Positive conversations, meaningful change: learning from Animating Assets

Dr Rachel A Harris#ScotPublicHealth #PublicHealthHour 2nd March 2016

• What are assets?• How about asset-based

approaches?• Why Animating Assets?• Research sites• What happened• What we learned• Find out more• Over to you

Overview

“any factor (or resource), which enhances the ability of individuals, groups, communities, populations, social systems and/or institutions to maintain and sustain health and well-being and to help to reduce health inequalities” (Morgan, Davies & Ziglio, 2010)

Morgan A, Davies M, Ziglio E. Health assets in a global context. Springer, London; 2010

Health ‘assets’

Asset-based approaches

• Values skills, knowledge & connections• Collective resources that protect & support• Realised and mobilised through actions, connections and

participation• Protective/promoting factors to buffer against life’s stresses

– individual level: resilience, self-esteem, sense of purpose– community level: supportive networks, community cohesion– organisational level: resources promoting physical, mental & social

health• Place-based, relationship-based and citizen-led• Redressing balance – needs and strengths

Why Animating Assets?

• Supported development of asset-based approaches to range of health and social issues – identified by local communities or partnerships

• Process of engagement, facilitation, co-creation and learning, that also applied theory from:– Action research– Appreciative inquiry

• Fresh ways of thinking about assets – real time / real issues• Call for more evidence on impact of asset-based approaches

Research sitesMilton, NW Glasgow

Barmulloch & Balornock, NE Glasgow

Edinburgh South

Edinburgh South West

Communities of Liberton, Gilmerton, Burdiehouse and Oxgangs.

Communities of Wester Hailes, Oxgangs, Currie and Balerno.

Girvan, South Ayrshire – Associate site Craigneuk, Lanarkshire – Associate site

Total Neighbourhood East, Edinburgh – Associate site

Supporting community capacity building in

Glasgow

Engaging with young people in a meaningful

way in Edinburgh

How we practised asset-based working

“Good links, good

relationships, finding

solutions in an amicable way.”

“Connected through

relationships.”

“Ice-breakers at the start of the meetings, I get a real lift from

them.”

“Seeing people at the

conversation café and here

today gives me hope.”

“…value of using a range of group work techniques to help people

look at the world differently.”

“…energy in the group for working

together and creating change.”

"What was originally an idea but it’s actually become a way of working with us now, which is about engagement with

young people in a meaningful way."

Conn

ectin

g M

ilton

’s St

ory

What we learned about the nature of asset-based working

“there’s also something about taking our staff on a personal journey to reframe their thinking”

“showing we will be responsive... taking part does make a difference.”

Reframing towards a fresh perspective

“people led it, as opposed to it being talked down, it maybe was a more bottom-up approach, and I think people came to have a sense of equality as opposed to being told”

Developing a common agenda

“What I saw at first was people being unsure and not really quite getting the concept, me included. As we gradually worked through it together ... it helped create and build the relationships”

Recognising assets

there is “a whole network out there … that has made me think in terms of the role that I’ve got, about who is out there and who is working with young people and families locally and bringing all of them together”

Making connections to mobilise assets

Allow time

“You don't need to depend on

the council when you've

got a network of committed

people and organisation”

“We were able to attract other

partners that maybe we

hadn’t thought about”

“The fact that we’ve been recognised by you – that makes us hopeful and keeps us going”

“All the organisations here are putting the community first, and looking at how people can benefit from their project”

Signs of change

What else we learned along the way…

• The practical realities of adopting asset-based approaches?– National ambition v reality of local practice– Do asset-based principles reflect reality?– Creating the conditions - what enables and

constrains asset-based practice?– Levers for change

Find out more

• Research report:– Positive conversations, meaningful change:

Learning from Animating Assets http://tinyurl.com/AnimatingAssets

• Digital stories– Animating Assets reflections from Milton– Animating Assets in Barmulloch and Balornock

https://www.youtube.com/user/gcphonline

Over to you

• How have you applied asset-based approaches? (Or share an examples that has excited you from elsewhere.)

• What capacities, skills or values are needed to support asset-based working?

• How might organisations enable this kind of working?

The research team

Scottish Community Development Centre• Fiona Garven• Cathy Sharp • Joanna Kennedy• Kate McHendry• Elspeth Gracey

Glasgow Centre for Population Health• Jennifer McLean• Rachel Harris• Charlotte Mitchell• Valerie McNeice

The team