Why have we created Thrive?
The four originators of The Thrive Approach came together in 1994 concerned about the number of children being excluded from schools and learning at an earlier and earlier age.
They drew on their collective expertise in social work, family therapy, counselling and psychotherapy, and education advisory and inspection work in schools to create an approach that drew on the up-to-date research and best practice.
They operated first under the banner, 'Fronting The Challenge', because that is what it felt like, responding proactively to the debate in society at large about disruptive and anti-social behaviours, disaffection, discipline and the development of moral and social responsibility.
As it stands today this program and approach is the result of diverse contributions from committed practitioners in all relevant fields (education, social care, health, family work, psychotherapy) as the originators have honed the tools and training to maximise its effectiveness.
The Thrive team believes that:
- Emotional health and wellbeing can be promoted in all settings for all children.
- The adult - child relationship is key.
- Emotional health and wellbeing are connected directly to a child's emotional development, which in turn affects their behaviour and their access to (and progress in) learning and relating.
- Child care workers in Early Years settings can plan and put in place the best possible provision for little ones as they grow at the 'right time' so that more reparative work is not so necessary later on in the child's life.
- Teachers and other adults who work with children need strategies to prevent behavioural problems and to meet the developmental needs of young people as learners.
- The teacher/learner relationship and the curriculum can be used to prevent and to respond to disruptive behaviour. This is both practical and possible in ordinary classrooms in mainstream schools.
- Short-term expediencies that deal with behavioural problems in an isolated way do not solve the difficulties in the long term, either for the young person, the family, the school or the community.
Find out more about the team.