An introduction to groups at Dial House

A gentle introduction to the Dial House Group programme and our Group Work Open Day on Sat 24th Feb by peer facilitator Becky Oxley.

It’s nothing like the Big White Room, we promise – you will find a friendly, open and welcoming environment – so why not find out more…

Hi, I’m Becky and I’m a peer facilitator of two of the groups here at Dial House. I would like to let you know about the various groups which are run here and also invite you to the upcoming open day we are having at Christ Church, which is next door to Dial House, to promote our group work.

I have been a facilitator for around 18 months with the creative and the social groups. I currently do this in a visitor-peer capacity. I believe that in doing this, it shows that even with ongoing mental health issues people still have a purpose and can engage and grow. It also shows capability and in a way that people don’t always perceive when they are aware you have mental health issues. There are more opportunities for visitors to get into facilitating groups which I will talk about later in the blog.

We understand how mental health and life generally can affect people in many ways and work hard to make our groups accessible to everybody

I often think about when I started to attend groups here at Dial House coming up to six years ago. I was worried about what I would be walking into and how the other visitors would see me. I thought it would be a clique and I wouldn’t make friendships. I thought I would have to constantly attend week on week. All of this and much more I soon found out not to be true and couldn’t be further from the truth.

All of the groups at Dial House are welcoming and you are free to attend as little or as much as you feel you can or would be beneficial for you. This is quite a unique feature from other groups elsewhere, where you usually have to commit to a set number of weeks. We understand how mental health and life generally can affect people in many ways and work hard to make our groups accessible to everybody.

…even with ongoing mental health issues people still have a purpose and can engage and grow…

Everybody who walks into Dial House, no matter their disability, sexuality or ethnicity, will be treated respectfully and equally. Before attending any of the groups, new members need to meet Patrick (Senior Group Worker) to go over the basic group guidelines and sign a confidentiality agreement. Once you have done this you are free to attend any group/s you wish. Visitors can become facilitators by completing the facilitator training course, which is run at intervals throughout the year.

Want to find out more about our groups? Why not come to our Open Day?

On 24^th February we are holding a open day at Christ Church, Halton (right next door to Dial House) between 12pm and 3pm. This is a very informal event where you will get the chance to meet the group facilitators, group visitors, staff and volunteers, and find out more about each of the groups. There will be talks about the groups and also taster sessions to get an idea of what happens in group sessions and there will be opportunities to ask any questions you may have, which we will make every effort to answer. There will be tea, coffee and juice available as well as a selection of snacks and cakes and the venue is wheelchair accessible. Staff and volunteers who are Deaf/use BSL will also be available to talk about our Deaf groups and services. You can pop in at any time and stay for as long as you would like. It would be great to meet you and say hello, so why not come along?

If you can’t make the open day and would like to ask any questions about our group work or any of our other services please contact Dial House on (0113) 2609328 or email survivor.led@lslcs.org.uk. We look forward to meeting you either on the 24^th or in any of the groups.

You can find our group work timetable here (opens in new tab)