Training for the children's workforce

Teaching you to deliver our unique resilience programme

Our programme builds resilience and capacity by activating children and young people's support systems.

Key Features

  • Participants decide who they would like to think of as being in their ‘team of life’ from among their family, friends and other people who are important to them

  • Recognising the skills in their teams helps them to build confidence

  • Drawing how they worked together with their team to achieve a goal is an innovative way of telling stories of achievement and hope

  • People are reminded that celebrating goals with a team is much more fun than on your own!

  • Being part of a team makes it easier to think about how to tackle problems together

What is unique about Team of Life?

"It helped me realise I am not alone and it's okay to ask for help" - Team of Life Participant

While social factors are widely viewed as responsible for increases in children's mental health problems, most interventions focus on individual challenges. Instead, Team of Life builds "social resilience" by helping children and young people to recognise and build their support networks and become more aware of their strengths and achievements.

Meet Dr Vicky Eames

Consultant Clinical Psychologist & developer of the Team of Life Resilience Programme

Single Practitioners

Facilitator training package

Help children and young people build support networks and recognise their strengths. Training includes on-demand online video lessons and activities. Study at your own pace: 7 hours of training available 24/7 for 90 days. The package also includes an annual subscription to our platform for support, which gives you access to downloadable resources and online video delivery support.
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Organisations

Bespoke training packages for your team or organisation

Develop your team’s skills in our systemic, strengths-based programme for children and young people. Training is available on-demand online or as a 1-day live session (online or face to face). Packages include an annual subscription for support and downloadable resources. Contact us to discuss your requirements.
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Schools

Whole school packages

Includes training in our programme for the whole school community enabling you to build social resilience and create a culture of belonging and wellbeing. Training is available on-demand online. Packages include an annual subscription for support and resources.
Image of a school classroom with Team of Life Whole School Packages on the whiteboard

Wirral Team of Life Story

Our Team of Life Project started out on Wirral and our research took place in Wirral Schools. Dr Vicky Eames also grew up on Wirral, so we are thrilled at how the programme has been adopted there.

Isabell Sutherland

Team Leader, Wirral Mental Health Support Team

We have been using Team of Life for the last 2 years and have found it a very beneficial intervention to help children build resilience and create a network of support around themselves. We have used this intervention with small groups of children but have now also started using this on a whole class basis, giving us the opportunity to help build a whole year community. This has been particularly helpful at times of transition, e.g. young people moving from primary into secondary school. As well as training our own staff, we have funded schools to train staff as we see this as a very valuable resource for schools to use – with or without input from our team.

Dr Fiona Pender

Strategic Clinical Director, Children, Young People and Families, Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

We’ve got a whole cohort now of new psychological professions to try and meet the need that we have to support children and young people with mental health problems . . . [so we are] bringing in narrative approaches through Team of Life and having that focus on what we call a Whole School Approach in developing their resilience in ways other than individual therapeutic interventions in a clinic room.

Jayne Hart

Educational Mental Health Practitioner, Wirral Mental Health Support Team

I have delivered Team of Life to 4 groups of young people ranging from year 3 to year 6. I find it is a lovely piece of work. I have seen how some young people have flourished and gained confidence to join clubs in and out of school, plus take part in assemblies and school performances. SENCO's have commented that they can see a difference in the young people who have taken part in Team of Life.

Jayne Hart, Wirral Mental Health Support Team

Speaking about her experiences delivering our programme...

Impact

Team of Life offers a way for NHS, public health, schools and VSCEs to work in partnership to build capacity

  • Involving children's communities in building resilience, including children's workforce, schools, families and peers

  • Capturing children's voices and empowering them

  • Improving prosocial behaviour, helping to reduce exclusions and suspensions in schools

  • Creating a safe and supportive environment, helping to reducing absenteeism in schools

  • Involving parent/carers and significant others through shared language and celebration

  • Involvement of staff teams in Team of Life, building team cohesion and individual awareness of support networks

Dr Fiona Pender

Strategic Clinical Director, Children Young People & Families at CWP on how Team of Life can address the concerns about child mental health...

Examples of our clients

Practitioners working in the NHS, Local Authorities, Schools and Voluntary Sector Organisations have taken up our training and are adopting our Team of Life Resilience Programme

Triage for Education Support and Specialist Advice, St Helens Borough Council

Outcomes and beneficiaries of the Team of Life programme...

  • What are the outcomes?

    Team of Life helps children to feel less isolated, be less socially withdrawn and show more pro-social behaviour such as kindness and friendliness

  • Who are the beneficiaries?

    The programme is aimed at children and young people aged 7-13, although ‘Team of Life’ benefits everyone by encouraging reflection on the important people in our lives.

  • Who does it particularly help?

    The approach is especially helpful for children and young people who have experienced losses, trauma or hardship, low-level mental health problems, concerns about transitioning to secondary school, difficulties with friendships and self-esteem issues.

Meet the Team of Life...

Watch and download our introductory video and resources

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