Jane Foot with Trevor Hopkins, IDeA (2010)

The 'Asset Approach' values the capacity, skills, knowledge, resources and potential in an individual, family or community. In an asset approach, the glass is half-full rather than half-empty.

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Published by The Health Foundation in April 2015, 'Head, hands and heart: asset-based approaches in health care' has been researched and written by Trevor Hopkins and Simon Rippon and is a review of the evidence and case studies of asset-based approaches.

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Capturing community asset growth within the JSNA - key learning from a trial project in Wakefield (2011)

Produced by a partnership working group from NHS Wakefield District, Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, Eastmoor Community Project and five community groups within the Knottingley area. With additional support and direction from Kate Faulkes (Regional Empowerment and Cohesion Manager) and Denise Buttrell (Freon).

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Piloting an asset based approach to JSNAs within Wakefield District: Methods and Findings (2011)

This report was written by Jane Greetham, Health Development Manager, NHS Wakefield District with contributions from Dominic Charkin, Community Development Worker, Eastmoor Community Project Ltd, Helen Laird, Wakefield Joint Public Health Unit and Denise Butterell, Freon.

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Roger Rowett and Dr Neil Wooding, Public Service Management Wales (2010)

Using Appreciative Inquiry to Make change happen. This publication is one of the series of Sowing Seeds topic papers published by Public Service Management Wales.

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David Boyle and Michael Harris, NESTA (2009)

How equal partnerships between professionals and the public are crucial to improving public services

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David Boyle, Julia Slay and Lucie Stephens, NESTA (2010)

Putting co-production into practice

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David Boyle, Anna Coote, Chris Sherwood and Julia Slay, NESTA (2010)

Taking co-production into the mainstream

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Cliodhna Mulhern and Judith Emanuel, North West Together We Can (2011)

Appreciative inquiry in the North West

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Bob Hudson and Melanie Henwood, Skills for Care (2010)

"We identify new and innovative ways of working." Neighbourhoods, social capital & their place in the 'big society',

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Nina Mguni & Nicola Bacon, The Young Foundation (2010)

This report presents a new tool to measure wellbeing and resilience (WARM). The report sets out the conditions which contribute to wellbeing, from level of life satisfaction, the quality of the social networks to the wider local infrastructure. WARM arranges this data to construct a story about how a community is faring. It shifts focus away from looking solely at a communities deficits, such as poor health and social isolation, and sharpens the focus on community assets. This is central to understanding the capacity of a community to help itself. We argue that WARM measures what matters at a local level.

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Professor Phil Hanlon, Dr Andrew Lyon, Dr Margaret Hannah, Dr David Reilly & Dr Sandra Carlisle (2011)

Written for the website 'The Influence of Culture on Mental Health and Wellbeing', based in the Public Health Section of the University of Glasgow and funded by the Mental Health Division of the Scottish Government.

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Tara O'leary, Ingrid Burkett IACD and Kate Braithwaite, Carnegie UK Trust (2011)

Across different fields, from regeneration and community development to health, a new language of ‘assets’ is helping practitioners find new ways of tackling old issues. This report is intended to complement all this work by showcasing international, UK and Irish experience of ‘appreciating assets’.
Practice in the UK and Ireland can stand tall alongside international examples. Throughout, we share questions that practitioners across many contexts seem to be grappling with. Our intention is that these questions can offer readers pause for reflection around key points that contributors to this report have identified as being important.

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Published by The Health Foundation in April 2015, 'Head, hands and heart: asset-based approaches in health care' has been researched and written by Trevor Hopkins and Simon Rippon and is a review of the conceptual evidence and case studies of asset-based approaches in improving health, care and wellbeing services and outcomes.

