If you are passionate about developing positive relationships with children and young people to support their wellbeing, you are perfectly placed to adopt the Thrive Approach.
Thrive training is relevant to professionals in education, health and social care, and to parents, adoptive parents and foster carers. Training is tailored for Early Years (0-4 year olds), Childhood (4-11 year olds, English and Welsh versions) and Adolescence (11-18 year olds), unless otherwise indicated.
What are Free Awareness Sessions?
Information events that introduce you to the Thrive Approach and showcase its impact.
This level of training will:
- Introduce you to the Thrive Approach
- Demonstrate how the Approach is already being used in settings and the impact it has had.
What is Foundation Training?
Designed to provide the basic knowledge and skills required to use Thrive to optimise the right-time social and emotional development of all children and young people.
This level of training will:
- Introduce the theory and neuroscience that underpins the Approach
- Support you in creating a vision of how Thrive will look in your setting
- Demonstrate how to use Thrive-Online for group profiling and action-planning.
What is Licensed Training?
In-depth training that provides a deep, practical knowledge of Thrive and the underpinning theory and skills required to meet the reparative needs of children and young people with interrupted social and emotional development.
This level of training will:
- Equip you with an in-depth knowledge of the Thrive Approach
- Explain the stages of social and emotional development
- Explore what to do and how to be in response to distressed behaviour
- Teach you how to use Thrive-Online effectively.
What is Intermediate Training?
Open to Licensed Practitioners and above. Intermediate (CPD) courses are designed to increase the practitioners understanding of a variety of aspects of the Thrive Approach as part of their continuing professional development (CPD).
This level of training will:
- Continue professional development for Licensed Practitioners
- Help you to deepen and extend your Thrive practice.
What is Advanced Training?
These courses enable Licensed Practitioners to train others in the Thrive Approach and gain Course Leader and Licensed Trainer qualifications.
This level of training will:
- Further extend your knowledge and understanding of Thrive
- Delve deeper into the underpinning theory of the Approach
- Hone your training skills and put those skills into practice in the field.
New course to support parents and carers!
Course Leader for Family Thrive
This intensive three-day blended learning course equips Thrive Licensed Practitioners with the skills and resources they need to run a six-session Family Thrive programme in their setting.
Find your Relationship Manager
To find out more about Thrive training near you, contact the Relationship Manager for your area.
Diane Curtis
Relationship Manager (South East)
Alistair Dewar
Relationship Manager (London)
Alistair worked in schools for 10 years. He has a degree in Education and Music and a PGCE in Primary Education. He has also completed the National SENCO Award.
His first post was as a class teacher with a mainstream primary school with a unit for children with a hearing impairment which is where he developed an interest in supporting children with additional needs.
After this, he took up the role of teacher in charge of an enhanced provision for children with social, emotional and mental health needs at an Essex County Council provision called GROW.
Before joining Thrive in February 2020, Alistair was the Inclusion Leader and SENCO at a primary school which had previously been two schools that had both been placed into ‘Special Measures’ by Ofsted. He was part of the team which made rapid improvements and therefore the school was rated ‘Good’ with ‘Outstanding Leadership’ by Ofsted after just 3 years. Alistair led the use of the Thrive Approach to improve social and emotional skills, therefore improving behaviour and reducing exclusions. He then helped 12 schools in his academy trust to introduce The Thrive Approach as a Thrive Trainer.
Alistair knows the difference that using The Thrive Approach makes to the lives of children, families and adults working with children so is passionate about helping settings to introduce and then further embed The Thrive Approach.
Melanie Fisher
Relationship Manager (East)
Mel has been working with children for over 25 years. She started in a village primary school supporting a child with Downs Syndrome on a 1-1 basis. This led to a job in a special school working with children who had complex needs including ASD and challenging behaviour. Working with children with ASD became a passion and the focus of the next few years. This time included working at a specialist residential setting in Norfolk now known as Acorn Park.
Feeling the need to return to a mainstream setting, Mel became a member of the Behavioural and Emotional Support Team known as BEST at a middle school in Suffolk. Here she enjoyed supporting children who were struggling to engage with learning and took this experience to a school in Norwich before working at a Specialist Resource Base for children with SEMH where her journey with Thrive began. Thrive Training commenced in 2012 and she became a licensed practitioner. Loving this role and wanting to take it to the next stage she completed the training to become a Thrive Trainer in 2018 and then was thrilled to be appointed to the role of Relationship Manager.
