1. Applications to supported housing Leo Richardson
Appreciative Inquiry
Applications to supported housing
Leo Richardson

2. What is Appreciative Inquiry (AI)
Strengths based approach to organisational development (David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastra, 1987)
‘Bottom-up’ not ‘top-down’
Grounded in peoples’ existing strengths
Harnesses positive creativity for the future

4. AI at King George’s
AI was originally introduced at King George’s in early 2010
Whole staff team 2 day session
2 ½ day residential trip for residents (8) and staff (5) in June 2010
Follow up work involving regular AI workshops and incorporation with key working
This model was repeated several times over the next few years
Stunning results with hard to reach clients

5. Appreciative Conversation
‘Tell me a story about a time you helped a friend’
Transforming hostel mind-set to positivity by identifying strengths and qualities of an individual

6. Gratitude journal Write down 3 things that you are grateful for?
Many of the guys continued to use their gratitude journals to record achievements and thoughts/feelings about challenges
Evidence supporting the efficacy of gratitude exercises (Seligman et al. 2005)

7. Customer’s vision from first AI residential trip
June 2010

8. ‘Goose Egg’ activity from customer’s personal journal
December 2011

9. Video of KG’s project with Appreciating People

10. Qualitative Study – MSc Research Project
The experience of Appreciative Inquiry for substance misusing hostel residents: A positive approach to working with addiction and homelessness (Richardson, 2012)
Semi structured interviews with 6 participants analysed with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)

11. Two master themes emerged from the data
1. AI as a personal process of insight and transformation “And since AI it changed my life completely. It makes me look at the positive side of life instead of the negative. I always thought I’d be a down and out hump because I was a drug addict and an alcoholic, that I had no positives. But AI made me turn that round and made me think ‘Well maybe I am good at something?’ I was a painter and decorator before that. Oh gosh yea, I had a business and that, why don’t I get back into things like… it’s just turned me life around completely.”

12. 2. AI and connection with others “I didn’t see it as a staff/residents thing, I didn’t, not at all, I just saw it as we were all there, same purpose. We staff or resident, that didn’t even cross my mind whether we were staff or residents, that didn’t even come into it, we were just all there together. All trying to achieve the same thing in different ways thinking of positive ways of thinking.”

13. Current applications of AI in supported housing
Staff training
Working with customers (for example “Appreciative Assessment”)
Working with staff: away day sessions and 121s

14. Staff Training: The ACB Model

15. Bruce House Assessment
Before and after

25. Working with staff: Start 121s on a positive note
What achievements have you been proud of since the last 121?
What has been your high point?
What have you found most rewarding?
Follow up with open questions to explore these achievements

26. Working with staff: AI sessions for away days and regional conference
Appreciative conversation Let’s have a go! In pairs, one person ask the appreciative questions to the other, while listening actively After 10 minutes swap over

27. Discussion
What strengths and qualities did you see?
What did you learn?
What surprised you?
What will you do differently?

28. Conclusion
AI can be applied in a range of ways. Services can choose how
It can be a key part of the delivery of Psychologically Informed Environments – for example as brief positive psychology interventions (PPIs), as well as informing the whole approach to support
It is also an effective approach to service development/reflective practice

29. Any questions?