Contact

If you have any enquiries we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact us by filling in the form below.

Whose Shoes?® is a practical tool helping the NHS, local authorities, universities, care providers and others move on from the big picture or "vision" for health and social care to what it really means for individuals and services. For recent projects, please Google #dementiachallengers, #MatExp and #CYPMeFirst - we need to write up the latest case studies but loads of stories are on the blog and visual stories in 'Steller'! :) For earlier projects, please select from the groups of users below...

Co-production and partnership working should, of course, run through everything

Are you keen to make progress with co-production, but not sure how to start?

The transformation of public services and the increasing shift of power and responsibility from the state to the community, is a an exciting, daunting, evolving agenda. Holding a Whose Shoes?® session provides a relaxed, informal way of getting people around the table to build relationships and trust... and then the tool itself enables you to open up 'crucial conversations' and make progress.

  • understand the complexity of creating genuine personalised support which focuses on a person's whole life
  • enable key partners to work together as equals!
  • understand how change affects different people – step into their shoes!
  • explore key concerns in a safe environment - is it possible to improve lives AND save money?
  • exchange examples of good practice – what are other people doing to make it all work?
  • harness creativity to co-produce high quality, cost effective solutions
  • move on! – agree SMART actions to ensure it is not 'just another talking shop'

“The application of Whose Shoes? is vast – but then so are the opportunities for co-production – something this tool facilitates wonderfully – add in the graphics done by Anna Geyer of New Possibilities and the outcomes are amazing.”

Angie Carter
Strategic Facilitator of Person-Centred, Outcome -Focused Assistive Technology.
Managing Director, Angie Carter Consultancy Ltd

“Gill is a very engaged and committed member of the West Midlands Co-Production Network and we at Governance International value her highly as a close co-operation partner.”

Elke Loeffler
CEO, Governance International



Here are a selection of testimonials from different perspectives… imagine these people sitting round the table and working TOGETHER! Sessions are lively… and powerful!

Co-production & Partnerships Co-production & Partnerships

Phillips working with TLAP National Co-production group to develop electronic version of Whose Shoes?®

  • Whose Shoes?® has received great reviews throughout the country and is widely renowned as a genuinely useful tool for helping people to think about the bigger picture, and how personalisation can be realistically achieved"

    Leicestershire County Council

  • I was blown away with how much any one person coming from whatever perspective can gain in knowledge by playing a game in the right context (training days/ presentations & interactive workshops etc)"

    Sharon Terry
    Expert by Experience, East Riding

  • Whose Shoes?® was an excellent tool to use as part of our Inter-Professional Learning Workshops with nursing and Social Work Students. It really helped the students to explore each other’s roles and it helped to create really useful discussions regarding partnership working"

    Sarah Booth
    Practice Education Facilitator, Community Health Stockport

  • The impact Whose Shoes?® can have re developing User and Carer knowledge and understanding about the personalisation agenda is fantastic - and with the additional social outcomes it has for partnership and peer learning - it's phenomenal. People absorb more when they are having a good time!!!"

    Barbara Dalby
    Carer, Hull

  • This is an excellent way of exploring the range of views held in relation to personalisation. It is fun, non-threatening but very challenging. It’s a great teaching tool"

    Ali Gardner
    Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Work, Manchester Metropolitan University

  • It has always proved powerful in creating opportunities for participants to 'locate' their personal insights within the wider context of citizenship and participation, and to focus their contributions effectively.

    Jeff Wheelwright
    Independent Social Care Consultant

  • Gill is a very creative, person-centred worker whose board game Whose Shoes?® is an excellent tool to stimulate discussion, and sometimes argument, in addition to enjoyable learning around all the key issues and themes of personalisation. Her creative scene setting is worth participating in if you get the chance".

    Ken Stapleton
    Social Work Advisor, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council.

Personalisation and joined-up services - Now it's time to Make it Real - for everyone!

Many Local Authorities in the UK are using Whose Shoes?® It provides a powerful tool to explore issues internally and with partners.

It is a popular way of starting the co-production - getting people together and enabling them to explore the changing landscape of social care and health as equals.

