Learning

For me, the first part of learning week is putting my out-of-office response on. Iriss is closed for our annual learning week, it says. We are valuing our learning and connections as a team, it implies. It’s a nice feeling.

Arriving at the Social Hub in Glasgow there’s hugs and catch-ups. Haven’t seen you, in-person, for ages! How’s that project going? Me, well, yes it’s busy (a common theme). Let’s have another one of those tasty pastries. Then we’re all called to order: we begin. 

I was part of a piece of work with Iriss focused on self-evaluation through the lens of how adults experience the “front door” of social work in the Scottish Borders. At the time, I was the Service User Engagement Officer, and this work has always been about one core aim for me, understanding how adults feel when they reach out for support and ensuring that their experiences genuinely shape how our services are designed and delivered.

Learning Week is over at Iriss now. We spent three days in person, eating pastries and chatting about how our year was, things we celebrate and learn, how we keep aligned to our new strategy, using our new evaluation process, showcasing our skills and impact and what the next year could look like for us. 

In a fast-paced environment, the instinct can be to act quickly, but without a shared understanding of where we have been, we could move in directions that are not fully aligned or as effective as they could be. In having a learning week, we are valuing and including reflective practice into our work, to help us be more strategic, more collaborative, and ultimately, more influential in the change we seek to create.