Group Facilitators

Group Facilitators are central to the SRSH organisation and must be supported as fully as possible. SRSH does however expect a reciprocal relationship from Group Facilitators. This document outlines our policy for recruitment, training and commitment expected from group facilitators.

Recruitment  
  • Information for recruitment will be available on the SRSH website. 
  • Initial applications should be made online, direct to SRSH. 
  • Selection of Group Facilitators is made by the SRSH project manager or project directors and approved by SRSH project directors:
  1. Shortlisted Group Facilitators may be interviewed via phone. 
  2. Priority will be given to Group Facilitators able to commit two or more years to the project. 
  3. Group Facilitators must have good communication skills. 
  4. Successful candidates should be organised, efficient and have experience working in a team. 
  5. Priority will be given to individuals with previous voluntary experience. 

Taking on new group facilitators          
  • All group facilitators must complete the SRSH training
  • Should group facilitators have previously suffered from an Eating Disorder, they must be recovered for a minimum of two years when they start volunteering for SRSH. Individuals will need to be able to provide two references in support of their state of successful recovery.  Please see the SRSH document on “Declaration of Health.” 

Working with SRSH          

Group facilitators must:

  • Maintain regular contact with SRSH: failure to do so may result in consideration of suspension. 
  • Regularly attend supervision with the SRSH support team, ideally after each of the group sessions that they run. 
  • Be able to commit a minimum of one year working with the SRSH project and provide SRSH with 2 months notice if they wish to leave the project. 
  • Not meet up with / offer support to attendees outside of group sessions. 

Group facilitators should

  • Expect to commit five hours a month for the SRSH project. 

Group facilitators will be asked to complete personal reviews every six months to monitor their ability to cope with the project. Further support will be provided if appropriate. 

Group Facilitator Support Structure

SRSH exists to train and support Group Facilitators, in the light of this we take the support provided to Group Facilitators very seriously. We can however only do so much; while SRSH will endeavour to always provide support, responsibility rests on the Group Facilitators to access and make use of the support provided.

SRSH will

  • Assist with recruitment of Group Facilitators and be responsible for the final selection of new group facilitators for a project. 
  • Provide training for new Group Facilitators including a workbook, support meetings and workshop days. 
  • Provide staff assistance to Group Facilitators on an ad hoc basis via email, phone or face-to-face meetings. 
  • Run weekly Skype supervision meetings. 

SRSH expects a member of staff at the university where a project is running to provide a level of supervision in addition to that provided by SRSH.

  • Provide online resources to support the running of groups and student led projects. 
  • Maintain and facilitate communication networks between Group Facilitators. 


Group Facilitator Training


SRSH Group Facilitator training is completed via multiple media including small group sessions, a workbook, individual exercises, Skype meetings and workshops.

  • All group facilitators must complete all aspects of training to be affiliated with SRSH. 
  • Training will include a minimum of five hours face to face time run by an SRSH authorised training officer. 
  • Trainees who do not complete training to a satisfactory level may not continue onto run group sessions. 
  • SRSH will provide workshop days to supplement initial training: Group Facilitators should attend a minimum of one event per year.

 


Supervision


We believe that supervision is a vital aspect of running a safe and effective group. Supervision helps group facilitators reflect on what is working and what could be improved. It is through discussing issues and concerns with others in a structured framework that group facilitators develop novel solutions and ideas to take forward. All Group Facilitators must have access to a range of supervision and must make use of supervision regularly. This is a standard requirement and failure to engage in supervision may result in suspension from the SRSH project.

Supervision is provided via telephone via B-eat on a monthly basis at B-eat’s invitation.

  • SRSH will forward all relevant details to group facilitators.
  • SRSH recommends all Group Facilitators access this supervision as an add-on to their standard support: this is recommended but not compulsory. 


Supervision is provided by SRSH through weekly facilitated Skype sessions.

  • Times and dates of weekly supervision will be advertised in newsletters and on the SRSH website. 
  • All active group facilitators must attend SRSH Skype supervision regularly. This should be after each group session run. 
  • Engagement with this level of supervision is compulsory. 

Supervision must also be provided by a mental health professional at the Group Facilitator’s university. This supervisor may be a counsellor, GP, psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health worker.

  • Ideally this supervision will be available to students as and when needed. 
  • Students and SRSH must be aware of how to contact the project’s university supervisor via phone or email. 
  • University group project supervisors must minimally meet with Group Facilitators for one meeting a term (or semester if groups don’t run during the summer term due to exams). This meeting should take place regardless of need. It is important to have the opportunity for review. 
  • It is the supervisor’s responsibility to arrange meetings, however if issues arise in arranging these meetings, supervisors should inform the SRSH project manager so that the project manager can work with group facilitators to ensure this does not happen in the future. 
  • Supervision sessions should consider SRSH training. SRSH group facilitators must follow SRSH training. Advice from supervision should not override this. Should supervisors feel there is a conflict between recommendations they must contact the SRSH project manager for advice. It will remain the responsibility of SRSH project directors to recommend volunteers break from procedures covered in training if this is felt to be appropriate. 
  • Should concerns arise out of supervision, these concerns should be passed onto the SRSH project manager to ensure the issues are monitored.

 


Suspending Group Facilitators or University Group Projects.


The suspension of Group Facilitators should be a last resort and must always be preceded by offers of further training. For the safety of everyone involved however, Group Facilitators may be suspended or university group projects temporarily closed.

Group Facilitators may be suspended if complaints or concerns are raised about their ability to run group sessions, the appropriateness of their behaviour in group sessions or their commitment to the project. A lack of reliability or insufficient commitment to the project is unfair upon the rest of the team and puts the stability of the university group project at risk.

Group Facilitators will be suspended immediately if serious concerns are raised. In these circumstances, Group Facilitators may be reinstated to the project if it is felt by the SRSH project manager, project directors and university staff associated with the group that the initial issues of concern have been resolved.

In other circumstances, Group Facilitators may be suspended if they are consistently uncooperative through the process of resolving concerns.

Should a Group Facilitator be suspended,

  • The group facilitator will be fully consulted prior to a decision being made. Should they feel that their suspension is unfair, the Group Facilitator may make a petition to the project directors within 7 days of their suspension. 
  • Co-facilitators for the project and university staff associated with the project must be consulted prior to a final decision. 
  • The group facilitator should be offered additional training, if appropriate, before being allowed to rejoin the groups. 
  • SRSH will assist with recruitment and training of a replacement Group Facilitator.

 


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