1 AN INTRODUCTION TO TREAT.INFO WORKSHOPS FOR FACILITATORS

Agenda Welcome, introductions and logistics What is Treat.info? What is the ‘Starting Treatment Programme’? Why use a workshop format? Programme delivery; facilitating advice and discussion Evaluation of the day 2

What is Treat.info? Treat. Info is a Community Interest Company formed in December Directors; Brian West, Robert Fieldhouse & Juliet Bennett Our primary aim is to provide up to date and relevant information to help people living with HIV (PLWHIV) make the most of their treatment and care options Please take a look at our website ‘

What is the ‘Starting Treatment Programme’ The Starting Treatment Programme highlights the benefits and risks of starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) according to current guidelines. The resource is designed as a user-friendly toolkit to assist trainers to run educational and interactive workshops for PLWHIV. The main aim is to empower PLWHIV to get the best out of the clinical services available to them, and to adjust to living with HIV and taking ART.

Starting Treatment Programme; Contents The training resource consists of the following five sections: A1}Readiness to Start Antiretroviral Therapy A2}When to Start Treatment A3}Reasons to Start A4}Questions and Answers A5}Building Relationships with Your Clinic/Health Care Providers

Starting Treatment Programme; Contents continued o Each section has speaker’s notes to explain the content in-depth. o There are interactive exercises to encourage audience participation. o There is space for local project facilitators to add in material to make it locally applicable. o Additionally, there is a section for the trainers on how to run the workshops. o The ‘Additional Resources’ section contains supporting materials, e.g. A glossary, summary of current guidelines, evaluation forms and workshop advertising materials

Why use a workshop format? The benefit of workshops is that they encourage participant involvement Taking part leads to a sense of ownership and belonging for participants Workshops are effective forums to increase participant knowledge and confidence in decision making 7

Facilitator skills Ideally use two facilitators – a Health Care Professional and a Peer Support worker Facilitators should be:  Articulate, focused and knowledgeable  Welcoming with an encouraging interpersonal style  Non-judgemental  Effective, active listeners  Able to manage and resolve conflict  Effective time keepers 8

Ice breaking - some tips Welcome participants with informal introductions, starting with yourself Use humour when appropriate! Ask - what people hope to take away from the workshop Clarify learning outcomes and workshop aims Give opportunities for people to ask questions Use diagrams to illustrate any personal decisional dilemmas Encourage freedom of expression Suggest that a lay person/participant takes notes and at the end of the presentations any terms not widely understood can be clarified 9

Managing group dynamics Set ground rules; e.g. mutual respect and allowing all to contribute Deal positively and reflectively with criticism Accept that you cannot please everybody all the time Acknowledge diversity of experience, beliefs and feelings Challenge myths, etc. constructively Actively encourage contributions from quieter, less forthcoming members 10

Allow a minimum of 2.5 hours for the workshop but ideally allow 4 hours  If you are presenting the toolkit in sections you should allow a minimum of 1.5 hours per section You should allow 30 minutes each for the following:  Welcome and introductions  Ice-breaking exercise The toolkit materials can be used in a group setting or on a one-to-one basis Workshop structure 11

Suggested workshop agenda Part 1 - Facilitator 1 (Health Care Professional) Rationale for when to start antiretroviral therapy (ART), including the historical development of the relevant national guidelines The concept of readiness to start therapy, including how to prepare and be prepared to start ART The importance of adherence and how to maximise this Time for questions & discussion Allow between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours (depending on total time allocated) 12

Suggested workshop agenda Part 2 - Facilitator 2 (Advocacy/Peer Support Worker) Facilitating discussion around concerns about starting treatment (interactive) Common questions and answers Getting the most from your relationship with your Health Care Team - emphasis on empowerment and partnership working Allow 1-2 hours in total (depending on total time allocated) Participants evaluation questionnaire (allow 15 minutes) 13

Planning your Starting Treatment Programme workshop Identify and work together with local clinics and voluntary organisations Consider choice of venue, facilities and accessibility in advance Obtain a good estimate of the likely numbers of participants in advance Consider your target audience especially in relation to time of workshop Familiarise yourself with the materials and local policies and services Advertise well in advance 14

Evaluation & Discussion Do you have a good understanding of the Starting Treatment Programme and its aims? Do you think the programme will be useful to you and to PLWHIV that you support? Do you feel equipped to roll out these workshops? How can we assist you in running successful workshops? Staying in touch and feeding back on your use of the programme