Pathways to Empowerment as a working method for local social support services

This study examined the outcomes, critical elements and working mechanisms of Pathways to Empowerment (PTE), a person-centered, strengths-based intervention, in local social support services provided by a medium size Dutch local authority, from the perspective of citizens needing support.

A year after implementation of PTE, semi-structured face-to-face interviews were held with 17 citizens onto their experiences with the provided support with PTE, inquiring their experiences with certain principles of PTE and the changes the support has brought into their lives. The outcomes of support with PTE were: resilience, self-consciousness, positive connections and access to resources and services. According to citizens, ‘being there’, an empowering approach, listening and taking them seriously, focusing on strengths and qualities, working on naturally occurring resources and made-to-measure support is what makes support with PTE work.