Supporting Young Minds to Thrive at YMCA Nurseries

At YMCA Black Country Group, we are proud to be rolling out Thrive training across our nurseries, helping our teams better support children’s social, emotional and mental wellbeing.

The Thrive Approach is a dynamic, developmental and trauma‑sensitive way of working, designed to meet the emotional and social needs of every child. It helps our practitioners understand behaviour not just as something to manage, but as a way children communicate how they are feeling. This builds on the wider work already happening across YMCA Black Country Group, where trauma‑informed practice is embedded in services including housing, and through the way we design and audit our environments. Thrive is a natural next step, strengthening an approach that is already focused on understanding people’s experiences and responding with care, consistency and compassion.

As Thrive Licensed Practitioners, our teams use the Thrive profiling tool to better understand each child’s development and identify where additional support may be needed. From there, tailored action plans are created using play‑based activities and everyday interactions, helping children build confidence, resilience and emotional awareness.

A great example of this in action can be seen at YMCA City Gateway Nursery. Following their training, Sarah (Nursery Manager) and Abby (Deputy Manager) have worked closely with the Toddler Room team to create a dedicated Thrive Den. This calming, nurturing space allows children to safely self‑regulate, express how they are feeling and access support when they need it. The space includes sensory bottles, emotion books, Colour Monster resources, cloud visuals and family photos, helping children feel safe, secure and connected.

Sarah Lee, Nursery Manager at YMCA City Gateway Nursery, said: “Thrive has given our team a real understanding of what sits behind children’s behaviour and how we can support them in the right way. Creating the Thrive Den has been a really positive step — it gives children a space where they feel safe and can express themselves, while helping staff respond in a way that meets each child’s needs. We’ve already seen the difference it’s making.”

Thrive is also being embedded into daily routines and key group times across all our nurseries. Whether through one‑to‑one support, role play, games or quiet reflective spaces, our teams are creating environments where children can feel comfortable expressing themselves openly. The impact of this approach is already being seen. Practitioners are better equipped to understand each child as an individual, providing the right support at the right time and helping children feel confident, cared for and ready to learn.

By building on the strong foundations already in place across YMCA Black Country Group, Thrive is helping us go further in our commitment to creating environments where every child feels supported, understood and able to thrive.