Top tips to embed strengths-based practice in adult social care : an animation of key insights

Everyone agrees with strength-based principles, but few are sure how best to implement within the complex and changing world of adult social care.

Top tips to embed strengths-based practice in adult social care

Strengths-based practice seeks to return social care to its core principles of social justice, respect, and diversity, through changing the relationship between professionals and the people who they support. It moves from a system based on what people cannot do for themselves and how services can meet these deficits to one which starts from what is important to the person and the assets which they and their families already hold.

Whilst there is agreement that strength-based practice is a better and potentially more affordable way to support people and their families, there are many challenges to embedding changes within local systems and processes. This includes social workers and other frontline professionals altering how they work, and in how funding is invested.

Our report, Building on Strong Foundations, was based on a research project which studied three local authorities in England which were highly committed to strengths-based practice (York, Camden, and Birmingham). Each sought to embed this approach throughout their social care system by introducing new services and interventions and through supporting their front-line social care practitioners change their day-to-day work.

Through reflecting on their collective learning and experiences, it has been possible to identify eight "top tips" which can help other local areas who wish to become more strengths-based in how they plan and deliver social care. This animation seen in the video below, displays these insights through creative images which emphasise their relevance and connection.

Top tips to embed strengths-based practice in adult social care

Transcript

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eight top tips to embed strength-based

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practice tip one co-production is

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key genuine co-production with people

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with lived experience of social care

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services family carers and communities

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that moves Beyond narrow conversations

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around provision of services to explore

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what would enable people to have valued

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and positive

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lives such co-production is not only the

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responsibility of those with dedicated

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involvement officer roles but all those

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with influence in the local social care

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system tip

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two leadership throughout the

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system strengths based practice requ

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requires major changes to how funding is

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invested and underlying assessments and

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recording processes within adult social

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care and therefore the active support of

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senior managers and political

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leaders changing practice requires team

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leaders and operational managers to

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create a climate within their teams and

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services in which practitioners feel

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confident and safe to carry out their

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roles in new and creative ways

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tip three a clear strategy with agreed

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principles a clear and inspiring vision

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of what strength space practice will be

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in the local area and how this will

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enable people to have a better life is

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an important starting point this needs

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to be supported by a detailed plan that

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sets out how this Vision will be turned

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into reality through identifying

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implementation activities and resources

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these actions should focus on the wider

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social care system and not only Care

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Management

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processes tip four twin track

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individuals and

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[Music]

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communities alongside changing

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professional practice a strength based

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approach should work with local

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communities to build their

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resources Central to this are voluntary

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and Community sector

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organizations due to their understanding

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of the local context and their

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connections with people and

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networks strength spaced commissioning

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sees voluntary and Community sector

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organizations as collaborators and

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enables them to take a coordinating role

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to building local

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assets tip five draw on the support of

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others to help identify opportunities to

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improve local strength spased practice

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and draw on the experience of others as

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to how to overcome common challenges it

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can be beneficial to join wider learning

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networks these can also be a source of

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constructive Challenge and encouragement

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when implementation loses momentum and

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faces difficult

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barriers tip six look for the strengths

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of everyone

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the principles of strength-based working

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can be applied successfully within

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social care practice with all people and

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communities including those who may face

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complex and demanding challenges in

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their

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lives this includes people who may be

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accessing care and support on a

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long-term basis and those living within

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institutional

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settings training peer support and

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strength space supervision are important

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enablers for practitioners to embed the

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principles in all their

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work tip seven plan for

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[Music]

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turbulence social care operates in a

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difficult environment which has

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considerable uncertainty about future

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policy and financial

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pressures in addition there will often

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be local changes in senior leadership

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and other key roles during the course of

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an implementation

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program planning for turbulent times

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through engaging people with influence

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across the system building local

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networks of support including with

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Community Partners and agreeing common

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principles to develop new strategies can

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sustain investment and

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support tip eight gather data and

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feedback

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evidencing what impacts have been

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achieved through a strength spased

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transformation program can help to

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encourage continued engagement and

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support the case for further

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[Music]

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investment understanding what is working

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and what is not in an implementation

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program can help to improve its

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[Music]

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Effectiveness it is therefore important

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to develop an evaluation framework and

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start Gathering relevant Data before

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implementation starts

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there are practical methodologies and

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tools which can be used at relatively

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low cost to support such evaluation

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[Music]