Introducing Time for Kids
Helping young people thrive
Time for Kids is a values-based approach designed to help children and young people thrive. It was developed by a passionate group of professionals from health, education, children’s services, the third sector, and the police, all inspired by the voices of children and young people.
The approach is built on five simple, easy-to-apply principles that any professional can embed in their daily work: Connect, Trust, Hope, Belong, and Believe. These values form the foundation of the Time for Kids ethos and are relevant at work, at home, and in our communities.
Background
In 2019, a group of Surrey leaders came together to ask an important question: Why do some children in Surrey struggle to thrive and fulfil their potential? They recognised there is no single answer – every child’s journey is unique. However, they identified key factors that enable children and young people to flourish. From this, the five core values emerged.
Time for Kids resources were originally supported by Surrey Youth Focus. Following its closure, Eikon is proud to be one of the founding organisations continuing this important work. We now host all Time for Kids resources on our website, available for download, so that professionals and organisations can embed these principles in their practice.
Who is Time for Kids for?
Time for Kids is relevant for anyone working with children, young people, and families in Surrey – whether you are a social worker, teacher, health professional, police officer, youth group leader, volunteer, or charity professional.
The more people who adopt the Time for Kids principles, the closer we get to providing a holistic, supportive, and consistent service for every child in the system.
All it requires is a commitment to making a positive difference for children and young people across your organisation.
The Five Principles
Time for Kids is about always thinking… what more could I do to help a child or young person to thrive? Themed around five values – connect, trust, hope, belong and believe – they provide a simple framework to guide our approach.
1. Be Crazy About the Kid
Focus on building a genuine human connection with each child. By approaching them with patience, passion, and adopting a child-first mindset, we can help them achieve their very best.
2. Trust
Provide children with a consistent relationship with at least one adult they trust. Many young people feel lost and believe they have no one to turn to. Professionals and volunteers need time and resources to offer stability and gain a child’s trust.
3. Hope
Encourage children to tell their story and learn to hope. We should listen, believe, and support young people in making the changes they need to develop hope for their future.
4. Belong
Give children a sense of belonging and encourage them to shine. Build on each child’s individual strengths and help them find places where they feel they belong and can thrive.
5. Believe
Believe in what they can achieve. We all need to believe in the child or young person and inspire them to believe in themselves.
Resources for professionals
We appreciate that each organisation will interpret Time for Kids differently, but in order to help professionals embed the principles in their everyday work, we have provided a range of resources. From branded promotional assets – to frameworks to help you challenge current working practices – we hope that you find these resources useful.
Click on the links below for copies of the resources currently available.
