New neighbourhood model aims to transform support for children and young people’s mental health

The model responds to increasing concern that the current system is too fragmented, reactive and overstretched — often stepping in only once children reach crisis point. Instead, it calls for a shift towards early help, prevention and community-led support, rooted in neighbourhoods and built around children, young people and families.

What is the “Growing Up Well” neighbourhood model?

The model proposes a fundamental redesign of how support is organised locally, bringing together services around a shared goal: helping children and young people to grow up mentally and emotionally well.

Key features include:

• Early intervention and prevention, rather than crisis response
• Joined-up support across health, education, local authorities and the VCSE sector
• Place-based working, focused on neighbourhoods rather than disconnected services
• Strong relationships with families, recognising parents and carers as partners
• A focus on wellbeing, not just treatment or diagnosis

The approach recognises that children’s mental health is shaped by far more than clinical services alone — including family life, education, housing, poverty, community connection and access to trusted local support.

Why this matters for the VCSE sector

VCSE organisations are central to the vision set out in the Growing Up Well model. Many of the strengths it highlights — trusted relationships, flexibility, cultural competence and long-term community presence — already sit within voluntary and community organisations.

For the VCSE sector, this model:

• Reinforces the value of community-based and relational support
• Supports greater parity between statutory services and VCSE partners
• Encourages long-term investment in early help, rather than short-term crisis funding
• Creates opportunities for co-design with children, young people and families

Crucially, it challenges systems to move away from “referral-heavy” models and instead build local ecosystems of support where help is accessible, familiar and joined up.

Tackling inequalities and rising demand

The Centre for Young Lives highlights that mental health challenges disproportionately affect children growing up in poverty or facing disadvantage — and that current systems often struggle most where need is highest.

The Growing Up Well model aims to:

• Reduce inequalities in access to support
• Address pressures on specialist mental health services
• Prevent escalation by supporting children earlier in their lives
• Build resilience at both individual and community levels

What happens next?

The model is intended to inform national and local decision-making, offering a framework that areas can adapt to their own communities. It also strengthens the case for policy reform, sustainable funding and cross-sector collaboration.

For VCSE organisations working with children, young people and families, this provides a powerful evidence-based narrative to:

• Advocate for early help funding
• Shape local partnership conversations
• Position community organisations as core system partners, not add-ons

Read the full article and model from the Centre for Young Lives: Here