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This comprehensive book describes the distinctive style of human service delivery known as ‘strengths-based’ practice. Pivotal to this approach is equal partnership and respect between people, or ‘power-with’. Also fundamental is the belief that everyone has strengths and that mobilising and sharing strengths is the key to building hope and creating positive change.
Author, Wayne McCashen, has provided training and consultancy services in the strengths approach to hundreds of organisations. In a remarkably clear and synthesised articulation, this book gathers together the principles, beliefs, skills, tools and frameworks that help create effective, socially-just ways of working with people. Since its first publication in 2005, this book has gained an international reputation. It is as an essential text in many university courses and is sourced by government departments, schools, and organisations adopting strengths approach frameworks and policy as best practice.
This revised and expanded second edition contains substantial new material throughout including practice stories, reflective exercises, expanded discussion of strengths, social inclusion, strengths-based questions, supervision, client-owned recording and much more. The new edition will put ‘parallel practice’ squarely on the strengths agenda, challenging organisations to embed strengths-based, power-with practices at every level of their operations.
"Wayne shows us just how to ‘get into the corners’ of our practice in human services work. He takes us beyond current ‘models’ of practice to illuminate the broader constraints to change, which can involve the misuse of our privileged and power-laden roles in assisting those with less power and influence. This is reinforced powerfully in the discussion about parallel practice. He has thrown down a challenge to managers and organisations to ‘walk the talk’ of social justice."
- Bernadette Glass, Trainer and consultant (Australia)
