Sadly my time at The Ann Craft Trust has come to an end.
Starting this role meant taking a break from front line practice. I felt it important to recognise how taking this break has impacted me. I also want to reflect on the knowledge and skills I have gained in this role. They have been an invaluable asset to my professional development.
I came to the Ann Craft Trust from a busy, stressful safeguarding role. Initially I found the slower pace difficult. I found myself feeling guilty for taking appropriate breaks, and for doing something “nice” in those breaks, such as making a colourful plate of food or going for a walk.
I also felt guilt for stopping, for pausing to reflect, and for taking the time to read and research. It took some time for me to realise that I should not feel guilty for any of this. Taking the time to pause and reflect was not only necessary for completing the task in hand, but also for my overall wellbeing.
Workplace Wellbeing
The Ann Craft Trust rightly places staff wellbeing high on its agenda. It was not until I stepped into this role that I realised the importance of this.
I found that my sleep was better, and I became more positive about my approach to work. I found I was motivated and enthusiastic to take on new challenges.
Eventually I started learning more about the impact of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue. This made me think about how my personal wellbeing had suffered in previous roles. What had stopped me from taking the time to safeguard myself? Why hadn’t I put any measures in place to mitigate any risks to my own wellbeing?
I also reflected on how previous roles had affected my feelings of hope and optimism, and my abilities to follow procedure. It made me think about the steps I will need to take, and the conditions I’ll need to create, to support my wellbeing in future roles.
Right to Disconnect
The Ann Craft Trust supports staff wellbeing with a right to disconnect policy. The management encourages staff to take regular breaks, and they frequently organise wellbeing walks, fuddles, and other activities to help staff connect and share ideas.
We recently attended a group training session focused on personal resilience. One of my main takeaways from this session was: Why do we always fixate on the one thing that didn’t go as planned, rather than the many things that went well? Why are we so obsessed with negative feedback, and why are we so ready to dismiss positive feedback?
The Ann Craft Trust encourages organisations to share safeguarding success stories, while treating setbacks as opportunities for learning, growth, and development. Working here, I spent a lot of time reflecting on my own wellbeing, and I realised how important optimism and hope are for both personal and organisational growth.
Spreading the Word of Safeguarding
My work at the Ann Craft Trust has been varied, allowing me to explore a wide range of experiences while “spreading the word of safeguarding”. I have delivered training to many different organisations in the care, charity, faith, private, and art sectors.
Most recently, I have been involved in training crews onboard ships for an organisation that allows people to gain maritime skills and experience. I had to consider what legislation to cover in the course, as maritime law, admiralty law, and even international law can cover seafarer welfare. How can we make safeguarding simple and understandable with such complex legislation at play?
Delivering this training was also a challenge, as the crew had very tight schedules in both the UK and Europe. Ultimately, after much discussion the organisation opted for online training, with me on one screen and the whole group on another. This proved highly effective, with the participants enthusiastically contributing to discussions and engaging in the group activities.
Beyond Statutory Thresholds
In this role, I particularly enjoyed supporting organisation to move beyond statutory thresholds. Instead, we encouraged them to consider how they can achieve safeguarding through advanced safety planning, and through collaborating with other organisations.
This role has allowed me to learn about all the fantastic organisations that exist to promote safety and wellbeing. I have also learned about the impact of engaging in “community assets” – social clubs, sport and activity organisations, and so on.
As part of this role, I was involved in developing eLearning courses focused on financial capabilities and mental capacity. These courses involved some case studies, and recording the voice overs for these meant revisiting my A-Level Performing Arts skills! I was also able to draw from my experience in working with diverse communities to ensure that these eLearning courses were accessible and relatable to as many people as possible.
Throughout my time at the Ann Craft Trust, I particularly enjoyed helping organisations think about how to make their policies and related documents “live”. How can organisations support staff to understand and embrace their policy’s key messages and values? Supporting organisations to think creatively about how they communicate their policies was one of the most rewarding aspects of my work.
Working at the Ann Craft Trust has been hugely beneficial to my overall development. It has been a great experience to jump from from line service delivery to such a different type of role. I am so glad that I made the leap!