cormac russell abcd training courses report

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Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Training Courses with Cormac Russell

25.11.14 at the University of South Wales11 & 12.02.15 at the Coleg y Cymoedd Nantgarw Campus

Hosted by the ‘Working With Not To’ Co-Production Project, Scarlet Design Int. Ltd. and Cynefin RCT

w www.workingwithnotto.com e [email protected]

@workingwithnot2

The ESF Funded Cwm Taf Regional Collaboration Board Consultation Project for their kind sponsorship, which has meant we were able to offer the free community places on these training courses.

With thanks for their support to:

http://www.workingwithnotto.com

mailto:workingwithnotto%40gmail.com?subject=ABCD%20online%20enquiry%20%5B067-0215%5D

https://twitter.com/workingwithnot2

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2 ASSET BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (ABCD) TRAINING COURSES WITH CORMAC RUSSELL REPORT

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... Page 3

Phil Vickery’s proposals ABCD Action within RCT ......................................................................................... Page 4

Combined ABCD Training Attendee List ........................................................................................................ Page 5

Fran O’Hara’s Sketchnotes ............................................................................................................................ Page 6

Participant Feedback ..................................................................................................................................... Page 7

Photostory ...................................................................................................................................................... Page 8

Nurture Development’s ABCD Guidesheets .......... ...................................................................................... Page 10

CONTENTS

Who was in

the room?

50+ by the

end of the

3 days of

training!

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Hello,

This report is a summary of the three Asset Based Development (ABCD) Training sessions we have co-hosted in RCT.

On 25.11.14 we co-hosted a 1 day ABCD training workshop with Cormac Russell from Nurture Development and a group of 30+ people from a range of sectors and backgrounds. It was an inspiring and energised day, with Cormac personalising the training to the group in the room, and providing ideas, solutions and real life stories for many of the challenges we are currently facing.

The feedback to the event was very positive, with the group suggesting that many more people would have liked to attend, and that they would recommend it to colleagues and connections if we ran it again. In response to this, Cormac kindly agreed to run another 2 day training workshop. By the end of these over 50 people have attended.

We’re very proud that we started with the £1500.00 ESF funding organised by Gabi Torkington, Cynefin RCT Co-ordinator. Through ticket sales we were able to co-produce 3 days training from an initial 2 day budget; whilst also still being able to offer some free community places – co-production in action!

What are our next steps? (They can be big strides or baby ones...) We’ve been asked if we are repeating the training or run day 2. If there is sufficient demand we can do it, please get in touch!

Several project ideas emerged in the end planning session, and we are keen to hear from anyone interested to taking things forward.Phil Vickery has proposal which you can read on page 4. Interlink

RCT are looking at how they can incorporate ABCD into their work. Delegates from Torfaen are also looking at a potential future event. Chris Bolton from ‘Good Practice Wales’ has written a blog about how ‘Men Sheds’ are good for wellbeing can be read here.

So a lot of momentum, but we need something concrete. Cormac has pencilled in a potential event in his diary for 28 April - what could this look like. It could be day 3 of ABCD training and opened out to include people who haven’t been able to attend the first two sessions. It could be a project ideas sharing and planning and/or community of practice event?

Cormac is keen to support us, and keep the momentum going. This is our opportunity to work with him to make change happen, especially as this approach follows the ‘direction of travel in terms of planning local services’ and aligns with prudent healthcare.

The challenges on public services and communities in Wales are clear. Focusing on an asset-based model rather than a deficiet... What can we use what we have, and how can we all work together better?

Please share this report and email me if you would like us to coproduce something together.

Thanks Fran O’HaraDirector, The ‘Working With Not To’ Co-production Project

ASSET BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (ABCD) TRAINING COURSES WITH CORMAC RUSSELL REPORT

INTRODUCTION

http://www.nurturedevelopment.org/

http://whatsthepont.com/

http://www.prudenthealthcare.org.uk/

4 ASSET BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (ABCD) TRAINING COURSES WITH CORMAC RUSSELL REPORT4

Following our ABCD sessions last week The following is proposed as a possible activity making use of the principles involved.

IssueIt is proposed that Supporting People funding that provides support for elderly residents in sheltered accommodation is removed leaving them without needed assistance.

Proposed Activity to address this:• Informally gather residents to ask the question “How best do

you want to be supported?”• The results of this will be put to other groups who are or could

be involved in providing that support. These being:- family carers and relatives, careworkers currently providing the support and neighbours to the sheltered project.

• Connectors are sought within these gatherings and brought together in a forum to discuss ways in which the aspirations of the residents can be met in a more community based way. Possibly making use of the informal support of other residents, family carers, community neighbours and some of the existing careworkers, if ways of financing these can be found (e.g. direct payments of money provided via local authority social care but used creatively.)

Result hoped for... A continued level of support but delivered in a more informal, creative way, that affirms the role of family carer, neighbour, and friends, as well as empowering the resident themselves: making use of paid careworkers in a non-institutional way as personal assistants who are part of the community rather than external visitors. This will be based within the sheltered unit and not involving travel to external institutions such as day centres or the

need to move residents to establishments with greater support.This is a suggested less institutional result although the actual result will depend upon the expressed aspirations of the residents and other groups.

Resources Needed• Stories of similar activities such as Cormac’s story of his

brother, to encourage a ‘We can’ attitude.• Possible work amongst the various groups to explore their

abilities and talents that can be used collectively to meet these needs and to enable their self confidence and community. ( Self Reliant Groups can provide this encouragement but other ways can be used)

Way forward At the moment this is for discussion to see who is interested in pursuing it. Those of us involved in housing provision or social services departments will have an obvious interest and input into this so their involvement would be appreciated. Further information is also needed in respect of locations of and extent of need for support within sheltered units. Some of us may have interest within this issue because of Sheltered housing establishments in our neighbourhood or even relatives living in sheltered units. Some may see other groups of people who face a similar dilemma because of the removal of Supporting People monies and see application of these ideas elsewhere. Please respond and we will see what happens from there.

Phill VickeryCommunity Development Worker – Blaenycwm [email protected]

PHIL VICKERY’S PROPOSAL - ABCD ACTION WITHIN RCT

mailto:[email protected]

5

NAME ORGANISATIONLouisa Addiscott Glyncoch Regen LTD

Diana Berriman Severn Wye Energy

Gail Beynon Early Years and Family Support Services

Chris Bolton Wales Audit Office

Siân Bunston Communities First

Tony Burnell Ynysybwl Enterprise Programme

Emma Cambray-Stacey TBCB

Leigh Caveney Rhondda Housing Association

Becky Davies Natural Resources Wales

Karen Davies Purple Shoots Business Lending Ltd

Liz Dean RCT CBC

Samantha Evans Cymryd Rhan

Geraint Evans RCT CBC

Maria Gallagher Public Health Wales

Kelly Hayes Communities First

Jayne Hunt Severn Wye Energy

Simon James Interlink RCT

Tracey James Newydd Housing Association

Nicola John Cwm Taf University Health Board

Angela Jones Public Health Wales

Dr Tim Jones Pumpco

Nicola Lewis Communities First

Bethan Lewis Communities First

Fran O’Hara Scarlet Design Int / WWNT

Gwenda Owen Community Engagement & Active Travel Specialist

Adriana Owens Scarlet Design Int / WWNT

NAME ORGANISATIONMarit Parker Post Grad Student

Wendy Rees Communities First

Cormac Russell Nuture Development

Jo Sachs-Eldridge Local Transport Projects Ltd

Christian Servini Natural Resources Wales

Victoria Snook Communities First

Amy Sullivan Communities First

Lindsay Sullivan Communities First Central Support

Sara Thomas Public Health Wales

Gabi Torkington Rhondda Cynon Taff

Isabel Vander Scarlet Design Int / WWNT

Phillip Vickery The Chapel

Liam Way Rhondda Housing Association

Jim Wright TBCB

Heledd Morgan RCT CBC

Gaynor Davies RCT CBC

Gail Beynon RCT CBC

Catrin Reynolds Menter Iaith RhCT

Kerry French Portage Early Education

Debbie Pike Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC

Neil Elliott RCT Council

Liz Dean Rhondda Cynon, Taf CBC, Countryside

Samantha Evans Cymryd Rhan

Victoria Bancroft Cynefin Swansea

Keryl Lanfear Rhondda Cynon, Taf CBC

Ian Thomas Welcome to our Woods Project

COMBINED ATTENDEE LIST: 25.11.2014 AND 11 & 12.02.2015


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FRAN O’HARA’S SKETCHNOTES


7

SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE TRAINING...

