Food and drink at Schwartz Rounds
19 December 2024
Food and drink are an integral part of the Schwartz Round ritual and an important signal of welcome for participants. Eryn London & Laura Golding discuss.
Topics
The provision of food and beverages before face-to-face Schwartz Rounds is central to conveying value to staff and provides literal and symbolic nourishment. It’s a key part of the model and an aspect that we are often asked about, particularly in the current context of the financial challenges faced by UK health and care organisations and HEIs. Schwartz Rounds leads in many organisations are being told that they need to cut costs; sadly, the provision of food and refreshments prior to a Round seems to be an easy place to cut.
So, where does the requirement to feed and water Schwartz Rounds attendees come from? Originally, a condition of running Schwartz Rounds was the provision of a meal 30 minutes or so before the start of a Round. Given that Schwartz Rounds began in the acute hospital sector, this meant busy staff had the opportunity to arrive, be fed and feel cared for. We still strongly recommend this, whatever the setting.
Whilst the provision of food and drink ahead of a Schwartz Round recognises and meets a physical need to be fed and watered, as well as representing symbolic nourishment and care, it also adds to the ritual of a Schwartz Round. It helps to mark the space as different – emphasising the counter-cultural nature of Rounds by creating a space that functions differently to the usual work contexts. Other differences include the focus on story-telling and reflection, the sharing of the emotions that arise in health and care work, the way people speak and listen, and the pace of Rounds. Schwartz Rounds intentionally provide a very different space to the usual, and the provision of food and drink beforehand is central to this.
Part of the magic of Schwartz Rounds is that, from the moment people arrive, they enter into a space that tells them they are cared for, that someone has noticed the work they do, and that they might need a drink and a snack (or a meal). We’ve heard reports of staff members who said they struggled to recall the last time they were looked after at work in this way. Arriving in time for some food and drink also slows down the pace: there is no need to rush, as time for eating and drinking has been allocated – participants have permission to appreciate and enjoy this. There is time, too, to chat with colleagues – not necessarily about work-related matters, but rather about how they are doing – and so to (re)connect on a human-to-human level. After everyone has eaten and had a drink, after they have slowed down and connected with others, they are ready to enter fully into the Schwartz Round. For these reasons, the provision of food and beverages is integral, not an add-on, to the experience of face-to-face Schwartz Rounds.
Part of the magic of Schwartz Rounds is that, from the moment people arrive, they enter into a space that tells them they are cared for, that someone has noticed the work they do, and that they might need a drink and a snack (or a meal).”
While we hope this ritual continues, we also recognise the financial constraints for many of Schwartz organisations. If it isn’t possible to provide food, hot drinks and biscuits would help to make an important statement about the value of the people attending.
We sometimes get asked to support staff who are being asked to justify the cost of the provision of food and drinks before Schwartz Rounds. The following is our prepared text – but we are always happy to meet to provide further support:
‘The provision of food and refreshments before face-to-face Schwartz Rounds is central to conveying value to staff and provides literal and symbolic nourishment. It’s a key part of the model and one that is adhered to by licensed Schwartz Rounds organisations. We can’t enforce it, unfortunately, but are happy to meet with managers who may be questioning the importance of funding food and refreshments and to support you with this. If you find you are in a situation where you are unable to provide refreshments of any kind, please continue to hold Schwartz Rounds.’
Please email us at schwartz@pointofcarefoundation.org.uk if you would like to discuss this or have any questions.