The Nurtured Heart Approach®
The Nurtured Heart Approach (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:
The NHA in Our Services
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. We are dedicated to ensuring they develop their knowledge and use of the approach to strengthen relationships with individuals, within families, and with colleagues.
Read more about how we use The Nurtured Heart Approach in our services below!
Our Parent Support Advisers work with parents to show them how to use the Nurtured Heart Approach to increase enjoyment of family life. Additionally, our Time for You support workers provide emotional well-being support and model the Nurtured Heart Approach when working directly with children in schools.
Our housing support staff work one-to-one 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.
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.
NHA Training
We offer training in the Nurtured Heart Approach, led by our qualified Advanced Trainers. If you are looking to transform your relationships with children and young people in schools, youth settings, support work or within family homes, this training is for you!
You can also email us about organising a bespoke training for your workplace or group using the details below.
Our training at How Hill in February 2026
