Principle 4: positive cultures have good relationships based on strengths
Last updated: 9 Jun 2025
Listen to Rebecca talk about strengths-based relationships in a positive culture.
What is strengths-based practice?
Strengths-based practice is a way of supporting people that’s based on relationships. It’s sometimes called:
- relationship or relational-based approaches
- outcome-focused practice
- person-centred approach
- having a ‘what matters’ conversation
- balancing rights and responsibilities.
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 tells us to focus on people’s well-being, and make sure they’re at the centre of their care and support planning.
Organisations that work in a strengths-based way work with other sectors to design and deliver better quality care and support for people. This includes grassroots community and user-led organisations.
What does strengths-based practice look like?
Strengths-based practice focuses on talking, exploring and listening to:
- the strengths of the person we’re supporting, which includes:
- what they can already do, their skills, knowledge and experience
- the things that matter to them, such as their values, interests, and relationships
- what a person is worried about and any risks to their safety and well-being
- how everyone involved, such as the person, their family and the people who give care or support, can help to manage the person’s changing needs while keeping everyone as safe as possible
- working with a person, and their family, friends and community networks, to understand and plan what needs to happen to support their well-being to live the best life possible.
- This is also called ‘setting outcomes’ or ‘setting personal goals’.
Working out a person’s strengths means having supportive conversations about what matters to the people we care for and work with.
This includes the conversations we have with colleagues in the organisation and our partners.
Where to find out more
Here are links to information and resources to help you to start working in a strengths-based way.
Some of these links may not be available bilingually or in an accessible format. We’re not responsible for content produced by other organisations.
Relational care toolkit – Open University
This toolkit is for everyone involved in the care of older people. You can use this toolkit in different ways, depending on the time you have, your role, and what you want to get out of it. You could use it as part of a formal individual or group learning programme, a discussion group, or a team meeting.
Leading quality as a Responsible Individual: embedding strengths-based practice – Social Care Wales
This training video explains how Responsible Individuals (RIs) and managers can promote strengths-based practice to improve service quality.
'What matters' conversation guide – Social Care Wales
Explains how to find out what matters to the person you’re working with, to agree outcomes, find their strengths and work out where they need support.