Children and Young People
Young People are struggling to deal with the stresses and complexities of the current way of life and mental health issues amongst children and young people are at an all-time high. According to Young Minds, a leading mental health charity, 1 in 8 children have a diagnosable mental health disorder – that’s roughly 3 children in every classroom. With 1 in 6 young people aged 16-24 having symptoms of a common mental disorder such as depression or an anxiety disorder and half of all mental health problems manifesting by the age of 14, with 75% by age 24.
HorseHeard have a strong track record of making a real difference in improving children and young people’s confidence, motivation, communication, sense of responsibility which is contributing to improved levels of positivity, improved mental health and aspirations for the future.
We partner with schools, local authorities, NHS CAMHS ( for info stands for child, adolescent mental health service), community organisations and mental health charities to deliver programmes for children from aged 9 and up. Children attend in groups and our systemic approach means we work closely with families and key adults in order to create sustained emotional and behavioural changes. You can read about our flagship programmes Being Friends, Pony Pals, Me, Myself and I, and Take the LEAP below.
We had a wonderful day with HorseHeard exploring the themes of emotional resilience and confidence. It was exciting to see the girls learning in a completely different environment.
The changes our clients have seen
- 90% of children across programmes consistently achieved a positive action or behaviour change within school following a HorseHeard programme
- 80% of children and young people felt better able to manage their emotions and improve their behaviour
- 95% demonstrate increased confidence
- 50% of participants felt more determined and had tried harder at something they had found difficult before, examples included: school work, certain subjects, speaking out and socialising
Being Friends
Being Friends
The Being Friends programme sets out to work with mainstream Primary Schools and Year 5 and 6 school children to develop emotional resilience. It is a four-week programme which targets not only personal learning but sustained behaviour change. This includes an introductory session for parents/carers and teaching staff to experience the work for themselves in order to support the behaviour change of the children.
Core outcomes from this programme are about developing and maintaining friendship and community, specifically:
- Becoming more self aware
- Working with and caring for others
- Increasing confidence and self-esteem
- Reducing inappropriate behaviour through awareness of choice.
Now, when I experience any sense of self-doubt, I recall how the resilience and determination I felt when working with Gracie made me feel; I instantly become emotionally stronger and my self-belief and determination to succeed, rise.
Pony Pals
Pony Pals
This is a condensed two-session version of the Being Friends programme. Core outcomes for this programme are:
- Increasing confidence, self-esteem and self-belief
- Managing feelings and controlling behaviour through greater self-awareness
- Developing the ability to persevere even when things get tough or challenging
- Knowing it is ok to try something new/different
They helped me to achieve good things with the horses, rather than just telling them what to do.
Helped me get more confidence. I felt really good about myself.
Me, Myself and I
Me, Myself and I
This programme works with young people aged 11- 18 to develop life skills such as confidence, self-belief and emotional resilience. This will be, by creating a safe environment to share feelings and emotions around new situations, having experienced being out of their comfort zone and challenging themselves to do something unfamiliar. These personal challenges will allow them to consider their behaviour and demonstrate their increased confidence and self-awareness. They will also spend time around horses and find out what makes these animals so special in terms of improving mental health and wellbeing.
Core outcomes for this programme are:
- Increasing confidence, self-esteem and a stronger sense of self and heightened awareness of others and their needs with a greater understanding of how to build and maintain relationships
- Improved ability for young people to manage themselves and their behavioural choices by taking responsibility for their actions
- Feeling a sense of success and sense of achievement, sometimes for the first time
- Improved effective communication and an increased ability for young people to express their feelings, opinions and personal learnings.
I can Lead; I can be a Leader.
TAKE the LEAP
TAKE the LEAP
“I have learned about determination and that I can do anything when I believe in myself – even when I am a little scared”
LEAP stands for Leadership, Employability, Awareness Programme. This is a four session programme, delivered over two days, which works with college students and other teenage groups to develop life skills sought by employers. It targets leadership and employability, helping them to develop and practice SMART goal setting. Through a combination of individual and group challenges they can sharpen and demonstrate their self-awareness and confidence, as well as the ability to work with and influence others. They will gain skills that are applicable from the examination room, to the interview and on into the workplace.
Core outcomes from the programme are:
- Heightened self-awareness and core life skills
- Attain a greater level of confidence and self-esteem
- Understand personal power, influence and the benefits of self-management
- A greater understanding of the demands of the workplace.
We’ve seen some amazing results with the young people …. extraordinary to see the results that can be achieved in a relatively short time which makes it a very cost effective and engaging activity for young people.
Workhorse
Workhorse
This programme for young adults with additional learning needs enhances their potential to gain voluntary or paid employment. They will learn skills to help them develop the emotions and behaviours that would be recognised by a potential employer. By presenting them with personal challenges they can develop their self-awareness and increase their self-confidence and other life sills. The programme meets OFSTED requirements and consists of four half day sessions with small groups of no more than four participants to ensure maximum individual attention.
Core outcomes for this programme are:
- Improved self-awareness, self-confidence and self-esteem
- Increased awareness of the key emotions and behaviours that increase potential to become a voluntary or paid employee
- Young people will have learnt the importance of teamwork
- Demonstrable employability skills to use for their personal profile and Curriculum Vitae to inform future interviews and employers.
The people really wanted to help me.