Having supported many schools, children and families in Norfolk throughout the SRB Outreach service, she is excited to be taking these relationships to the next stage across the East of England.
Kay Hamilton
Relationship Manager (Central West)
After gaining a Bsc Hons Biology, Kay went on to gain Qualified Teacher status after completing her PGCE. Working in a large secondary school, she found herself drawn to pupils that required additional support. In 2002 Kay took up the post of SENO and designated lead for LAC. Kay’s curiosity and interest in the underlying causes of behaviour took hold and led her to a post as a Specialist Behaviour Teacher for the Behaviour Support Service; both teaching in a Pupil Referral Unit and carrying out behaviour support across Worcestershire schools. Kay was later seconded within the LA to set up and run a small unit to provide behaviour support to mainstream pupils at risk of exclusion.
Kay continued to follow her love of neuroscience, in particular her understanding of attachment and developmental trauma, and she moved on to be Assistant Head and SENCO, then laterly Headteacher of a Pupil Referral Unit. In 2006, following an outstanding ofsted, she was placed on the National Register for Outstanding Leaders in Education, gaining a second ofsted Outstanding judgement in 2009. Following the Merge of two Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) Kay went on to be Deputy head and then headteacher of a KS3 /4 PRU in special measures. Kay has been a designated Senco, safeguarding and LAC lead throughout most of her career. She had also been a governor of a primary PRU setting for over 10 years.
It was in 2013 Kay embarked on her Thrive journey. For Kay this was a perfect marriage of her two passions; neuroscience and art! She was keen to implement Thrive into her setting which was instrumental in supporting the whole school community and bringing about rapid change in the school culture and ethos. After gaining her Thrive Practitioner Licence, Kay embarked on her journey to become a Thrive Trainer in 2015. Kay decided to return to mainstream as a Licenced Practitioner whilst also working as an Educational Consultant for social, emotional and mental health.
Kay is very excited to join the Thrive team and to continues to support both schools and pupils within her new role.
Dominique Sagar
Relationship Manager (Yorkshire and Humberside)
Dominique has been working with children for 18 years, firstly as a swimming teacher, then progressing onto working in a school as a teaching assistant supporting children on a 1-1 basis with Social and Emotional difficulties. It was here that she discovered her passion for working with challenging children.
Dominique then moved on to Doncaster Road Primary School as the behaviour support worker where she later commenced Thrive training in 2012 and successfully became a Thrive Practitioner. This in turn lead to her becoming one of the lead Thrive Practitioners in the school and playing a vital role in supporting the school out of special measures.
Dominique then went on to complete the Thrive action plan mentor course and then became a Thrive Trainer. She has already supported many schools and professionals in embedding Thrive into their own settings, and feels privileged to have done so.
She is now in the next chapter in her Thrive journey as she has become a Relationship Manager for the North and Central England.
Rose Webb
Relationship Manager (South West)
Rose began her career in Education as a Secondary Teacher of Religious Education, PSHE and Drama. Rose became curious about why some young people could access the classroom environment with greater ease than others and through adapting her approach, soon discovered the power of experiential learning, creativity and connected, purposeful relationships.
Rose was keen to gain greater experience in SEN and became a support teacher for young people with social and emotional difficulties alongside undertaking some in school SENCO experience. Rose quickly observed the transformative effect of securely building a trusting relationship with pupils who had experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences and her passion for nurturing intervention work grew.
Rose moved into Pastoral Leadership and Whole School development of emotionally intelligent approaches for optimal social and emotional development and well-being. Rose joined the schools Extended Leadership Team and became a Staff Governor, focussing on Safeguarding, Attendance and Well-Being, working towards improving outcomes for vulnerable children and families.
In 2016 Rose became a Thrive Practitioner and lead the implementation of Thrive in her setting. Rose became a Thrive Trainer in 2017, driven by a strong passion for the Thrive Approach and supporting delegates embarking on their own Thrive journey.
Rose was delighted to be appointed South West Relationship Manager and looks forward to working alongside schools in her region.
Want to see all our relationship managers?
See allFind your perfect Thrive course
Case studies
While it is important to understand the model behind The Thrive Approach, what really matters is the impact that it can have in practice for the development of an individual child or young person.
View case studiesNext steps
If you would like to discuss more about Thrive and what opportunities are currently available in your area, please click the link below or call the Thrive team direct on 01392 797555.
Get in touch