Resilience Framework key points
• The Resilience Framework summarises a set of ideas and practices that promote resilience. It is based on a body of research and practice development called Resilient Therapy (RT).
• This was originally developed by Angie Hart and Derek Blincow, with help from Helen Thomas and a group of parents and practitioners.
• Adapted versions have been created to adapt the Framework to different groups.
How the Resilience Framework was developed
We took the resilience research evidence base and padded other sets of ideas from our practice with very disadvantaged children and families in an NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Clinic, working closely with schools and other agencies. Alongside this, Professor Angie Hart’s adoptive parenting knowledge went into the mix and, more recently, we’ve collected experiences from a much wider group of collaborators.
We distilled all these different sets of ideas into a handy table that summarises our approach and acts as a reminder to people of what’s included. We’ve called this table various things over the years, and have represented it in different ways – firstly, as a Resilient Therapy Magic Box of potions and remedies, a toolkit of ideas, then a more detailed summary table.
The current Resilience Framework doesn’t use the language of ‘therapy’, so that it is more accessible to a wider range of people. It is available as a black and white Resilience Framework in case you, or the young people you support, prefer to colour code the Framework yourselves, or don’t have access to a colour printer. There is also a blank Resilience Framework so that you can write your own items if you wish.
The Resilience Framework has been translated into Greek, Spanish, Turkish, French, Swedish, Portuguese, Danish and Polish with more languages on the way. We’ve also been developing a version of the table for use with adults, the Resilience Framework for Adults, also available in German, and a Family Resilience Framework to support members of the wider family (parents, siblings, carers etc.).
All our tables and frameworks are available as PDFs and can be downloaded from the Boingboing website. But the Interactive Framework we’ve designed especially for schools is probably what you want at the moment. Marton Primary School, Blackpool, have also co-produced a Resilience Framework for Primary School children.
The Summary Table & how it works
The Summary Table visually shows you how we have split our ideas under five headings or compartments – Basics, Belonging, Learning, Coping and Core Self – to help us think strategically and practically about doing things resiliently.
Within each of these compartments is a selection of evidenced based ideas or remedies, to draw on when trying to make a resilient move with a child or young person. Navigate through the table to find out more about each term.
The Resilience Framework Summary Table does look pretty simple, but there’s quite a lot of work behind it. And if you’re thinking you are still unsure about how to give it a go, take a look at the Resilient Therapy background page and see if it can help.
If you really want to get stuck into understanding how we put it together, and get more information about how to use it, you might want to get hold of one of our books.
We’ve also used it in other places on this website to give you more of an idea of how to put some of the ideas into practice so don’t bother buying a book before you have had a good look around the website for ideas such as
• The Resilient Classroom – a Tutor resource
• And check out ‘One Step Forward‘ – a Looked After Children’s resilience resource
• Have a look at the film below which was features Hove Park School (secondary) in Brighton where the Resilient Classroom resource was developed as part of a whole school approach to promoting resilience.
The Boingboing Resilience Framework
The Resilience Framework is a handy table that summarises ‘what works’ when supporting children and young people’s resilience according to the Resilience Research base. The Resilience Framework forms a cornerstone of our research and practice. On this page we have pulled together lots of useful links so you can find out all about the Resilience Framework.
Ready, Set, Resilience
Ready, Set, Resilience is a workbook and supporting guidance created to support young people’s resilience aimed at year 9 students. It uses mixture of activities which support individual resilience (beating the odds) and activities to support changing the odds like activism.
The Academic Resilience Approach
Our resources help any school establish systems to build ‘resilience approaches’ that support disadvantaged pupils over time through a whole school approach. Benefitting all pupils and increasing academic resilience, the ARA helps everyone in the school community play a part.
Academic Resilience Approach evaluation
This evaluation project explores ways to build the capacity of school staff and the commitment of school leaders and other key stakeholders to help them identify and implement specific resilience-based actions using the Academic Resilience Approach.
Academic Resilience resources directory
Here you can download the Academic Resilience Approach resources to help any school establish systems to build ‘resilience approaches’ that support disadvantaged pupils over time through a whole school approach. All the Academic Resilience Approach resources are free to download.
Interactive Resilience Framework
The Interactive Resilience Framework was developed especially for schools with children and young people in mind and has more detail about each idea, including relevant research evidence, suggestions of what to do, and what you people themselves think.
Building child and family resilience – Boingboing’s resilience approach in action
This briefing seeks to build practice approaches to building resilience in the context of the social deprivation that is the experience of many of the most disadvantaged families.
Academic Resilience Approach Training workshops
This CPD accredited Academic Resilience Approach workshop is for anyone keen to understand how to build resilience in school communities. For example headteachers, governors, SENCOs, teachers, school counsellors, educational psychologists and support staff.
Fostering academic resilience a brief review of the evidence base
It is very clear that poor school outcomes can have catastrophic long-term consequences, and there is growing recognition that schools should address ALL pupils’ needs. This brief review of the evidence explores what is meant by the term resilience and gives an overview of what schools can do to foster it in their pupils.
Evaluating resilience-based programs for schools using a systematic consultative review
The aim of this paper is to explain how and why school-based resilience approaches for young people aged 12-18 do (or do not) work in particular contexts, holding in mind the parents and practitioners who engage with young people on a daily basis, and whom we consulted in the empirical element of our work, as our audience.
Schools mental health guide
Supporting children and young people in their mental health: A guide for East Sussex schools. A resilience-based, whole school approach to promoting positive mental health and addressing individual needs.
Supporting mental health and emotional wellbeing at school
A short guide to how you can best support mental health and emotional wellbeing at school – Tips for teachers and staff in schools as recommended by young people.
