Strength based approach to social care - How technology can help

We want to ensure all local authorities are aware of what strength based approaches mean in social care and how technology can help streamline these approaches regardless of an individual’s needs.  

In this article we will review what is a strengths based approach is and the importance of it by evaluating the advantages and disadvantages, and explaining how technology can help overcome these limitations to help care commissioners and care providers have the best strength-based approach possible.  

What is a strengths based approach? 

 

A strength based approach in social care aims to protect the individual’s independence, resilience, and their ability to make their own choices about their health and wellbeing. It is a collaborative approach between the person and those supporting them. It allows them to work together to determine an outcome that draws on the person’s strengths and assets.  

Through using a strength based approach in social care your local authority can help support the person’s strengths and allow them to lead and be in control of their day-to-day life to be as independent as possible. This ultimately allows individuals to be more proactive in managing their health and wellbeing and can help delay the development of further care needs and future hospital admissions.  

Why is a strengths based approach important? 

Using a strengths based approach in social care is important because it often results in a cultural shift where local authorities focus on what people’s strengths and abilities are, rather than their weaknesses. It allows care commissioners to think more positively about the care and support people need whilst engaging to reduce community isolation.  

The social care reform White Paper, Putting People at the Heart of Care explains that care and support should be bespoke to individuals to build upon their strengths and enable them to achieve the outcomes that matter to them.  

It’s important for both care commissioners and care providers to follow a strengths based approach as the NHS stated in their Long Term Plan they want to see more people to care for themselves and stay fit, well and independent. Using strengths-based thinking helps to encourage people to draw on their own skills and networks to stay well.   

The Social Care Institute for Excellence and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence’s new quick guide defines this approach as focusing on ‘what individuals and communities have and how they work together.’  

Under the Care Act 2014, it does not specifically state that local authorities have the duty to use a strengths based approach as such, but instead it establishes they should perform their care and support functions by following their wellbeing principle. Here the wellbeing principle promotes individual’s wellbeing and emphasises the importance of working in a holistic way with the individual.  

Using a strengths based approach is important as it helps local authorities make better use of their resources to help individuals live independently for longer without needing to rely on clinical support.  

A study by Gallup found that people who used their strengths everyday are 3 times more likely to enjoy an excellent quality of life.  

It is important to use a strengths based approach therefore as it helps local authorities use their resources and assets more efficiently to best suit individual needs. This helps make budgets lasts longer, reduce hospital admissions, GP attendance, and ultimately helps individuals have a better quality of life.  

What is an example of a strength based approach? 

There are a variety of examples of how strength based approaches can work in health and social care whether it is primary care, home care, or residential care. The key is to identify that the correlation between all these examples is that support workers, care workers, and clinicians all concentrate on motivators which will encourage individual’s involvement to help them reach their goals.  

Through using their strengths individuals are less worried about failing and can be more excited and encouraged to get involved to build upon their strengths for a better quality of life.  

Home Care 

 

An example in home care could be that an individual may be struggling with mobility issues. They could find it difficult to move around the house and could be scared to go out of the house in case they fall, but they do find their walker helps them.  

Through a strength based approach a care provider can help arrange a care package and create a care plan, that will enable the individual to improve their mobility. Physiotherapy visits to the home can be arranged to help build up strength and endurance. Here a target can be set as a motivator that if the individual can walk round the garden with ease within a couple of weeks, by the end of the month the caregiver and the individual can walk to the shop with their walker.  

This provides a goal to help keep individuals motivated  to be more independent. As their confidence grows they will be able to carry on going on walks without any caregivers and be able to use their walker efficiently. This also will reduce social isolation as the individual will be able to go out more and meet up with friends and family more easily. Through working with physios and building up their strength the chance of hospital admissions because of falls can also be reduced which can also help reduce the current pressure on the NHS.  

In addition once goals are set if both the individual and their family are uncertain and worried what could happen. The caregiver can also ensure they embed digital telecare into the care plan where both digital monitoring and reactive alarm functionality can provide support when needed whilst providing friends and family the reassurance needed. This in turn, can help build independence further while being prepared for any additional risks that could arise from a person being up, out and about more.  

Residential Care 

 

Another example could be in a residential care setting. Here an individual could have been suffering with social isolation and because of this may not be looking after themselves as well as they should be.  

