Project hailed as schools see exclusions fall

SCHEME to transform the mental health and wellbeing of children across Halton has cut school exclusion rates in its first year - and potentially saved millions of pounds in the long run.

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The project - a partnership between Halton Borough Council and Thrive ~ involves the training of primary and secondary school educators as Thrive Licensed Practitioners so they can support the emotional well-being and resilience of children and young people in their schools.

During its first year, 110 educators in 45 Halton schools have been trained as Thrive Licensed Practitioners, supporting more than 20,000 children and young people.

This has resulted in 14 fewer school exclusions across Halton, potentially saving the local authority more than £170,000 in lifetime costs associated with each exclusion.

More than £300,0000 from the Department for Education's Delivering Better Value (DBV) fund has been invested in the programme by Halton Borough Council.

News of the programme's year of success was shared with school leaders and teachers from across the borough at a conference at Halton Stadium.