How We're Working During Lockdown

Since working at Summit Support Ltd. I’ve experienced a range of different working scenarios. It’s important to note that, as Specialist Instructors, we’re out and about ALL the time supporting our students in their independence on a day-to-day basis. So, when the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) started to impact our community, we had to move quickly to transition our sessions to a contact free online set-up. As the Creative Manager, I would like to share my experience of working together with the rest of the team to generate ideas to keep everyone connected.

It is now more important than ever to be able to provide continuity when engaging with our students. This helps to reduce anxiety and stress during these uncertain times and keep them as independent as possible. We’ve been checking in regularly with our students to understand how they’re dealing with this sudden change. To begin with, the video calling experience could be quite daunting for some. However, students have excelled, and the transition has been much smoother than predicted.

One of our students, Lucy, says

“Summit have been very helpful as we’ve had our sessions over video calls. One of my Instructors called Alex has taught me to read a bus timetable online which is very helpful, and Craig’s been using an app called ‘Pictoword’ and he shows me the screen so I can guess the words and then spell them and it’s a fun game to play.”

 Using Zoom Video Conference, we’re able to utilise the power of screensharing to showcase a range of videos, images, webpages and apps all to help with educational functions that usually would take place in the outside world during 1:1 sessions.

Zoom is a very powerful tool that offers secure online communications for liaising with staff, families and students. We’ve also been using WhatsApp Video calling for short check ins that might involve motivating students to do housekeeping, such as cleaning or washing up. It has been imperative to continually remind students to wash their hands on a regular basis and in the correct and most effective way. Of course, not every student requires that level of support; sometimes just a social opportunity can provide an outlet and distraction during this time of limited interaction. As well as maintaining independence, it has been key to monitor mental health and welfare within our student community to reduce the possibility of negative reactions and social withdrawal.

Creating opportunities to socialise is important, not only with the Specialist Instructors but also with each other. One of the things I’ve continued with is the SUMMIT FILM CLUB; something I did before cinemas closed. We’re able to use the current technologies within our home to watch a movie together, using DVDs students already own, Netflix, and a range of other services. This enables all involved to see each other responding to the film in real time; we are able to interact like we would at the cinema before and after the movie, which builds upon many life skills. I think the discussion at the end of a movie is particularly important as sharing honest opinions about the film helps the students express their thoughts and feelings and improves listening skills.

Bobbie and Emily have also been hard at work to create other opportunities for interaction. On Wednesday night they hosted our first SUMMIT QUIZ NIGHT. This was a fantastic way for students AND their families to come together, even when not living in the same household. Entry was free, and only the student were charged for the session at their agreed hourly rate.

While it’s a tough time for everyone at the moment, our job is to remain a constant in our students’ lives as much as possible, even if we’re unable to leave the home. We’re constantly innovating to engage the students as fully as possible, whatever their level of support. Our aim is to achieve a balance between essential life skills and the opportunity to create new and exciting content for all to enjoy. It has been a learning curve for all, and staff have risen to the challenge!