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you
a strengths-based approach a simple
phrase that has different meanings for
different people but an approach that
when done right opens up many
possibilities a strength-based approach
can be used in any intervention in any
setting with any client group including
carers and by any social or health care
member of staff the Care Act puts a
strengths-based approach at the center
of any intervention placing the
individual and not only their problems
at the center of the process and
highlighting what is strong rather than
what is wrong identifying the resources
someone has within themselves as well as
who and what support they have around
them this ensures that all their
strengths and talents are identified and
considered in all interventions not just
their needs and personal outcomes such
as what is important for them or what
they would like to achieve at the end of
the day the core duty of the Care Act is
to promote individual well-being which
is broader than meeting eligible needs
interventions become holistic
person-centered and outcomes focused
which are key elements for a
strengths-based approach and will result
in better outcomes and lies for
individuals as individuals we are all
different and the Care Act recognizes
this as individuals we have multiple
skills knowledge talents character
traits relationships and abilities
social care interventions should
consider all of those rather than a
one-size-fits-all based on the catch-all
labels such as disability dementia or
simply old when we look beyond these
labels amazing potential is revealed
Ann is a 67 year old woman who speaks
two languages has a wide knowledge of
international affairs politics and
environmental concerns
she speaks confidently is very organized
reliable and is witty
she loves interacting with people
learning and teaching and is not just an
elderly lonely person with hearing and
sight loss
who is finding it very difficult to
manage around the house and unable to go
out on her own
see what we just did there we unfolded
an by asking the right questions and
talking to Ann we found out about her
beyond her needs illness or impairment
Rob is a 75 year old man who lifts with
his wife in a first-floor flat and he
has one daughter who lives in another
city Rob has difficulty communicating
and up to now his wife and daughter have
spoken to professionals on his behalf
Rob has a care package to support him
and his wife as a carer Rob had a fall
and a reassessment has to take place the
practitioner Commission's an independent
advocate LeAnn to maximize Rob's
involvement in the process during the
conversation we discover that Rob loves
being outdoors and is a very sociable
person with a current difficulty in
expressing himself verbally but he has
many manual abilities does it sound
familiar
and the unfolding of possibilities and
strengths doesn't stop with the
individual they're many facets needs and
talents can and do integrate with their
wider world carers friends family
community and professionals are all
actual elements in their life texture
and well-being through a strengths-based
approach we support the individual to
identify their personal outcomes their
needs and their strengths including
social and family networks and other
universal resources available to them
we can then work together to identify
house strengths individual and community
resources can support them to improve
their lives
this may be for example the local
council their skills or knowledge a
friend library neighbor health club or a
social group
and for practitioners a whole lot of
extra work during an intervention know
when we talk with individuals we have to
create relationships based on a
collaborative process that will enable
us to explore together what their
strengths needs and personal outcomes
are
we need to move away from asking
questions on a form to having a
conversation and building a relationship
move from what problems are you having
preparing a meal or getting out of a
house - what does a good day look like
for you
it is generally not easy to identify one
strengths and adults and carers can find
it difficult there are useful tools for
example
asking the right questions strengths
mapping motivational interviewing
recovery model 3 houses and so on these
can support practitioners and
individuals in identifying strengths
they are all different and there isn't a
one-size-fits-all as individuals are
different using these tools people can
discover assets and strengths they have
or could have access to and that may be
through local facilities professionals
or their own talents or those of a
friend or family member strengths and
assets come in many shapes sizes and
ages when we practitioners and
individuals work collaboratively we open
up that apparently simple circumstance
of each individual and unfold a whole
world of possibilities
so what about an the practitioner
supported an to contact the nearby
University there are many overseas
students there who need help with their
English conversation skills and now an
is visited twice a week by students and
really enjoys the company and the
teaching and now has something to look
forward to which helps increase her
overall sense of well-being and Rob the
strengths based approach has helped to
identify Rob's interests and knowledge
in gardening Rob lives in a flat with no
garden but his first-floor neighbor has
a garden and doesn't know how to take
care of it so they agree to work on it
together once a week or so and Rob is
delighted with this idea his wife who
would not thought of this is also very
happy and will get a break on a weekly
basis from her caring role sometimes
individuals need support to get involved
in the process and we must look at how
we can do this by changing times for
meetings locations bridging gaps in
communication needs providing an
independent advocate and so on so when
we take a strengths-based approach we
look at the wide array of skills and
assets of and around the individual we
can involve and link with family
community organisations practitioners
local authorities or facilities and
services in working out the best way for
their well-being to be promoted and most
important of all we work together
towards achieving the best possible
lives and outcomes for individuals
a strengths-based approach unfolding
great lives and outcomes
you