Message from Chief Creative Officer Sue Penna – Delivering the Recovery Toolkit Online
Delivering the Recovery Toolkit OnlineÂ
We have had enquiries about delivering the Recovery Toolkit online during the lockdown.Â
Our advice on this matter is clear – we consider it is feasible to complete a group programme in an online forum when you are near the end of the programme (week 9/10 onwards) and you have already established the key elements of safety and trust and you have a good bond / group dynamic. Even in these circumstances, it would still be important that this can be managed safety. For example does the participant have a safe and private space they can go to? Can the session be held in the evening when the children are in bed?
We DO NOT recommend starting a new group programme  for a number of reasons.
To be clear the Recovery Toolkit programme (Domestic Abuse, Sexual Violence, ACEs) cannot be directly transferred from a face to face group to an online group. It is not as simple as that.  We are currently working on a on line version and will keep you all posted about this.
There is heightened anxiety and fear for all of us at the moment and we need to be careful not to re-trigger any trauma or stresses. It is also extremely difficult under these circumstances for people to take on new information. Creating a safe space is integral to the programme and to do this online creates additional challenges.
We do feel that it is good to stay to connected to your clients at this time and if you want to take a trauma informed approach focus on activities that are about personal and emotional safety and connectedness (e.g. grounding and relaxation). As such, we have provided some top tips to stay calm and connected on our website as well as some factsheets you can use with families.Â
If you want to discuss any of this please contact us – we are always happy to advise where we can. Â