Projects
Assets for Success makes the most of and enhances resources and relationships already in place. It offers an alternative approach to protecting well-being and boosting productivity.
It develops SELF, encompasses our core principles, and kickstarts that upward spiral, supporting people in the climb to where they want to be. But where is that?
Assets for Success has helped people and organisations reach different goals in different contexts…
Mental health and well-being services are under severe pressure. Referral periods are unacceptably long and communication between services is often lost.
There’s a need for a joined-up approach to well-being. Our experience of working with service users in health and social care shows a high demand for informed, informal support.
In our Cornwall Community Connect project, we link up services and bridge the gap between referral and treatment. In North Wales, we’ve developed an informal assessment process that enables the well-being needs of parents to be understood.
Assets identifies what service users have to offer, why this is of value and how they can increase this value on a daily basis. Focusing on people’s strengths builds confidence and self-esteem. Both are crucial to well-being and often lead to an increase in motivation.
Assets creates a common language in which to articulate strengths, and ultimately, shortcomings. This builds shared understanding. Being understood is key to feeling accepted. These factors support people to take complex problems and break them down into simpler steps.
These key changes prepare individuals for formal treatment, embedding the skills and attitudes they need to make the best of support when it’s provided.
“Thank you for all your efforts, no wonder Dr Embling spoke so highly of you...” – patient S.
Health
Education
Time constraints, class sizes and a political focus on academic achievements means SELF often doesn’t get the time it deserves in the classroom. Yet without SELF, we would not be able to understand or apply the knowledge and skills we are taught.
In primary schools, we’ve helped year 6 children manage the transition to secondary school. In Haringey, we’ve worked with young carers to showcase their skills outside of formal qualifications. In partnership with coaches at the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, we introduced Assets to 600 students across 9 colleges.
Bringing schools, parents, charities and communities together to support learning is key to integrating Assets into everyday learning processes. The benefits of Assets build upon those identified under health. They give people the confidence to ask questions, learn from their mistakes and cultivate respect for others.
The education approach to Assets focuses on realistic goal setting, responsible decision making, and building a resilient network of relationships. The Asset Profile becomes a portfolio of what people can and have achieved, and a reminder of how challenges can be tackled in the future.
For those without or with fewer formal qualification, it gives them the language to articulate their value to themselves and others, levelling the playing field.
We’re currently working with different groups of young people to help them re-focus after the pandemic and bring them back from the brink of exclusion. We’re excited about ongoing projects with Roman Fields Provision and our developing relationship with the School of Hard Knocks. More spirals coming soon… Watch this space.
“This programme has done so much for N and she comes home every week raving about what they have been doing. I have seen N’s confidence soar this year and she is always linking the ideas they have come up with in imagine if to what she has been doing at home. I cannot thank the staff and the programme enough and these are now skills N will carry with her as she grows up.” - Parent of primary school pupil.
Many Assets have been identified by leaders in international business, including HSBC, Deloitte and The World Bank. They are sometimes referred to as ‘soft’ or ‘employability’ skills and are widely considered to be as important as technical ability or knowledge.
We all have Assets and use them every day. But how do you demonstrate these on a CV? What do you say about them in interview? How can we develop them when work is already so demanding?
At Exeter University, Assets supports law students to understand the importance of collaboration and how to develop it – a vital quality in any legal career. Working with Nando’s, we’ve turned our Assets for Success Profile into a CV, benefiting management and current and prospective employees.
Assets for Success helps those in employment set tangible and realistic goals, motivating them to succeed and improving productivity. Asset development can be built into HR processes, appraisals, team meetings and everyday conversations.
For those looking for employment, the Asset Profile can add to or even replace the traditional CV. Supporting individuals to understand what value they can bring to an employer and giving them language to articulate what they have to offer.
Confidence and self-esteem are closely linked to productivity. The upwards spiral propelled by Assets has been shown to increase engagement in the workplace.
We are currently working with The Youth Offending Service, developing the Assets of young people to get them out of the Criminal Justice System and into employment.
Discover some of our current and past projects...