Key benefits / learning outcomes

  • learn about the opportunities and challenges of personalisation and the wider transformation agenda
  • understand the complexity of creating genuine personalised support which focuses on a person's whole life
  • enable key partners to work together as equals!
  • understand how change affects different people – step into their shoes!
  • explore key concerns in a safe environment - is it possible to improve lives AND save money?
  • learn examples of good practice – what are other people doing to make it all work?
  • harness creativity to co-produce high quality, cost effective solutions
  • move on! – agree SMART actions to ensure it is not 'just another talking shop'
Local Authorities

The electronic version of Whose Shoes?® has been built in partnership with Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) aligned to the key themes, principles and 'I' statements of 'Making It Real'. We encourage relevant organisations to sign up to 'Making It Real' and to use Whose Shoes?® to work with people using your services to identify your 'top 3 priorities' ... And then move on to co-produce truly person-centred solutions.

  • Whose Shoes?® has received great reviews throughout the country and is widely renowned as a genuinely useful tool for helping people to think about the bigger picture, and how personalisation can be realistically achieved"

    Leicestershire County Council

  • Whose Shoes?® was an excellent tool to use as part of our Inter-Professional Learning Workshops with nursing and social work students. It really helped the students to explore each other’s roles and it helped to create really useful discussions regarding partnership working"

    Sarah Booth
    Practice Education Facilitator, Community Health Stockport

  • Really useful learning tool which helps creative and practical thinking”

    Rose Bradley
    Practice Trainer, Worcestershire County Council

  • People have universally enjoyed the game”

    Jo Yelland
    Lead: Putting People First and Integration, Plymouth City Council

  • It stimulated a lot of very good discussion, it raised a lot of issues and concerns from the team which were aired and clarified”

    Carol Rowe
    Workforce Development Manager, Bradford City Council

  • Whose Shoes?® has been very well received in Newham. In July (2010), we will be focusing on Self Directed Support as part of the Mayor's town show. We will be using the board game to assist members of the public to ask questions and participate."

    London Borough of Newham

  • The poems were fab and funny”

    Gill Manning-Smith
    Programme Manager, Adult Social Care Transformation, Buckinghamshire County Council

  • It’s a fantastic idea which worked well during training sessions with social work teams”

    Steve Morgan
    Workforce Development Officer (Adult Provider Services), Gateshead Council

  • It went down very well and provided an excellent way of EVERYBODY getting involved and talking about issues and it was FUN”

    Maggie McNamara
    Commissioning Officer, (Self Directed Support), Nottinghamshire County Council

  • We really liked the idea that you weren't playing in competition with each other, but as one team, driving to co-deliver changes to adult social care."

    Laura Walker
    Communications Advisor, Adult Transformation, Newcastle City Council

  • ... a very different way to engage in conversations / capture issues with regards to Transformation."

    Laura Walker
    Communications Advisor, Adult Transformation, Newcastle City Council

  • Feedback from the staff reference group was very positive. The game generated a lot of discussion from different points of view and helped staff to see the bigger picture. Discussions were more informal and interactive than generally occurs at large meetings and staff found the experience enjoyable and beneficial…"

    Sandrina Mapletoft
    SDS Commissioning Officer, Nottinghamshire County Council

  • Middle managers are looking for answers - but answers will emerge as we move forward. It is all about professional judgements. This is an excellent tool to help us find those answers and make progress”

    Learning and Development Manager
    Kent County Council

  • The feedback was very good – we particularly liked the way in which the cards prompted lots of discussion (too much at times!) and that even people with no prior knowledge of personalisation were able to contribute. We are using the game as part of our training programme"

    Kerry Davies
    Senior Development Consultant, Walsall Council

  • Whose Shoes?® is the best facilitation tool I have seen in over 30 years in social work"

    Dorothy Hall
    Independent Social Worker and Practice Assessor

  • I've played Whose Shoes?® to learn what it was all about and found it extremely useful. It's a really useful tool to help spread the personalisation message!"

    Melanie Turnbull
    Commissioning Policy & Planning Officer (Personalisation) Durham County Council

  • We are still using Whose Shoes?® in personalisation training with internal and external staff - the feedback they give is very positive and it breaks the ice during the training session"

    Helen Tindell
    Workforce Planning and Development, North Lincolnshire Council

  • The Whose Shoes?® material is exceptional in its ability to promote questions about both the process and our understanding of personalisation and its outcomes”

    Ray Massey
    Training Coordinator, Learning & Development Team, London Borough of Redbridge

  • Whose Shoes?® should be a mandatory exercise for all involved in personalisation!"

