Open Hearts Open Minds - Learning Tools

Learning Tools

Use Open Hearts Open Minds' practical tools and resources...
to help you understand social exclusion and how to work more inclusively.

Look at the 8 learning steps below, and pick out the areas you want to skill up on
or....
Go through each step in turn, and consider it your in-house course on social inclusion.

Just click on the 'more' buttons to find out how long the learning exercises take within each step (some exercises take just 10 mins!)

What people say about our tools:
‘Open Hearts Open Minds challenged me to think differently about the way I work, look at some of my preconceptions, and put the issue of social inclusion firmly on my organisation’s agenda.’ Librarian, Exeter.

Use our tools if you:
► Are someone who just wants to brush up your inclusion knowledge & skills
► Or, you manage staff and are responsible for induction or appraisals
► Or, you're part of a team willing to look at inclusion in your service

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A thought for your off-line colleagues!
	All the Open Hearts Open Minds tools you'll find below are also available as a pre-printed handbook - for people who don't have easy access to the internet.

Step 1 - What's social exclusion?
Enlarge	Want a re-cap? If you want a quick reminder of what this is about and who it affects, have a look at this section. Use the exercises to clarify why it's relevant to you and your work. Download Section 1 now (4 pages to print - click 'more' for content details)

Step 2 - Going a little deeper
Enlarge	Dig down to look at the root causes of exclusion. Do you want to understand more about what drives people into downward cycles of disadvantage? Read on for more about the causes, the effects and what you can do in response. This section is six pages of great reading - no exercises. Download section 2 now (6 pages to print - click 'more' for content details)

Step 3 - Am I prejudiced?
Enlarge	Check if attitudes cause barriers. We are often unaware of our own behaviour, yet it has an effect. When vulnerable people are discriminated against – intentionally or unintentionally – they are much more at risk of becoming trapped in cycles of disadvantage. Use this section to: Take stock of why it’s important to act without prejudice or favour in our attitudes (a useful reality check for even the very self-aware!) Check where behaviours or ways of working could lead to discrimination. Download section 3 now (3 pages to print - click 'more' for content details)

Step 4 - Working out the links
Enlarge	Your role and ways to make a difference. Check out where you can make what you do more inclusive - whether inclusion is written large in your job title, or not. Take a close look too at how you relate to your colleagues and clients, and see whether the way you exercise influence over decisions could improve the help disadvantaged clients receive. Download section 4 now (8 pages tp print - click 'more' for content details)

Step 5 - Enhance your best inclusion tool!
Enlarge	Good relationships with clients! Active listening, asking good questions and more on communications to help you create socially inclusive relationships with clients. Look here for exercises, ideas and hints on what to avoid! Download section 5 now (10 pages to print - click 'more' for content details)

Step 6 - Collaborate to meet need
Enlarge	*Let clients & partners help!* These tools help you work with them to map out and evaluate the help needed, and make links to extend the support you can offer clients. Download section 6 now (13 pages to print - click 'more' for content details)

Step 7 - Your organisation & social inclusion
Enlarge	*Help it perform.* Ensure the difference you make doesn't stop with what you can do on your own: Ask other colleagues and line managers to look at this section with you, to see how with support, your joint efforts can add up to make even more impact. Download section 7 now (17 pages to print - click 'more' for content details)

Step 8 - Find out more about vulnerable groups
	*Who does social exclusion affect?* Basically anyone is at risk. There’s no rule that says certain groups are bound to - or bound not to - experience it because of who they are. Typically though, people experiencing social exclusion often ‘belong’ to several ‘vulnerable social groups’ at once, and it’s usually because people’s problems have become complex and interlinked that they become locked into vicious cycles of isolation and disadvantage. To break this down and aid understanding, this section gives information about the individual groups in society that are frequently vulnerable to exclusion, and the most likely issues they face. You’ll also find web links to sources of more information. Download section 8 now (24 pages to print - one summary page per vulnerable group)

Finding people behind the jargon - Show your colleagues our screencast
	An overview of social exclusion & ways to make a difference. This 25 minute screencast provides you with an audio-visual overview of social exclusion. It's called Finding the People Behind the Jargon and is presented by one of the co-authors of the original Open Hearts Open Minds printed handbook. Use the Screencast in a variety of ways: for example as a training aid to staff induction; or why not download as a drive-time listening resource! Click here to access or play the screencast

Random Inclusive Poetry Game
Enlarge	Try this fun game now and build on awareness in your team about social exclusion! It's a simple, creative way to get discussion going. It offers you and your colleagues an easy way to engage in a thought-provoking conversation about how exclusion affects people, and about tackling it in your organisation. All you need is a pair of scissors and a bit of poetic license.......

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Learning Tools

A thought for your off-line colleagues!

Step 1 - What's social exclusion?

Step 2 - Going a little deeper

Step 3 - Am I prejudiced?

Step 4 - Working out the links

Step 5 - Enhance your best inclusion tool!

Step 6 - Collaborate to meet need

Step 7 - Your organisation & social inclusion

Step 8 - Find out more about vulnerable groups

Finding people behind the jargon - Show your colleagues our screencast

Random Inclusive Poetry Game