My Guide volunteer training
Developed in partnership
The My Guide training programme has been developed by Guide Dogs, in collaboration
with its partners. However, the delivery of the training is the responsibility of the trainer or
organisation providing the training.
1
Course objectives
 To practise and improve sighted guide skills
 To develop the communication skills needed to be
a My Guide volunteer
 To understand the risks and benefits of delivering
the My Guide service as a volunteer
 To learn how to support service users and create
activity plans
2
Programme
Introductions and welcome
Recap of basic sighted guide techniques
Eye conditions
Communication awareness and training
Boundaries and safeguarding
Creating independence, not supporting
dependence
 Arranging your practice






3
What is a
My Guide volunteer?
 A volunteer who provides a sighted guide service
for an agreed period to enhance the service user’s
independence through getting out and about
 Requires learning, assessment and practice at
Levels 1 and 2
4
Other modules and roles
Community Sighted Guide My Guide Practitioner
 Requires learning at
 Requires learning,
Level 1
assessment and practice
at Levels 1, 2 and 3
 A Community Sighted
Guide confidently and
 Provides training and
effectively provides safe
support to Community
sighted guide assistance
Sighted Guide and My
in public
Guide volunteers
5
Guidelines to help the
course run smoothly





Mobile phones off or on silent please
We all agree for only one person to speak at a time
Relax!
Say what you think
Be respectful at all times
6
Introductions
Tell us:
 Your name
 The experience you have of sighted guiding
 What you want to achieve today
7
Approaching someone
and setting off
 Introduce yourself and offer help
 Ask where the person wants
to go
 Stand by their side and let them
hold your arm above the elbow
 You start walking and they will
follow about half a step behind
 If they have a guide dog,
approach from the
opposite side
8
In a narrow space or busy area
 Walk in single file
 Straighten your arm and move
it to the middle of your back
 The person will step in
behind you
 Slow your pace a little
9
Crossing a road
 Say if the kerb is a step up or
step down
 Pause before you take the
step so that the person can
get ready
 Describe to the person where
they are
10
Going up or down stairs or steps
 Say if the steps go up or down
 The person’s free hand should be on the
side of the handrail
 Going up – pause for the person to find
the bottom step then move off.
They will follow one step below you
 Going down - let them find the handrail
and first step down before moving off.
They will follow one step behind
 Say when you have reached the top
or the bottom and pause
11
Getting through doorways
 Say whether the door opens
towards or away from you and
to the left or the right
 Open the door with your
guiding arm
 As you walk through, the
person you’re guiding should
hold it open before following
you through
12
Taking a seat
 Describe the type of seat,
whether it has arms, and if
there’s a table in front
 Put your guiding hand on the
back of the chair, and allow
the person to slide their arm
down to find it
 In a row of seats, side step
along the row until the person is
in front of their seat with the
backs of their knees touching it.
They will then sit down
13
Getting into a car
 Say if the car is facing left or right
 Open the car door and place
your guiding hand on it. The
person you’re guiding can slide
their hand down your arm to
hold the door
 Then place your guiding hand on
the top of the door frame. The
person you’re guiding will slide
their other hand down your arm
and get in the car
14
Leaving or finishing assistance
 Always check with the person you’re guiding that
they know where they are before you leave them
 Tell the person clearly that you will be leaving
them now
 Leave them in a safe place, away from danger
15
Tips for other situations
16
How to guide a person with
a guide dog
 A guide dog owner will show
they need help by laying the
handle of the harness on the
dog’s back
 Approach from the opposite
side to the dog
 Talk to the person, not the dog
 Never take the lead or harness
handle
 Guide the person as you would
anyone else
17
Toilets
 Use your guiding hand on the handle of the door to
the toilet
 The person you are guiding will slide their hand
down your arm to find the door handle
 Agree with the person whether you will wait for
them outside or if you are leaving
18
Getting on or off a bus or train
 Tell the person you are guiding
how high any steps are and if
there is a gap between the
train and the platform
 Guide the person as you step
on or off, walking in front
 Walk down aisles in single file
19
Being person-centred
 These tips are the best practice for sighted guides
 Always use these techniques as a starting point, but
be prepared to alter them depending on the
particular requirements of the person you support
 As long as you and the person you guide are safe,
it’s ok to vary these tips
20
Safety Tips
Things to consider:
 The person may have a medical condition
 Try to avoid unfamiliar or unknown surroundings that
could cause either of you to feel uncomfortable,
threatened or concerned
 Be aware of other people coming into contact with
either of you, causing a collision or being aggressive
or violent
 Make sure you’re aware of what to do in the event
of a fire, incident or other emergency situation
21
Safety Tips
Further things to consider:
 Avoid lifting or restraining the person so you don’t
get hurt
 Look out for objects/people and avoid tripping
or slipping
 Think about the weather conditions e.g. ice,
snow, extreme heat, and how this could affect
your journey
22
Eye conditions 1
 Age-related Macular Degeneration – a
problem with cells in the part of the
eye called the macular, causing a loss
of central vision
 Diabetic Retinopathy – damage to the
blood vessels in the eye. The blood
vessels bleed and can cause blurred
vision or patches of obscured vision
 Cataracts – Many different causes.
Clouding of the lens occurs that can
cause blurred or misty vision. The
person may be dazzled by light
23
Eye conditions 2
 Glaucoma – blockages cause pressure
in the eye to increase, damaging the
optic nerve. It can develop slowly and
left untreated can cause a loss of
peripheral vision.
 Retinitis Pigmentosa – hereditary
disorder making it difficult to see in
poor light. It can cause a reduction of
the visual field (tunnel vision)
24
Communication awareness
 Barriers to communication
 Are there any barriers which blind and partially
sighted people may experience?
 Visual cues
25
Easy communication
 Ask for understanding if you’re nervous
 Be honest and respectful in your questions
 Immediacy is best. Say right away when you think
there is a problem
 It’s ok to ask for advice
 Don’t be overly descriptive
 If in doubt, ask
 Be specific and clear
26
Problem solving by being
person-centred
 Ask the person you are supporting if they
mind explaining how much vision they have.
This will help you respond appropriately
 Tailor your communication so you are able to meet
the individual’s needs – everyone is different
 Learn to recognise signs of anxiety. If in doubt, ask
for feedback, so that you can best support the
service user
 Always communicate with honesty and respect
27
Entering a room
 When you enter a room, tell the person you
are there
 Either sit where you can be seen, let the person
know where you are sitting or ask where to sit
28
Safeguarding and Boundaries
29
Setting boundaries as a
My Guide volunteer
 Always agree the boundaries of your relationship
at the first meeting
 Agree the length of time you will be involved
 Agree the goals the person wants to achieve
 Decide how you will both know when the goals
have been met
30
‘It’s my role to...’
 Be your sighted guide for “x” number of weeks
 Increase your independence
 Help you feel confident about getting out and
about
 Direct you to other organisations that might be able
to help you
 To identify people who could be trained to help you
continue your journey to independence
31
Creating independence
Volunteer recruited for the
My Guide programme:
•Induction,
•CRB check
•My Guide training
Volunteer is
matched to
service user
Service user signs up for the
My Guide programme:
•Completes Matching form
32
Volunteer matching
Volunteer is matched to service user
Activity plan created and carried out
over an agreed period of time
Service user increases independence
and confidence. Volunteer starts
looking at next steps, including
identifying potential sighted guides
amongst family, friends, etc
Volunteer is
available for their
next match
Service user moves
on with the support
of local services,
family and friends
On completion of activity plan, a co-ordinator helps service
user and volunteer review their My Guide partnership.
33
Summary points from
discussion
 The person you support might have been isolated
and alone for some time
 The volunteer might be the first helpful person in
their life for a long time
 Do you want to do for or with?
 You must believe in the person’s potential
34
Activity plans
 Are clear about roles and boundaries
 Help people set goals and identify what they want
to achieve
 Need creative and imaginative planners (i.e. you!)
to help the person you support set goals
 Describe how you will both meet the goals
 Help you think about what’s worked and what
hasn’t worked
35
Tips for activity planning