In this case they might be moving into a residential home for respite where the aim is to reconnect the individual back into the community so they can live more independently for a long as possible.  

Here care providers can acknowledge what some of their favourite hobbies are to identify nearby interventions which they could attend.  

For example, if an individual likes gardening, a care provider could see where the nearest allotment is, or get the individual to help with the gardening at the residential care home so they can meet others and interact with them. Through this both their confidence, fitness and self-esteem can improve to encourage individuals that they can live independently without having to live in a care home, and instead they can live at home but ask for help when they need it.  

They can have a better quality of life and care providers can organise regular check-ins to ensure there are no further declines. Through this their GP attendance for non-clinical issues can be reduced and they can feel more independent and look after themselves better for a better quality of life.  

The use of engaging in social prescribing, and in this case green social prescribing, can help individuals realise their potential without it feeling like a chore. Instead it can feel more entertaining and fun.  

What are six key principles of a strength based approach? 

Throughout the years strength based approaches have developed across a variety of sectors. With that there have been various models that have developed. However, often there are 6 key principles that apply regardless of the sector or model used. The health and social care sector is no different.  

1. Goal Setting  
2. Strengths Assessment  
3. Environmental Resources  
4. Alternative methods come first for different situations  
5. Hope inducing relationships  
6. Autonomy to make meaningful choices  

 

1. Goal Setting  

 

One of the first key principles in a strengths based approach is goal setting. In social care this is where an individual and a care worker or clinician will have a focused discussion about their strengths.  

The aim of the discussion is to develop and share skills to make new connections and set out goals in how the individual would like to see their health and wellbeing improve.  

Sometimes this is referred to as a ‘strength-mapping’ exercise.  

2. Strengths Assessment  

 

In order for an individual to determine a pathway to make the most of being able to manage their health and wellbeing independently a strengths assessment is needed to ensure the correct interventions are provided which best suit their needs and interests.  

In order to best prepare for a strengths assessment with a patient, the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) recommend you should consider: 

• What are the reasons for contacting care commissioners or care providers? 
• Are there any other professionals involved? If yes, what do they know and what is their involvement? 
• Does the individual know and understand how a strengths based assessment will work e.g. their options, timescales, potential next steps? If not how will you explain the process? 
• Have you agreed who should contribute in the assessment? 
• Has everyone that has been invited confirmed their attendance? 
• Have you done research on potential related community services, products, and activities that may be beneficial for the individual? 

Arguably this is one of the most crucial steps as the whole approach. It focuses on an individual’s strengths and without identifying them at the start the rest of the approach could end up being counter-productive.  

3. Environmental Resources  

 

It is not rare that after an individual has had their strengths based assessment in social care that all the resources and interventions they require may not be available in their local community.  

It is important to be collaborative with other nearby care commissioners and care providers so you can make best use of all resources available so no individual is left without the support they need.  

Connecting individuals to resources in their community and surrounding ones is a great way to give the support needed to get a better continuity of care so they do not lose motivation or interest.  

4. Alternative methods come first for different situations  

To ensure individuals get the most out of a strength based approach it is crucial for both care commissioners and care providers alike to understand that they may work in different ways depending on the individual’s situation.  

It could be that it is used more traditionally by focusing on identifying and building strengths to then set goals. Other methods could include focusing on setting goals and then using their strengths to achieve them.  

Either method can be effective so it is important during the strengths assessment to identify which method will be best for that particular individual as it will be different for everyone.  

5. Hope-inducing relationships  

 

In order for a strength based approach to be successful it is essential that all support workers, care workers, and clinicians involved are positive and encouraging to keep individuals motivated.  

This will then also help make connections with individuals and their community to be more connected and less isolated.  

6. Autonomy to make meaningful choices  

Finally the last principle which is essential to follow, is to understand that support workers, care workers, and clinicians can help guide individuals towards specific goals and strengths, but ultimately it is the individual’s choice.  

It is crucial to remember they will know better what their own strengths are and what they would like to improve on. What they will need is guidance throughout the journey to ensure they remain motivated so they can be empowered to make positive changes with the guidance from others.  

Here by following these 6 key principles your local authority can help enable successful strength based approaches which enable individuals to thrive rather than survive and get a better quality of life.  

What are the pros and cons of a strengths based approach? 