Which learnings will

you take from today?

“Listening to the community. ”

“ Very inspiring examples, stories and methods”

“New way of thinking”

“ Lots, reinforced previous learnings”

“Thinking about community needs/wants from their perspective, rather than just from an institutional one”

“Conviction to go after what is not comfortable”

“Many! It’s the only training I’ve ever been on that I didn’t start falling

asleep at 2 o’clock ”

“Need to find connectors”

“I think this is a real opportunity to transform culture, in organisations and

neighbourhoods”

“Promote empowerment and continue to support freedom

of choice”

“Better understanding of the power of community”

“Lots to think about, will influence my work

significantly!”

“There are ways in which we can help support communities

to develop locally”

“It will help inform future work with communities – in and outside of work”

“Fantastic techniques and stories to use again, to

make/keep it real”

“Standing back, allowing the community to lead”

“Needs to be carried on collectively”

“I just want to keep it going in RCT”

7ASSET BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (ABCD) TRAINING COURSES WITH CORMAC RUSSELL REPORT

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ASSET BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (ABCD) TRAINING COURSES WITH CORMAC RUSSELL REPORT8

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9ASSET BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (ABCD) TRAINING COURSES WITH CORMAC RUSSELL REPORT

© Copyright Nurture Development, 2014

GUIDESHEET Nurture Development’s ABCD Offer & Guides

What to expect from an ABCD Learning & Development Programme with Nurture Development Every community and partnership will be different but generally Nurture Development anticipate that learning and development programmes:

a) Will be committed to using an ABCD approach to create stronger, safer, healthier, happier and more inclusive communities.

b) Will be committed to integrating ABCD methods and tools into their day to day practice. To assist this process Nurture Development have developed a number of practical tools and guides to identify, connect and mobilise individual, associational, and institutional assets and resources and reveal the hidden treasures within people.

c) To build and strengthen connections between individuals and across associations and institutions thereby increasing community cohesion and reducing isolation.

d) To recruit, train and actively support local Community Builders in the Neighbourhood Learning Sites to ensure the longevity of an ABCD approach and the sustainability of the change achieved.

Due to the nature of Asset Based Community Development being an iterative process, it is difficult to pre-determine a timetable for any given Learning & Development Programme. We do, however, generally work across 4 core phases of learning and development, all of which overlap with one another. The specific phasing of the work is determined with partners at the outset of the programme following an initial review of the current landscape and reviewed throughout.

Phase 1: Building & Maintaining Consensus

The early stages of the Learning & Development Programme are focussed on developing and strengthening relationships

and building consensus amongst key partners. These early stages form the foundations for sustainable change.

Together we will agree the most appropriate methods of engagement, but generally, we expect these to include:

a) Individual & group meetings with key partners & local stakeholders to map out the strategic direction of travel for the ABCD Learning & Development Programme. This includes supporting partners to work out the most appropriate implementation framework locally and how to select further Learning Sites.

b) Investing in Leadership mentoring and support by working directly with senior leaders in local neighbourhoods, Social Care, Housing, Faith Communities, Business, Sport and any other constituencies where interest emerges to support the approach going forward.

c) Co-producing a communications strategy & core programme materials for dissemination.

We will work together to maintain consensus throughout the programme. We have found the following to be successful approaches in consensus building:

i. Support the convening of a Community of Practice: representatives from all interested parties convening regularly to connect, reconnect, share ideas, initiate or build on ideas, share learning and celebrate successes. These should not be ‘just another meeting’.

ii. Hosting workshops / other events (as appropriate).

Phase 2: Learning & Development

This phase is cross-cutting in that it runs throughout the programme. It focuses on Asset Based Community Development & Strengths Based Theory & Practice. In line with Phase 1 this includes rolling workshops/seminar series, one day events, development of resource materials and facilitated events. It is an ongoing process that is shaped by the knowledge and experience of partners and evolves alongside their development.


Phase 3: Learning Site Development

This module focuses on the practical development of Learning Sites across communities and within neighbourhoods. Nurture Development will work with partners to:

a) Identify potential Neighbourhood Learning Sites.

b) Identify, recruit, train and support Sponsorship/Initiating Groups.

c) Work with partners and Sponsorship Groups to recruit Community Builders.

The recruitment and development of Community Builders is a significant part of this Phase. To support this, Nurture Development has used its experience to create:

d) A Community Builder Development programme that includes Immersion Training, mentoring and multi-media support.

Phase 4: Evaluation & Sustainability Planning

Nurture Development recommends the use of Developmental Evaluation which supports real-time learning in complex and emergent situations. We will work closely with partners at the outset of the programme to develop an Evaluation Strategy and Learning Framework that is genuinely participatory and inclusive of citizens.

How long does an ABCD Development Programme last? We anticipate learning and development programmes to operate for a minimum of 18 months.

How does Nurture Development support these programmes? Every learning and development programme will have a dedicated Nurture Development ABCD Guide who will be drawn from our unique team of muti-disciplinary team of ABCD Guides, who each also bring specific areas of expertise in a wide range of areas including health, social care, housing, inclusion, timebanking. You can find information about all of our team at www.nurturedevelopment.org/aboutus.

What does an ABCD Guide do?

The emphasis of Nurture Development’s involvement is on widespread capacity building, partnership development

and ensuring sustainable change. This usually means the provision of dedicated support over a period 2-3 days consultancy per month. Within this, ABCD Guides provide:

a) Support to Sponsorship Groups.

b) Support to Community Builders.

c) Support (with Project Manager where appropriate) to develop asset mapping methodology and sharing of intelligence as deemed appropriate locally.

d) Support to Community of Practice.

e) Support to embed Timebanking (if applicable).

f) Programme management support linking with the partnership Leads.

g) Dedicated ongoing mentoring alongside ad hoc mentoring as required (off site and onsite).

h) Support to home organisations to explore how they can use their supportive functions, assets and resources to support and enable community building.

i) Informed support to guides, templates etc. as required including development of tools if not available.

What ABCD Guides do not do Everything we do ensures that the learning and development programme is locally owned, citizen-led and sustainable. With that in mind, it is worth noting that:

a) ABCD Guides are not the Project Managers for these programmes but support the local Project Managers in taking them forward.

b) ABCD Guides do not do the community building themselves but support partners to work through the process set out (i.e. find local Sponsorship Groups and recruit local Community Builders), provide training and mentoring support to local Community Builders and work with local partners to ensure genuine community inclusion and the transfer of authority to citizens.

c) ABCD Guides do not line manage Community Builders. This is the role of Sponsorship Groups (see Guidesheet: Sponsorship Groups).