Listen without judgement
The goals must be relevant
You may need short and long term goals
“I don’t...” is not the same as “I can’t...”
Plan an exit strategy, e.g. who will be the people
that you organise to have sighted guide training, to
support the person in the long term?
36
Goals
What do you (the service user) want to achieve using
your My Guide volunteer ? For example:




Independently travel to a particular place?
Improved confidence in independent travel?
Discover more about your local community?
Meet more people?
37
Finishing the service
 It should never come as a surprise to the person you
support that this is your last session
 A good finish relies on a good beginning
 Encourage the person to see how far they have
come
 Organise for their family, friends and community
members to have sighted guide training
38
Finishing the service
 Make sure you have been able to refer them to
helpful services where appropriate. This is more
than just leaving phone numbers with people. It
might be making sure that a person in the local
sight loss organisation has called as they’d
promised or that social services have followed up
an enquiry
39
Next steps
 To become a My Guide volunteer you must
complete the online assessed learning – available
to download once you are registered (there is
optional information on this site if you want to know
more about this subject)
 Please let your trainer know if you are interested in
becoming a My Guide Practitioner
 Your host organisation is responsible for supporting
you in your volunteering role
40
Online learning
You will find the learning space online at:
www.myguide.org.uk
41
Thank you
Please complete your feedback forms before you go
42