    Community Engagement Officer
    NW MBC

Person-centred, integrated services - Now it's time to Make it Real - for everyone!

Whose Shoes?® is being used increasingly by NHS and other health providers in the UK.

It provides a powerful tool to explore issues internally (e.g. a team away day) or to work with partners to develop integrated care pathways. It is a great tool for starting the co-production process - getting people together and enabling them to explore the changing landscape of social care and health as equals.

Key benefits / learning outcomes

  • learn about the opportunities and challenges of personalisation and the wider transformation agenda
  • understand the complexity of creating genuine personalised support which focuses on a person's whole life
  • enable key partners to work together as equals!
  • understand how change affects different people – step into their shoes!
  • explore key concerns in a safe environment - is it possible to improve lives AND save money?
  • learn examples of good practice – what are other people doing to make it all work?
  • harness creativity to co-produce high quality, cost effective solutions
  • move on! – agree SMART actions to ensure it is not 'just another talking shop'

The board version of Whose Shoes?® has been used with cancer and other specialist health professionals; in services for older people, including people with dementia; in housing and Extra Care settings; with people with learning disabilities; and with people with mental health issues.

The University of Wolverhampton has used Whose Shoes?® as a tool to support a major Workforce Transformation project across four Local Authorities (Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell and Wolverhampton) and corresponding Primary Care Trusts. This project set out to encourage culture change through partnership working, shared learning and personalised, seamless service provision. It included developing a care pathway for frail elderly individuals and people with dementia.

This work has helped develop new content for inclusion in the electronic version, developed in partnership with Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) to support the 'Making It Real' programme.

Here are a few testimonials from different customers and health care / integration projects...

Health Organisations Health Organisations

The electronic version of Whose Shoes?® has been built in partnership with Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) aligned to the key themes, principles and 'I' statements of 'Making It Real'.

We encourage care providers to sign up to 'Making It Real' and to use Whose Shoes?® to work with people using your services to identify your 'top 3 priorities' ... and then move on to co-produce truly person-centred solutions.

  • Brilliant..Personalised..Creative, Effective & Stimulating Facilitation!"

    Dr Karim Saad
    Regional Clinical Lead for Dementia, NHS West Midlands

  • On behalf of the team I would like to thank you for your input into our away day. It was really excellent. I would recommend this to other staff groups"

    Pat Ashby
    Team Leader, Young Onset Dementia Service, Coventry

  • All those who participated in the Macmillan Cancer Support workshops found the Whose Shoes tool extremely useful, particularly when used to deal with challenging topics and difficult questions."

    Tony Banach
    Learning and Development Manager, Macmillan Professionals, Macmillan Cancer Support

  • The tool enables users to explore different perspectives in a constructive way."

    Tony Banach
    Learning and Development Manager, Macmillan Professionals, Macmillan Cancer Support

Help your students bridge the gap between theory and practice

What a privilege and responsibility it is to train the health and social care workers of the future!

Universities and colleges using Whose Shoes?® say it helps their students bridge the gap between academic theory and the reality of practice placements.

Many are using the tool to invite service users and practitioners to come and facilitate or join in.

Help your students to engage and empathise with key partners: people using services, carers, staff, managers, commissioners and service providers.

Key benefits / learning outcomes – help your students to….

  • learn about the opportunities and challenges of personalisation and the wider transformation agenda
  • understand the complexity of creating genuine personalised support which focuses on a person's whole life
  • understand how change affects different people – step into their shoes!
  • bridge the gap between academic theory and the reality of practice placements
  • improve communication skills through lively debates in a safe environment
  • develop the skills of critical thinking and reflection
  • discover the power of synergy to harness creativity and explore solutions
  • learn examples of good practice – what are people doing to make personalisation a reality?

