The Nurtured Heart Approach®
The NHA underpins all the projects and services The Benjamin Foundation provides. All staff are trained in its application. It is a unique feature of the charity with the potential to have significant impacts on tackling a range of needs at scale.
Developed by Howard Glasser, this innovative approach provides strategies for strengthening family relationships, reflecting on the energy of interactions, recognising personal qualities of greatness, and providing clarity about rules and consequences.
Those trained to use NHA can turn the most challenging situations toward success by focusing on individual skills and qualities and promoting ‘inner wealth’.
At the core of the Approach are ‘The 3 Stands’ – all necessary promises that support workers must be determined to keep if they are to create nurturing habits and enable big behavioural changes:
Absolute NO – resolutely not putting any energy into mistakes made, wrong-doing or negative behaviours, and helping parents, carers, support workers and young people to learn ‘reset’ strategies (regain calm and control).
Absolute YES – creating opportunities for young people’s success, making a big deal of detailing any and every great quality, success, or positive behaviour.
Clarity of Rules, and consequences that are known and agreed – fair, restorative, short and meaningful.
NHA is an indelible part of The Benjamin Foundation’s cultural underpinnings. It shows itself in the way the charity always strives to provide the best support services for everyone it works with, and the best support for everyone who works with it, whether volunteers, employees, other partners, or other stakeholders, promoting the ‘inner wealth’ of all.
Looking at what is right rather than wrong takes continual practice, but has amazing results! The Nurtured Heart Approach® is much more than what’s written here; it takes time to learn, a desire to change and motivation to let go of past problems.
25 of our staff are Certified Trainers in the Nurtured Heart Approach® and can share their expertise with parents, outside agencies and other staff members. All of our staff receive training and are supported to use the Nurtured Heart Approach® in their day to day work and we’re dedicated to ensuring they develop their knowledge and use of the approach to strengthen relationships with individuals, within families, and with colleagues.
Clear rules and consequences are established in partnership with the young people who use our services. They are used alongside emphasising everyone’s successes. Other examples of how we use The Nurtured Heart Approach® when working with children, young people and families are:
Parent Support Advisers work with parents to show them how to use the Nurtured Heart Approach® to increase enjoyment of family life.
Time for You Support Workers provide emotional well-being support and model the Nurtured Heart Approach® when working directly with children in schools.
One to one working with young people across our accommodation centres in Norfolk and Suffolk – staff work with children and young people every day to help them move forward in their lives, build confidence and help them be proud of who they are.
Direct work with children attending our pre-schools and breakfast and after-school clubs – every day our nursery staff encourage children to recognise their own positive qualities and behaviours and to really see the things they do well! ‘Greatness’ words are used in our Early Years Settings to help children learn vocabulary for the greatness they and others around them are showing.