Sasha is empowering people to take positive risks

Sasha, who is a mirus staff member at Cornerways in Brecon is a great advocate for positive risk taking, and has adopted this approach with the people she supports. 

Practice Leaders at Cornerways recognised that Sasha already had a great relationship with one person she supports in particular. The trust and respect that they shared for each other lent itself well to positive risk taking, and could result in the person leading a more fulfilled and happy life. 

The person supported at Cornerways feels most comfortable when he has routine and structure, however he began to get bored and needed a way to gain more independence, learn new skills and do more of the things that he loves. Sasha recognised this, and first approached the subject of positive risk taking with the person, his family and other professionals involved in his support. 

Sasha was respectful of everyone’s opinions, particularly those of the person supported. She adapted her methods of communication to make sure that the person understood everything that was discussed, and was able to give feedback.

The Leadership Team at Cornerways said:

“Sasha continuously shows that she holds mirus values and knows how to put them into practice. She remains calm and is always respectful in her approach, which makes the person feel safe and supported and keen to engage with her.”

Sasha supported the group to identify activities in the community that the person might enjoy, and asked whether he would like to try them. Once they had a list of potential activities, Sasha weighed up the potential risks against the benefits to the person’s life, and planned ways to overcome obstacles. The result was a fun filled activity planner that contained exciting activities for the person to try, as well as tasks to develop the person’s independent living skills. 

The first activity that they tried was bowling at a local centre. Sasha’s upbeat and positive attitude meant that the experience was really enjoyable for the person supported. 

“The new activity was such a success that it’s now been added to his weekly activity planner.”

The person is now confidently taking part in a range of activities including his own laundry and ironing, cooking and wood work. Seeing Sasha’s success, other staff members have gained the confidence to take more positive risks, and Sasha herself has joined our Aspiring Managers programme so that she can progress her career.