The supported dialogue spaces are an opportunity to dive deeper and explore important, perhaps even fundamental, questions that sit underneath the surface of our working lives. It can feel challenging to prioritise these conversations and they might feel risky but in a structured and facilitated space they can also be an opportunity to connect and have rich and surprising encounters with others.

Rather than focusing on outcomes or finding solutions, you are invited into an exploratory space of listening and sharing where differences and diversity of views are valued. You will come away with a deeper appreciation of your own experience and a greater understanding of your colleagues.

There will be three ninety-minute dialogue sessions during the conference, held by two expert facilitators, Jassy Denison and Katharine Yates who bring a wealth of experience in working with conflict and holding challenging conversations.

On signing up, you will be invited to identify current issues and questions that are important to you, and that you would like to explore with others. The participants in each 90min dialogue session will then collectively choose a focus from the list of suggestions made.

Last year participants said, ‘I think it's necessary to talk with each other about different difficult issues, but …it's also demanding; sometimes difficult and therefore maybe people want to solve conflicts in another way because it's not so easy to go deeper in things like we did.’

‘I brought a difficult experience to the democratic dialogue space and together with people who bought other issues we spent two hours talking, laughing and crying and came out in a much better space where I could forfeit responsibility for others’ reactions and felt heard and understood.’

There are other ways to get involved.....

A Breath of Fresh Air: Walk & Talk - Thursday 1.00-1.30

Join us for a 30min stroll or roll in nature, reflecting on your experience of the conference (the route will be fully wheelchair accessible).   With facilitators Jassy Denison and Katharine Yates, the walk will include time to share informally in pairs or smaller groups and connect with the physical world, touching confidentially on questions such as:

• What have I found inspiring, surprising or challenging in the conference so far?
• What are my hopes and needs for the rest of the conference? 

A chance to connect with colleagues to share and appreciate varied experiences

Gather at 12.55 in P&J Live Foyer. Or, if it is raining, find us in the view area on level one. 

Fireside Chat - Thursday 2.15-2.45

Come and join us for a cosy chat.  

Facilitated by Jassy Denison and Katharine Yates, the fireside chats will be organised in pairs or small groups. Informal and confidential, you can choose which chat to join depending on the question you’d like to focus on, Warm your heart through connecting with others - reflecting on your experience of the conference - or diving into deeper issues, if you wish:

• What have I found inspiring or surprising in the conference so far?
• What have I found challenging in the conference so far?
• What challenges are facing social work in the world today?