On Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 September the DYW team along with Tom McConnachie, Dundee University School of Nursing and Health Sciences and a team of his student nurses descended on Webster’s High School in Kirriemuir to take part in a two day event, called Team Spirit. The event involved all S1 pupils completing a series of tasks, aimed at developing team working, communication and resilience, while at the same time learning more about careers in healthcare.
Teams worked together and were scored on various attributes including their ability to elect a team leader, working together, communicating, planning, including everyone and completing tasks in the allotted time. The teams therefore learned that in order to achieve the best outcome they had to collaborate and work flexibly. Tasks included conducting an ‘operation’ to help an injured person in need, transporting an injured person and medical supplies in challenging conditions and figuring out how to cross a ‘dangerous swamp’. The teams were supported in their challenges by Webster’s senior phase pupil ambassadors, who themselves developed valuable facilitation and leadership skills through the activity.
The project came about through the Careers in Care working group, convened by DYW D&A, with representatives from SDS, Dundee University, Dundee and Angus College, NHS Tayside, Balhousie Care, Barchester Healthcare and Dundee and Angus schools coming together to take actions to raise awareness of and promote careers in care with young people.
Young people on both days thoroughly enjoyed themselves, saying they learned a lot about teamwork, healthcare and also themselves. It was a great example of what can be achieved through partnership working, with Webster’s staff and school ambassadors, Dundee University and DYW D&A all collaborating to make the event a huge success.