A Strengths Approach
Making service user involvement a reality, at the point where the individual can influence their care and support.
Strengths Practice Development Projects
Assertive Outreach
See the Assertive Outreach section for a summary of 7 practice development projects between 2001-2007, all of which involved significant elements of implementing strengths based practice
Granta Housing Society
A programme of training and practice development to specifically support the implementation of a strengths approach into a number of the residential projects across Cambridgeshire and Essex.
Commenced in June 2007 with presentations to Service Managers and local Service Commissioners; followed by presentations to Project Managers and Deputies across the wider range of projects managed by Granta. Four residential projects (with varying elements of outreach support) attended 2 one-day training workshops covering ‘the Strengths Approach’ and ‘Positive Risk-Taking’.
A programme of practice development offering 5 days for each of three residential projects commenced in August 2007 (for completion by March 2008).
A further one-day workshop facilitated in December 2007 for 2 Cambridge-based Granta Housing projects and associated Trust and ‘Pathways’ practitioners, in an attempt to consider how the Strengths Approach may be shared across agencies working in the same geographical area.
Further developments across 2009-10 focusing on identifying the means within the organisation for supervised implementation of the Strengths Approach beyond the initial pilot sites, and supporting early initiatives in self-directed support.
Central Manchester Assertive Outreach
A programme of training and practice development to specifically support the implementation of a strengths approach into the expansion of assertive outreach services, from one established team with a caseload of approximately 100 service users, to three teams serving in excess of 300 service users.
Commenced with all practitioners (established and new to assertive outreach attending two-day training workshops in July & September 2007, introducing the ideas of ‘a Strengths Approach’ and ‘Positive risk-taking’. Followed by a programme of 4 days practice development for each of the three teams between November 2007 and March 2008.
Touchstone Community Support Team (Leeds)
An initial team development day to explore the principles and practice of developing a ‘strengths approach’, followed by subsequent team development reviews of progress including the use of tools in relation to real case examples from the team’s practice.