‘Resilience’ you say? Yes, resilience, the art being taught locally of ‘being brilliant’. A radical departure for the NHS possibly but one which is set to reap rewards for many years to come.
The Brilliant Erewash programme is seeing the health service team up with partners in the education service and beyond to help make children happy. And to help those children make their friends happy. And to help them make their families happy. Maybe their neighbours too.
Happy people tend to be healthier people. Happy people will hopefully go on to have more fulfilling lives. And happy, healthier people will tend to need health services less.
Resilience is now firmly on the curriculum of local schools and beginning to attract the attention of health experts and policy opinion formers. A recent visit to the East Midlands home of Wellbeing Erewash – the local NHS England ‘vanguard’ – by international healthcare expert Professor Don Berwick and Chris Ham, chief executive of the King’s Fund, saw the vanguard’s work being described as ‘amazing’ and ‘extraordinary’.
So what is Brilliant Erewash – and how brilliant is it? Brilliant Erewash is an ‘Art of Brilliance’ programme co-commissioned by public health and Wellbeing Erewash to work with all year seven pupils across six secondary schools.
The Art of Brilliance trainers deliver workshops that support and encourage young people to develop resilience, improve ‘mental wealth’ and build confidence. It aims to transform the way young people think about themselves by inspiring them to make the most of what they have been given.
It shares simple principles that raise aspirations, self-esteem, confidence and resilience that promotes good mental health. The programme also provides opportunities for young people to be trained to share in the delivery of positive messages to others in their school, extra curricula settings, as well as at home and the local community.
So far…
• 210 school staff have attended Brilliant Erewash events
• 680 year seven and eight students have attended Brilliant Erewash sessions
• 62 student champions have been identified by Brilliant Erewash
• 70% of students at Wilsthorpe School in Long Eaton who had been involved in Brilliant Erewash said they deal with problems or difficulties well. Prior to the initiative, this figure was only 41%
• 93% of students at Friesland School in Sandiacre who had been involved in Brilliant Erewash said they feel optimisitic about the future. Prior to the initiative, this figure was only 43%
• Recent event feedback from a teacher included: “I thought the session was extremely uplifting and raised a few things that made you think. I believe this will be great for our students in terms of motivation, positivity and, in turn, their future happiness. I think it is 'brilliant'!”
Need more convincing? Why not listen to the young people who have taken part in Brilliant Erewash?
Hear their views and those of their teachers at: http://www.wellbeingerewash.org.uk/personal-resilience/brilliant-erewash