What is a strengths-based approach?

Summary

The video, created by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), introduces the concept of a strengths-based approach in social and health care. It emphasizes seeing beyond individual problems to recognize personal strengths and resources, aiming to improve overall wellbeing. This person-centered approach, highlighted by the Care Act, integrates personal preferences, skills, and community resources into care strategies. Through examples like Ann and Rob, the video illustrates how identifying and fostering individual strengths, resources, and support networks can lead to better outcomes and enriched lives. Ultimately, this approach encourages a shift from a 'one-size-fits-all' method to a more personalized, strengths-focused way of supporting individuals.

Highlights

• A strengths-based approach focuses on individual strengths and resources. 🌟
• It emphasizes personalized care and holistic wellbeing. 💪
• Moving from generic labels to recognizing personal talents and skills is key. 🎨
• Integration of personal and community resources enriches care strategies. 🤝
• The approach is illustrated through examples like Ann and Rob's personalized care. 👫

Key Takeaways

• A strengths-based approach emphasizes 'What is strong' rather than 'What is wrong'. 💪
• This approach is holistic, person-centered, and focuses on individual wellbeing. 🌟
• It involves recognizing individual talents, skills, and resources, moving away from generic labels. 🏷️
• Care strategies are personalized by integrating community and individual resources. 🤝
• Examples of successful implementation include enhancing Ann's social life and discovering Rob's interest in gardening. 🌱

Overview

A strengths-based approach in social and healthcare is about seeing beyond a person's issues and focusing on their inner strengths and external supports. This method, central to the Care Act, is all about centering the person within their care strategy and fostering their wellbeing by emphasizing their strengths over their deficiencies. By doing so, it opens up a whole world of possibilities and tailor-fits interventions to the individual needs and talents.

For instance, instead of defining Ann by her age and health conditions, the approach reveals her bilingual abilities, love for teaching, and social skills, which are then utilized to introduce enriching activities like tutoring international students. Similarly, Rob's interest in gardening is discovered and encouraged, leading to a beneficial partnership with his neighbor, which also provides his wife with some respite from her caregiving duties.

Ultimately, this approach shifts the narrative from one-size-fits-all solutions to personalized, vibrant care plans that integrate an individual's community connections, skills, and passions. Social care teams, families, and communities are all collaborators in creating supportive environments that not only meet needs but also enhance lives. By fostering what is strong, not just addressing what is wrong, this method builds enriching, sustainable outcomes for everyone involved.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Strengths-Based Approach The chapter introduces the strengths-based approach, emphasizing its varied meanings and applications across different interventions. The importance of correctly implementing this approach to unlock numerous possibilities is highlighted.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Core Concepts and Application in Social Care The chapter discusses the application of core concepts in social care, emphasizing a strengths-based approach in interventions. This approach, as outlined in the Care Act, focuses on the individual's strengths rather than their problems. It highlights 'What is strong' over 'What is wrong,' encouraging the identification of personal resources and external support systems. This method is applicable to any client group, including carers, and can be applied by any social or health care staff member.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Holistic Interventions and Individual Wellbeing The chapter 'Holistic Interventions and Individual Wellbeing' emphasizes the importance of recognizing and incorporating individual strengths and talents in all interventions, not just focusing on needs and personal outcomes. It highlights the fundamental objective of the Care Act—promoting individual wellbeing, which extends beyond merely addressing eligible needs. The chapter argues for holistic, person-centred, and outcomes-focused interventions, which are essential components of a strengths-based approach. This approach aims to enhance overall wellbeing by leveraging individual capabilities and aspirations.
• 02:00 - 02:30: Case Study: Ann's Story The case study of Ann's Story emphasizes the importance of recognizing individual differences in social care, as highlighted by the Care Act. It advocates for considering people's unique skills, knowledge, talents, character traits, relationships, and abilities, rather than relying on general labels such as disability or age. By looking beyond these labels, the narrative suggests that there is incredible potential to be uncovered in each person.
• 02:30 - 03:00: Case Study: Rob's Story This chapter focuses on Ann, a 67-year-old woman who defies common stereotypes associated with aging. Despite some sensory impairments, she is multilingual, well-versed in international affairs, politics, and environmental issues, and remains active in learning and teaching. Ann's story exemplifies how elderly individuals can lead fulfilling, knowledgeable, and socially engaging lives.
• 04:00 - 04:30: Collaborative Process and Tools The chapter discusses the importance of understanding individuals beyond their immediate needs, illnesses, or impairments. By engaging in meaningful conversations and asking the right questions, one can unfold the deeper story of a person, as exemplified by Ann's case. The narrative also introduces Rob, a 75-year-old man who faces communication challenges and whose support dynamics involve his wife and a distant daughter.
• 05:30 - 06:00: Outcomes and Benefits of a Strengths-Based Approach This chapter discusses the outcomes and benefits of a strengths-based approach within care and support systems. It highlights a case study involving a man named Rob who requires a reassessment of his care needs after a fall. An independent advocate, LeAnn, is appointed to ensure Rob's active participation in the reassessment process. The narrative emphasizes Rob’s love for the outdoors and his sociable nature, despite his current difficulties. The strengths-based approach aims to focus on individual capabilities and interests, which in Rob's case includes leveraging his love for the outdoors and social interactions. This approach not only empowers the individual but also enhances the care provided by aligning it more closely with the person's strengths and preferences.

What is a strengths-based approach? Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 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 strengths-based approach can be used in any intervention in any
• 00:30 - 01:00 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 centre of any intervention, placing the individual and not only their problems, at the centre 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
• 01:00 - 01:30 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 wellbeing, which is broader than meeting eligible needs. Interventions become holistic person-centred and outcomes-focused; which are key elements for a strengths-based approach and will result
• 01:30 - 02:00 in better outcomes and lives for individuals. As individuals we are all different and the Care Act recognises 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.
• 02:00 - 02:30 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 organised, reliable and is witty. She loves interacting with people, learning and teaching. Ann is not just an elderly lonely person with hearing and sight loss,
• 02:30 - 03:00 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 Ann. 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 lives 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
• 03:00 - 03:30 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 commissions 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
• 03:30 - 04:00 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. Their 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
• 04:00 - 04:30 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 how 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, neighbour, health club or a social group.
• 04:30 - 05:00 And for practitioners a whole lot of extra work during an intervention? No. 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
• 05:00 - 05:30 preparing a meal or getting out of a house?' to: 'What does a good day look like for you?' It is generally not easy to identify one's 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, Three Houses and so on. These can support practitioners and
• 05:30 - 06:00 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
• 06:00 - 06:30 up that apparently simple circumstance of each individual and unfold a whole world of possibilities. So, what about Ann? The practitioner supported Ann to contact the nearby University there are many overseas students there who need help with their English conversation skills; and now Ann is visited twice a week by students - and really enjoys the company and the teaching. Ann now has something to look forward to which helps increase her
• 06:30 - 07:00 overall sense of wellbeing. 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 neighbour 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
• 07:00 - 07:30 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
• 07:30 - 08:00 services - in working out the best way for their wellbeing 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.
• 08:00 - 08:30