An inventory of the resources we provide In addition to this Guidesheet, we also provide:

12 Domains of People Powered Change

Asset Mapping

Building Blocks of Community & Learning Conversations

Community of Practice

Community Builders

Community Connectors

Recovery & Recovery Capital (for Recovery programmes)

Sponsorship Groups

Stepping Stones

GUIDESHEET 12 Domains of People


History has shown that one of the consequences of modern post industrial society has been the growth in public services and the over-reliance on those services and on professionals within them, to provide and produce aspects of life such as health and well being, that people and communities are best placed to deliver.

Nurture Development believes there are at least 12 domains in which this is true; where the ability to deliver positive outcomes is uniquely within the competencies of people, not services or systems. That is not to say that services should be excluded from the domains, but that the starting point for considerations within each should always be on people powered change, then on what is needed from services. The 12 domains are:

1. Health and Wellbeing

Our health and wellbeing is mainly determined by the extent to which we are positively connected to each other, our environment and local economic opportunities.

2. Safety and Security

Increased police presence does not lead to enhanced safety and security in the same way that a connected community can.

3. Caring for the Environment

Imagine what is possible if people become more intentional and collective about their decisions around transport, heating and lighting their homes and how they manage their waste.

4. Nurturing the Local Economy

Most enterprises start small and local, in garden sheds, attics and at the kitchen table and in return they become the heart blood of local economies and one of the most reliable sources of employment for many communities.

5. Mindful Food Consumption & Production

Local food chains enhance outcomes in the areas of health, environment and local economic well-being.

6. Raising Powerful Connected Children

Children need to believe in their families and community. Children do not grow powerful in institutions; their power grows the closer they are to the centre of family and community life.

7. Ageing Well in Place / Locale

The type of care required to age well across the life course is the kind that sees both the gifts and needs of older people, in that order. This kind of care is only located within communities that

have a central place for older people.

8. Building Communities

Communities grow from inside out, evolving from the place where ‘I’ live, to the community where ‘we’ grow. They can only grow through the deepening of human relationships.

9. Civic Action for Deeper Democracy & Just Society

Civic action for social, environmental and economic justice provides the rudder for keeping governments honest and on track, democracy meaningful, and people engaged in civic life.

10. Respond to Natural Disaster / Climate Control

Nowhere is people power more apparent than in the face of natural disasters and the consequences of climate change; as human beings, when faced with an unprecedented extreme situation, we dig deep, pull together (self-organise), and respond by building community.

11. Lifelong Learning & Sharing Wisdom

Knowledge and wisdom are hatched in the nest of everyday life and more particularly in associational life, not in educational, commercial or professional institutions.

12. Changing the World

"Change doesn’t happen because of how we invest our money. Change happens because of how we invest our human energy, and it always has since we came down from the trees." Daniel Taylor – Future Generations

We have seen moves towards people powered change in recent years with, for example, the steady progress towards personalisation in the health sector; with the growth of community based TimeBanks across the UK, and; with the growth in investment for community building programmes from government and other funding sources such as the Big Lottery.

So things are moving in the right direction but we believe that it is both economically and ethically the time to accelerate these changes and not just as a part of a money saving exercise, but with the explicit purpose of re-energising communities and the people within them. The role of the Community Builder, with the support of Community Connectors, is to use their gifts and the tools we have developed to enhance, deepen and hasten the change.

Powered Change


GUIDESHEET Coaching

Coaching and Mentoring are processes that we use to support Community Builders (CB) achieve their full potential as they work through the Six Stepping Stones framework in their communities. This Guidesheet focuses solely on Coaching.

What is Coaching?

There is no single definition of coaching. Following a review of coaching literature and examples of international practice, Nurture Development has developed the following understanding of coaching:

Coaching is a positive, proactive and designed relationship that facilitates self-knowledge and learning; effects change; helps to overcome barriers and obstacles; and sets relevant goals and supports their achievement, enabling individuals and communities to reach their full potential.

Furthermore, for Nurture Development, coaching:

Is not an expert – client relationship. It is an equal relationship that builds a sense of ‘travelling together’

Facilitates personal development and may have an impact on personal attributes such as social interaction and confidence

Demonstrates a ‘strength-based philosophy… that a coachee has the capacity to find their own solutions’

Facilitates the ‘exploration of needs, motivations, desires, skills and thought processes to assist the individual in making real, lasting change.’ It is a learning experience ‘in which the coachee takes his or her self-knowledge to a new level of understanding’ that enables ‘post-reflective thinking… where the coachee is able to look back at their experience with the benefit of a clearer, more balanced view and consider future actions with the confidence of self-knowledge and clarity of thought.’

Bases goals and actions on ‘learning insights rather than the other way around.’

Ensures that clients develop personal competencies and do not develop unhealthy dependencies on the coaching relationship.

Within this relationship, the Nurture Development Coach is:

An observer

A sounding board

A support in the setting and achieving of goals

An empowerer and facilitator

A cheerleader who maintains unconditional positive regard for the coachee, which means that the coach is at all times supportive and non-judgemental of the coachee, their views, lifestyle and aspirations


Skills, tools & techniques

Coaching is a skilled activity and individuals delivering it should have, at least, basic training in coaching skills, tools & techniques. The following is a brief overview and reminder of the key coaching skills used by Nurture Development.

Designing the coaching relationship

The following has been adapted from ‘Designing the Coaching Relationship’. You should refer to this document for a more comprehensive overview.

Coaching relationships are consciously designed so that ‘both the client and the coach to have as clear as possible an understanding of the intentions, strengths, boundaries and limitations of the relationship.’

There are two key areas to discuss in designing the relationship:

Logistics: Frequency and length of sessions; Venue for sessions; Coaching period; Missed sessions policy

Relationship: Co-creating boundaries; Clarifying expectations; Asking Permission; Articulating non-negotiables; Creating commitments; Designing referring agreements; Coaching style; Co-create safety, trust and a daring space; and anything else that is relevant for the client and coach

Relationships are fluid and will adapt over time as trust between the coach and the coachee develops, which is why it is important to revisit the relationship agreements regularly (even at the beginning of each session) to amend them if necessary.

Coaching Skills

Listening: In coaching, there are 3 levels of listening. The following has been adapted from ‘Co-Active Coaching Skills: Listening’ . You should refer to this document for a more comprehensive overview.

Level 1: Internal Listening

When a person listens at Level 1, they are actually listening to the sound of their own inner

voice and while they may hear the words of the other person, they are primarily aware of their own opinions, stories, judgments — their own feelings, needs, and itches.

Level 1 listening is the common level in everyday life and can be important in some situations. For example, it is essential that clients in the coaching relationship be at Level 1 as the coaching attention is fully on them: their lives, what they want, where they are and where they’re headed).

Coaches should use their self-management skills to avoid listening at this level. They should agree with the coachee, when designing the coaching relationship, how they would like the coach to flag Level 1 listening should it occur. Sometimes all it takes is asking a provocative, curious question.

Level 2: Focused Listening

At Level 2 there is a hard focus from coach to client that cannot be shifted by external factors. At Level 2, the coach listens intently to every word and ‘listens’ for every nuance in the conversation.

In order for coaching to be as effective as possible, coaches need to be able to coach at Level 2.

Level 3: Global Listening

This is the soft focus listening that takes in everything. At Level 3 you are aware of the energy between you and others. You are also aware of how that energy is changing; you detect sadness, lightness, shifts in attitude. You are aware of the environment and whatever is going on in the environment. There is a way you are conscious of underlying mood, or tone, or the impact of the conversation — where it is taking you and the person you are talking to.

