Durham County Council is in the early stages of adopting the THRIVE framework to organise support for children, young people, and their families.
THRIVE is an integrated, person centred, and needs led approach to delivering mental health services for children, young people, and their families. The approach was developed by a collaboration of authors from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families.
Adopting the THRIVE Framework means that Durham County Council Children and Young People’s Services together with wider council and community partners are creating coherent and resource-efficient mental health and wellbeing support for children, young people, and families.
The first aim is to talk about mental health and mental health wellbeing and support a common language that everyone understands.
The THRIVE Framework thinks about the mental health and wellbeing needs of children, young people, and families through five different needs-based groupings: Getting Advice and Signposting, Getting Help, Getting More Help, and Getting Risk Support. Emphasis is placed on the prevention and promotion of mental health and wellbeing across the whole population. Children, young people, and their families are empowered through active involvement in decisions about their care, which is fundamental to the approach.
Further information on the THRIVE framework can be found here:
A short animation: THRIVE Framework for system change (Wolpert et al., 2019) Animation – YouTube
The THRIVE website: THRIVE Framework (annafreud.org)
Mental health is everybody’s business but often it can be difficult to know what support and services are available for children, young people, and their families. Using the Thrive Framework, Making Mental Health Everybody’s Business aims to help practitioners navigate the system, identify what resources are available and how to access them in line with the appropriate level of need.
Further Sources of Information
Advice and practical support across all aspects of family life
Advice and practical support across all aspects of family life.
Who is it for - parents, professionals
Telephone: 03000 261 111
Website: One Point
County Durham Family Information Service
A signposting service for families who live in County Durham.
Local services specifically for children with special educational needs or disabilities.
The SEND Local Offer
Who is it for - parents, professionals
Website Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and our Local Offer - Durham County Council
Durham’s Self-Harm Guidance for Professionals working with children and young people
Durham’s Self-Harm Guidance for Professionals working with children and young people is for practitioners who support children and young people who self-harm or express thoughts about this or about suicide.
Who is it for - professionals