Funding Useful Phrases
We have pulled together some words which are a bit more focused or have a more fixed and practical meaning than the sweeping generic 'buzzwords' that so often find their way into funding bids.
Acceptance - 'making peace' with a situation / being in an environment that sees people for who they are and celebrates that
Accessibility - with enough support in tools, equipment, facilities and people's skills and knowledge that anyone with any condition or challenge can participate
Alternatives / other methods - non-traditional ways of dealing with a situation or sometimes non-medical ways of dealing with a condition
Awareness / information - rather than saying people will know or people will learn, sometimes the best you can achieve is passing on information and creating awareness. What people choose to do with that awareness is often not something you can control, but you played your part.
Campaigning - standing for a situation, group of people or cause to make positive change
Casual atmosphere - a place with little or relaxed rules which is more open to people who struggle in formal settings
Communication - talking to people in a way they understand and is suited to them. Can also be interpreting information or changing the way it's shared.
Cultural values - the beliefs, ideas, practises and morals that come from a place. We all have cultural values, think about what the people you work with prize and believe.
Empowerment - giving people the tools they need to get to where they want to be with little support. People not being dependant on services
Enabling people to achieve a goal - similar to empowerment, helping them get there, not doing it for them.
Enjoyment - fun, pleasant experiences. Powerful especially when people live chaotic or challenging lives
Focus / discipline - Supporting people to fix their attention on a goal or task. Encouraging them to reach an end target. Being able to concentrate to complete a project.
Formation of networks - creating opportunities and spaces where people can make connections to others to provide peer support, solidarity, support or perhaps even friendship.
Fun - does what it says on the tin, but often something bids forget to mention. However, it should never be the sole purpose of the bid.
Go at your own pace - we all learn, participate and grow in different ways and at different times. This is about seeing the person for who they are and giving them an atmosphere that respects how they operate.
Helping people reach their potential - everyone has potential and some sort of goal, it might seem small to the outside world but is massive to them. They might have a goal with a massive and unachievable. This is about seeing where people have skills and strengths and supporting them to unlock it to get to their goals.
Inclusion - aiming not to consciously exclude someone by making the setting or activity too restrictive or hard to achieve. Also, this is about culture, tolerance /acceptance and celebrating the individual and their journey
Increase in physical health - it's hard to claim any growth in wellbeing and physical health is hard to measure unless you have accurate medical tools to do so. But this is possibly better than saying 'fitter' or 'more healthy'. Think about using this phrase (and others around health and wellbeing) wisely.
Loneliness - different from social isolation and much more targeted. Social isolation is a broad term (even using 'at risk of...) and covers a specific situation of people not having anyone they connect to. Often it's hard to provide services for socially isolated people because they are isolated and we don't know where they are also, not everyone that lives alone is isolated and lonely, they could be quite content with their situation. Lonely people however come in many forms and can be lonely in a family unit as well as people on their own.
Meaningful experiences - a time, session, activity, group that provides something people need and they get something that helps them move forward or grow from.
Natural abilities - sometimes through activities or participation people discover they have a talent for something that they enjoy doing and this is something that could be nurtured and celebrated. A good way to build people's self-confidence and empower them is to help them tap into their natural abilities.
New / different experiences - lack of access to funds, opportunities or being restricted by a situation or condition can prevent people from trying new things to exploring new ideas. A way of helping people to grow and develop is by providing experiences that are new to them.
Non-judgemental - a situation where people can be themselves and not be fearful of people targeting them for who they are.
Peer support - an atmosphere where people support each other through listening, sharing experiences and being non-judgemental usually in a controlled and managed setting such as a group or doing an organised activity
Person centred - focusing on the service user and their needs rather than the wishes or ideas of the leaders
Positive impact on wellbeing - because wellbeing is hard to measure, saying 'improved wellbeing' is tricky. however, a positive impact is harder to argue especially when the alternative is a negative impact which is what they might have if they don't attend your service.
Poverty / Deprivation / lack of opportunities - it's important to know the difference between these words and the situations that arise from them. They are all specific situations with clear definitions and shouldn't just be thrown around. If you do not know if someone lives in poverty or deprivation you can use 'lack of opportunities' as their circumstances holds them back from experiencing a range of services.
Reinforcing social norms - this is about support and reminding people how to behave in certain situations. A social norm is what we expect people to act like and your service could be one that gets them used to doing that (for the first time or after a long while) so they can participate in society more effectively and reach their goals
Relationships - meaningful connections to positive influences
Relaxation - reduced concerns, worries or anxieties.
Relaxed environment - a low pressure but well-structured setting that allows people to focus on what they want rather than worrying about what is going on around them
Respite for families - depending on who you work with your service could also have a knock-on effect on the family of the person too. The time the user spends with you can allow their family to have quality time or rest from their caring duties. Your service might be exclusively for this.
Safe spaces - secure, confidential, non-judgemental spaces where people can raise topics knowing the discussion stays in the room. Safe spaces will usually have rules around what cannot be discussed with clear reasons as to why.
Sense of belonging - something easier to measure than 'community cohesion, a feeling that you are welcome and comfortable in the place where you live. It can also be about membership to a community or group.
Service-user led - asking, listening to and hearing what the people you support want and trying your best to fulfil their wishes working towards the collective or individual goal
Shared experiences - a common situation or happening in which people can bond or relate to others because they have lived through the same. Or providing situations where people do the same things together and something to talk about.
Signposting - giving someone information about other organisations / services that can provide support for their situation
Space to express / be themselves - depending on someone's situation or circumstance, they may not feel comfortable being themselves everywhere. They might suppress a lot of reactions or behaviours.
Strength identification - spotting potential and / or and interest in someone
Talent nurturing - giving people opportunities to learn more or participate to get grow that innate talent.
Teamwork - the give, take, patience and resilience needed to work with others to achieve a common goal
Upskill / skill development - slightly more than 'learning', giving people tools and understanding to be resilient and autonomous
Working on being comfortable in a range of settings - not everyone has the resilience or understand to adapt their behaviour to different places and stand out. This makes them a target for negative treatment, crime or exclusion. It can also be about reducing fear, worry or anxiety in a range of spaces.