Caring, Counselling or Citizenship

Three standard different models of working with someone around an issue. I personally think we pay far too much attention and pour too much money into the first two and nothing like enough into the third.

For a silly but seasonal example, let's say the person we're supporting has a real problem with potholes and has ended up unable to leave their house as there are 3 potholes on their street.

The 'care' model would pay for support for this person to either, get supported over the potholes, or if it was a person centred approach, find a different route in order to avoid them and all other potholes.

The 'Counselling' model would pay for someone to listen carefully and attentively to the history of their relationship with potholes, how their parents interacted with potholes, and allow them to fully understand the root cause of their problem.

The 'Citizenship' model would pay for someone to tell them to pick the phone up, ring the council and get the potholes filled in.

Simplistic I know, but really, outside of good advocacy, when does this actually happen?

Even in my world of community development, we tend to think that they have to find 5 other people with the same experience, form a group, and invite the local councillor round to listen to their issues.

Most people we work with still don't even know how, or who to phone, to get simple things done in their communities, nor do they seem aware of how they would find out. Surely less of the 'caring, sharing listening and really understanding' without actually achieving anything and more good solid '70's power to the people is called for!