Transforming Servicesan

Assets Based Approach

Karen Grieve

SG Health Inequalities Branch

This Presentation:

• Why is Transformation required to tackle inequalities

• Assets v Deficits – why it’s worth trying

• Communities & Services together

• Simple Rules

Why is Transformation Needed?

Used with permission from NHS GG&C

Two boys at a train station. Do they have the right to be equally well in a modern and Fair Scottish Society? Or is it just life? Despite decades of effort, well intentioned policy

and programmes, millions of pounds of investment into deprived communities, Scotland’s health has failed to improve at the same rate as countries elsewhere in the

UK and in Europe.

What Our Approach Has Been…Upstream – Downstream

Deficits, prevention, intervention, treatment

Health Deficits Approach• We focus on problems, needs and deficiencies in a

community. • We talk of “ deprivation”, illness and health

damaging behaviours. • We design services to fill the gaps and fix the

problems. • We talk of “clients.” As a result, communities can feel disempowered.

People become passive recipients of services rather than active agents in their own lives. We do things to people rather than with them.

Christie Commission Review of Public Services 2011

This suggests that a radical change in the design and delivery of public services is necessary, irrespective of the current economic challenges, to tackle the deep-rooted social problems that persist in communities across the country.

A cycle of deprivation and low aspiration has been allowed to persist because preventative measures have not been prioritised. It is estimated that as much as 40 per cent of all spending on public services is accounted for by interventions that could have been avoided by prioritising a preventative approach.

The priorities identified included: • Recognising that effective services must be

designed with and for people and communities - not delivered 'top down' for administrative convenience

• Maximising scarce resources by utilising all available resources from the public, private and third sectors, individuals, groups and communities

• Working closely with individuals and communities to understand their needs, maximise talents and resources, support self reliance, and build resilience

• Concentrating the efforts of all services on delivering integrated services that deliver results

• Prioritising preventative measures to reduce demand and lessen inequalities

• Identifying and targeting the underlying causes of inter-generational deprivation and low aspiration

WORTHWHILE

MANAGEABLE

COMPREHENSIBLE

healthrelated

behaviours

opportunity, decent housing, socialnetworks, self-esteem,

sense of control

consistent parenting, safe, nurturing early years, supportive

education

In other words our Personal Assets

Collective Assets

• Build on the personal individual assets and potential

• Multiply that in a family

• And again in a Neighbourhood

• And onwards to larger communities

• People, place, community.

Health Assets

A health asset is any factor or resource which enhances the ability of individuals, communities and populations to *maintain their health and sustain wellbeing. These assets operate as protective and promoting factors to buffer against life’s stresses

* Create Morgan and Ziglio 2009

The Assets ApproachThe Assets Approach

• Begins by building a trusting relationship – Begins by building a trusting relationship – regardless of how long it might take regardless of how long it might take

• Helps individuals rediscover the skills and Helps individuals rediscover the skills and strengths they may have forgotten they havestrengths they may have forgotten they have

• Supports them in putting them into practiceSupports them in putting them into practice

• Builds networks and trusting communities in Builds networks and trusting communities in which people help otherswhich people help others

When people care enough to When people care enough to ACTACT

Institutions have reached the limit of their Institutions have reached the limit of their problem solving potential. They are problem solving potential. They are stretched thin and need more skilful stretched thin and need more skilful engagement with communitiesengagement with communities

They are servants. Ask what people need, They are servants. Ask what people need, offer help, step back, create opportunity for offer help, step back, create opportunity for actionaction

http://www.mike-green.org

When people care enough When people care enough to actto act

There are unrecognised capacities in every There are unrecognised capacities in every community. Find them and provide community. Find them and provide opportunities for people to offer themopportunities for people to offer them

Relationships build a community. See them, Relationships build a community. See them, build them and utilise thembuild them and utilise them

Citizens are at the centre. Engage them as Citizens are at the centre. Engage them as actors, not recipientsactors, not recipients

http://www.mike-green.org

Organisations are People• We are all just people – being a professional or a

public servant shouldn’t separate from this fact. It’s not a them and us… it’s only us!!

• We must transfer power and trust in the community• We must stop hiding behind our systems and

making our job about the system rather than its intended purpose of making life better.

What can help….. Going back to SIMPLE

Organisational Cultures Simple rules

Innovation

Freedom to Act and Freedom to Fail

Permissions and Trust

‘Leadership’

Hunches, Learning Loops

Time, Space, Very small amounts of £

Governance & Accountability

Risk AversionLack of Trust

Hierarchy, over management

Small £ not freed up to frontline

Outputs Outcomes

Guarded partnerships Generative

partnerships

Good Enough Vision andMinimum Specifications

• Hunterdon Medical Center (USA)

• Need: Community health initiatives

• Approach: Nursing committee

• Observation: After 6 months, committee had not yet gotten out of the hospital!

Good Enough Vision andMinimum Specifications

• Instead... Simple rules

– A nurse can schedule up to half-day per week to work on community health initiative

– Don’t do anything illegal

– Remain within the project budget (all expenditures publicly posted)

Created by Brenda Zimmerman and Bryan Hayday

THANKS!

• http://equallywell.ning.com

• http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/health/Inequalities/inequalitiestaskforce

• http://www.healthscotland.com/documents/5342.aspx

• http://www.gcph.co.uk/publications