‘Rounds’ of applause after story and support sessions celebrate first birthday

Students in one University of Northampton (UON) Faculty are getting the most from sharing experiences during specialised ‘storytelling’ support sessions.

Schwartz Rounds are named after the American lawyer who created them, Ken Schwartz. The format is that up to three ‘storytellers’ are given five minutes of uninterrupted time to tell their story based on a pre-agreed topic, such as a positive experience or a challenge they have faced.

The facilitators at UON are academics and they invite the audience – students and staff from across the Faculty of Health, Education and Society – to share their reflections about similar experiences.

Schwartz Rounds at UON started a little over 12 months ago and are already proving their worth. Following a previous ‘Round’ about being or working with people who are neurodivergent, lecturers Pierre Bonnaud and Karen Brasher had a lightbulb moment to set up a new initiative at UON – a group specifically for students who are neurodivergent.

Meetings focus on topics decided by the students to reflect their needs, with a supporting online platform where activities, resources and ‘top tips’ are shared. The aim is that this group will eventually be entirely led by students.

Associate Professor in Learning and Teaching Alison Power leads the University’s Schwartz Rounds. They are part of the University’s Interprofessional Education (IPE) approach to the FHES curriculum, meaning our students learn with, from and about their peers in other health and social care subject areas.

Alison says: “Schwartz Rounds afford our students a safe, open forum to share their experiences with others who might have encountered a similar situation – be that positive or challenging. Feedback from students so far has been overwhelmingly positive, with words such as ‘engaging’ and ‘therapeutic’ frequently featuring.

Most importantly, students leave with a renewed sense of belonging and community, having shared their reflections with lecturers and peers in a safe and supportive environment. We look forward to celebrating more birthdays for these inclusive additions to the support we offer our students.”

Students can look out for details of our next Round in the New Year – we’re looking to expand the provision and offer online Rounds too, offering greater flexibility. If you would like to know more, please watch this short video.

If you’re interested in being a Storyteller, please contact julie.gardner@northampton.ac.uk for more information.