the capability to cope with being 'left' after being taken to vulnerable/different places. Acting out can be serious in these circumstances if deeply held concepts have been rocked/challenged and a young person's (fragile) personal stability is threatened. 6. Confidentiality: Ensuring that young people understand (and stick to) aspects of group confidentiality is hard. Rumours spread quickly in a classroom situation and revealing confidential information about another can have drastic consequences. 7. Emotional intelligence: Teenagers can me be more emotionally volatile and may lack some of the coping mechanisms adults develop for dealing with differences in opinion or perspective. The absence of these coping mechanisms may increase the likelihood of responding with physical aggression or verbal abuse, and sometimes this can happen with no apparent warning. Don't underestimate the impact of something which Page 5

6 seems very confusing or frightening to a young person. Where needed take time to teach dialogue skills and to encourage the group to look after each other and think together. 8. Gender: Separating genders can often help in terms of getting both genders to share more openly. 9. Established group dynamics: When working with young people in a classroom or youth group setting, there may well be established patterns of interacting, or class hierarchies. This may make creating a level playing field more of a challenge. 10. Attention spans: The space will not appear safe if half the participants are bored or fidgeting. Maintaining attention is important and requires great facilitations skills. Taking regular breaks can help aid digestion of material and concentration. 11. Compassion: Capitalise on the natural compassion that often is there in young people (both sexes - though boys will show it differently); get to know the group for a small amount of time and you'll see those who will very much take care of the others. Be aware that boys will show this very differently but it will be just as strong. 12. Cruelty: Equally, young people can of course sometimes be cruel, bullying or insensitive. Be prepared for this and know how you will handle quietly spoken cutting remarks, rolling of eyes, snorts of laughter etc. 13. Be authentic: As with adults, you cannot expect young people to go into places you are not willing to go yourself. Modelling sharing and demonstrating vulnerability can be important, as well as bringing your full authenticity into the space and being willing to share who you are and where you are coming from. 14. The physical environment: Some young people may be more affected by the physical space than adults. Keep an eye on temperature, comfort levels, space, refreshment breaks and opportunities to move around. 15. Feedback: As with adults, invite feedback and create communication channels for information to be shared outside the group as well as within it. JH/SH March 09 St Ethelburga s Page 6

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