The TEAM approach to resilience
Builds resilience and capacity by activating childen and young people's support systems.
We offer training for the children's workforce to deliver our unique resilience programme. The Team of Life can also be used for resilience building with adults and team building with staff groups. Our Team of Life Facilitator Training Package also includes access to session plans and resources.
Reducing social isolation and building pro-social behaviour
Unlike other mental health resilience programmes, Team of Life moves beyond an internal and individual focus and acknowledges people’s social and cultural context, helping to reduce stigma.
Since the pandemic, mental health problems have increased in the UK. A recent survey undertaken by NHS Digital found that 1 in 6 children in July 2020 had a probable mental health problem, which is an increase of 50% compared to 2017. Social isolation is strongly linked to mental health problems. Team of Life helps people to recognise and build their support networks and become more aware of their strengths and achievements. As part of our work with schools and NHS Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services, Riverbank Psychology has developed resilience programmes based on Team of Life for children aged 7 and upwards to adults of all ages. Research by the University of Liverpool has shown that the Team of Life helps children to be less socially withdrawn, feel less isolated increased pro-social behaviour.
Building Resilience Systemically
Utilising a Narrative Therapy Approach
The Team of Life programme offers a systemic approach that doesn’t just support resilience at the individual level of the child or young person but also acknowledges the social and political determinants of health and the importance of the environment and community around children.
From a socio-ecological perspective (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Dahlgren & Whitehead, 1991) Team of Life, with its underpinnings in narrative therapy, helps us to work at the level of the relationships between individual and environmental factors.
A strength-based approach underpinned by Narrative Therapy
"Telling stories in ways that make us stronger"
Using the universal language of sport rather than the language of problems, Team of Life invites people to identify key sources of support or ‘team-mates’ in their lives. The use of sporting metaphors helps develop rich, strength-based stories and skills for tackling problems, avoiding obstacles, and achieving goals in life. This builds resilience by building a sense of social support and connected identity. The collective knowledge and resources of teams are acknowledged and shared in playful and creative ways that recognise the contribution people make to one another's lives.
We loved the above drawing that Lucy Rothwell, Education Mental Health Practitioner with Liverpool Mental Health Support Team did, which really brings the Team of Life metaphor to life.
Key Features
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Participants decide who they would like to think of as being in their ‘team of life’ from among their family, friends and other people who are important to them
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Recognising the skills in their teams helps them to build confidence
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Drawing how they worked together with their team to achieve a goal is an innovative way of telling stories of achievement and hope
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People are reminded that celebrating goals with a team is much more fun than on your own!
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Being part of a team makes it easier to think about how to tackle problems together
"But I'm not sporty!"
Team of Life provides a common and universal language for all children, whether or not they like sport
Perhaps you are thinking that Team of Life is for children who are interested in sport? Our research has shown that this is not the case; Team of Life has been used with children of different genders and children who are not so keen on playing or watching sport still benefitted and enjoyed taking part. As it is a highly playful approach children can play with the metaphor and go with alternative interests if they wish. Team of Life also provides a space for some of the problems within the sporting arena to be explored. The exploration of positive sporting values within the programme can also potentially ignite interest in sport among children who have "switched off" from sport.
In addition, don't worry if you don't know a lot about sport yourself, the language used in Team of Life is simple and we will give you all the tools you need to draw on the sporting metaphors that are used.
"Quite a lot of people like sports but even if you don't, you still know what it means without having to ask, you sort of understand" Year 7 Team of Life participant.
Outcomes
Research, led by University of Liverpool in partnership with Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust found groups led by staff in schools trained to deliver Team of Life helped children to:
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Feel less isolated
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Be less socially withdrawn
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Show more pro-social behaviour such as kindness and friendliness
Beneficiaries
Team of Life can be beneficial for anyone. It can be helpful to all of us to think about the important people in our lives; those whom we have learned from or who have helped us through life. Children and young people who have become or are at risk of becoming socially isolated are particularly likely to benefit, including children who have experienced:
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Losses, trauma, or hardship
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Low-level mental health problems
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Concerns in relation to transition to secondary school
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Difficulties with friendships
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Problems related to self-esteem
What children have said about Team of Life
Qualitative research with children who participated in Team of Life highlighted benefits in a number of domains:
Appreciating Others - "It reminds you of who's there for you, and like who can look after you when you're down"
Getting Support - "If I wanna do something I try and ask my parents if they wanna help me"
Improved Interactions - "It helps you realise that sometimes when you be mean to somebody you don't have to be mean to them over a tiny thing"
Team-work - "Yeah, I used to just kind of work on my own but now I like working in a team"
Helping Others - "I think just like being kinder to people and like if someone's sitting there upset I'll go over and talk to them"
Achieving Goals - "Team of Life helped me achieve it and it'll help me because now I know I can achieve my goals I think I might set a few more"
Increased Confidence - "I'm a lot more confident speaking out in class"
Our Mission, Our Heritage
Our mission is for all children and young people in the UK to have the opportunity to take part in Team of Life; ensuring they have a sense of connected identity and know they are not alone but have a team around them to help.
While working towards our mission at home we are also keen to honour the heritage of Team of Life and those who have paved the way for our Team of Life work here in the UK. The Team of Life began in Southern Africa in work that the Dulwich Centre Foundation was doing with former child soldiers. A percentage of proceeds therefore go to support ongoing work by the Dulwich Centre with communities in Africa.
