developmentplus

We work alongside people in their community, facilitating their involvement in decisions that affect their lives, supporting them to identify and develop initiatives that they feel will improve their quality of life socially, environmentally, economically and through learning.

All of our work in Lincoln and Lincolnshire is based on the values of community development, working alongside people and not imposing our views on them but valuing their skills and abilities, ensuring their participation and providing opportunities for their personal development.

How does your organisation contribute to preventing suicide and supporting those affected by it?

– Empowering residents in the community to acknowledge, talk about and address their health issues, including signposting them to the relevant health professionals.
– Providing programmes of training and support to enable individuals to overcome personal barriers.
– Working with strategic partners to tackle deprivation across Lincoln and Greater Lincoln.
– Developing volunteers, to ensure sustainability of support groups / community groups.

What are your current priorities?

– Getting to know a community- of interest, identity, location
– Finding out what they see as their needs and issues that concern them
– Bringing people together to agree their aims and make plans to realise them
– Encouraging people to work together effectively in a group and with other groups and communities
– Assisting groups to decide how best to organise themselves- formal or informal systems and structures
– Supporting people together to learn from each other and to evaluate their activities
– Learning from their own practice through critical reflection as part of their continuous professional development

What challenges are you currently facing?

– Multi-agency working
– Signposting to agencies that will support people who are suicidal and/or using substances
– Funding