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This briefing by The Health Foundation gives a flavout of the key findings and recommendations in 'Heart, hands and head: asset-based approaches in health care'

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Robert Furbey, Adam Dinham, Richard Farnell, Doreen Finneron and Guy Wilkinson with Catherine Howarth, Dilwar Hussain and Sharon Palmer Joseph Rowntree Foundation (March 2006)

An assessment of how faith communities contribute to building social capital.
The Government has identified faith communities as important sources of ‘social capital’ in community development and regeneration.  But religion is also associated with conflict and division.  How far is this faith in ‘faith’ justified?  And how far should faith communities comply? Faith as social capital assesses the debate and the evidence.
The research in the report encompasses five major faith traditions (Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh) across four English regions.  It explores the nature of social capital stemming from faith buildings, associations, engagement with governance and participation in the wider public domain.

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Nick Wilding
Carnegie UK Trust (2011) ISBN 0-900259-82-5

Gathers a mix of experience and academic insight  into how local communities are learning how to cope – and even thrive - through difficult times. Written in an accessible style its stories highlight experience from Cumbria to the Scottish Highlands, and from New Orleans to Tooting, London. Web links direct readers to topical references, and a practical guide shows how to run a community workshop on the topic. 

The book was produced by a network of community activists, professionals and policy makers which is supported by Carnegie UK Trust  (www.fieryspirits.com). The network is run by its members to enable learning on topics relevant to building more resilient, vibrant communities.

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This new paper briefly draws together some of the evidence that 'Think Local Act Personal' is aware of that contributes to demonstrating better outcomes, or in some cases, the financial benefits of nurturing stronger communities. There are some fundamental lessons to learn about the health-preserving effects of good social networks, connected communities, the value of peer support and the multiplicity of outcomes well beyond social care that can be improved by working with local people in a co-productive way. There is a strong case to be made for a joined-up, local approach to health and wellbeing that seeks to connect people together and to create the conditions for happier, healthier communities through participation and inclusion.

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This piece of research profiles the work of 19 projects with the aim of illustrating how asset based approaches are currently being applied in Scotland. The case studies of these projects highlight the key characteristics of asset based working and demonstrate the strengths and challenges of the approach for individuals, the wider community and project staff. This research also provides a valuable insight into the practical experiences of those working most closely with communities in an asset based fashion. Finally, the report presents points of learning and policy implications for the future development of asset based working in Scotland.
Download this publication from:
http://www.gcph.co.uk/assets/0000/3549/0071_assets_in_action_report_web_low_res.pdf
http://www.gcph.co.uk/assets/0000/3549/0071_assets_in_action_report_web_low_res.pdf

By Jennifer Wallace & Katie Schmuecker - Carnegie UK Trust (2012)

The report provides evidence from six case studies of experiences of measuring wellbeing in France, the USA and Canada and concludes that wellbeing measures are at their most effective when they are supported by a combination of strong leadership, technocractic policy processes and building momentum through wide buy-in from civil society, citizens and the media. Where these elements come together, we have seen benefits for individual and community wellbeing by identifying policy gaps and innovative ways of working.

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Published by the Institute of Public Policy Research, 12 Nov 2012
Editors:  Rick Muir, Graeme Cooke
Contributors:  Tessa Jowell, Jon Stokes, Jon Wilson, Axel Heitmueller, Duncan O'Leary, Hilary Cottam, Tess Lanning, Geoff Mulgan, Nick Pearce and Marc Stears
The purpose of this collection of essays is to introduce and discuss the idea of the ‘relational state’ – a new intellectual and political perspective on statecraft and the public services.

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This year’s Annual Report takes an approach that recognises the assets available to support adults of working age to have good health.  This is a different, positive way of thinking about health and wellbeing which reminds us to look at ‘what is/can keep people well’ and not just those things that ‘make us sick.

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Karen Rowlingson, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2011)

A Joseph Rowntree Foundation report that provides an independent review of the evidence about the impact of inequality.

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In his most recent annual report, ‘Health in Scotland 2009: Time for Change’ (Scottish Government, 2010) Dr Harry Burns, the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland asks whether ‘it is time to consider a change’ in the methods we currently use to improve health and to move to more upstream asset based approaches to improve health outcomes.
He proposes that asset based approaches may provide the necessary step change in health creation which Scotland needs to accelerate gains in healthy life expectancy across the population.

