NHS director in Fleetwood to see how mental health initiatives are helping children and young people to Thrive

A leading NHS director has visited Lancashire to hear more about how a programme of work led by Fleetwood Primary Care Network (PCN) is improving the mental health of young people.

Professor Bola Owolabi, director of the Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme for NHS England, stopped off at Fleetwood Youth Hub and two local schools yesterday to hear more about the Thrive initiative, and how joint working across health and education is working with regards to children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Professor Mark Spencer, GP at the Mount View Practice and former clinical director of Fleetwood PCN, said: “We are delighted that Professor Owolabi could come to Fleetwood to witness first-hand the impact that Thrive has had for our children and young people and their families.

“Thrive was set up two years ago and has already had a demonstrable impact in the local community. In that time, we’ve reached out and supported children, young people and complex families whose health needs would have gone unmet, and we’ve seen a 59 per cent reduction in A&E attendances for children with mental health. 

“The main aim of Thrive is to bring together all our community services, including health, education, local authority, voluntary and third sector, to identify gaps and barriers and create solutions, change, opportunity, connection and hope.”

Thrive is focused is on early help and prevention, strengthening the community and primary care offer by increasing access to mental health support locally, which better supports the emotional wellbeing of children and young people as well as reducing GP appointments, inappropriate hospital referrals and crisis A&E admissions.

NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), which has provided additional resources for the Thrive Network, accompanied Professor Owolabi on her visit, which took in Flakefleet School and Larkholme Primary School, where she found out how joint working across health and education is working and learnt more about the development of an innovative trauma pathway pilot.

The afternoon was focused around the Fleetwood Hub, in North Albert Street, which was selected as a '7 For 70' project by The Prince's Foundation (now King's Foundation) in 2018. A Youth Hub was also opened in June 2024. There, Professor Owolabi met voluntary sector partners that are working together to support the community.

Run by Fleetwood Town Football Club Community Trust, the Youth Hub has created a safe space with trusted adults who provide activities for young people to learn and develop much-needed life skills. To date, 422 individual children have attended various activities at the Youth Hub on 5,917 occasions, with 3,921 meals being served. Lancashire Police have also reported a 67 per cent reduction in antisocial behaviour across the Pharos Ward since the Youth Hub opened.

Claire Niebieski, the ICB’s head of population health for Lancashire North, said: “The initiatives in Fleetwood demonstrate how integrated neighbourhood working at a local level should be done, with the health sector and partners working together to support the health inequalities agenda.

“The aim of the visit was to show how the wider determinants of health are being addressed, with a community-based approach to improve children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, and we believe there are valuable examples here that can be implemented in other parts of our region, and indeed nationally.”

Speaking about her visit to Fleetwood, Professor Owolabi said: “This is a wonderful example of neighbourhood health in action, built on community voices, powered by partnership, and delivered with commitment and authentic leadership.”