Good and bad help: How purpose and confidence transform lives

How we help each other matters. Some help - what we call ‘good help’ - supports people to feel hopeful, identify their own purpose and confidently take action. Other help - which we call ‘bad help’ - does the opposite, undermining people's confidence, sense of purpose and independence.  

In this publication we aim to make a practical contribution. We have drawn on a well-established evidence base and worked with practitioners to understand how ‘good help’ is applied in practice. We outline the key drivers of action and list seven key characteristics of ‘good help’.