Questions to test your knowledge
The questions below will test your underpinning knowledge and should be completed before the first live session. If you do not know the correct answer and/or would like to know more about that aspect of strengths-based practice then please refer to the resources identified.
Question 1: Positive psychology
Martin Seligman, previous president of the American Psychological Association, is credited with advancing the profile of ‘positive psychology’ as a means to address the previous focus on mental illness. Seligman argued that there were five elements towards having a ‘meaningful life’, represented by the acronym ‘PERMA’. What does PERMA stand for?
PERMA: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Purpose, and Accomplishments
Resources
- What is positive psychology? (video) (Test Prep Gurus, 2012)
- The new era of positive psychology (Martin Seligman TED talk, 2004)
Question 2: Family group conferencing
Family group conferencing was developed in New Zealand. It arose from the belief that enabling family members to have greater control over their individual and family lives would reduce harm and improve their wellbeing. The Family Rights Group provide the following definition: ‘A family group conference is a process led by family members to plan and make decisions for a child who is at risk. Children and young people are normally involved in their own family group conference, although often with support from an advocate. It is a voluntary process and families cannot be forced to have a family group conference’. Family group conferencing has now been successfully introduced within youth justice services and to support adults with care and support needs. Following a referral, the coordinator will meet with the child or adult concerned, their families, and if relevant close friends, to share the purpose of the meeting, explain how it will be structured, and encourage them to attend. They will also ensure that concerns of the agencies are shared.
What are the three stages within the family group conference meeting?
Stage 1: Information giving: The coordinator will ensure that the professionals share information that they hold about the person and their family, any concerns that must be considered in the plan, and the potential supports that could be provided. They will also make clear what the potential implications are of a suitable plan not being agreed.
Stage 2: Private family time: Professionals and the coordinator withdraw from the meeting to enable the family members to discuss what they have heard and develop a plan to respond to this information.
Stage 3: Agreement and implementation: The family share their plan with the coordinator and the referring agency. If they agree with the plan, and it is clear that the child or adult concerned understand what is being proposed and their views have been gathered, then discussions will take place with the relevant agencies who are being asked to provide support. If the plan is not considered appropriate then this should be shared with the family to respond. The coordinator then shares the final plan which sets out who is responsible for what elements with clear timescales. A process for reviewing the plan should also be agreed.
Question 3: Co-production
Co-production is one of the defining principles of strengths-based practice; that we work collaboratively with people to design, commission, deliver and evaluate services. Co-production was first described in the 1970s by Elinor Ostrom, an economist at Indiana University. Ostrom used the word co-production to explain why crime rates rose when the police changed from walking the beat to patrolling in cars. The Care Act 2014 statutory guidance offers the following definition: ‘Co-production is when an individual influences the support and services received, or when groups of people get together to influence the way that services are designed, commissioned and delivered.’
SCIE argues that there are four main principles associated with co-production. What are these?
Equality, diversity, accessibility and reciprocity.
Resources
- Co-production (SCIE 2022)
- Co-production – a journal of lived and learned experience (South Eastern HSC Trust)
Question 4: Local area coordination
Local area coordination was first developed in Western Australia and has since been introduced on a national basis through the Australian Disability Insurance Scheme. It has been implemented across the UK to support people with different care needs and local communities. A local area coordinator is appointed to provide support to an identified locality which is typically around 10,000 people. The coordinator will provide information and guidance for people to solve their own problems, be a bridge to community resources which can provide practical solutions, and seek to strengthen local services and systems. What is the first question that local area coordinators need to ask people?
- A. What are you finding difficult just now?
- B. What services are you accessing?
- C. What can local area coordination do to help you?
- D. What would make a good life?
D. What would make a good life?
Resources
- It’s Our Community – Local Area Coordination and Prevention (Local Area Coordination Network 2021)
- Strengths, assets and place (SAGE, 2020)
Question 5: Asset-based community development (ABCD)
ABCD is a method to support the sustainable development of communities. Initially developed in the US, it involves the mapping of the assets in a local area around issues of importance, and then implementing actions to address these issues. According to ABCD there are five types of assets in a community: individuals, associations, institutions, physical assets, and what other asset?
Connections
Resources
- Asset-based Community Development for Local Authorities (Nesta 2020)
- Head, hands and heart: Asset-based approaches in health care (Health Foundation, 2015)
- Sustainable community development (video) (Cormac Russell TED talk, 2016)