New Alliance

Transforming emotional wellbeing and mental health support for Surrey’s children and young people.

Peer is proud to be part of the Surrey Wellbeing Partnership (SWP). SWP are part of a wider alliance with Barnardos,  Learning Space, Surrey and Borders NHS Foundation Trust and The National Autistic Society. The alliance has been awarded a new contract to provide. children and young people in Surrey with emotional wellbeing and mental health support.

The alliance brings together NHS clinical expertise with local and national third sector organisations who have proven track records in delivering services to children and young people.

The new provision has been developed in partnership with children, young people and professionals and will see services transformed across Surrey. Underpinning this will be the introduction and subsequent embedding of the THRIVE Framework. With THRIVE, emotional wellbeing and mental health needs are defined by children, young people and their families, in collaboration with professionals. It puts the wants and needs of the child or young person first and provides a greater choice of support available.

A young person, aged 17, who currently accesses emotional wellbeing and mental health support in Surrey said: “This is great news. I think young people will now, hopefully, feel more confident in coming forward and asking for support knowing that they will be put first and listened to.”

There will be a greater focus on providing support when emotional wellbeing or mental health needs begin to emerge. Professionals in schools, primary care and the community will receive increased support and training to be able to help earlier and prevent a deterioration in emotional wellbeing and mental health.

For children and young people with neurodevelopmental needs, including those who are Autistic or have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), support will be available earlier within the community without the need for a formal diagnosis. This will allow conversations to begin sooner about the best ways a child or young person can be supported.

The contract was put up for tender by Surrey’s Clinical Commissioning Groups and Surrey County Council earlier this year, and the new arrangement, which is aligned to national and local plans, sees greater financial investment over a minimum of seven years. The new service is due to commence in a phased, planned manner from April 2021.

Chris Hickford, Director of the Surrey Wellbeing Partnership, on behalf of the alliance said: “We share the commissioners’ passionate belief that easily accessed, high quality support for children, young people and their families results in a better quality of life for all concerned. We are therefore utterly determined to achieve this in Surrey by building on the strong foundations, relationships and good work that already exists and by making sure that children and young people are supported quickly, in schools and their communities, as their need emerges.”

Peer’s founder and Artistic Director Nina Lemon said, “We are delighted to be included in this new alliance which will allow us to continue to develop innovative work to support young people’s mental health. This has been an important part of our work since we started in 2006 and, with the recent pandemic, young people’s need for support with mental health continues to escalate. With our partners in the Surrey Wellbeing Partnership and the wider alliance, we are excited to help to develop prevention and support services to meaningfully transform young people’s lives.”

The alliance is comprised of:

Barnardo’s will provide engagement and participation with children and young people and will also focus on neuro developmental support and workforce training.

Learning Space will focus on delivery of the new service with an emphasis on the neuro developmental pathway providing support to children, young people and families.

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust who will act as lead provider with a focus on delivery of clinical interventions and crisis support.

The National Autistic Society will focus on delivery of the new service with concentration on the neuro developmental pathway providing support to children, young people and families.

The Surrey Wellbeing Partnership (SWP) is a group of third sector organisations including: Barnardo’s, The East to West Trust, The Eikon Charity, Emerge, Learning Space, Leatherhead Youth Project, The Matrix Trust, The National Autistic Society, Peer Productions, Relate West Surrey, Step by Step Partnership Ltd, Surrey Care Trust, YMCA East Surrey. The SWP will play a key role in early support, building relationships with children, young people and families and strengthening links with the wider community provision. 

The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust is the co-author of the THRIVE Framework along with the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families. The Tavistock and Portman will develop the Surrey THRIVE framework and training programme which will strengthen clinical leadership and support an outcomes-based framework.