Happy to welcome another 60 peer group facilitators to the community!

In March–April, an online course on organizing and facilitating peer groups brought together 60 healthcare professionals from various regions of Ukraine. Over the course of a month, participants joined weekly online sessions, studied theoretical materials, and created practice “peer groups,” applying their newly acquired knowledge in practice. For the first time, mentors—experienced facilitators—joined the course to guide and support the participants throughout the training.

After the training, the facilitators organise peer groups at their facilities, and this is where the fun begins.

It is learning in a group where everyone is equal. Participants discuss professional situations, analyse clinical or managerial cases, share knowledge and experience, and a facilitator helps to organise effective discussion. The group usually brings together professionals with the same, “equal” positions (e.g., family doctors, nurses or managers).

This is a modern format of continuing professional learning that helps you to develop when you really need it. There are no “irrelevant topics” here – only live questions, real challenges and working solutions. And most importantly, the support of specialists who understand each other perfectly.

❝  With each new group, we are improving the programme, and more and more participants come with an understanding of what these peer groups are about because they hear from colleagues, from the community, and participate themselves. I am very pleased that people come not only for CPD points, but also for real knowledge and skills: how to work with a group, how to listen, how to keep in touch and help the group hear each other. The participants’ openness to new things and willingness to master this new format of professional development was particularly inspiring. The participants actively asked questions, it was clear that they were really interested – and it was energising. I had a lot of fun.

Olga Bershadska, course trainer and facilitator

Olha Korolenko, Monitoring and Evaluation and Capacity Building Coordinator of our project, shared her impressions of the training:

❝ Each course is an incredible inspiration thanks to the participants who choose this training. It is very interesting to observe how professionals understand the peculiarities of the peer group format step by step, dive into the intricacies of facilitation, and most importantly, gain confidence that they want and can create and develop their own peer group, learn together with colleagues. This is very valuable for our project. We encourage facilitators not to stop developing, and therefore we are constantly developing and updating ourselves as part of this course. To be continued…

And here’s what the people we organise the courses for – the participants themselves – have to say.

❝ The peer group facilitator training was extremely interesting and intense. I received many practical cases that I can apply in my work. This experience significantly deepened my understanding of group dynamics and the role of a facilitator. I also really liked the presentations and the atmosphere where we are taken care of.

Olga Lasiychuk, a nurse

❝ The most valuable conclusions of the training for me were a deeper understanding of the role of a facilitator as a supportive person rather than a leading participant in the process; learning the tools of active listening, creating a safe space and working with emotions in a group; and the opportunity to practice small group facilitation techniques online. I am grateful for this experience and am already using the knowledge gained in my work. I recommend it to anyone who works with people and wants to develop soft skills, self-confidence and a deeper understanding of group dynamics.

Kateryna Dmytrenko, family doctor

We thank all the participants for their interest in the peer group format.