Joining the Liberating Structures user group within the Q community has been a transformative experience for me.

Before becoming part of Q, I was unaware of the powerful potential these structures hold.

Now, I find myself incorporating Liberating Structures into my practice regularly, and the results have been remarkable.

 At COPE Scotland, we have been exploring the barriers to recruiting and retaining volunteers with members of the Referral Agency Partners Network, supported by Volunteer Glasgow.

Our mission was to delve into the intricacies of supporting people into volunteering roles and ensuring that they derive maximum benefit from their volunteering experiences. These discussions were part of our broader Glasgow Wellbeing Fund project.

What are Liberating Structures?

Liberating Structures offer a diverse menu of simple yet effective methods to foster collaboration, creativity, and inclusivity. You have probably already come across a few of them, such as Open Space and 1-2-4-All. Find out more on the links below.

By leveraging just a few of these 33 tools, I have been able to facilitate more engaging and productive interactions with my colleagues, peers, and the communities we serve.

Benefits of volunteering in health and care improvement

For health and care improvement, we can see volunteering in many different dimensions.

I’m particularly looking at where volunteers have been recruited to help with a service and this can include patients, families, and clinical and non-clinical staff who are being asked to work outside of their direct role.

Now, more than ever, we need the good will of colleagues helping out and working across boundaries.

For patients, families and communities, there’s a profound impact that volunteering can have on physical and mental wellbeing: a sense of connection to others, being more physically active, contributing to better experiences for themselves and others and overall life satisfaction.

For health and care staff, there’s value in expanding their networks, learning new skills and improving patient and staff experiences.

For everyone to experience these benefits, there must be the acknowledgement of the time and expertise they are giving and the value that they bring. They must also feel included and heard.

Using TRIZ to make space for innovation

Several discussions were held to identify the barriers that individuals may face when considering or continuing with volunteering. To facilitate this, we employed the liberating structure known as TRIZ.

TRIZ builds on a Russian model that stands for Theory of Inventive Problem Solving.

TRIZ invites people to find ways to stop activities that limit innovation and productivity in a fun way, looking at the worst possible outcome.

Network members shared their ideas on a Jamboard – an online whiteboard for collaboration – beginning with a reflective exercise. (Google Jamboard is no longer available but you can find alternatives such as Miro, FigJam and Lucid).

Individually, participants took one minute to list actions that would ensure the worst possible outcome in encouraging volunteerism. Following this, they spent five minutes collectively compiling these ideas.

The next step involved an honest group analysis to identify any current practices that mirrored these counterproductive actions, creating a second list.

Finally, the group discussed initial steps to eliminate these undesirable practices.

Actions for improvement

The collective insights were then shared in a wider group discussion, allowing for reflection, and creating a space where participants could connect and share openly. This collaborative effort culminated in the creation of a simple tips sheet (see link below) aimed at supporting individuals into volunteering roles.

This has been widely shared through the Volunteer Glasgow network with health and care organisations and Citizens Advice, as well as groups working in criminal justice, mental health and employment support.

Finding space to learn

None of this would have happened without Q’s Liberating Structures user group, which has given me a safe space to learn, make mistakes and practise with the tools, getting constructive feedback from peers.

Being part of a social learning community like Q has had a far-reaching impact on my professional development and the broader objectives of my organisation.

The collaborative environment fosters a spirit of mutual support and continuous learning, empowering us to innovate and improve our practices.

Through this network, we build stronger connections, exchange valuable insights, and collectively work towards creating a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Joining Q and embracing Liberating Structures has truly been a catalyst for positive change, and I am excited to continue this journey of growth and discovery with my peers.

Sharing the learning

One of the most rewarding aspects of my journey with Liberating Structures has been the opportunity to raise awareness about their benefits.

I have shared these tools with colleagues both within and beyond the Q community as well as with community and peer led groups, and the positive feedback has been overwhelming.

These structures have proven to be invaluable in enhancing communication, problem-solving, and team dynamics.

By integrating them into our daily routines, we are better equipped to navigate challenges and achieve our collective goals.

Learn more

To practise and learn with other Q members in our weekly user group, join Q’s Liberating Structures Special Interest Group.

Visit the Liberating Structures website.

Download our tips sheet, created with TRIZ, to help recruit and retain volunteers.