Our Approach
How we work
We believe that with the right support at the right time, every child can flourish. To do so, we work in partnership with the child, and those around them – their family, school and community.
Our approach is based on the following principles:
- Child-centred – we put the child at the centre of all we do
- Inclusive – we recognise and celebrate each child and family member as individuals
- Holistic – we work to understand who a child really is, their unique life experiences and what their physical, mental, emotional and social needs are
- Trauma-informed – we work with compassion and sensitivity, respecting that many children have experienced trauma in their lives and this may manifest itself in different ways
- Solution-focused – we support children and their families to identify their strengths and use these to build towards their goals
- Practical – we teach and practice practical skills and techniques that can be used every day to build resilience
- Empowering – we enable children to understand themselves better and to own their own future
Our expert teams work with children and their families to build trusted relationships where challenges can be explored and foundations for a positive future can be laid.
Why We Exist
The need for our work has never been greater. One in three children experience trauma in their childhood (source: The Lancet Psychiatry). There are many different things that can be traumatic for children – from experiencing physical, emotional and sexual abuse or neglect, exposure to substance misuse, significant mental health challenges or domestic abuse or a key figure in their life being in prison. Children can experience trauma from ongoing stress such as significant bullying, or one-off events outside of anyone’s control such as a car accident, a natural disaster or bereavement.
Trauma can affect how a child’s brain develops, and this can have a life-long impact for them physically, mentally and socially. One of the areas that can be affected is the development of social and emotional skills, skills that are vital to their confidence and self-esteem, their ability to manage and express emotion, and to create and maintain healthy relationships.
We know that:
- When childhood trauma is not addressed and children are not given the opportunity to articulate their fear, sadness or anxiety, they are at higher risk of poor mental health, developing unhealthy relationships and being unable to manage their emotions and behaviour. This includes poor impulse control, difficulties problem solving and engaging in high-risk behaviour.
- Without intervention, when children enter adolescence these emotional and behavioural problems are often exacerbated and evidence shows that they are then more vulnerable to gang grooming, school exclusions and domestic violence
- Early intervention can change a child’s development pathway and drastically improve their life outcomes in both the short and long term
Our early intervention and child-centred approach is proven to build children’s resilience, improve self-esteem and increase their pro-social behaviours, give them the tools they need to address life’s challenges and fulfil their potential. Our work is vital, not only for the children and families we support, but for ensuring the wellbeing of society as a whole.