This is also the level at which your intuition will be most available to you as well as metaphor and


imagery. Coaches learn to listen with this soft focus, Level 3 in order to pick up as much information as possible about the underlying impact in the moment.

Asking powerful questions: This skill is about making provocative queries that put a halt to evasion and confusion. By asking the powerful question, the coach invites the coachee to clarity, action, and discovery at a whole new level.

Articulating what’s going on: This skill involves telling the coachee what you see is going on, whether it is actual or perceived / unconscious.

Bottom lining: This skill involves getting the coachee to get to the essence of his or her communication rather than engaging in long descriptive stories.

Challenging: This skill involves inviting coachees to stretch beyond their self-imposed limits and shake up the way they see themselves.

Visualisation: This skill involves inviting the coachee to imagine and visualise the outcome they desire, their goal or a dream. This can be powerful and can have a significant impact on the coachee and their behaviour

so coaches should use their judgement (based on Level 3 Listening) about using this skill.

Curiosity: Coaches should always be genuine in their interest and questioning. Asking open ended questions that are genuinely curious – not an interrogation – will reveal new and unknown information.

Intrude: Intruding involves re-directing the conversation back to the main issue, in case the coachee starts veering away. They coach should use Level 3 listening to know if and when this is appropriate as the coachee may feel uncomfortable about discussing a particular issue.

Action and Accountability: By the end of each coaching session, the coach should invite the coachee to set themselves an action or actions to complete, establishing what they will do, by when and agreeing how they will both know when it has been done. When revisiting these action(s), it is not the role of the coach to hold the coachee to account, even where the action has not been completed. There is an opportunity to reveal information and more self-knowledge whether the action has been completed or not.

References

Armstrong, H. (2012) Coaching as dialogue: Creating spaces for (mis)understandings in the International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring

Askew, S. & Carnell, E. (2011) Transformative Coaching: A Learning Theory for Practice. London: Institute of Education

Cox, E. (2012) Coaching Understood: A pragmatic inquiry into the coaching process. London: Sage

Forbes, E. (2014) Travelling Together: What does Coaching Offer Creative Writers? In the International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring

The Coaching and Mentoring Network: www.coachingnetwork.org.uk

The Recovery Coaching Foundation Designing the coaching relationship. www.recoverycoachingfoundation.co.uk

The Coaches Training Institute (2012) Co-Active Coaching Skills: Listening

What are coaching and mentoring: www.cipd.co.uk


GUIDESHEET Asset Mapping

What is Asset Mapping?

Every community has a tremendous supply of assets and resources that can be used to build community and solve problems. Asset mapping is the process that helps to discover and connect these assets.

Asset mapping involves generating a map or inventory of the resources, skills and talents of individuals, associations and organisations. The process is not just about data collection – it is about connecting people to others on the basis of their assets, it is about self-realisation, empowerment and leadership development.

It is therefore vital that residents and their associations do the asset mapping themselves so that they i) build new relationships, ii) learn more about the contributions and talents of community members, and iii) identify potential linkages between different assets.

Connectors are central to the asset mapping process and play a key role in identifying the talents and interests of local residents and the potential resources available through local associations. The asset mapping process should seek to map the following:

1. Individual Assets – gifts, skills and capacities

2. Groups and Associations – formal and informal groups and networks

3. Assets of Local Institutions

4. Physical resources – e.g. meeting places, unused land and green spaces and economic exchange

5. Economic resources

Through one to one Learning Conversations (see Guidesheet: Building Blocks of Community), Connectors engage with and talk to their neighbours with the express purposes of finding out:

What people care about enough to do something about

What gifts and talents they would like to contribute to the community

What would need to happen for them to join like-minded locals in the community building effort.


Step One: information gathering

While on walkabout and in conversation with others (this could be Community Connectors or local residents) consider the following questions about the different streets in your neighbourhood:

1. What needs community attention - distinct from systems attention?

2. What obvious assets do we have that we can use to attend to the things that need our community’s attention?

3. What hidden assets (treasures) do we have that, if we found and connected, would help?

Step Two: mapping

Bring everyone together at a central location so that the information gathered can be shared and mapped.

Decide how you would like to plot the information. A good place to start is with a large sheet of paper and draw on the main road(s) in the area and a few key landmarks across the neighbourhood that will help to orient people

Use different colour dots (or markers) to plot the ‘Bumping Spaces’ - the places where people come together naturally or as part of a group. Make sure you get the obvious but also less obvious e.g. in Cheltenham off the Bath Road, there is a Militaria shop (sells old military stuff). Every Friday morning at 10am the owner, Steve, runs a coffee morning for the ‘old boys’ who live locally, and they reminisce about the old days.

Now plot local associations, where three or more people - mostly unpaid - gather together to do stuff they care about, from chatting to changing the world. It’s useful to use a different colour to map the associations around the bumping spaces e.g. Pub might have a darts groups and poker night, etc.)

Once you’ve plotted all the associations you know about or can find, think about who might be

Community Connectors in and across these groups and thinking through how you might be able to involve them. Agree who will have a Learning Conversation with each of the groups over the coming weeks and invite them to be part of the community building programme.

Finally, you should think about neighbours and other local residents who are not connected to existing associations and to begin to have a conversation with each of these, perhaps a few (5 a week), asking three questions:

1. What do you really care about enough to do something about it? Or what’s your ‘thing’?

2. What would someone who knows you really well say you are good at? Could you use these in any way to do something about 1 above?

3. Would you be will to meet with other people who share you passion if I organised it?

Asset Maps are live at all times: they should not be seen as a final destination that is completed once. Community Builders should meet regularly with the Community Connectors they support to ’download’ the information being gathered and adapt the map(s) accordingly.

Over time you will get to a point where the energy, motivation and connections between people can be brought together in an Ideas Fair - see Guidesheet: Stepping Stones.

Asset Based Community Mapping Walk This exercise will help you to start building an Asset Map with detailed information about the streets and the people in your neighbourhood. This is not a desk-based exercise, you should be out in your neighbourhood making discoveries through conversation and observation. It is a good exercise for Community Builders to complete in the early stages of a community building programme with interested local residents as it will start to reveal local Community Connectors.


Introduction

This inventory can be gathered by Connectors holding Learning Conversations with neighbours at various gathering places in the community. The conversation may go as follows:

“My name is______________. What is your name?

Thank you for coming over. Did someone talk to you about what the ‘gift exchange’ is all about? What do you understand it to be?

We believe that everyone has natural talents and gifts that can be used to benefit the community. I’d like to spend a few minutes talking to you about your gifts and skills.”

Gifts

Gifts are abilities that we are born with. We may develop them, but no one has to teach them to us.

1. What positive qualities do people say you have?

2. Who are the people in your life that you give to? How did you give it to them?

3. When was the last time you shared with someone else? What was it?

4. What do you give that makes you feel good?

Skills

Sometimes we have talents that we’ve acquired in everyday life such as cooking and fixing things.

1. What do you enjoy doing?

2. If you could start a business, what would it be?

3. What do you like to do that people would pay you to do?

4. Have you ever made anything? Have you ever fixed anything?

Dreams

Before you go, I want to take a minute and hear about your dreams – those goals you hope to accomplish.

1. What are your dreams?

2. If you could snap your fingers and be doing anything, what would it be?

Individual Capacity Inventory Through one to one Learning Conversations, Connectors engage with and talk to their neighbours with the express purposes of finding out, i) what people care about enough to do something about, ii) what gifts and talents they would like to contribute to the community, and iii) what would need to happen for them to join like-minded locals in the community building effort.

