Communities Can: A collaborative approach

Our aim is to support the growth of inclusive, bottom-up, community-driven and citizen-led change that lessens the impacts of pre-existing inequalities.

We recognise the power that already exists within our communities.

We want to make it easier our communities to:

• reach their full potential
• create and lead change for themselves
• be more resilient
• make greater use of the assets and strengths that exist within.

The potential for asset-based approaches to help build connected and resilient communities has been underscored by the system-wide pandemic response.

The purpose of this document and approach is also to set out agreed ways that explain how we aim to work together alongside communities in the future. A coordinated and consistent approach, making full use of all the resources available across partnerships, reducing duplication and co-producing so communities feel connected and empowered.

Our approach

Organisations and agencies in Colchester are working together with a much greater focus on problem prevention and reducing the unjust, and often avoidable differences, affecting peoples’ wellbeing based on personal circumstances and where they live. 

Systems thinking in our place, now more than ever, recognise the need to shift from a ‘deficit’ to a ‘strengths’ based approach.

It is no exaggeration to recognise this as a pattern shift in the way local government and its partners operate. To make this work we need to broaden the conversations and relationships beyond the usual institutions such as local authorities and health services, and work with individuals and community groups on their terms and in their places, actively seeking to nurture and grow what is strong in everyone.

This approach (an Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach) focuses on creating positive social change by identifying and building assets within a community. Assets include:

• community associations
• local services
• informal groups and networks
• local businesses
• the skills, knowledge and commitment of residents.

ABCD places emphasis on strengthening relationships within communities and on community-initiated activities, as communities are regarded as the primary building blocks for change.

The more familiar ‘deficit’ approach focuses on problems, needs and deficiencies in a community. It tends to lead to the design of services or interventions led by organisations and institutions that fill the gaps and attempt to fix the problems. Evidence suggests this approach can draw people into statutory services at the expense of helping them build independence and resilience.

Research commissioned by the North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance in 2020 showed the strength of community assets in Colchester and the crucial role they play in helping build resilience among our communities.

We believe that a key role of the public and voluntary sector is to support citizens and communities to discover, connect and mobilise the assets that exist, and to encourage the development of new assets where there are gaps.

The health of our physical environment is essential to the health and wellbeing of our communities too, and our approach is one that seeks not only to protect our environment, but to encourage active involvement of our communities in protecting and using our natural assets.