Help & Connect Model

Help & Connect is an innovation that was first developed by Kate Fulton, Kellie Woodley and Simon Duffy with Skills for People in Newcastle. It is a way of rethinking advocacy, brokerage and community support - to make best use of the skills of people, families and paid staff.

There are six elements to Help and Connect:

1. Provide information
2. Training and support for people to be in control
3. Planning Cafe - peer support with some informal assistance to plan
4. Help from volunteers to try new things
5. Circles - help and long-term assistance to stay strong
6. Advocacy - paid assistance to stay in control and solve problems

Over the past 18 months the Help & Connect model has been flourishing at Skills for People, helping over 100 people. It is interesting to note that what has been particularly successful is the Planning Cafe and the information that Skills for People share with people at the events. People seem to really value a natural, ordinary and informal way of thinking which gives them a chance to learn from other people's experiences. It is much more efficient than a professional one-to-one intervention because it recognises people's expertise and capacity. It is now being supported by Newcastle and North Tyneside.

The publisher is The Centre for Welfare Reform.

Help and Connect Model © Kate Fulton, Kellie Woodley and Simon Duffy 2012.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this paper may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher except for the quotation of brief passages in reviews.