Welcome to our technique-building section.
In collaboration with a number of partners including the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences (Germany), and Reclaiming Youth International (USA), we have been developing a range of practical community-work tools, techniques and formats that have helped shape our practice.

Understanding situations

Strengths finders

Community resource finders

Means of engagement

Celebrating success

Case-discussion and group facilitation

Rather than seeing our role as trainers and capacity-builders, we see ourselves as trainees, striving to learn the realities and life-worlds of the people we partner. In acknowledging the fact that   people are the experts of their own lived worlds, we start by asking a simple question: “how I can be helpful?” This gives power back to the people we work with, and forms the basis of a respectful partnership.  

Several ideas underpin the direction and focus of the approaches and tools we’ve shared. These include:

• a strengths-based perspective to approaching issues that would otherwise be seen as challenges, problems and deficits
• working within peoples’ ‘life-world’ perspectives by acknowledging that the young people and families we partner really are the experts of their own social worlds
• seeing natural social networks and community assets as real and sustainable solutions to issues that people wish to overcome
• drawing on restorative principles that transform conflict, heal and strengthen relationships.