STRENGTHSBASED PRACTICE

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STRENGTHS-BASED PRACTICE

• Steve Morgan
• Practice Based Evidence
• www.practicebasedevidence.com

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What is Strengths-Based Practice?

• A challenge to the inherently negative focus of
  attention adopted by the traditional
  problems-oriented approach
• - Problems are (usually) deficits failings
• - Deficits present barriers to desired change
• Its difficult to instil hope from this basis
  alone

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What is Strengths-Based Practice?

• Recognition that everyone has talents, abilities,
  interests, achievements, capabilities, wants,
  dreams and wishes
• Supporting people to develop their own real
  personal resources and resourcefulness
• - Resources open up opportunities
• - Opportunities inspire confidence
• - Confidence breeds successes achievements
• All of the above inspires hope

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Whos Strengths?

• Individual service users
• The identified carers
• Individual practitioners
• Whole teams
• Across organisations

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Why Focus Attention onStrengths-Based Practice?

• Simply because we dont do it with people as much
  as we believe
• If we truly want to develop an individuals
  potential we must resist our natural tendencies
  to focus on the things they are less able to
  change, or they see as less of a priority

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Why Focus Attention onStrengths-Based Practice?

• It provides the basis for developing trusting
  engagement positive changes
• It helps us to make a simple choice
• - A focus on problems deficits may raise
  standards to a level of mediocrity
• - A focus on strengths abilities may raise
  standards to a level of excellence

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A Strengths Quote

• If human beings are perceived as potentials
  rather than problems, as possessing strengths
  instead of weaknesses, as unlimited rather than
  unresponsive, then they thrive and grow to their
  capabilities.
• (Barbara
  Bush)

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The Depth of Strengths in Teams

• Strengths acknowledging teams (the vast
  majority are not exposed to a specific focus on
  strengths, and do not do it to the degree they
  think)
• Strengths aware teams (training raises
  awareness, but not necessarily changes in
  practice)
• Strengths working teams (attention to detail
  can only happen in the workplace, it requires
  nurturing and developing)

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Where Organisations Fail

• They focus on two flawed assumptions
• - Each person can learn to be competent in
• almost anything
• - Each persons greatest room for growth is in
  their greatest areas of weakness
• Strengths-based organisations assume
• - Each persons talents are unique enduring
• - The greatest room for growth is in the areas
  of greatest strength

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Changes What Changes?

• Appreciating the focus on strengths relates to
  service users, staff the organisation equally
  requires a shift in the culture of thinking
• Developing the appropriate tools to prompt
  positive practice shifting the focus from
  training to practice development
• Measuring that which has meaning for people not
  systems change the targets expectations

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Taking the Risk

• Change is often accompanied by fears
  anxieties its easier to talk the talk than it is
  to walk the walk
• People can be supported to experience a more
  hopeful service
• Staff can experience more hopeful practice
• Organisations can inspire support more hopeful
  expectations

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Food for Thought

• Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar
  into four pieces and then eat just one of those
  pieces.
• Source
  unknown
• Hope is believing that the other three pieces
  will still be there tomorrow!