Eventually a ‘capacity inventory’ can be developed, listing these capacities in categories such as ‘community-building skills’, ‘enterprise skills’, ‘teaching skills’, and ‘artistic skills’. The following should help in developing an inventory for your programme.

Hand, Head and Heart Exercise

Pair up with a person you don’t know very well. Take a few minutes to think about your assets and then take about five minutes each to share these assets with the other person in three realms of knowing:

1. Gifts of the Hand

Physical skills you possess that you would be willing to teach others. i.e., carpentry, photography, painting, bicycle repair.

2. Gifts of the Head

Knowledge that you have in a particular area like child development, health care, history of the neighbourhood.

3. Gifts of the Heart

What are your passions; what stirs you to action; what would you walk across hot coals for?

GUIDESHEET Community Builders

What is an ABCD Community Builder?

An ABCD Community Builder is someone who is focused on engaging the skills, knowledge and talents of every community member, as well as the institutional, associational, physical, economic and cultural resources that are part of every community to a greater or lesser extent. They are very comfortable both encouraging and gently (and sometimes firmly) challenging community leaders and professionals to keep reaching out to bring in the assets and energies of people, and resources who/that are often left out. The core qualities of an ABCD Community Builder are outlined below.

The ABCD Community Builder’s main concern is how to empower a wider, equal partnership between residents and the clubs, groups and social networks of their community and the institutions that serve them. They are community weavers, intent on weaving the community together relationship by relationship, strength by strength.

They understand that most communities are places overflowing with strengths, and that their job is to issue an invitation to citizens to enter into conversations that matter, with each other. These conversations matter because they deepen relationships and lead to actionable change; they focus on what is ‘strong’ not what is ‘wrong’.

What do ABCD Community Builders actually do?

An ABCD Community Builder spends most of their time out in their community, NOT sat at a desk – usually an 80/20 split. They spend their time getting to know every aspect of their community and the people in it:

Building strong relationships across the community that are independent of agendas other than one that supports community building

Identifying and recruiting Community Connectors (see FACTSHEET: Community Connectors)

Creating spaces where interested community members can come together to share their gifts, ideas and build their own relationships

Convene community members (including local associations and institutions) who are interested in making change happen, and supporting them to do so.

How do you find them / recruit Community Builders?

Recruiting the right person for the job is one of the most important parts of any community building programme. Nurture Development has created a Community Builder Recruitment Pack that can be tailored to each community and to the particular requirements of partner organisations. Recruitment is usually carried out by the Sponsorship Group (see FACTSHEET: Sponsorship Groups).

Are Community Builders paid?

In most circumstances, yes.

What are the tools that every Community Builder needs?

1. Asset mapping

2. Connection

3. Learning conversations

4. Appreciative inquiry

5. Story telling

What support does a Community Builder need?

Community Builders will receive mentoring, training and coaching from the Nurture Development Project Guides (as required). In addition, they should be supported on a day to day basis by their Sponsorship Group around:

HR requirements in line with Sponsorship Group policy

Line management and/or supervision

In line with safe working practices, a dependable point of contact within the Sponsorship Group during the hours they are working in the community

The opportunity to gain peer support from other Community Builders in their area or at another Nurture Development Learning Site


Relationship builder: they are natural easy going connectors. Before an interview for a job as a Community Builder, the person you’ll want to rate highly will be the one who will remember the person at reception, and may even know them by name. More than likely the receptionists will remember them also.

Peace builder: they are not invested in a conflict or control model of change, they believe in building change from inside out, and see power not as a finite resource but an infinite resource that grows the more people you bring into relationships to build community.

Not the classic leader: they are excellent motivators, they understand how to motivate people to act on their own terms, and from their own personal agency. They are not controlling or domineering. Theirs is a quiet confidence.

Teacher: they are comfortable teaching practical community building skills, have a good presentation style, and have a convincing public voice, without being loud or brash. Theirs is a quiet confidence, but they are always ready to give up their place to a citizen voice since they know the citizen voice matters most. They will never attend a meeting or speak on behalf of the community; they always attend meetings and events with citizens and promote citizen voice.

Critical thinker: they are not mindlessly positive, they understand that life is not always fair and that people are not always as they seem and they factor that in to how they support people to work to their respective strengths. That said they will never stop encouraging people to seek out the assets and resources in communities.

Focused self-starters: they always hold themselves to account, and accountable to the community. They are organised and systematic in their approach to work, but this is balanced with huge creativity and flexibility.

Collaborative yet discerning: they do not try to impose collaboration on those who are not ready.

Challenging and supportive: they are powerful communicators who value listening above all else, and see themselves as the bringers of ‘questions’ not ‘answers’.

Empowering: they actively work to build agency and understand deeply how dependency builds up, they will never do for another, what that person can do for themselves.

Reflective: they are deep learners, constantly reflecting on their own practice and will therefore need a learning circle of thoughtful residents and fellow community builders through which they can unpack their learning and seek on-going feedback and support.

Results: they care about results but are not obsessive about targets, instead they are faithful to the principles of Community Building and so keep a watchful eye to ensure that greater numbers of citizens are participating and creating in civic space. They are also watchful of the numbers of labelled people who are contributing their gifts, if those numbers are not increasing they will want to understand why and figure out with their initiating group of residents how to improve on those results.

Core qualities of a Community Builder


GUIDESHEET Community Connectors

What is a Community Connector?

Community Connectors are ‘people specialists’. They know and keep in touch with many people and are able to create and maintain long- lasting friendships. Being a Connector comes naturally to them; it is not something that can be taught. Connectors, in marketing terms, are trendsetters.

Community Connectors are natural networkers, relationship builders, positive, optimistic, caring and compassionate local people. Any attempts to turn them into ‘professionals’ should be resisted. Their priceless contribution is connecting people, associations and institutions more widely to the community and in weaving the community together.

According McKnight and Block, Community Connectors are:

Always looking for other people’s ‘gifts’

See the positive, the ‘half full’, in everyone

Well-connected themselves

Trusted by others

Know how to create new trusting relationships

Believe in the people in their community

Get joy from connecting and inviting people to come together

How do you find them / recruit them?

Community Connectors are fairly easy to find. Their names will crop up regularly in Learning Conversations (see FACTSHEET: The Building Blocks of Community) and they will usually be present at community events and activities. You probably won’t find them at formal meetings as they tend to shy away from these in favour of fun gatherings.

A good starting point for Community Builders in finding Community Connectors is to think about their own networks; who are the people that bring you together with others and whose energy, imagination and kindness provides the bedrock of your connection? These people are ‘connectors’.

You might find that some people are uncomfortable to be formally acknowledged as Community Connectors. This will be especially true amongst ‘natural connectors’ who might have busy lives and a range of commitments. Try to avoid being too rigid in how Community Connectors can be involved in your community building programme – you don’t want to start excluding people.

TOP TIPS Many community building efforts struggle or fail because time is not given to finding Connectors and building and nurturing relationships with them. Community Builders must acknowledge that they alone cannot build a community and that it is not within their capabilities to know as much as a vibrant group of Community Connectors.

You will often find that Connectors know other Connectors. Community Builders should create a space for Connectors to come together to understand the community building programme they are being asked to support and to discover how they might be willing to work with each other to reach out to the wider community, particularly those on the margins.


Are Community Connectors paid?

In most circumstances, no.

What are the tools that every Community Connector needs?