Senior lecturer's perspective:

“This is an excellent way of exploring the range of views held in relation to personalisation. As people relax, they let go of pre-conceived ideas and start to play around with new concepts and become quite creative. It is fun, non-threatening but very challenging. It’s a great teaching tool”

Ali Gardner
Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Work, Manchester Metropolitan University

Students' perspective:

"We have found that by being able to put ourselves ‘in the shoes’ of people who use services and carers, as well as managers, front-line workers and care providers, we are better able to understand the complexity of the personalisation agenda and how we can make effective contributions to our workplaces"

Student feedback
Manchester Metropolitan University

Universities and Colleges Universities and Colleges Universities and Colleges

  • This is an excellent way of exploring the range of views held in relation to personalisation."

    Ali Gardner
    Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Work, Manchester Metropolitan University

  • It is fun, non-threatening but very challenging. It’s a great teaching tool."

    Ali Gardner
    Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Work, Manchester Metropolitan University

  • In Nottinghamshire, the Self Directed Support Team love the game and are becoming sufficiently confident to champion it wider across the adult care workforce now."

    Veronica Bell
    Team Leader (Training) Self Directed Support, Nottinghamshire County Council

  • It is so exciting that we have good robust collaborations with service users and carers and are working hard now to develop collaborative learning with health colleagues …I feel the game can support us here. "

    Veronica Bell
    Team Leader (Training) Self Directed Support, Nottinghamshire County Council

  • Thank you for giving this learning opportunity. As a student and almost a newly qualifying social worker, the game developed my understanding of the personalisation agenda and how it’s implemented in practice."

    Angela Yeboah
    Final Year Social Work Student, Manchester Metropolitan University

  • The discussions when playing the game outlined some dilemmas and challenges within practice. I now feel equipped, taking on what I learnt within my future practice and remain committed to the values of the personalisation agenda."

    Angela Yeboah
    Final Year Social Work Student, Manchester Metropolitan University

  • Whose Shoes? was an excellent tool to use as part of our Inter-Professional Learning Workshops with nursing and social work students. It really helped the students to explore each other’s roles and it helped to create really useful discussions regarding partnership working"

    Sarah Booth
    Practice Education Facilitator, Community Health Stockport

  • It gave me more of an understanding of nurses' roles; I enjoyed the game, it created good discussions"

    Social Work Student comment via Sarah Booth
    Practice Education Facilitator, Community Health Stockport.

  • The impact Whose Shoes? can have re developing User and Carer knowledge and understanding about the Personalisation Agenda is fantastic - and with the additional social outcomes it has for partnership and peer learning - its phenomenal. People absorb more when they are having a good time!!!"

    Barbara Dalby
    Carer, Hull

  • We have really loved this session. It's a far more creative approach to learning than anything we normally do. We will ask our lecturers to purchase it!"

    Social work students on placement with a housing provider who attended a Whose Shoes? workshop (... and did indeed persuade their lecturers to become customers!)

  • I was blown away with how much any one person coming from whatever perspective can gain in knowledge by playing a game in the right context (training days/ presentations & interactive workshops etc)"

    Sharon Terry
    Expert by Experience, East Riding

  • As both a freelance and an employed development worker, I have been pleased to introduce Whose Shoes? to citizen groups keen to make their own experiences available to policy makers and professionals as part of working towards more personalised responses to individual support needs."

    Jeff Wheelwright
    Independent Social Care Consultant

  • Gill gave us an inspirational session and responded positively to the differing views of our participants - who were from a wide variety of care sectors."

    Ray Massey
    Training Coordinator, London Borough of Redbridge

  • The feedback we received for this training event was overwhelmingly positive - even from those individuals who were not initially certain about the concept and the material."

    Ray Massey
    Training Coordinator, London Borough of Redbridge

  • I can whole heartedly recommend Gill and her company Nutshell Communications as a Value for Money champion around Personalisation, Service User involvement and positive ways forward for everyone involved in care provision."

    Ray Massey
    Training Coordinator, London Borough of Redbridge

  • Gill has produced a thought-provoking resource. By bringing people with different viewpoints together, you have an automatic exchange of perspectives and powerful exchange of ideas"

    Gerry Nosowska
    Research and Development Officer, (RIPFA) research in practice for adults

  • Gill is a very creative, person-centred worker whose board game Whose Shoes is an excellent tool to stimulate discussion, and sometimes argument, in addition to enjoyable learning around all the key issues and themes of personalisation. Her creative scene setting is worth participating in if you get the chance"

    Ken Stapleton
    Social Work Advisor, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

  • Carrie created a wonderful graphic record of the session which has just now gone up on our wall for all staff to see."

