Solution-focused Practice

Solution-focused practice (SFP) is a versatile strengths-based and person-centred approach to working with people on the changes they want. It remains highly countercultural, where the dominant culture in people work remains problem-focused, deficit-framing and 'fixing'.

The focus is on the person's preferred future (rather than past and present problems), on their strengths and resourcefulness, and on any progress so far. These conversations of possibility, hope and strength can be powerful as the person seeks clues for change.

By focusing on what’s going well and progress already made, amplifying strengths and resourcefulness, and believing in the competence and potential of the person, we create the conditions in which they can begin to identify their way forward.

While SFP's origins are in individual therapy, its power has long been evidenced in social care, health, community work and schools, and it's used too in staff/ human resource management, coaching and supervision, and organisational development.

The mindset, ideas, values and skills of solution-focused practice are helpful to anyone who works with people to facilitate change.

Zebra’s Background in Solution-focused Work

The Zebra Collective is a solution-focused organisation: this approach runs through everything we do and is, for example, reflected in how we design and deliver all our training, reflective learning, facilitation, consultancy and community work.

Since our beginnings in 2003, we have delivered solution-focused training for organisations in the community, voluntary and statutory sectors, and now typically work alongside organisations on medium/ long-term change programmes towards a solution-focused practice and culture.

Zebra's Solution-focused Offer

See examples of our current offer below and contact us at info@zebra.coop for further details. We work across the South West and nationally, and are happy to travel anywhere to meet clients’ needs. Since 2020, a lot of our work has been online.

Solution-focused Approach 3-Day Course

We regularly run open 3-day Solution-focused Practice training courses – see our upcoming events.

The course typically runs with one week between the 1^st and 2^nd day, and the 3^rd day (a 1'2-day) around a month later. The gaps give space for learners to go back into their job with SF in mind, noticing possibilities for application, perhaps having a go, and collecting questions and reflections to bring back to the course.

We're often commissioned by organisations to deliver this course; in these instances, we tailor the programme to the org's best hopes - what they hope will be different afterwards as a result of the course - and to their context.

Solution-focused Practice Groups (CPD)

We run regular CPD groups for solution-focused practitioners, where people with diverse roles and applications of SF meet, reflect, learn and build networks.

Since Covid, these have been online, and now they're run in collaboration with leading solution-focused practitioner, trainer and friend of Zebra, Guy Shennan: the joint Solution-focused Practice Group, bimonthly for 3 hours on a Friday morning - details of forthcoming sessions here.

Tailored Training and Reflective Learning

Whatever you're looking for from Zebra, you can expect our solution-focused approach to run through the work.

Management and Supervision Service

Tailored to organisations’ / employees’ requirements, including:

our long-established external supervision service, which ranges from one-off sessions through to ongoing supervisory relationships
supervision and line management training using a solution-focused approach
solution-focused management development training

Coaching Services

For individuals and organisations.

Consultancy Services

For example, working alongside organisations to develop solution-focused and strengths-based culture change.

Sessional Project Work

schools (e.g. students struggling in the classroom)
mental health
learning disabilities
homelessness services
housing support
neighbour disputes
substance use services
children's & youth work
social care referrals

Solution-focused Conferences

We have hosted 3 Solution-focused conferences in Cornwall & Plymouth.

Zebra’s social justice approach to solution-focused practice

See the article by Marc Gardiner, Zebra's SF Lead, and Guy Shennan about using solution-focused practice in pursuit of social change: published in the international journal of Critical and Radical Social Work.

For enquiries or further details please email Marc at Marc@zebra.coop