People are identified as Community Connectors because they already possess the tools they need to fulfil the role. It is a natural part of who they are. Generally these include:

The ability to build trusting relationships

The ability to hold vast amounts of information about people and places

The ability to share this information where appropriate and connect people to their community

Within a community building programme it is important for Community Builders to work with their local Community Connectors to:

Understand how to hold a more directed Learning Conversation

Design together a tool to capture information in a way that can be shared easily and appropriately between the Community Connector and Builder, and potentially more widely

How many Community Connectors does a neighbourhood need?

This will vary from one community to another but we can guarantee, there will be more than you imagine. Ideally, every street, association and institution will have and be aware of a Community Connector. And they will know of one another.

What support does a Community Connector need?

Community Connectors are supported by Community Builders. They should:

Have regular meetings with their Community Builder

Be able to contact their Community Builder by telephone / email during the day (or as appropriate to your programme)

Be given the opportunity to give and receive peer support from other Community Connectors in their area.

Well connected: they know a larger number of people than the average person

Gift centred: they always see the ‘full half’ in everyone: the passion, skills, talents, & knowledge

Trusted: they are widely trusted and have a wealth of trusting relationships

Conveners of people: they get an enormous amount of joy from connecting people and bringing them together. They are not interested in leading; they simply know the power of joining people together

Information holders: they are naturally able to hold a lot of information about a person, their gifts and the people they know, and bring it to the fore when needed

Tour guides: they know their neighbourhood and / or community like the back of their hand. They know the streets, the people and the groups and associations.

Core qualities of a Community Connector


GUIDESHEET Community of Practice


What is a Community of Practice (CoP)?

It is a learning forum where a group of peers willingly come together to develop expertise in a chosen area of practice that will support work on strategic areas.

How does this happen?

This happens through:

Sharing experiences (credible information, insights, successes, challenges)

Building a specific knowledge base

Developing and implementing new ideas and approaches

Finding creative solutions

Evaluating outcomes.

What are the Benefits of establishing a ‘Community of Practice’ for members, associated agencies and projects?

Contributes to better and more informed decisions and outcomes

Provides an opportunity for experimenting with new ideas and approaches

Facilitates information sharing, particularly where the body of knowledge is still developing and not easily accessed

Increasing access to expertise across the geographical area

Helping all those involved in your chosen field to do their jobs more effectively by improving understanding of better practice and innovation in their field

Identifying and promoting best practice which can be re-used by practitioners in similar work roles

Improving problem solving capabilities in your chosen field, across your geographical area

Improving skills and competencies of individual members

Increasing opportunities to pro-actively raise issues with relevant forums

Encouraging strategic alignment with all those involved in your chosen field and other relevant professionals.

Types of Communities of Practice

Problem solving communities

Communities that bring together expertise from a variety of sources to focus on solving a common problem.

Knowledge sharing communities

Communities that build a specific knowledge base in key areas to develop shared information processes and focuses on filling knowledge gaps. This involves acquiring new knowledge and collating, organising and distributing existing knowledge that their members use every day.

Better Practice communities

Communities that focus on developing, testing and disseminating specific practices. A structured vetting process is created through sharing documented practices.

Innovation communities

Communities that are based around technical or professional peer groups, identifying new and emerging areas of knowledge where there may be the opportunity to gain an edge and provides the basis for rapid dissemination of new ideas or products.

How to create a Community of Practice

At the heart of developing a CoP is the ‘action learning’ method. This involves creating an ongoing ‘learning circle’, which cultivates innovation and creativity, as participants actively build a trusting CoP and support where each can share insights, success, confusion and challenges.


Establishing a Community of Practice

The Learning Circle Approach

Build common intent among group participants. Stop and listen to others and what life calls us to do as a group around your chosen field.

Observe, Observe, Observe. See deeply, sharply and collectively.

Reflect on learning and action. Let go of old ideas and be open to new possibilities.

Putting new ideas into action. Be living examples of innovation.

Evaluate; What has worked?, What has not worked? What have we learnt? And what has made a difference?

How do we learn together?

Regular meetings

To share learning and insights

To propose new action approaches

To reflect on experiences

Training and Learning Events

Asset mapping

Using Circles of Support

Community Development

Innovative Practices across your chosen field

Social Inclusion

Learning Journeys

Visiting innovative projects in your chosen field

Participating in learning events

Visiting innovative projects in other sectors

Experimenting with New Ideas

Create living examples of doing something that works

Adopt the ‘strength based’ approach to your chosen field

Ready, Fire, Aim: Learn by Doing

Individual Consultation

Set up one to one meetings with other relevant organisations to develop supportive relationships to progress more strength based approaches across your chosen field.

Diagram 1: The phases involved in setting up a Community of Practice


The follow checklist is provided to assist in establish and manage agency relationships with a Community of Practice over the course of its lifecycle.

STARTING PHASE

Choosing an area of Practice

Identify a topic that is in line with the priorities of the participating agencies, and broader policy directions

Is there is a pre-existing community of practice or forum in the chosen topic?

Is the topic the domain of another agency?

Is there facilitation support available especially to assist in the early stages of the group?

Is a ‘community of practice’ the appropriate response or should other responses be considered e.g. Workshop, Seminar, Consultative Group, or Policy Forum?

Identify appropriate Membership

Members can be drawn from across a wide range of agencies/projects and tiers of government.

Explain the scope of a CoP prior to inviting members to join so prospective members can self-select on the basis of its relevance to them

Determine the level of demand and need for knowledge and capacity building in the particular topic area by potential members

The willingness and capacity of potential members to contribute to supporting the group

The level of knowledge and expertise of members in relation to the topic, and their willingness to share this with each other

Conduct an email survey to determine level of agency support.

Operational Principles of the CoP

Once membership has been established the group must jointly identify goals, terms of reference and operating principles

If available present survey results at the first meeting for discussion and agreement

Publish agreed goals, terms of reference, and operating principles where everyone can access

them and review them periodically in consultation with members

Operating principles can also help members clarify their expectations of each other.

The rules can be practical and aspirational, for example:

1. at least one new learning from each meeting;

2. privacy and confidentiality is maintained within the community;

3. views expressed are those of individual practitioner members; and

4. after each meeting a summary of the discussion is circulated to members.

EVOLVING PHASE

Cross-Agency Facilitation

Forming a voluntary cross-agency facilitation group can be a useful means of encouraging cross-agency ownership, sharing costs and the facilitation of the community of practice and getting assistance with planning and implementing a forward programme.

In the initial phase the following points may need to be considered:

Regular meetings of the facilitation group may be held to plan the forward program and identify how facilitation can be shared

A facilitation group can help identify expertise, resources and references, presenters, site visits, venues and topics for the broader community, as well as facilitate meetings

Consider establishing an email discussion list or online forum to help communication flow and facilitate relationships across the facilitation group.

Engagement and Facilitation

A CoP will require initial support and facilitation and in the short term which is usually taken on by the person(s) convening the group. Over time it is expected that this role will be taken on by, or shared with, another agency/project. However, ideally the CoP should be largely self-supporting. The tips listed below may help to encourage a CoP to become self-supporting.

In addition to the cross agency facilitation group all members can be encouraged to take an active


facilitation role at meetings and other activities, and to share information and expertise and capture knowledge.

Meetings and information sharing can draw from wherever the expertise lies, including within the group, from non-members and/or the private sector, and share this information as appropriate.

Online Operational Support

During the establishment and maturity phase the lead agency can facilitate a CoP by providing online operational support through the following activities.

An email discussion group may be set up to encourage member’s engagement and share expertise and information.

A web page/Ning/online forum may be a useful tool, and can include public and private domains to encourage information and expertise sharing. For example an index of members identifying their areas of knowledge and experience could be included.