    Allison Rosenthal
    Training and Communication Officer, London Borough of Barnet

  • The session included Carers, Experts by Experience, Social Workers who all looked at personalisation issues from different perspectives. It was a very energising and engaging workshop the benefits of which are still being experienced."

    Allison Rosenthal
    Training and Communication Officer, London Borough of Barnet

Personalisation is here to stay - here is some help with 'Making It Real'

Whose Shoes?® is being used by many care providers - either as independent customers or at events hosted by membership groups or by local authorities.

Whose Shoes?®, including the new electronic version, provides a handy means of exploring the changing landscape of social care and health in a wide range of settings. It provides a powerful tool to explore issues within your organisation (eg a team away day) or to work with your clients and partners to develop more personalised practices. It is a great tool for starting the co-production process.

Key benefits / learning outcomes

  • learn about the opportunities and challenges of personalisation and the wider transformation agenda
  • understand the complexity of creating genuine personalised support which focuses on a person's whole life
  • enable key partners to work together as equals!
  • understand how change affects different people – step into their shoes!
  • explore key concerns in a safe environment - is it possible to improve lives AND save money?
  • learn examples of good practice – what are other people doing to make it all work?
  • harness creativity to co-produce high quality, cost effective solutions
  • move on! – agree SMART actions to ensure it is not 'just another talking shop'

Whose Shoes?® has been used with cancer and other specialist health professionals; in services for older people, including people with dementia; in housing and Extra Care settings; with people with learning disabilities; and with people with mental health issues.

The University of Wolverhampton has used Whose Shoes?® as a tool to support “Project 9 - Workforce Transformation”, a major project across four Local Authorities (Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell and Wolverhampton) and corresponding Primary Care Trusts.

This project set out to develop new ways of working, facilitating partnership approaches across four health economies in order to encourage culture change through partnership working and personalised, seamless service provision.

The university has provided research and evaluation expertise and acted as the learning hub for shared learning, using a “hub and spoke” approach. This has included developing a care pathway for frail elderly individuals and people with dementia.

Here are a few testimonials from different provider organisations we work with…

Care Providers Care Providers

The electronic version of Whose Shoes?® has been built in partnership with Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) aligned to the key themes, principles and 'I' statements of 'Making It Real'.

We encourage care providers to sign up to 'Making It Real' and to use Whose Shoes?® to work with people using your services to identify your 'top 3 priorities ... and then move on to co-produce truly person-centred solutions.

  • Gill demonstrated her fantastic board game 'Whose Shoes?®' to over 50 senior managers of social care provider organisations delivering across Glasgow. Gill's enthusiasm and passion for the subject of Personalisation and Self Directed Support shone through."

    Charlie Barker-Gavigan
    Director, Social Care Ideas Factory, Glasgow

  • The phenomenal feedback about Gill and the game was astounding ..."

    Charlie Barker-Gavigan
    Director, Social Care Ideas Factory, Glasgow

  • Gill is as an entrepreneurial change maker! She helped us in our aim to 'nudge' the concept of personalisation & SDS onward and upward with staff and organisations in a way that encourages intelligent, thought-provoking conversations and thinking differently."

    Charlie Barker-Gavigan
    Director, Social Care Ideas Factory, Glasgow

  • We bought the board game Whose Shoes?® - it is very good indeed!"

    Dorothy Jarvis-Lee
    CEO, UBU

  • This is a fantastic tool which I've used many times to guide staff through change, interact with commissioners and explain to service users about what services are available."

    Philippa Codd
    Service Development Director - Housing, Health & Social Care, Mears Group

  • It enables discussion and flow of ideas for all - it's fun and makes you think outside of the box. Gill is the creator of something truly wonderful, which has the opportunity to develop and get better and better!"

    Philippa Codd
    Service Development Director - Housing, Health & Social Care, Mears Group

  • Gill Phillips understands that implementing personalisation is complex, as is meeting everyone’s needs and aspirations in life. Whose Shoes?® reflects that complexity. As a facilitation tool, it is empowering and insightful to all who engage with it - an ideal tool to kick start some proper co-production!"

