Need: Creating structured dialogue in team meetings and client work, ensuring all voices are heard and handling difficult topics
Solution: Adopting Topaasia games across multiple units in team conversations and client work, creating custom game content
Results: Improved team communication, better client engagement and implementation of the statutory "Good Treatment Plan" with children's direct participation
Key areas of use:Team development, money conversations, values conversations, direct client work with children and creating tailored content
Challenge: Structuring dialogue in a naturally talkative work environment
In social services, and especially in child welfare, communication plays a central role. As Harri Hyvärinen, Development Director of Humana's child welfare and disability services notes, this strength can also create challenges. People working in the field are used to discussing a wide range of topics broadly and in depth, but one big challenge is a lack of control over the conversations. Discussions dragged on, rambled, and not everyone had the chance to make their voice heard.
"Social care professionals are good talkers, and our conversations easily start to ramble without a clear structure," explains Hyvärinen, who has more than 20 years of experience in child welfare services. "We needed a way to make sure everyone in our teams would be heard, not just those who naturally take up space."
Another significant challenge was certain difficult topics, such as those related to money or substance use. "Money conversations about how funds are used in everyday life for raising children have sometimes been taboo. The conversation led beautifully to practical action, such as sensible food purchasing and financial education for the children." Hyvärinen says.
Humana needed a tool that could create a clear frame for the conversation while ensuring that all participants would genuinely get a voice.
"Topaasia gives a good opportunity to bring ideas and thoughts forward, also for those who don't normally start competing for the floor. This happens safely under the guise of the game."
Solution: The structure created by game cards and conversation "under the guise of the game"
Humana found the solution through Topaasia's card decks. Working with cards was already familiar in the social care field, but Topaasia offered a clear frame and structure for the conversations.
"The Topaasia decks give an excellent frame for conversations. With them we can make sure everyone gets heard, including those who would easily just sit back and listen or who don't want to compete for the floor," Hyvärinen explains.
Humana first tailored its own "Smart Money" deck, which enabled constructive dialogue about matters related to raising children and money in a way that felt more natural to the personnel. This deck was played in all 65 child welfare units, which reflects broad adoption across the organisation.
"The Topaasia decks give an excellent frame for conversations. With them we can make sure everyone gets heard, including those who would easily just sit back and listen or who don't want to compete for the floor"
Versatile areas of use: From team development to client work
Originally Topaasia was used to develop teams' internal dialogue, but the ways of using it expanded quickly:1. Team conversations and values work
"We discussed different topics with the working groups' supervisors: values conversations, team functionality and teamwork," Hyvärinen says. Topaasia provided a structure that helped keep the conversation on track.
2. Direct client work with children
"After noticing the game's qualities, we have also made use of it in client work. It works as an incredible tool when working with children," Hyvärinen enthuses. "With the cards, the child can choose for themselves what they want to talk about, which creates a therapeutic orientation."
Topaasia has proven valuable especially with sensitive topics, such as substance use. "In child welfare, children are always in a subordinate position in relation to us. Research shows that children are hesitant to tell staff about their own substance use because they fear punishment. Through the game we can sketch these outlines without pressure: the child gets to choose which substance-related matters they want to talk about."
3. Meeting statutory requirements in an impactful way
One of the most impactful areas of use was creating the "Good Treatment Plan" decks. This statutory requirement, based on the Child Welfare Act, was turned into a creative process with Topaasia.
"We created a Good Treatment Plan deck for each of our five regions. That way we got the children to participate and tell us what good treatment means to them and how we adults could take it into account better in the children's everyday lives," Hyvärinen explains. "These decks have already been played with children in more than 40 of our units, and the reception has been good. We can genuinely say that the children have been involved in making the plan with us."
Results: Better dialogue and engagement at every level
Using Topaasia has produced significant benefits for Humana:
More balanced participation in team conversations, with quieter members also making their voices heard
Handling difficult topics becomes easier , for example money-related conversations flow better "under the guise of the game"
Engaging children in decision-making, so children genuinely get to influence matters that concern them
Fulfilling statutory obligations creatively, with the "Good Treatment Plans" gaining new depth
Learning within the organisation, with ideas and thoughts shared more effectively between units
The change has been especially significant in client work: "The interaction has become much more inclusive. The children can choose the conversation topics themselves, which creates a safer environment for dealing with difficult things," Hyvärinen emphasises.
"I really can't see any company that couldn't make use of this or that couldn't get something out of it. Dialogue benefits everyone"
Would Topaasia work in your organisation too?
Hyvärinen has a clear view of Topaasia's suitability for different organisations: "I really can't see any company that couldn't make use of this or that couldn't get something out of it. Dialogue benefits everyone. Maybe if you only have robots at work, that could be the only limitation."
Hyvärinen is also impressed by Topaasia's customer service: "Working together has been on an amazing level. There is outstanding customer focus, and you have always been able to reach people and find solutions to things together."
Topaasia acts as a bridge-builder between different teams and industries. As Hyvärinen sums up: "Whenever we have people doing things, it doesn't matter whether it's industry or social care, dialogue helps. With these games you can surface even things that don't come up in standard team meetings or over coffee. They can be brought into the open in a gentle way, and ways to solve them can be found."
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