Young people supporting young people to thrive – celebrating 10 years of the THRIVE framework

THRIVE an innovative framework for providing mental health support and wellbeing for children and young people celebrated 10 years in November. The framework was originally developed by the Tavistock and Portman and the Anna Freud National Centre in 2014.

Over 100 people gathered at the Tavistock Centre to celebrate the frameworks impact and wide-spread influence over planning and improving mental health support services across the UK, where children and young people are at the heart of the decision making.

Rachel James Director of Therapies at the Tavistock and Portman describes the programme as:

“The THRIVE Framework for system change is an evidence-based approach to implementation based on the work of Meyer, Wandersman and Durlak (2012) that can help local areas to identify opportunities to become more ‘THRIVE-like’ in their work with children and young people”

The Greater Manchester i-THRIVE (GM i-THRIVE) Programme uses the THRIVE Framework for system change to improve mental health outcomes for the children and young people of Greater Manchester.

Rochdale, a town in Greater Manchester, is an area that benefits from the framework. ‘Raising Rochdale’ seeks to meet the needs of all children and young people with special educational needs and disability, from birth to the age of 25 years. They ensure children are in school and that they are supported and receive education and are safe. They also ensure children remain close to their home family and community, by supporting them, building resilience and helping them to achieve outcomes into adulthood.

Nathan Ashurst is a Raising Rochdale Youth SEND Ambassador and a strong advocate for other young people. He works hard to be an inspiration and role model to children and young people with SEND. As football fan, he champions inclusivity and opportunity for all. He has developed a number of initiatives at Rochdale Football Club to support SEND young people and make them feel more included.

Nathan speaking at the celebration event said of Raising Rochdale:

“When I was first diagnosed with a mental health condition at 11, there was no support like Raising Rochdale. I’m now a SEND Ambassador for them with opportunities like championing football and the football community as a way of support. The support I give now I love doing because I received the same support”

Ollie’s Random Acts of Kindness (ORAOK) are a community interest company (CIC), that aims to support music fans. Their mission is to provide a platform for music lovers to receive support and connect and support each other through unique products and services. The project aims to spread positivity and kindness in the community, and they believe that by doing small acts of generosity, they can make a real difference. ORAOK also offer advice and support around sexual health, substance misuse and mental health.  

The team spoke at the celebration event about the work they do.

Oliver Burns, Founder, Director, Disability lead said:

“The THRIVE framework has created an environment where organisations like ours can become front and center in the lives of young people and be valued by health services and funding bodies”

Riley Jenner, Director at ORAOK said:

“I use my own experiences with mental health and being part of the LGBTQ+ community to make the lives of children and young people thrive. My skills in web-design and technology has helped me connect with other young people. I’m a music lover and with my team, we travel to music festivals to connect with other young people, where they are at, to provide mental health support”

More information on THRIVE

To implement the THRIVE Framework local areas work with the National i-THRIVE Programme team which is a partnership between the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and UCLPartners.

If you would like more information please visit i-THRIVE | Implementing the THRIVE Framework