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This well researched document from the LGA (March 2012) brings together information about publications and websites which should be of value to Health and Wellbeing Boards and includes information on 'Asset Approaches'.
The references are arranged by subject and include title, author, publisher, date and where possible a brief description, which should help in determining whether it is likely to be relevant to your particular needs. Within each section, it broadly lists those likely to be most useful or relevant first.
Inevitably it will be incomplete. Also, there are some documents which are now quite old, but may nevertheless contain some useful elements. These are not recommendations, just a starting point to help you find what is useful.

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Dr Lynne Friedli, World Health Organization (2009)

This report explores the wealth of evidence that mental health influences a very wide range of outcomes for individuals and communities. These include healthier lifestyles; better physical health; improved recovery from illness; fewer limitations in daily living; higher educational attainment; greater productivity, employment and earnings; better relationships with adults and with children; more social cohesion and engagement and improved quality of life.

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Jim Diers
University of Washington Press (2006) ISBN: 978-0-295-98444-5

Building on the lessons of early labor leaders, civil rights volunteers, and political activists, Jim Diers has developed his own models and successful strategies for community development. "Neighbor Power" chronicles his involvement with Seattle's communities.
This book not only gives hope that participatory democracy is possible, but it offers practical applications and invaluable lessons for ordinary, caring citizens who want to make a difference.

Edited by Antony Morgan, Maggie Davies, Erio Ziglio
Springer (2010) ISBN: 978-1-4419-5920-1

"Asset based approaches offer one means of addressing the social determinants of health by recognising that traditional epidemiological risk factors approaches to health development such as programmes on smoking cessation, healthy eating and physical activity are insufficient on their own to ensure the health and wellbeing of populations.
In particular, many of the solutions to addressing the social determinants of health rely on the ability to recognise... that individuals, communities and populations have significant potential to be a 'health resource' rather than just a consumer of health care services."

John Kretzman & John McKnight
ACTA Publications (1993) ISBN 978-0879461089

This guide to what the authors call "asset-based community development" summarises lessons learned by studying successful community-building initiatives in hundreds of neighbourhoods across the United States. It outlines in simple, "neighbourhood-friendly" terms what local communities can do to start their own journeys down the path of asset-based development.

This guide will be helpful to local community leaders, leaders of local associations and institutions, government officials, and leaders in the philanthropic and business communities who wish to support effective community-building strategies.

Rebecca Solnit
Penguin Books (2009) ISBN 978-0-14-311807-7
The most startling thing about disasters in not merely that so many people rise to the occasion, but that they do so with joy.
A Paradise Built in Hell is an investigation of the moments of altruism, resourcefulness and generosity that rise amid disaster's grief and disruption.
It considers their implications for every day life. It points to a new vision of what society could become - one that is less authoritarian and fearful, more collaborative and local.

Ivan Illich
Marion Boyars Publishers (2010) ISBN 1-84230-007-5

“By denying public recognition to entities that cannot be measured by science, the call for pure, orthodox, confirmed medical practice shields this practice from all political evaluation.”  Ivan Illich.

Illich's deeply shocking analysis into the clinical and social reality of 'doctor-made' illness was written in 1976 but still has relevance in critiquing the 'reductionist' and medicalised model of health that still predominates today. "Only by recognising and insisting upon the essential ingredients of personal health, Illich argues, can individuals recover the integrity of their bodies and lives."

Lynsey Hanley
Granta Books (2007) ISBN 978-1-86207-985-4

Lynsey Hanley was raised just outside Birmingham on one of the largest council estates in Europe. Writing with passion, humour and a sense of history, she tells the story of estates in Britain through the prism of her own experience.
She challenges the stereotypes that estates have in Britain and asks why the homes that were built to improve people's lives ended up, in many cases, doing the opposite.

Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett
Allen Lane (2009) ISBN 978-1-846-14039-6

This groundbreaking book, based on thirty years' research, demonstrates that more unequal societies are bad for almost everyone within them - the well-off as well as the poor. The remarkable data the book lays out and the measures it uses are like a spirit level which we can hold up to compare the conditions of different societies.
Almost every social and environmental problem - ill-health, lack of community life, violence, drugs, obesity, mental illness, long working hours, big prison populations - is more likely to occur in less equal societies.

David Seedhouse
Wiley (2004) ISBN 978-0-470-84733-6

Incisively written, this new edition of the popular guide first published in 1996 slices through the rhetoric of health promotion. Its penetrating analysis quickly reveals health promotion's conceptual roots, providing an enlightening map of their web of theory and practice.
David Seedhouse proves that health promotion, a discipline intended to improve the health of a population, is prejudiced - every plan and every project stems first from human values - and argues that only by acknowledging this will a mature discipline emerge. The author proposes a positive, practical theory of health promotion destined to inspire anyone who wishes to create better health.

Daniel Dorling
Policy Press (2010) ISBN 978-1847424266

Few would dispute that we live in an unequal and unjust world, but what causes this inequality to persist?
Leading social commentator and academic Danny Dorling claims in this timely book that, as the five social evils identified by Beveridge are gradually being eradicated, they are being replaced by five new tenets of injustice, viz: elitism is efficient; exclusion is necessary; prejudice is natural; greed is good; and despair is inevitable.
In an informal yet authoritative style, Dorling examines who is most harmed by these injustices and why, and what happens to those who most benefit. Hard-hitting and uncompromising in its call to action, this is essential reading for everyone concerned with social justice.

by Bengt Lindstrom & Monica Eriksson (2006)

In 1994 Aaron Antonovsky died after a short period of disease. His tragic and sudden death also meant a break in the leadership of a new innovative direction in Public Health research. His fundamental contribution was to raise the philosophical ‘salutogenic’ question of what creates health and search for ‘the origin of health’ rather than to look for the causes of disease in the pathogenic direction

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By: Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Timothy B. Smith & J. Bradley Layton
PLoS Medicine / www.plosmedicine.org

The quality and quantity of individuals’ social relationships has been linked not only to mental health but also to both morbidity and mortality.
This meta-analytic review was conducted to determine the extent to which social relationships influence risk for mortality, which aspects of social relationships are most highly predictive, and which factors may moderate the risk. Data were extracted on several participant characteristics, including cause of mortality, initial health status, and pre-existing health conditions, as well as on study characteristics, including length of follow-up and type of assessment of social relationships.
The report concludes that the influence of social relationships on risk for mortality is comparable with well-established risk factors for mortality.

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This Concepts Series briefing paper from the Glasgow Centre for Public Health is the second to focus on asset based approaches. The aim of this paper is to present and discuss a range of methods and techniques which can be used to mobilise individual and community level assets. It is hoped that this briefing paper will provide further context and support to policy makers, practitioners and researchers and contribute to the growing evidence base on asset based approaches.

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The aim of this briefing paper from the Glasgow Centre for Population Health is to present the current evidence and thinking on asset based approaches for health improvement, the background and rationale for these approaches, and the practical challenges of adopting these approaches in reality. It is also hoped that this paper will help stimulate policy makers, practitioners and researchers to think differently about how they might minimise the risks of widening health inequalities and approach the goal of improving the health of communities and populations.

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Theo Lorenc, Mark Petticrew, Vivian Welch & Peter Tugwell - JECH Online First on August 8 2012

Some effective public health interventions may increase inequalities by disproportionately benefiting less disadvantaged groups (‘intervention-generated inequalities’ or IGIs). There is a need to understand which types of interventions are likely to produce IGIs, and which can reduce inequalities.

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The overarching critique represented by the medical humanities is that the powerful gravitational pull and success of medicine over the past century has led health to be viewed almost entirely from the perspective of medical science. Therefore health research, policy and practice tends to be informed by the methods, protocols and training approaches of biomedicine ignoring wider sources of understanding of what makes human lives go well.

More and a video of Jane's lecture at:
http://www.gcph.co.uk/events/130