Introduction to Better Futures
The case for a different approach
The realiy of transitioning from care
Care services are often focused with getting young people to 18. Planning for life beyond care can be limited or happen too late. Many young people leave care without:
- a stable adult to rely on
- a sense of belonging
- confidence in their next steps.
Better Futures overall made the transition into adulthood a lot easier. I would have been thrown into the deep end otherwise.
– Care-experienced young person
Without these foundations, it’s common for young people to experience fear, uncertainty and crisis-driven decisions. That’s why a new approach to post care support is needed. Better Futures is a practice model that meets young people where they are at now and focuses on supporting them to thrive, not just survive.
Moving beyond deficit approaches
Traditional service systems often focus on:
- Problems
- Risks
- Needs
- Compliance
When practice centres on these, it can unintentionally reinforce disadvantage by defining young people by what they lack rather than what they can do and become.
…the narrative about young people was predominately negative. Too often, we knew more about what they couldn’t do rather than what they could. We talked about the need to help people cope, without always understanding or caring that people also need to thrive.
– Colin Falconer
That’s why emerging adults need more than service support. They need freedom and opportunities to make choices, explore options, try new things, learn from mistakes and shape an aspirational vision for their future.
Advantaged Thinking: The foundation for practice
Advantaged Thinking is the foundation of Better Futures practice. It:
- centres young people’s skills, aspirations and potential
- recognises that thriving requires opportunity and investment
- builds long-term capability, not short-term fixes
- sees young people as assets to their communities.
Advantaged Thinking was developed by Colin Falconer as Director of Innovation for the Foyer Federation UK. It has been applied to a range of service environments across the world. The Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) supports the implementation of Advantaged Thinking in Australia.
In the video below, Colin Falconer explains Open Talent and Advantaged Thinking to the audience at TEDx Thessaloniki.
After watching the video, reflect:
- What idea from the talk challenged your usual way of working?
- What’s one small change you could make this week to invest in a young person’s potential?