    Angie Carter
    Specialist Occupational Therapist in Assistive Technology and Personalisation

  • Whose Shoes?® is such an innovative approach to a sensitive subject and 100% fits with the learner-centred and brain friendly approach that First Class Learning and Development is so passionate about."

    Helen Ashton
    Facilitator, Learning and Development Specialist and Partner, First Class Learning and Development

  • The rich conversations that took place meant that potentially contentious or sensitive issues were explored in greater depth without people feeling awkward. This resulted in good quality information being gathered in a relaxed environment."

    Carrie Lewis
    Facilitator and Trainer, New Possibilities who acted as graphics facilitator at "Growing Our Community", a service user engagement event in Oxfordshire

  • I very much look forward to being part of such innovative events with Gill and Nutshell Communications in the future!"

    Carrie Lewis
    Facilitator and Trainer, New Possibilities who acted as graphics facilitator at "Growing Our Community", a service user engagement event in Oxfordshire

"Macmillan Cancer Support commissioned Nutshell Communications to run a number of workshops at an event for Macmillan professionals from across the UK. All those who participated found the Whose Shoes?® tool extremely useful, particularly when used to deal with challenging topics and difficult questions. The tool enables users to explore different perspectives in a constructive way."

Tony Banach
Learning and Development Manager, Macmillan Professionals, Macmillan Cancer Support

"Whose Shoes?® was a fantastic way to discuss the issues of personalisation in a friendly, comfortable, non-threatening environment. The workshop Gill ran for us had such an impact on our work that we bought 2 copies of the game, which can be used to broaden thinking (and horizons) across the wider organisation. Well done Gill - an invaluable resource for all"

Stephanie Flower
CEO, Enrych (previously Ryder Cheshire Volunteers)

The electronic version of Whose Shoes?® has been built in partnership with Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) aligned to the key themes, principles and 'I' statements of 'Making It Real'.

We encourage care providers to sign up to 'Making It Real' and to use Whose Shoes?® to work with people using your services to identify your 'top 3 priorities ... and then move on to co-produce truly person-centred solutions.

Charity Charity

Integration, integration, integration... could be the current mantra in public services - and is central to the Whose Shoes?® concept

"Supported housing staff at East Midlands Housing Association spent a thought provoking day considering how to offer more personalised services within their organisation. What would future services look like? What are the barriers and how to overcome them? What actions are needed?
Whose Shoes?® made the subject fun and interactive. The day was very well facilitated and was also captured for us by the graphic artists. Now we have a great record of what we achieved and what we have to do to make housing related personalised services a reality for our customers".

Sally Taylor
Head of Supported Housing, East Midlands Housing Association

"I really enjoyed playing the game. It was very absorbing and it got me thinking about what personalisation really means. I think it is such an innovative way to get a message across that we have a tendency to over complicate"

Sue Baxter
Policy Officer, Strategic Engagement, SITRA

The electronic version of Whose Shoes?® has been built in partnership with Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) aligned to the key themes, principles and 'I' statements of 'Making It Real'.

We encourage providers to sign up to 'Making It Real' and to use Whose Shoes?® to work with people using your services to identify your top 3 priorities ... and then move on to co-produce truly person-centred solutions.

Housing Providers / Care Homes / Extra Care Housing Providers / Care Homes / Extra Care
  • We are really grateful for the excellent contribution you made to our Festival of Ideas in Leeds. Thank you for a really successful, interactive Whose Shoes? session!”

    Maria Brodt
    Services and Marketing, SITRA

  • We have really loved this session. It's a far more creative approach to learning than anything we normally do. We will ask our lecturers to purchase it!"

    De Montford University Social Work Student
    On placement with a housing provider who attended a Whose Shoes?® workshop ... and they did indeed persuade their lecturers to become customers!

  • I have been involved in running Whose Shoes? sessions with Extra Care residents. What was immediately apparent was how the tool empowers tool residents of care establishments to have a voice. I can see huge potential in promoting debates that support people to speak up.”

    Dorothy Hall
    Independent Social Worker and Practice Assessor

  • I have spent my career as a social worker supporting very vulnerable people who are the subjects of the care industry, but whose views are often unheard. The game spontaneously exposes negative views & facilitates good ideas. It is the best facilitation tool I have seen in over 30 years in social work.”