MATURING PHASE

Maintenance

When a CoP has matured it ideally becomes largely self-supporting and the lead agency’s facilitation role diminishes. Lead agency staff might consider undertaking the following activities to help ensure that the CoP is continuing to function well and work towards its goals.

Maintaining a watching brief regarding participation of members in email discussion and the web page

Updating the web page and email discussion list

Sharing costs with member agencies

Stimulating meeting attendance and email discussion

Monitoring participation by the facilitation group

Attending meetings

Feeding the CoP useful reference material and information

Sharing information on visiting experts and other relevant events

Evaluation and measurement

Seeking regular feedback from members and periodically evaluating outcomes can be a useful means of measuring

the ‘health’ and relevance of the CoP. Emerging issues can also be identified through these processes.

The following points could be included in the evaluation:

the level of participation in email discussion, presentations and meetings

the range of agencies involved

the attendance at meetings

the involvement of agencies in a facilitation group

outputs achieved, such as better practice checklists and toolkits

evaluation of the uptake and usage of these checklists and toolkits

member satisfaction.

CLOSING PHASE

Closing a CoP

A CoP may be closed in any of the following circumstances:

the group is no longer active

it has achieved its principal purpose

it has been assessed by the lead agency as no longer serving its original purpose, is no longer considered to be an organisational priority, or has drifted from its agreed mission, and/or

it has failed to become self-supporting.

Suitable processes for closing a CoP may need to be taken into account. Issues to consider include:

Consulting members regarding closing the CoP

Recognising the group’s achievements

Acknowledging member’s contributions

Notifying members that the CoP is closed, via email and at meetings as appropriate.

At the end of the lifecycle, the lead agency can explore the possibility of working with the facilitation group and community members to make reasonable efforts to catalogue the knowledge gained, lessons learned and practical tools, which are likely to be of future benefit to all practitioners across the field or geographical area.


GUIDESHEET Nurture Development Mentoring Alliances

What are the aims of Mentoring Alliances? 1. To develop our capabilities and potential as ‘Community

Builders’

2. To initiate feelings of closeness and community*

*A community is a place where people come together to support and challenge each other and to develop themselves at the same time

About our approach The Mentor assists the Mentee(s) to improve performance, increase awareness, identify options and initiate action.

Mentees are responsible for making their own decisions and choices.

Advantages of Mentoring Traditional mentoring schemes tend to re-enforce the status quo.

With the very best of intentions people say one thing and do another, often out of awareness.

By putting aside our own assumptions and really listening to each other we transcend individual differences.

The Four Stages of forming a Mentoring Alliance:

1. Preparation

2. Relationship

3. Agreement

4. Telling our story

If you would like to find out more read “Transformational Mentoring” by Julie Hay McGraw Hill. 1995).

1. Preparation Before the first meeting please jot down your responses to the questions in the following Check List.

(After going through the lists at our first meeting a combined version will be used to evaluate the Mentoring Alliance).

CHECK LIST a) Why have I become a mentor / mentee?

b) What do I offer / what do I want?

c) What mentoring skills do I have / want my mentor to have?

d) How much time will we have?

e) Where will we meet?

f) What mutual contacts are we likely to have? How might that affect us?

g) Who else is involved in this process (e.g. managers, residents etc.)?

h) What experience have I had of Asset Based Community Development?

i) What do I want to see happen in my organisation / the community?

j) What do I not want to see happen in my organisation / the community?

k) What help would I like from others in my organisation / the community?

2. Relationships The Mentor - Mentee relationship begins by sharing what each hopes will be achieved through the Mentoring Alliance and discussing individual responses to the Check List.

It continues by working through the following aspects of the mentoring relationship together over time:

What opinions do we share?

What do we have in common?

How will we share control, (mentee over content, mentor over process)?

Do we feel able to be spontaneous?

How will we challenge each other?

How will we handle conflict?


How flexible can we be?

How do we increase our abilities to problem solve and get decisions made?

How do we reinforce our genuine connection with each other?

3. Agreement We need to be clear about what is likely to happen, what our respective roles and responsibilities are and how we expect each other to behave.

Two formats

1) An ‘Agreement’ about the longer term Mentoring Alliance so we are all clear about:

the purpose of our time together

the mentee(s) determine the direction of the mentoring

administrative aspects

reinforcing mutual responsibility

establishing boundaries

what we are going to be doing

2) Specific arrangements for each session

How long have we got today?

What specific aspects are we going to work on?

What do mentee(s) want to achieve by end of session?

Does that seem feasible to the mentor?

How open and effective is our relationship?

Do we need to deal with any issues?

When is our next meeting?

4. Telling Our Story Reviewing the situation, describing current circumstances, looking at how we got here and where we might consider going in the future.

Objective setting

Measureable: so that the end result is clear; so that the mentee gets the satisfaction of knowing they have achieved their objective

Manageable: so that the mentee can, in fact, achieve the objective. Not trying to do too much; picking actions they control themselves, not changes they wish others would make

Motivational: so that they really want to achieve the

objective; so that the changes they make will have positive benefits on their future.

Iron Rule: “Never, never do for others what they can do for themselves”.

Notes: A Developmental Alliance, (Transformational Mentoring), has a long term, broad focus, is person-led, (with the organisation's needs being considered but not central) and is based on the belief that the Mentee knows best.

The Mentor in an alliance is there to help the Mentee identify opportunities for growth and development. To do this, Mentors need to create a bond, more than just a rapport.

Coaching is usually short term, with a specific focus, such as a set of tasks about which the coach has expert knowledge. The coach aims to help the 'pupil' develop the skills that the organisation requires. Coach and 'pupil' need to establish a rapport to do this, but it will not be too serious if their relationship goes no deeper.

Traditional Mentoring has a long term, broad focus. The mentor is assumed to know best, having the greater knowledge and experience. Mentors are also expected to take account of the needs of the organisation. They are in the business of providing opportunities so that the Mentee can develop into a more useful employee. They need to relate well to the Mentee, who will use them as a role model of how to succeed within the culture of the organisation.

People may confuse some of this with 'counselling in the workplace' which tends to be a relatively short term approach with a specific focal point - rather than teaching a task, the counsellor sets out to help the client to solve problems that the client has already identified. The requirements of the organisation are usually suspended. More than rapport is needed for this. The good counsellor is empathic.


GUIDESHEET Recovery & Recovery

What do you mean by ‘Recovery’?

Recovery is a well-established term within the drug and alcohol field but there remains a level of divergence about what exactly it entails and how it is measured. The debate about the definition touches on some of the most controversial issues within the addictions field e.g. harm reduction & abstinence. Some of the most commonly used definitions are set out to the right.

Despite the lack of an agreed upon definition there seems to be some agreement about the core components:

that it is a process and not necessarily an end state – this is a personalised process

well-being and quality of life – it is a lived experience rather than something diagnosed

hope and aspiration

some measure of community engagement or citizenship

some measure of sobriety

Whether that measure of sobriety relates directly to abstinence, reduced use or medically supported recovery is something that we believe should be defined by the individual and should be flexible to changes in individual circumstances.

What is ‘Recovery Capital’?

If we understand recovery in these terms then we can understand Recovery Capital as the sum of resources that may facilitate the process of Recovery.

There is also some variation in the various domains of recovery capital. We tend to talk about 3 distinct domains:

1. Personal Recovery Capital (which includes physical and human)

2. Social Recovery Capital

3. Community Recovery Capital (which includes cultural).

Capital

‘Recovery is the experience (a process and a sustained status) through which individuals, families, and communities impacted by severe alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems utilize internal and external resources to voluntarily resolve these problems, heal the wounds inflicted by AOD-related problems, actively manage their continued vulnerability to such problems, and develop a healthy, productive, and meaningful life.’