Ideally when a strength based approach is followed correctly in health and social care there are a variety of advantages and very few limitations. The table below demonstrates some examples of both the pros and cons care commissioners, care providers, and individuals themselves can experience. 

Pros

Cons

By focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses it makes people be able to control what they do   It offers resilience e.g. through allowing individuals to be in control they can be resilient to things that may have previously bothered them before  People who lack motivation can be supported and encouraged consistently to work on their goals   Everyone is treated with the same level of respect so no one feels like a failure if an individual does not reach their goal straightaway   It boosts confidence   It increases emotional intelligence and self-esteem   Teach interpersonal and social skills   Helps people understand what is and isn’t achievable   Improves quality of life   Reduces hospital admissions and readmissions   Reduces hospital discharge delays   Allows local authorities to receive great outcomes and feedback from the care providers and service users themselves which can help provide evidence in moving from a good to an outstanding CQC rating in the upcoming CQC inspections  Deliver more person – centred care

If care providers are not fully trained in the process and how best to help individuals the approach will be unsuccessful   If strengths are solely concentrated on you may forget what someone’s weakness are  When weaknesses are left unchecked it can leave to bad results and individuals feeling less confident than when they started their journey  There is the risk that support workers and care workers make individuals work on what they think is important rather than what matters to the individual

 

Here it is clear that there are many advantages of a strengths based approach and very little disadvantages. Indeed most of the disadvantages arguably stem from a strength based approach not being properly understood or correctly applied. However, the disadvantages could arguably impact the whole approach and therefore prevent an individual to utilise their full potential. There is a risk that it will not be person-centered and their confidence could be less than before.  

It is crucial therefore everyone involved knows and understands how a strength based approach in health and social care works so everyone is on the same page to help encourage the best outcomes.  

How can technology help local authorities successfully utilise a strength based approach to care?  

In order to help local authorities deliver an effective and efficient strength-based approach which focuses on person-centred care for every individual there are a variety of things to consider.  

1. Train all care providers and care commissioners 
2. Find compliant interventions and care providers  
3. Create effective person-centred care plans  
4. Train all care providers and care commissioners  

 

As previously discussed a strengths based approach is only successful when all parties know and understand how it will work. Without both care providers and care commissioners understanding how it works, individuals could end up demotivated, confused and their outcomes in the long run may not be as successful as they could be.  

In order to overcome this both technological tools and platforms could help overcome this. At the Access Group our eLearning for Health and Social Care can help care providers and commissioners learn on the go how best to deliver a strengths-based approach easily and on the go with our app. You can establish and create your own training to best suit your community’s needs. That way you can ensure all parties involved know and understand how strength based approaches work so care providers can explain this to individuals to improve their understanding, and encourage the best outcomes possible.  

2. Find compliant interventions and care providers  

This is one very crucial aspect of a strength based approach. Here is where an individual could lose motivation by attending an intervention which is not safe for them or not suitable to their needs.  

Therefore investing in technology that can help identify fully complaint providers is crucial to help streamline processes, reduce time in reviewing documents, and help keep individuals motivated to help them receive a better quality of life.  

At Access Adam Care Commissioning we help councils work with strength based providers (residential care homes/home care providers) to ensure individuals remain independent and that they are encouraged to continue day-to-day activities for as long as possible. Our commissioning platform allowa council to communicate with providers more effectively to ensure every individual is being delivered the right care.  

Here our Access Adam Directs service helps those who are funding their own care to have services allocated done through the system. That way personal budgets will be evaluated with a strengths based approach in mind to give both children and young people better control over their own care.  

We work hard to make sure this solution works for all care types from domiciliary care to supported living so no individual misses out. Through our care commissioning platform placements are made at least 20% faster, which reduces delays.  

Individuals are exposed to better care, support and opportunities to achieve their goals and it increases the chance of better outcomes within their strengths based approach.  

One of the main things that can cause a strength based approach to fail is individuals being exposed to incompliant services. This reduces the likelihood of building upon their strengths for better outcomes which could cause a lot of negative feedback. This is something which the CQC will be assessing in future CQC inspections of Local Authorities.  

Our CQC Compliance Software is a great way to achieve this as it can complete a variety of tasks to ensure that care compliance is always achieved. Local authorities can conduct internal care audits and send out surveys to get care providers, and end-user feedback. This can generate an accurate CQC rating estimate to ensure social care compliance. Here the findings from both the surveys and the audit can help local authorities improve their services further to get better user feedback, improve outcomes, and most importantly improve their quality of life.  

