Describing the Bromley by Bow model
Bromley by Bow: A complex, adaptive and human system that requires meaningful, human measurement
HUMAN – The evidence tells us that, when operating to its full potential, the Bromley by Bow model prioritises people – their stories, their journeys, their needs and aspirations. It is focused on human experience, human strength – and it recognises human vulnerability, its own as much as anyone else’s. To capture this finding, we suggest that the model is ‘human’.
COMPLEX AND ADAPTIVE – The evidence also tells us that the model has grown and changed over time, taking inspiration from the people who have joined in to shape it. At its best, the model responded ambitiously and directly to the needs it sees in the wider community. The different Bromley by Bow models which have grown and changed are still present today, in some form. This interweaving of the past and present means the story of Bromley by Bow is multi-faceted – like a tapestry – with lots of overlapping layers. This tapestry reflects many different stories – rather than one single perspective.
SYSTEM – The Bromley by Bow model is about connection and relationships. Connection between people is the most obvious way that the model works and this can be observed every day. But the model also connects people to other forms of support, to referrals, to care pathways. And it connects people to a next step and a plan – to a diagnosis, to a way to reduce one’s debt, to a weight management programme, to a class. The model also connects people to a safe and supportive environment.
Tensions in balance
The model is a complex balancing act in which multiple tensions are held simultaneously within any given job role or activity of work. It is a response to both the vulnerability, and the assets, of its community. It seeks to create both stability, as a response to vulnerability, and growth, as a response to the many local strengths of both the people and the place. The balance of these tensions has shifted over time and varies in different parts of the model.
