Group activities

Sometimes you need to work with groups when you’re running quizzes, entertainment or religious services. However, groups require planning, and larger groups will need more staff to help every resident to get involved and enjoy the activity.

Warm up

Tell people what is happening and what is expected of them, so they can relax and begin to enjoy the session. Perhaps tell participants how long the group will last, or where the toilets are. Your reassurance, enthusiasm and encouragement will make people feel welcomed, acknowledged and accepted.

Main event

Reduce distractions and keep interruptions to a minimum. It will encourage people to participate and be easier for them to concentrate.

• Encourage residents to communicate with each other.
• Link up what people say by using your knowledge about their individual experiences and interests.
• Address the whole group, rather than specific individuals.
• Make sure that equal time is given to individual contributions, one at a time. Provide stimuli one at a time.
• Sense the pace needed for the group and the activity.
• Help people to focus on the subject.
• When reminiscing, remind people that they are in the present (for example, ‘And now we’re here, enjoying a cup of tea…’). This is especially important if they have memory problems.
• Summarise what has been done and said.
• Be clear about what has to be done next.
• Do not disclose confidences.

Concluding

It is important to actually end the group. It helps people to orientate if they know what will happen next (for example, lunch or tea) and what is expected of them. To end a session, you can summarise what has been done, plan the next session and thank everyone for attending.

Why is it is essential to record when people engage in activity?

• It is a statutory requirement.
• It provides information about a resident’s abilities and needs.
• It acts as a baseline and monitors progress or deterioration.
• Information can be fed into the care planning process to help provide individualised care.
• It monitors success (or not) of the activity.

What information do I need to record?

• Type of activity, date and time of day.
• Purpose of the activity.
• How the resident responded and the help or support they needed (e.g.  their physical, sensory and emotional response, as well as memory, concentration and orientation).

Here are some of the most common difficulties of working with groups.  

Difficulty in getting people to talk

• Link what one person said earlier to what another is saying.
• Start by speaking to individuals, and then addressing the whole group.
• Ask leading questions or choose a controversial topic.
• Use props.
• Make sure that seating is arranged:
  • To allow eye contact
  • To enable each person to hear
  • So that people who clash, don’t sit next to each other.
• Sit opposite the quieter group members so you can make eye contact.

A person seems more withdrawn than usual

• Try to understand the cause. Is it due to a medical problem or are they emotionally upset?
• Ask what the problem is. Ask if they can share it with the group.
• Sit nearby and use touch if appropriate.
• Talk with the person after the session.

People only address comments to staff

• Avoid establishing eye contact.
• Encourage people to ask each other questions (these can be written clearly on card).

One person dominates and hogs the session

• Point out that you value their contribution, but you also want to hear from others.
• Cue in another person to speak.
• Ask other group members to recount their stories first.
• Explain at the beginning that the aim is to hear from as many people as possible, so as to get to know and understand each other.
• Give people roles within the group – handing out props, leading a song, etc.

A person hums, interrupts or exhibits anti-social behaviour

• Make sure the group members have similar levels of ability.
• Make sure that the activity is appropriate for the people attending.
• Try to ignore the behaviour and only give attention to appropriate behaviour.

A person repeatedly tries to leave the session

• Make sure that the activity is appropriate for the people attending.
• Understand why they want to leave. Are they bored, unhappy or wanting the toilet?
• Do they need help to leave? If so, you have to decide whether to help them yourself (and leave the activity and the other group members) or to ask someone else to help.

A person becomes distressed during the session

• Encourage people to share and help each other.
• Allow the person to leave and then offer individual support and time to listen afterwards.

• Set realistic, achievable aims.
• Group together people with similar interests, abilities and needs.
• Offer activities that people want to do.
• Be creative and experiment.
• Plan ahead and prepare well for regular activities but remain flexible to support impromptu activities.
• Always have a back-up plan. Your planned activities may not always work or be right on the day.
• Keep clear and up-to-date records.
• Set aside time to review and revise how you are working regularly.
• Don’t get downhearted if an activity does not go so well. Take the opportunity to evaluate, learn for the future, and try again.

When developing a theme, think about:

• What activities could be linked to it?
• What activities would reflect people’s abilities and interests?
• What resources are available (time, facilities, materials)?

You might need to simplify materials or your approach, so that it is appropriate for residents’ needs and ability. However, make sure it is always age-appropriate and doesn’t become childish.

Example of a themed session

Here’s an example of a weekly programme of activities on the theme of music.

You’ll need to take people’s abilities, impairments, interests and energy levels into account when planning the programme.