Reflective Practice in Wigan

By GM Moving | 14 May 2024 | TAGS: Local Pilot, Evaluation, "Research and learning"

In Wigan, Place Partnership survey responses hint at a growing perception of increasing system maturity in terms of Learning and adapting (see Figure 44). This perception might be illustrated by the locality’s engagement with ‘Learning and adapting’ in practice.  

Figure

44: Wigan Place Partnership survey: Learning and adapting averages scores, 2020-2023 

In a recent conversation (09/04/2024), Melissa, Community Health Building Lead and a Wigan Research Ambassador, told Substance about her experience using Reflective Practice. The Substance and SHU evaluation team introduced  Reflective Practice templates as a new evaluation method in spring 2023.1 Initially, Melissa and the Wigan Place Partnership team were hesitant about this new method of data collection. The ask to provide a Reflective Practice form felt like a chore: it meant additional work for them, while potential benefits were not immediately clear. A year on, in Melissa’s words, 'Reflective Practice has become a normal part of the work we are doing’.  

The Wigan team now uses Reflective Practice in a variety of ways. One way is to use versions of the evaluation template in different work settings and with different colleagues and partners. Not everyone immediately buys into using the template, Melissa told us, but some are now using these routinely to reflect on key aspects of their work. As such, the Reflective Practice method is being adapted and expanded beyond the Place Partnerships core teams. The Wigan team also uses Reflective Practice to help inform agendas for next meetings, and to better check in on previous topics and questions. This way it can also serve as a means of creating a record of key discussion points. For example, in Wigan’s Westleigh project, Melissa has introduced Reflective Practice templates as a tool to capture additional details to enrich any other reporting or spreadsheet information that is being discussed in meetings.  

In addition to encouraging discussion and reflection in different settings, and creating a conscious record of work and thought, there is perhaps the most important use of Reflective Practice: the actual practice of reflecting as a way of doing work differently. Melissa is now “reflecting all the time”, keeping a long-term reflection document with multiple Reflective Practice forms building on each other. She has also developed a way of doing reflections collaboratively in a group. This can be linked closely to the original Reflective Practice form, which is filled in together by the group. But it can also be less formal, such as the Friday reflection sessions that the team is doing every week. ‘Once a week we’re all prioritising that time’, Melissa said. ‘How has the week been, what were the highlights and challenges, what are common themes?’ The realisation that others might have similar challenges can lead to finding a solution together, Melissa pointed out; and, importantly, ‘the sessions also help to get some positive feedback and highlights from others if you feel your week was full of challenges’.  

The Friday reflection slot also helps the Wigan team think about work throughout the week. ‘It’s making us think about what we want to talk on Fridays. This way the week doesn’t just rush by, we’re keeping track of key developments we might want to discuss’. The team captures key points in an ever-growing Padlet document – a straightforward way of tracking discussion over time and returning to any key topics in the future. Melissa also uses Reflective Practice in her weekly E-Comms (Keeping Connected – Community Health Building Update) as a means of ongoing reflection and inviting others to contribute. In the E-Comms from 12th April 2024, Melissa included her reflections on the chat with Substance and the discussion of what “test and learn” means in practice:  

The way I view 'test and learn' is very much with a focus on learning.  Try something new, and if it doesn't work I don't view it as a failure but as a learning opportunity.  Suddenly when you shift your mindset from failure to learning you can be brave and no longer defensive.  No one will think bad of you for learning something new.  It's called 'test and learn' after all not 'test and fail'. Reflective practice is just a simple way of documenting the learning.  It's also a great way to show people what you've done if they think all you do is talk!  There's method in my madness. [Keeping Connected – Community Health Building Update, 12/04/2024].  

Reflective Practice is now deeply embedded in the Wigan Place Partnership in a variety of ways and applications. Far from being a ‘chore’, reflection underpins everything the Wigan team does. It has become a way of working that contributes to the Place Partnership work they are doing.  

But not everyone has the time or space to buy into it. There is also the challenge of finding a good topic for reflection. For Melissa and Team, the key was to ‘start somewhere, it doesn’t matter if it’s a really small example. It could be a small piece of work, a regular meeting in your diary or something that you have learned so far’. Reflective Practice can take many forms. But it can only contribute to ways of thinking and working if it is done repeatedly, becomes a practice. In Melissa’s words: ‘Once you’ve done it a few times, you’re starting to see the benefit. The direction of our work now becomes really clear’.