Sam Silver social entrepreneur, CEO of Action-Attainment has successfully been using Action Learning to support parents. Read how she’s done it.
What inspired you to use Action Learning?
“I experienced Action Learning through a School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) programme in 2011 was interested in the potential of using the approach in my work with parents of children with social communications difficulties resulting from autism, Asperger’s, dyspraxia and ADHD.
“We work mainly with primary aged children to support their development before any mental health issues arise. We wanted to support the parents by bringing them together to help problem solve using open questions.
“When I looked at Action-attainment’s services I recognised it didn’t offer any opportunities for individual problem solving. I began to think about how to build this in when I saw an ad for the Action Learning Facilitator training. I started to get curious about whether that might be the solution so I attended the training really questioning whether it would work.
“I decided to test it out with families and set up two Action Learning Sets. Each had six parents and met six times for 2.5 hours from 7pm to 9.30pm.”
How did you introduce the idea to parents?
“An important first step was to run a 2 hour introductory session in community settings free of charge.
“We offered daytime and evenings to help parents attend. The session provided core training on child development and why difficulties are so pervasive and cause so many behavioural challenges. This sets the scene for future problem solving.
“The second hour introduced AL. We used the SSE animated video and got the parents to replace the idea of the juggling social entrepreneur with parenting. We used lots of visuals and wall posters to explain the process then have a go. We used the ALC Question Bank cards to support the questioning and the process. Parents were then free to sign up or express interest.”
What did you hope it would achieve?
“The purpose of the AL Sets was for parents to be more empowered in communicating in a complicated and often embattled situation.
“I noticed it had an impact for the individuals in the set and in a wider context too. With the questioning skills in place parents reported back that they used them with the school co-ordinator, an official or social worker who is managing their children’s education. It helped take people away from conflict to find better ways of negotiating.
“Having run the pilot I have seen time and again that people have the answers already; we just need the time and space to peel back all the stuff that obscures their answer. The solution comes from them and their comfort zone triggered by a question.
“When I set out I hoped the Action Learning would give parents a methodology for dealing with a range of difficult situations, help them connect in a peer group; and ultimately that parents would become facilitators and support other groups to run on. The latter bit hasn’t happened – not yet.”
“The WhatsApp groups are continuing though,” she adds.
What were some of the challenges you faced?
Parents having child-care so they can attend. Often there are added issues due to the child’s behaviour that makes child-care complex to arrange.
Parents have limited time hence evening sessions.
Communicating the value of AL and how to explain it in a meaningful way
On a practical front an exhausted parent falling asleep in a session
A set members de-railing things due to their own issues
What’s been your learning?
“It’s quite a lot of work to recruit people into Sets despite high levels of interest parents find it so hard to get time for themselves. Yet the value of what happens, the peer group support is exponential. It’s a really important tool in a range of ways to help parenting and personal development to happen.
“Also there’s real magic when you bring different people together. Some parents are practical, some emotional, there’s lots of experience or a little. Add an assorted chocolate box of questions something magical happens. Parents leave with a clear idea of doing something - and more importantly a sense things are deal-able with.”
What would you recommend to others?
“On reflection, remembering to hold the knowledge that at its core AL is a very robust process. Being robust AL can flex around the edges to support personal development in so many ways. So we have scheduled time away from the set for people to talk informally.
“The creation of a peer group with shared need is where AL’s strength lies. For us this means allocating set membership to parents based on the age of their children - not mixing primary school parents with those of teenagers. This was initially a gut feeling, but one that has become a valued, core principle with set members in our groups.
Finally realising at least with our parents that sometimes what is called for is input to build parents knowledge. We didn’t do this however in future we may flex sessions to allow for input if required.”
If you’d like to know more about Action-Attainment’s Action Learning contact Sam via