The Person-led, Transitional and Strength-based (PTS) Response
Life can have its ups and downs. When tough times happen, we often know what we need to get through. But it’s not always possible to access what we need and often the only option available can take us down a path that doesn’t feel right. This can make the situation worse or leave us trapped. It can feel like we don’t have any choice or control.
The PTS Response is a way for organisations to change the way they respond to people going through tough times.
How does the PTS Response Work?
PTS Response provides PTS Coaches to walk alongside people experiencing tough times, creating an environment where people have choice and control over their lives and can move forward to the future they want.
It emerged after Mayday spent years listening to people accessing services. A new person-led way of working was then prototyped that ensured people had choice and control over their lives through tough times. This person-led approach, the PTS Response, was taken out across England by a number of PTS Partner organisations to develop it further and evidence the benefits of working in this way.
Learning from this time uncovered that people were becoming trapped in services and faced many barriers that were created by the systems set up to help.
Today, alongside the PTS Partners and the New System Alliance, Mayday are on a mission to change the traumatising systems people experience when going through tough times. The PTS Response works to remove barriers and inform a totally new system, making tough times brief transitions in people’s lives, not an identity and certainly not a life sentence.
The Principles of the PTS
Seeing people: People are people, not labels such as ‘the homeless’, ‘drug addicts’ or ‘ex-offenders.
Person-led: The mantra is no steps, no stairs, and no pathways. Instead, people have choice and control over their lives to achieve what they want at a time that is right for them.
Strength-based: Concentrating on a person’s strengths and removing the focus from weakness.
Personalised: A response that works for the individual and recognises that each person’s unique experience will be different.
Not fixing: People are listened to and can make their own decisions on what they want to achieve.
Internal motivation: People have opportunities to build confidence and self-belief by exploring aspirations and building evidence of their success.
Real-world: Creating relationships based on honesty and reflecting the nature of the world outside of services.
Connection: People can explore friendship, community and connection outside of services to reinvigorate a sense of purpose and identity.
If you or someone you know be interested in working alongside a PTS Coach then click HERE
The PTS and Systems Change
The PTS Response in more detail
Building Relationships
The PTS Response is voluntary and PTS Coaches form trusting relationships with people they work alongside. This means a person is able to choose if they want to work with a Coach and if the PTS is something that could work for them at that time. They can make this decision knowing there will be no negative repercussions and they can change their mind at any time.
Focus on people, not problems
Importantly, a PTS Coach works without an agenda, solely focusing on the person in front of them. Together, they will identify and build on strengths and passions, while concentrating on what is important to the individual, rather than focusing on fixing perceived problems.
Supportive Networks
The role of a PTS Coach is not to be needed. A person will be encouraged to build their own networks away from services. By getting involved in community-based opportunities and activities outside of services, people naturally build their own positive networks. Then, if they do experience another tough time they will feel supported and won’t have to return to services unless they want to.
Influence through doing
By walking alongside people, listening and learning from the realities of their lives, PTS Coaches positively challenge systems by uncovering barriers, sharing their learning and feeding into the PTS Data Set to evidence the impact of the PTS Response.
Why the PTS?
Being listened to, having choice and control over your life and being able to rely on a system that works through your toughest times shouldn’t come down to luck or personal resilience. The PTS Response is an opportunity to challenge the system, inform a new way of working and most importantly, it’s a chance to have a positive impact on people’s lives.
Discover how to build the PTS Response into your work
If you are an organisation wanting to explore how you can develop a person-led and strengths-based approach to your work, download the brochure below and speak to our team.