William White (2007)

‘The process of recovery from problematic substance use is characterised by voluntarily sustained control over substance use which maximises health and well-being and participation in the rights, roles and responsibilities of society’

UKDPC Consensus Group (2008)

‘Recovery from substance dependence is a voluntarily maintained lifestyle characterised by sobriety, personal health, and citizenship.’

Betty Ford Institute Consensus Panel (2007)


GUIDESHEET Recovery & Recovery

Personal Recovery Capital

Personal recovery capital can be defined as the internal resources that someone may or may not possess such as skills, positive health, aspirations, values and hopes, education and intelligence. This is sometimes referred to as human recovery capital.

It may also include external resources that someone possesses such as tangible assets of property and money. This is sometimes referred to as physical recovery capital.

Social Recovery Capital

Social recovery capital is the resources that someone has as a result of their relationships and includes both support from and obligations to groups to which they belong – for example families may provide support but this will often require commitments and obligations to other family members.

Community Recovery Capital

Community recovery capital refers to the resources and assets that someone may or may not have access to in their physical environment such as employment opportunities, community resources like good transport links or training and leisure facilities.

It will also include ‘cultural recovery capital’ such as values, beliefs and attitudes that link to social conformity and the ability to fit into dominant social behaviours.

Capital

GUIDESHEET Sponsorship Groups


What is a Sponsorship Group?

A Sponsorship Group is an important part of any community building programme, providing a public facing entity that supports and champions the developments across a community. Each group typically includes:

‘Conductors’: local people who support an asset based community development programme and are in a position to positively champion the approach across the community e.g. local GPs

The Community Builder(s) once recruited

The Community Connector(s) once identified

Significantly, Sponsorship Groups ensure that the community building developments hold true to the principles of ABCD; that they are:

place based in focus

emphasise the power of relationships over the power of money and position

committed to social justice

asset based

promote citizen / community led action

What does a Sponsorship Group actually do?

Sponsorship Groups are established at the beginning of any community building programme. They are convened by the contract holder and are an important pre-condition to the commencement of the Six Stepping Stones process. Sponsorship Groups:

1. Develop and carry out an appropriate process for recruiting Community Builders (with support from the Nurture Development Project Guide)

2. Provide non-financial support to the asset based community building programme and the people doing it

3. Ensure accountability to the community throughout the programme and beyond

4. Champion the asset based approach to community building, managing the inevitable conflict and resistance that arises from any transformational agenda

5. Develop a legacy plan to make sure the work and outcomes from the ABCD community building programme proliferate and are sustained once contract period ends

How often do Sponsorship Groups meet?

Sponsorship Groups meet monthly. Each meeting is chaired / facilitated by a member of the group on a rotating basis.

What support do Sponsorship Groups need?

Sponsorship Groups are supported by the Nurture Development Project Guide and receive mentoring, training and coaching every other month (or as required).

Walkabout Find local Community

Connectors

GUIDESHEET Six Stepping Stones


Nurture Development designed the Six Stepping Stones as a process to support community building programmes. It offers a robust framework for community building that can be tailored to any community.

Community Builders and Community Connectors are key to the Six Stepping Stones process. They are the people in the community, holding the Learning Conversations, building relationships and developing a picture of the community as a whole. As such, the process cannot and should not begin without the establishment of a Sponsorship Group and the recruitment of one or more Community Builders.

It is important not to rush through the steps:

While there is no set timeline for each step or the process as a whole, our experience has shown that it takes at least 18-24 months to work through all the components

Each step may take a different amount of time to complete; one step might take 3 times as long as the next one

It might help to plan each step as a programme in itself acknowledging that each step may include multiple activities and events

Try not to plan every detail of all the steps at once. Each step will reveal new things about your community, the people within it and the gifts and assets that they are willing to contribute to the community building efforts

You may need to revisit some steps time and time again

You may not need to complete all of the steps

The process can (and should) be repeated regularly to make sure that the community remains as open and inclusive as possible towards all of its members

Given the nuances of the Six Stepping Stones process, the Nurture Development Project Guide will provide mentoring, training and coaching to Community Builders throughout.

Sponsorship Groups are also supported by Nurture Development Project Guides to develop a long term and sustainable plan to make sure that all of the great work established through Asset Based Community Development is maintained beyond the scope of the commissioned programme.

Related FACTSHEETS:

FACTSHEET: The building blocks of community

FACTSHEET: Community Builders

FACTSHEET: Community Connectors

FACTSHEET: Sponsorship Groups

Asset Mapping Identify local skills,

talents, groups & orgs

Find & connect passions

Connectors find out what local people care enough about to act on

From passion to action

Hold an ideas fair to agree what can be done to make the community

better

Match Funds Funds & other external

resources can oil the cogs of activity already

started

Celebrate The shared vision should

be celebrated & disseminated widely

GUIDESHEET The building blocks of community

Many models of community building start with a ‘needs analysis’ that seeks to diagnose problems and identify gaps in a given community or area. This is a deficit approach - looking for what is missing or problematic - and often leads to the assumption that the solution lies in the provision of new or more efficient services.

ABCD is completely different. It starts from the understanding that every community, no matter where it is, has a wealth of assets and resources that lie at the heart of building sustainable and vibrant communities. To help us understand all of the potential assets and resources, we often talk about 6 different categories of assets, which we believe are the building blocks of a community:

1. the skills of local residents

2. the power of local associations

3. the resources of public, private and non profit institutions

4. the physical resources of local places

5. the economic resources of local places

6. the stories of our lives and evolving communities

The art of community building lies in the ability to engage with and enable local citizens to collectively identify and connect these assets through learning conversations (within trusting relationships) and through asset mapping exercises, and mobilise them towards community building activities. It may take time to pinpoint and understand the full range of assets across all of the categories especially within communities that have been disempowered and blinded to their own gifts and capabilities by the growth of service provision and professionalisation.

Learning Conversations will be key to identifying these assets. Learning Conversations are intentional, information gathering interactions that help Community Builders and Community Connectors understand the wide range of gifts, talents, resources and passions that exist across their community.

When speaking to residents begin by finding out what they care about enough to act on; what are the gifts and talents they would like to contribute to the community,

and; what would need to happen for them to join in action with like-minded neighbours? A ‘capacity inventory’ listing these capacities under categories such as ‘community-building skills’, ‘enterprise skills’, ‘teaching skills’, ‘artistic skills’ etc. is useful.

Local associations are the engines of community action in any community because they amplify and multiply individual gifts and are therefore essential as assets. Most local associations are informal groups of people coming together around a common interest, they are rarely constituted and they may not actively promote themselves, making them hard to find. One way to discover them is to start with a core group of residents and ask them what associations and informal groups they belong to. Once these have been listed, ask the core group to expand the list to include associations they know about. This longer list of associations can then be clustered by type and those associations most likely to participate in working together for a common purpose can be identified.

Local institutions includes government agencies, non government agencies and private sector businesses. The assets of these institutions could be the services and programmes they provide, the meeting places they offer, the equipment and other supplies they may have, or, the contacts they may have. They also have paid or unpaid staff who may provide important links with the wider community.

Revealing gifts to individuals, organisations and communities can be extremely powerful. In every conversation, Community Builders and Connectors have the ability to reorient people and communities to the power they hold to make change happen.


cormac russell abcd training courses report

Presentations & Public Speaking

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days training

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ltd2015 asset

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