Strengthening the Foundation for Service Expansion
Transforming Choice, an organisation dedicated to providing high-quality support services, recognised the need to step away from daily operations to reconnect as a team. As they prepared for a new phase of service development, including a new cohort intake in July 2025, it was essential to strengthen their internal foundation of trust and shared purpose to ensure the success of these future changes.
Aligning Team Vision with Operational Growth
The primary objectives for the day, led by Saeed Olayiwola (SO Health) and Ste Weatherhead (NeuroTriage), were to:
- Rebuild Connection: Create a safe space for honest conversations to improve team communication and collective ownership.
- Align Priorities: Identify and theme individual staff priorities to create a unified organisational vision.
- Strategise for Growth: Conduct a SWOT analysis to evaluate the service’s current standing and co-create a roadmap for upcoming structural and program changes.
- Support Wellbeing: Introduce practical tools for stress management and emotional regulation to build long-term staff resilience.
Facilitating Connection and Strategic Co-Creation
To achieve these goals, the facilitators implemented a two-part structured programme:
- Building Trust and Ownership: Staff participated in guided activities to explore what makes them feel valued and safe. This led to the identification of ten core themes, including Trust, Respect, Fairness, and Teamwork, which served as the platform for all subsequent service discussions.
- Wellbeing Integration: The team practiced Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing), a centering technique designed to balance the nervous system and enhance mental clarity before tackling complex organisational challenges.
- Co-Creating the Future: Managers shared updates on service developments, followed by an interactive SWOT analysis. The team collaborated on a new bespoke programme delivery model that allows staff to adjust resident groups (emotional vs. educational) based on real-time clinical needs.
- Operational Planning: The group finalised plans for a trial run of new daily groups and discussed the phasing out of transitional housing to maximise building use.
The Impact: A Resilient Team and a Bespoke Service Model
The away day yielded immediate and long-term benefits for the Transforming Choice team:
- Enhanced Team Cohesion: Staff reported feeling more grounded, connected, and clear about their shared goals following the breathing exercises and open discussions.
- Clearer Strategic Roadmap: The team successfully designed a more flexible, bespoke treatment program for residents, overseen by senior staff to ensure high-quality outcomes.
- Practical Tools for Resilience: Staff were equipped with a “wellbeing toolkit” (including breathwork and reflective practices) to use during stressful periods or before key discussions.
- Cultural Alignment: By the end of the day, the team moved from individual priorities to a “shared vision,” providing the necessary momentum for the July service expansion.