    Dorothy Hall
    Independent Social Worker and Practice Assessor

One of the most exciting uses of Whose Shoes?® can be where people who use services and / or family carers lead their own Whose Shoes?® sessions as peer support for other service users and carers

"The impact Whose Shoes?® can have re developing User and Carer knowledge and understanding about the Personalisation Agenda is fantastic - and with the additional social outcomes it has for partnership and peer learning - its phenomenal. People absorb more when they are having a good time!!! "

Barbara Dalby
Carer, Hull

“I was blown away with how much any one person coming from whatever perspective can gain in knowledge by playing a game in the right context (training days/ presentations & interactive workshops etc)"

Sharon Terry
Expert by Experience, East Riding

“Gill is such good fun, and this makes people feel relaxed around her. Nothing is too much trouble and I love her ‘can do’ attitude!”

“Gill’s kindness, empathy and natural affinity for enabling people is something that made me really want to work with her!”

Gina Hardesty
Service user led training from the heart of practice and education at Ivycare Training Consultancy

Feedback from workshops, talks and team Away Days

User-led Organisations User-led Organisations
  • I wish you every success in your venture, Gill. I believe in the importance of the work that you do. I know that it makes a big difference in my life and in the lives of people affected by dementia."

    Larry Gardiner
    International speaker and dementia advocate, living with dementia

  • On behalf of the team I would like to thank you for your input into our away day. It was really excellent. I would recommend this to other staff groups"

    Pat Ashby
    Team Leader, Young Onset Dementia Service, Coventry

  • Whose Shoes?® was a fantastic way to discuss the issues of personalisation in a friendly, comfortable, non-threatening environment."

    Stephanie Flower
    CEO, Enrych (previously Ryder Cheshire Volunteers)

  • The workshop Gill ran for us had such an impact on our work that we bought two copies of the game, which can be used to broaden thinking (and horizons) across the wider organisation. Well done Gill - an invaluable resource for all."

    Stephanie Flower
    CEO, Enrych (previously Ryder Cheshire Volunteers)

  • Thank you so much for the day, Gill, we have received a lot of very positive feedback. It was great and people were thrilled with your game"

    Kym Billington-Baddley
    Head of Staffordshire Social Care Workforce Partnership (SSCWP)

  • Thanks again for your time, enthusiasm and support yesterday to make our festival of ideas event another fabulous success! Well done to you! I attach the evaluation we have pulled together from everyone’s comments. Great stuff!"

    Charlie Barker
    Director, Glasgow Social Care Providers' Forum

  • I really enjoyed the workshop. Whose Shoes?® is a challenging, but safe, fun way of exploring a range of views and perspectives on personalisation. A great learning and development tool it can also be used in other arenas such as team meetings to generate personalisation big picture discussions"

    Dorothy Lowe
    Learning and Development Business Partner, Care and Person Centred Planning, National Autistic Society

  • As a student and almost a newly qualifying social worker, the game developed my understanding of the personalisation agenda and how it’s implemented in practice."

    Angela Yeboah
    Final Year Social Work Student, Manchester Metropolitan University

  • I now feel equipped, taking on what I learnt into my future practice and I remain committed to the values of the personalisation agenda!"

    Angela Yeboah
    Final Year Social Work Student, Manchester Metropolitan University

  • Gill is passionate about her work. She understands her subject and this is reflected in the content of the Whose Shoes?® tool. She makes her workshops interesting and educational and encourages all levels of staff to discuss problems associated with health or social care. Gill is a great colleague and service provider"

    Val Barcroft
    Organiser of Whose Shoes?® workshop at Bangor University

  • We have used the Whose Shoes?® game as part of our Inter Professional Learning (IPL) workshops with nursing and social work students, and the session was really well evaluated. One of the evaluation comments from a social work student was "it gave me more of an understanding of nurses' roles; I enjoyed the game, it created good discussions"

    Sarah Booth
    Practice Education Facilitator, Community Health Stockport

The images used on the website page backgrounds are based on graphic records
produced in real time during 'Whose Shoes®' events by New Possibilities Ltd.

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