assets

Appreciating assets

Report that is the outcome of a nine-month inquiry process, initiated at an international event in London in November 2009. The event focused on the applicability, challenges and potential of utilising asset-based approaches in an UK/Irish context.

Social capital and health: findings from the Scottish Health Survey and Scottish Social Attitudes Survey

Paper that explores the Scottish evidence for a link between social capital and health outcomes in order to inform the ongoing development of an assets-based approach to addressing health problems and inequalities.

It uses data from two sources - the 2009 Scottish Health Survey and the 2009 Scottish Social Attitudes survey, although the majority of the paper focuses on the former due to the inclusion of self-assessed health plus WEMWBS variables.

Oxfam humankind index: the new measure of Scotland's prosperity

The goal of the Oxfam Humankind Index for Scotland is to assess Scotland’s prosperity through a holistic and more representative measure of progress, beyond the dominant economic model which relies on Gross Domestic Product as the main indicator. The Oxfam Humankind Index measures the real wealth of Scotland – what really matters to the people of Scotland.

What makes us healthy? The asset approach in practice: evidence, action, evaluation

Paper that builds on an earlier publication ‘A glass half-full: how an asset approach can improve community health and wellbeing’. It promotes different ways of engaging local communities in co-producing local solutions and reducing health inequalities.

The paper argues that asset principles help us to understand what gives us health and wellbeing. It makes the case for developing ways of working that protect and promote the assets, resources, capacities and circumstances associated with positive health for everyone.

Asset stripping: Child Trust Funds and the demise of the assets agenda

Based on analysis of available data and literature, as well as interviews with key stakeholders this paper provides a short history of the Child Trust Fund (CTF) and Saving Gateway (SG) in the UK, identifying the key rationale and drivers for their development.

It analyses the available data on the success and limitations of these policies, and consider the abolition of the CTF and cancellation of the SG.

Asset based approaches for health improvement: redressing the balance

The aim of this briefing paper 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 it 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.