When efforts are planned on the strengths of the community, people are likely to feel more positive about them, and to believe they can succeed. The community strengths assessment can provide this baseline picture in considerable detail. The key feature of the approach is that such assessments can provide a systematic description of the baseline of community capacity, by focusing on the needs and strengths of community and voluntary groups. The approach involves comprehensive local surveys which provide detailed information leading to recommendations for action. The guides are written by Mel Gray and Leanne Schubert from the University of Newcastle, Australia. A community needs assessment identifies the strengths and resources available in the community to meet the needs of children, youth, and families. It incorporated 40 years ago as a service agency providing child care in Temple, Its key features are: The 'community strengths assessment' approach was developed by Bradford Council and COGS, a community development consultancy, working jointly with many local projects and groups in Bradford. In this way, people can become co-producers of support, not passive consumers of support. Focuses on community assessment for health promotion programs. Such information is crucial for communities to get involved effectively in projects, partnerships and local initiatives. In combination, these help build a comprehensive and detailed picture of community capacity, and highlight gaps in both activity and infrastructure that can be acted on through new initiatives and planning. Analytics Cookies enable us to use Google Analytics and Siteimprove to help us improve our website by collecting data on how you use it. Assessing Community Needs, Strengths and Resources Conducting a community assessment is a prerequisite to developing an intervention that is acceptable, effective, and sustainable. The focus of this workbook is on assessing a community’s strengths and weaknesses through mainly . The data we collect remains strictly anonymous. Conducting a Community Assessment (PDF - 205 KB)  Community strengths assessments can be useful for: In addition to informing regeneration programmes and neighbourhood renewal, the approach can also be used with communities of interest and identity across a whole district or borough, such as disabled people's groups. Identifying Community Strengths & Weaknesses Presented by HPG Network . Analytics cookies are completely optional and we won't collect them unless you give us your consent. The website also features discussion forums to foster interactive exchanges of ideas and peer-to-peer learning. The ‘community strengths assessment’ approach focuses particularly on local community and voluntary groups. Lack of education, unemployment or under-employment, the wealth gap, affordable ‘The assessment is in the chat’: Analysing conversations in community care ’ Qualitative Social Work, Volume 13, Number 3, p421-35. Practitioners working in this way have to work in collaboration - helping people to do things for themselves. Edition 4th Edition. A strengths and needs assessment is a tool used to identify available services and gaps in services and assess the level of knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of a target population. View Abstract and Document Our intuitions told us that this strategy would help us not only determine needs, but also identify the resources within the community that could address those needs. The Community Themes and Strengths Assessment is a vital part of a community health improvement process. It incorporates a highly participative style of working, involving and working with local groups rather than imposing a plan drawn up by outside agencies. A new approach to assessing community strengths Work in inner city Bradford piloted a practical approach to assessing the capacity of communities to take lead roles in regeneration and local action. Compared to many community profiles, the method developed for assessing community strengths contains a number of innovative features: Regeneration Much is talked about community involvement in both neighbourhood renewal and European funded programmes and about the need to build the capacity of communities for them to fully participate. In order to provide proper support for this process, a clearly defined starting-point or baseline description is needed. During this phase, community thoughts, opinions, concerns, and solutions are gathered – anything that provides insight into the issues of importance to the community. Focus Group Discussions 2.) Community strategies aim to identify local actions that will improve the quality of life for all sections of the community, based on a long-term vision. Many of the causes of poverty are universal. Improved joint working In order to tackle inequalities and improve services, local authorities and other public agencies increasingly want to work jointly with local communities. In particular, the experience gained from the work carried out in the New Deal for Communities area informed the development of the method. The final report was approved by the New Deal for Communities sub-group on community, youth and education and is used to assist planning new initiatives in the area. Knowing the community's strengths makes it easier to understand what kinds of programs or initiatives might be possible to address the community's needs. Work in inner city Bradford piloted a practical approach to assessing the capacity of communities to take lead roles in regeneration and local action. Recommendations including framing the scope of the local plan, planning specific action steps, and monitoring progress. These were Horton Grange, Allerton and Lower Grange and the New Deal for Communities area. Community strengths assessments focus on community and voluntary groups not individuals. The approach focuses on what communities have to offer and contribute to the renewal process rather than just on problems and the indicators of deprivation. Tackling social exclusion Community strengths assessments could provide an important tool for communities to describe their own area and, along with other information, present their own case for action and new developments. Be useful for local community planning, district-wide strategies and local Strategic Partnerships an image or chart of assets... 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