2. Build and maintain a dynamic picture of community assets
Support staff to introduce asset-based mapping into daily assessment and care of people who use services, to build a directory of individual and local resources. This could be available online, and regularly updated.
The Glasgow Centre for Population Health (2011) describes how asset-based approaches build a picture of existing ‘tangible’ physical or community assets such as parks, community centres and churches. These are mapped alongside ‘intangible’ personal assets such as the experiences, skills, knowledge and passions of individuals within that community.
Community asset mapping
This recognises people’s strengths and skills and gathers intelligence and understanding of community capabilities, resources and key actors. There are many ways to approach community mapping locally. The Community Mapping toolkit, designed by Preston City Council (2016), is intended to help community groups map assets and develop their own neighbourhood action plans as a response.
Community asset mapping: lessons learned
The Innovation Unit and Greater Manchester Public Health Network (2016) identified two key learning points.
- Ensure mapping is community and citizenled – use and work with knowledgeable local people and organisations.
- Keep mapping live and dynamic – assets are changing and subjective. Make any directories interactive and regularly updated to ensure they capture this. Crowdsourcing platforms wikis, link workers or community champions can support this.
Personal asset mapping
This can be conducted through asset-based conversations between professionals and people who use services, to build a picture of the resources and support people have access to or could potentially exploit. Strengths-based approaches for assessment and eligibility under the Care Act 2014 and the Partners 4 Change ‘3 conversations model’ are examples.
Examples of how key enablers can be achieved:
- Community asset mapping
- Personal strengths based assessments
- Three conversations
