Five core themes have been developed to form the practical initiatives that make up the project. These fall into two categories: big initiatives and action research and learning. In addition two underpinning themes have emerged. To read more about each aspect of the project, please click on the links below.

Big Initiatives

 Promoting emotional resilience among 11 to 13 year olds

This is based on the Penn Resilience Programme developed by the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. This is the first widespread pilot of this schools based resilience programme in the UK and the largest trial in the world to date. It aims to teach children the skills to deal more constructively with negative emotion and difficult circumstances.

Promoting emotional resilience among older people

This service is based on Living Life to the Full, a programme developed by psychiatrist Dr. Chris Williams. This pilot is unique in its focus on the psychological wellbeing of older people and it is the first programme to use the principles and practices of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in a community setting, where both local service users and providers will benefit.

Young People’s progress through 16-19 year old transition –  apprenticeship pathfinders

This strand aims to improve the ‘soft skills’ and employability of young people aged 16-19, and in turn increase their wellbeing. This service will support a cohort of apprentices considered to be from ‘hard to reach backgrounds’ through two year apprenticeships, monitoring the progress in terms of their overall wellbeing, welfare and their learning and training outcomes.

Action Research and Learning

 Neighbourhood and Community Empowerment

Empowerment in this context is about communities mobilising and working together to involve themselves in civil society. The aim of this project is to use existing evidence and new case studies to assess how empowerment impacts on wellbeing.

Parenting Support 

There is an increasing policy focus on the need to ensure that parents can provide adequate practical and emotional support for their children. Policy has tended to monitor the impact of parenting programmes on child outcomes but, with a focus on wellbeing, this project goes a step further to look at how parenting support specifically contributes to the wellbeing of both parents and children.  

Underpinning Themes

Environmental sustainability

Environmental sustainability refers to the growing concern that policy does not impact negatively on our environment. This has been identified as an underpinning theme because sustainability and wellbeing both point to the idea that policy should go beyond aiming for economic growth. This project will explore how promoting behaviour change and sustainability does not always have to mean self-denial but can actually increase wellbeing.

Measurement

This strand is concerned with finding robust ways to measure both objective and subjective wellbeing at the local level. Indications of levels of wellbeing would enable authorities both to allocate resources to those who need them most and to better understand the impact of their policies on people’s wellbeing.

Click here to read more about the policy impact of this project

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