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Let's talk about Support Circle
TheMix
Posts: 3,095 Boards Guru
Hey chat-goers
As you'll be aware, we're currently on a break from group chat. During these times, we like to talk with you guys about how we can improve parts of the community. One thing we're going to focus on this time is Support Circle.
For those unfamiliar with these sessions, they're essentially Support Chats with more structure. Instead of it being a free-for-all where anyone can talk about anything at any time, each member has an alloted time to talk (usually about 15 minutes) while the rest of the group listens. For this reason, it can be a great place to go if you find it hard to get your voice heard in regular Support Chats, where things can be quite busy.
Recently, we've noticed less members signing up for these sessions. We're also getting the vibe that the sessions themselves are a little bit... disjointed. The impression we're getting is that people are less talkitive, and not everyone is staying for the whole session, which is causing a bit of disruption. Generally, the sessions seem to need a bit of a reboot.
So, we want to hear what you want from Support Circle. These aren't questions you need to answer, but here are some points to think about:
- What makes Support Circle a positive experience for you?
- What makes you leave a Support Circle and think 'I'm so glad I signed up for that'?
- If you've never been to a Support Circle, what would you want to see?
Try and leave negative experiences to one side and focus on what you want to see instead. Let's talk about this and bring some new renewed energy to these chats.
Mike & the team
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Post edited by JustV on
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and I don’t really know the answers to the other 2 questions 😂😂
Good point - I've just edited the main post to clarify that people don't need to answer those questions specifically, they're just things to think about when giving some feedback.
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I think the reason I dont sign up for them very much is because like with the whole having ur own 15 mins to chat, i feel like I need to have something specific to say that people can give advise on..... I feel a bit pressured.......... whereas if i come to normal support chat i can dip in and out and not on the spot or anything like that. Also like something might come up on say a thursday and i think oh could do with support circle for this, but then by the time the next support circle comes its too late....... and like its hard to predict when u need it cos u need to sign up in advance........
sorry i know u said dont put anything negative and i tried not to i was just trying to explain why i may/may not come to support circle and what makes a good one.......
Hope this helps sorry if not lol
x
I have views like Millie and Jelly but its kinda negative
how comes you dont want negative experiences? Will there be another thread for that?
Though i have positive things to say about it. Though ive not gone that many but the times i have - i think is good as you get to be listened to and still able to support others & feels friendly and welcoming and think is good way to get support and attention ah
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Dont think you said anything wrong @Jellyelephant ,
I think it would be good if people actually stayed the whole time. Cause when im in support chat and it seems like people have left support circle to go to support chat after their turn has gone. So would be polite if they stay to listen to people who have just listened to them. And that puts me off from signing up as when i have gone to it & people leave then i think they dont want to listen to me and rather do something else. But yeah its the users not the mix.
It's always been really helpful when I've gone for support I just feel we could be doing more for each other? Even if you cannot think of what to say right now(because I've been there) maybe acknowledge their feelings and just listen and respond to them x
I've used circle a lot for some support(although I usually liked to save the spot for someone else )
And a lot for supporting others, I usually signed up for listener but these days have stopped because the day it runs on isn't good for me xo
How to participate
Interestingly, it feels like everyone is after the same things:We all seem to be on-board with these, which is awesome.
We could focus on tightening up the moderation and sign-up process to make it clear that these things are necessary for the session to function properly, and that these are things we all expect of the group members. There are ways we could reinforce this - for example, removing or denying places to people who regularly don't work fairly strictly within that structure.
As a sidenote: it also feels worth highlighting that it's very hard to have too many listeners. We do have limited places for support, but generally, the more listeners, the better. Signing up as one doesn't take a place away from someone who wants support, so there's no need to feel guilty there.
Additionally, nobody needs to feel like someone else is more important. These sessions are for everyone, and there will always be more in future if we happen to max out for a particular chat.
Scheduling
It seems clear that having one fixed weekly day isn't quite working for a lot of you guys. Given the two per week schedule didn't work out too well, alternating the day (e.g. Tuesday one week, Sunday the next) might be the way to go here. If only one of these days works for you, it might mean you can come less frequently, but this could make Support Circle more accessible overall.What do we think about those two ideas?
Thanks again everyone - your thoughts are all super valuable.
Mike & the team
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Mike & the team
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Let's do a straw poll - vote here on what days are convenient for you to come to Support Circle (select all that apply for you). Depending on what the results are, we could potentially change a fixed day or alternate the days based on that's popular. No guarantee we'll be able to meet exactly what the demand is, but we'll definitely take it into consideration and do what we can.
Mike & the team
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Mike & the team
We're not able to provide support on this account. If you need support urgently for any reason, please call 999, go to your nearest A&E or contact Crisis Messenger by texting THEMIX to 85258.
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