The SHANARRI Active indicator recognises that movement, play and participation are essential to a young person’s development. Being active supports physical health, emotional wellbeing and social connection.
For professionals working in schools and residential care, Active is not just about organised sport. It includes everyday opportunities for movement, engagement and participation that contribute to overall wellbeing.
What Active Means in Practice
Within SHANARRI, Active includes:
- Participation in sport, play and recreation
- Opportunities for movement and physical development
- Engagement in hobbies and interests
- Access to safe environments for activity
It recognises that being active supports both physical and mental health, helping young people build confidence, resilience and positive routines.
The Impact of Physical Activity on Wellbeing
Research shows that regular physical activity has a direct impact on mental health, reducing anxiety and improving mood. It also supports social development by encouraging interaction and teamwork.
For young people in care, access to activity can be particularly important. It provides structure, routine and opportunities to build positive relationships.
However, barriers such as limited access to facilities, low confidence or past experiences can affect participation.
Supporting Active Wellbeing Across Settings
Professionals play a key role in encouraging and enabling participation.
In schools, this may involve physical education, extracurricular activities and active learning approaches. In residential care, it may include structured activities, informal play and supporting young people to explore their interests.
Supporting Active wellbeing involves:
- Encouraging participation in activities
- Removing barriers to access
- Recognising individual interests and preferences
- Providing consistent opportunities for engagement
Recording and Understanding Activity
Capturing information about activity can be challenging. Participation is often recorded informally or inconsistently, making it difficult to understand patterns over time.
Geco Connect helps organisations record and organise activity-related observations within the SHANARRI framework. This allows teams to track engagement, identify changes in participation and ensure that young people are supported to remain active.
It also helps build a clearer picture of how activity contributes to overall wellbeing.
Supporting Healthy Development
Active is closely linked to other SHANARRI indicators, including Healthy, Achieving and Included. Participation in activities supports physical health, builds skills and helps young people feel part of their community.
To support Active wellbeing effectively, organisations need to:
- Provide regular opportunities for activity
- Encourage participation in a way that builds confidence
- Understand individual needs and preferences
- Monitor engagement and progress over time
When these elements are in place, young people are more likely to develop healthy habits and positive relationships.
See SHANARRI in Practice
If you would like to see how organisations are tracking and supporting Active wellbeing through the SHANARRI indicators, Geco Connect can help.
Book a demo to see how it works in practice.