Case studies

New Beginnings is an LGBT youth group which caters for 11 to 19 year olds. It launched five years ago to provide a safe space for young people to socialise and learn life skills, as there is little support for this group within other everyday environments.

The involvement of parents and staff as well as the children, makes these safeguarding lessons unique. This three-way approach gives schools the tools and knowledge to recognise if someone might be at risk or for the individual to realise when they are at risk.

Young Minds Yoga is a weekly exercise session giving young people the chance to relax and discuss problems with professionals, plus help reduce the impact and severity of mental health problems. Their parents or carers can also stay and chat to children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) staff or each other providing peer-to-peer support.

Up2U is a programme for people who use domestically abusive and unhealthy behaviours in their relationships. It seeks to reduce the incidents of domestic violence, prevent the cycle of abuse, and reduce the numbers of children in child protection services, edge of care or children in care.

Middlesbrough Council and NHS England Cumbria and the North East have launched a joint programme “Starting Well” to develop closer links between dental team members and the wider health and social care workforce to increase uptake of both school and dental practice prevention programmes to prevent dental decay in our youngest children.

Brent local authority commissions the delivery of an evidence-based oral health plan to improve child oral health and reduce inequalities, prioritising families with children under 5.

Blackpool, has been developing an integrated approach to improving children’s oral health. This is linked to the focus on the work of the Blackpool Better Start and a recognition that a range of interventions focused on population and individual approaches is required to achieve better life chances for the children of Blackpool. 

To date, SkillsHouse has supported more than 1,000 unemployed people to find work, while the wider Get Bradford Working programme has helped over 3,000 people into employment.

In September 2017, North Lincolnshire Council became one of only three English councils to be awarded ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted for services for children in need of help and protection, and looked-after children.

Early Help 4 Mental Health is a prevention and early intervention programme operating across Devon, working with schools to promote and build mentally healthy behaviours and resilience.