What are ‘assets’?

What are asset-based approaches?

• The asset-based approach is a little like a strengths-based model of care: it focuses on what someone or something has going for them, rather than what deficits or problems they have.

• So it’s a strengths-based model for an individual.• However, it goes further than that.• Since the need for cutbacks in public sector budgets and the

introduction of Big Society ideas (community self-help), the focus of attention for public services has turned from:

what could be done for communities to

what communities can do for themselves.

What are asset-based approaches?• Asset

• Based

• Community

• Development

• Or..... ABCD

• In 2012 the White Paper Caring for our future stated: ‘strong communities can improve our health and wellbeing and

reduce health inequalities’

What are asset-based approaches?• Assets are therefore part of a public health approach to improving

risky lifestyle behaviours such as substance misuse. Such public health initiatives should:

– Take an holistic approach to individuals’ total health status– Encourage an asset-based approach to address risk and

protective factors – Focus on prevention, early intervention, and reduce health

inequalities (PHE 2013)

• NICE (2014) recommends that public health interventions and programmes should focus on strengths of the individual and their community and help people to:

‘recognise how their social contexts and relationships may affect their behaviour’.

What are asset-based approaches?• So, asset based approaches focus on the assets of:

• the individual– i.e. resilience, individual social capital and connectedness

• the assets of the community• resources available, social networks, existing and potential self

help

• and the relationship between the two.

Asset-based approaches in problematic substance use

• People with problematic substance use face multiple disadvantages, both personal and environmental (DWP, 2012).

• The Govt. Drug Strategy and the Alcohol Strategy both recognise the importance of ‘recovery capital’ and the need to develop these to help people recover (H.M. Government, 2010, 2012)

Community partnership working

• The onus is on service providers to work with grassroots community groups to develop community assets that will help address health and wellbeing issues within the locale.

• In substance misuse, this is where Recovery Groups come in!

• See more on Recovery and mutual aid in the resources Understanding recovery and Pathways to recovery.

ReferencesDepartment of Health (2012) Caring For Our Future: reforming care and support. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/caring-for-our-future-reforming-care-and-support

Department for Work and Pensions (2012) Social Justice: Transforming Lives. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/49515/social-justice-transforming-lives.pdf

Home Office (2010) Drug Strategy 2010: Reducing demand, restricting supply, building recovery. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/118336/drug-strategy-2010.pdf Home Office (2012) The Government’s Alcohol Strategy. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224075/alcohol-strategy.pdf

NICE (2014) Behaviour Change: Individual Approaches. NICE; Guideline PH49.

PHE (2013). Introduction to the Directorate. available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-wellbeing-introduction-to-the-directorate/health-and-wellbeing-introduction-to-the-directorate