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i-THRIVE

Organisational and system change
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The National i-THRIVE Programme is working with over 70 areas in England to improve services for children and young people’s mental health using the THRIVE Framework for system change.

Our approach

The THRIVE Framework was originally developed by a collaboration of authors from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in 2014. The THRIVE Framework is an integrated, person centred and needs led approach to delivering mental health services for children, young people and families which conceptualises need in five categories; Thriving, Getting Advice and Signposting, Getting Help, Getting More Help and Getting Risk Support. Emphasis is placed on the promotion of mental health and wellbeing, and for children, young people and their families to be empowered to be actively involved in decisions about their care through shared decision making.

The National i-THRIVE Programme is a national programme of innovation and improvement in child and adolescent mental health that is being implemented in sites across the country. i-THRIVE was selected as an NHS Innovation Accelerator in 2016 and is now endorsed in the NHS Long Term Plan.

More information on i-THRIVE can be found at: i-THRIVE | Implementing the THRIVE Framework

Impact

The THRIVE Framework is distinct by emphasising the need for a common language when talking about the needs of young persons rather than trying to create a service structure. For example, an individual therapist could be giving advice to one person in the morning, and giving more help to a different person in the afternoon. The THRIVE Framework is a way to best address needs while acknowledging how CAMHS services do not have all the answers.  The THRIVE Framework should help to tackle assumptions made in treatment for children and young people using mental health services, that are based on professional views.

Using a broader lens for mental health services, and one that incorporates the wider system, the narrative can move towards asking how we can support young people where ever they are.

The evaluation of the National i-THRIVE Programme has recently published, which shows that implementing the THRIVE Framework can reduce waiting times for triage by 29% and assessment by 20%.

The research can be accessed here .

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