Acknowledge and value the positives

What this means 

Please seek out and share the positives! When accessible, inclusive, thoughtful practice is widely acknowledged and applied, this will encourage more of it to happen. 

Not everything can be measured by saving, or the efficient use of, money. Thinking about the ‘social return on investment’ – capturing benefits not easily mentioned in financial terms – is important to provide a true picture of the positives in people’s lives.  

Good care saves lives. This is important to remember.

How to 'do it right'

Here, Nadia Clarke talks about her experiences of being part of 'Leeds on Wheels':

The research 

In the public sector, the benefits of investment – such as in a greater number of social workers, or in well-maintained and accessible green spaces – do not always have a clear financial ‘return’ on investment. It’s summed up in a quote often mis-attributed to Albert Einstein (but probably originating from sociologist William Bruce Cameron): ‘Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted, counts’ (Cullis, 2017). 

The belief that public and voluntary sector investment is not always easily measured in financial terms has given rise to the idea of Social Return on Investment (SROI). This model gives a methodology for calculating value, using financial proxies, which is usually expressed through a ratio (Arvidson et al., 2013). So, for example, an SROI of 3:1 expresses that for every pound invested, three pounds’ worth of social benefits are generated. There is a guide to Social Return on Investment, which can assist with calculating SROIs. 

As well as a methodology, SROI has seven principles:  

1. Involve stakeholders. 
2. Understand what changes. 
3. Value the things that matter. 
4. Only include what is material. 
5. Do not over-claim. 
6. Be transparent. 
7. Verify the result. 

(Nicholls et al., 2012) 

Arvidson et al. (2015) found positives, challenges, and drawbacks with using SROI: 

Positives

• It can generate positive headlines, as it is easily understood by many people. 
• It can close the ‘credibility gap’ between private sector organisations and those in the public and voluntary sectors. 
• It explicitly acknowledges that the work of public and voluntary sectors takes place within a complex web of stakeholders, keeping people who draw on their services central to calculating value. 
• It links together the financial language of commissioners and funders with less tangible wellbeing outcomes. 
• The use of SROI can help direct resources towards their greatest impact. 

Challenges 

• Some benefits remain very difficult to quantify and compare, such as rises in self-esteem or confidence. 
• It can be time-intensive and needs resources in itself to develop. 
• The question of who decides what should be measured needs to be carefully considered, as this is a judgement rather than an objective reality. 
• It can intensify pressure on public and voluntary sector organisations to prove ‘value for money’, when not everything can be measured in those terms. 

This suggests that, while SROI can be a useful model, it’s important that it doesn’t detract from an outcomes- focus, or risk seeing benefits only in financial terms. It’s helpful to think of it alongside outcomes-focused and strengths-based working. Strengths-based working is a model of practice that values people and the positive qualities of workers. It focuses on the things that are important to people – without dismissing or minimising need. It can be contrasted with the theme explored within the Painting The Worst Picture key change. 

Just like SROI, strengths-based working has a series of principles at its heart:  

1. People can learn, grow and change. 
2. The focus is on individual strengths rather than deficits. 
3. The community is viewed as an oasis of resources. 
4. The individual is the director of the helping process. 
5. The worker-person relationship is primary and essential. 
6. The primary setting for the work is the community. 

(Adapted from Chamberlain in Ford, 2019) 

Strengths-based practice has historically been seen as an investment from the social care sector that has proved difficult to measure accurately. It has been argued that there is a lack of research evaluating its effectiveness (Ford, 2019), and is an area of social care where practice is ahead of research (McLean et al., 2017). 

However, Best et al. (2021), examining strengths-based models and their use in prisons, suggested some concrete things that could be measured as evidence of effectiveness of strength-based practice, which looked beyond ‘starburst’ (where the benefit is so short-lived that it had no lasting impact on wellbeing). These are:  

• Self-report of wellbeing. 
• Reduced indicators of harm and poor outcomes. 
• Staff measures like retention and absenteeism. 
• External inspection. 

Best et al,. (2021) conclude by saying ‘…if strengths-based approaches are to be seen as more than simply froth or as a pleasant distraction of prison life, then they need to have a genuine impact on the things that matter to the wellbeing of the prison’. 

What you can do 

If you are a senior manager or a commissioner: In the evidence, above, there are principles both for social return on investment and on strengths-based working. What are the similarities between them, and what are the differences? You might also think about the common implicit thread of co-production – even though it’s not explicitly stated, both models need people to define and benchmark what is of value to them. 

Think about the phrase used above, about seeing strength-based practice as more than ‘froth and a pleasant distraction’. It’s clear that the Leading The Lives We Want To Live group value strengths-based working that celebrates the positives. How might you measure, celebrate, and share the benefits of strengths-based working with your local community, your staff, and beyond? 

If you are in direct practice and/or a team leader: The Leading The Lives We Want To Live group said that you should be able to proudly say “This is what I did today, and I’m so proud of it. What I did really made a difference in someone’s life.” 

It’s everyone’s responsibility to recognise when they’ve done a good job – a team manager, the wider organisation, people with care and support needs - and your own responsibility. How can you celebrate positive change in your team? How can you cultivate pride? How can you extend kindness and recognise strengths? 

The SWORD Emotional Resilience Tool suggests a simple behaviour change, which is that all workers put their ‘strengths goggles’ on. This is consciously adopting a mindset that identifies strengths as they happen. After you spot strengths in people, point out the strength that you observed, tell them the reason for your observation, and express your appreciation (Grant et. al, 2022). 

Further information 

Read  

For more information on social return on investment, the SROI network has published a guide, which includes sections on establishing scope, mapping outcomes, evidencing outcomes, establishing impact, calculating the SROI, and reporting, using and embedding. 

Read

Research in Practice has a Leaders’ Briefing on Co-production and strengths-based practice and a Strategic Briefing on Developing strengths-based working. 

Share

This brief guide to strengths-based practice by Research in Practice is an accessible and clear overview for people who draw on adult social care.