Headstart was introduced in Middlesbrough in 2013 as a Big Lottery funded project; additional funding was secured from Future in Mind, education and public health. The aim of Headstart is to:

• Support young people aged 0-19 to cope in better in difficult circumstances and do well in school and in life.
• Build resilience in young people to prevent the onset of common mental health problems.
• Learn from different approaches and contribute to an evidence base for investment in prevention and early intervention.
• Develop an early intervention and prevention model to provide support in school, at home, in the community and virtually.
• Develop a co-production model with children and their families.

In April 2020 South Tees Clinical Commissioning Group allocated Future in Mind funding to introduce elements of HeadStart into Redcar and Cleveland schools and support the development and delivery of the resilience approach. This support provided by a dedicated team will be in two ways; by direct delivery and by developing local networks to enhance relationships and access to services and support. HeadStart is a responsive programme; working on individual school priorities and using methods that complement current school approaches.