3. Create effective person-centred care plans  

 

Arguably one of the most important things to consider to ensure a strengths based approach is as successful is by creating effective person-centred care plans.  

Without including the individual and evaluating their strengths, weaknesses, and potential goals, the whole premise of a strength based approach will be lacking.  

At The Access Group we have a whole suite of digital tools which can help make this easier, more efficient, and more person-centred to ensure every decision made is what matters to the individual not what care providers or care commissioners think is best for them.  

One of our digital tools that can help with this is our Electronic Care Planning Software. Here our flexible and comprehensive care plan solution for domiciliary care, residential, and local authority services helps digitise documents and streamline processes so more dedicated time can be spent with the individuals.  

Within our Care Planning tool our mobile app allows care providers to track progress on the go and have the chance to easily update care plans when needs change. Additionally we can create automated alerts to make individuals worries and concerns your main priority, whilst also allowing family access to help provide a peace of mind.  

We have made sure our inbuilt reports can identify trends and warning signs to make sure interventions are effective for the individual to improve care quality, boost confidence, and help them reach their goals.  

At The Access Group we are also aware that everyone’s goals, strengths, and weaknesses are going to be different and we want to help local authorities easily accommodate this so no misses out on the support they need.  

For example, an individual might be quite a sociable person but since Covid and recent health issues they may find it daunting to go out and therefore have become socially isolated. Here referring them to social prescribing services is beneficial to help rebuild their confidence and reconnect them with the community.  

Our Social Prescribing software focuses on ensuring everyone gets the support their need to have the best social prescribing journey possible. Here our social prescribing platform puts all of an individual’s information in one place making it easier for social prescribing link workers, care providers, and local authorities alike to track their progress. Through using our platform GP attendance for non-clinical reasons have reduced by 28% and individuals have felt happier and more connected with their community.  

Providing reassurance when needed to both the individual and their family is also an important thing to consider when developing care plans. Our Access Assure service helps with this by providing families and local authorities the reassurance that when an individual needs helps our digital telecare responds accordingly to their needs. Additionally our Access Assure Hub can help monitor day-to-day activities and send alerts out when behaviour changes before anything critical takes place.  

This can help care providers evaluate their strength based approach to identify if more support and encouragement is needed to help them reach their goals or if there is a weakness which is limiting a strength getting stronger and that they may need to reevaluate their approach to overcome this.  Through being both preventative and proactive our Access Assure service can help with early interventions of care. This in turn ensures any changes in behaviour are picked up earlier to reduce the burden on the NHS and allow quality of life to improve.  

Summarising strength based approaches in social care 

In this article we have reviewed what a strength based approach is and the importance of considering an individual’s weaknesses to help ensure they build upon their strengths to have a better quality of life. We have evaluated that when this is conducted successfully the increasing pressure on the NHS and local authorities can be reduced by delaying the need for further care including moving into a care home or consistent hospital admissions.  

Instead strength based approaches can help individuals be more confident and be more independent for longer in their own homes whilst having the reassurance that support can be given when it is needed. This can help local authorities receive great feedback from both care providers and end-users alike as they can see first hand how by collaborating with individuals and focusing on what matters to them can help to motivate them in reaching their goals and improve their quality of life.  

We have explored both the pros and cons of strength based approaches and how by ensuring all parties involved know and understand how strength based approaches work those disadvantages can be avoided to ensure that individuals stay proactive in managing their health and wellbeing better. 

In this article we have also addressed how at The Access Group we have a variety of digital tools that can help local authorities best meet their needs so they can get the best provider and user feedback to be better prepared for future CQC inspections. We have explained that through investing in technology that measures outcomes it will provide the CQC with evidence that quality of life is improving to help your local authority go from a good to an outstanding rating.  

For more information in how we can help your local authority commission and deliver better strength-based approaches, discover  Access Workspace for Care  and Local Government Software today to learn about which solutions will best suit your community’s needs.  

Contact us today and lets apply the best strength based practice framework possible to help encourage the individuals in your community to be more proactive in managing their health and wellbeing, to reduce the dependency on the NHS and care homes so they can be more independent for as long as possible.