The SEMH Handbook

A Tremendous Power

I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that,

I am the decisive element in the classroom.

It’s my personal approach that creates the climate,

It’s my daily mood that makes the weather.

As a ‘teacher’, I possess a tremendous power,

to make a child’s life miserable or joyous.

I can be a tool of torture,

or an instrument of inspiration.

I can humiliate or humour, hurt or heal.

In all situations, it is my response that decides,

whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated,

and a child, humanised or de-humanised.

- Haim Ginott

OVERVIEW

The SEMH Handbook has been commissioned by Barking and Dagenham Local Authority to support schools in developing their graduated response for students who have identified SEMH needs or are at risk of developing SEMH needs.

It has been produced through the collaborative efforts of colleagues across Education, Health, Social Care and third-sector organisations, ably led by Roger Mitchell, Head of Ripple Primary School. The SEMH Handbook has been written and curated by Lee Boyce, Principal Adviser for Education and Inclusion at BDSIP.

What is SEMH?

SEMH and Behaviour

Assessment for SEMH needs

Universal Provision and High Quality First Teaching

The Theoretical Model of SEMH

Understanding the Causes of SEMH

SEMH: The Moral Imperative

Provision in Barking and Dagenham and Contact Information

Raising Aspirations and Contact Information

CPD

Contributors to the SEMH Workstream

@BDSIPEd

BDSIP

info@bdsip.co.uk

What is semh?

SEMH stands for Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. It was introduced in the SEND Code of Practice (2015) and replaced the term Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD).

Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.

SEND Code of Practice (2015) page 98, para 6.32

Key considerations:

• The change in terminology recognises the function of behaviour as a form of communication.
• It encourages practitioners to move away from focusing on the behaviours themselves to the needs behind the behaviour.
• As an adult, it is important to identify what is driving the challenging behaviour in a child or young person so you are able to identify the best solutions to stablise them and meet their needs.
• Challenging behaviour may be indicative of a wide variety of needs that are not SEMH, including but not exclusively, language and communication needs, cognition and learning needs or neuro-diversity.
• However, it is important to remember that when a child’s needs are not met, they are at greater risk of developing SEMH as a secondary SEND.

The Theoretical Model of SEMH

BIO

Gender

Disability

Physical Health

Neurochemistry

Stress reactivity

Genetic factors

PSYCHO

Behaviour

Personality

Attitudes/beliefs

Emotional Regulation

Coping Strategies

Self-esteem

Social Skills

Learning

Memory

Behaviour

and

Wellbeing

Family background

Socio-economic status

Social support

Community

Peer relationships

Educational Experience

SOCIAL

There are many theoretical perspectives on the way in which social and emotional development is facilitated and consequently, how behavioural difficulties arise. However, it is recognised that no individual perspective provides all the answers, so it is important to apply a broad conceptual framework to understand the causes of SEMH and identify effective intervention.

The bio-psycho-social approach, initially proposed in Engel (1977) The Need for a New Medical Model: A Challenge for Biomedicine, works on the following principles:

• human beings are complex
  
• their functioning is affected by a range of interrelated and interdependent factors
  
• these factors are biological, psychological and socio-cultural
  
• our behaviour and emotional well-being throughout our lives will be affected by our physical make-up and our abilities in relation to the contexts in which we live our lives
  
• positive influences in these contexts can be a force for meaningful change in a child or young person’s life; we have to focus on what we can change.
  

When applied to SEMH needs, the bio-psycho-social model allows us to make a holistic assessment of all the factors that impact behaviour and wellbeing so as to ensure our support plans are targeted to specific areas of need.

UNDERSTANDING THE CAUSES OF SEMH

If we apply the bio-psycho-social model, there are a number of factors that can influence whether a child or young person develops SEMH. However, the most common causes are believed to be the following:

Attachment History

Trauma History

Current Family or Peer Group Dynamics

Negative experiences in other systems around the child

ATTACHMENT HISTORY

Attachment theory originates from the work of John Bowlby (1958) and was further developed by Mary Ainsworth. Bowlby defined attachment as a ‘lasting psychological connectedness between human beings’ and proposed that it should be considered within an evolutionary context as the caregiver provides safety and security for an infant. Infants will engage in innate behaviours such as crying or smiling which in turn initiate innate caregiving responses from adults, enabling a healthy attachment to be formed.

Bowlby’s research also suggests that a child’s attachment figure provides the secure base from which they are able to explore the world and the critical period for developing this attachment is between the ages of 0 to 5 years old. If a healthy attachment is not formed in this period, it has significant consequences for the rest of the child’s life.

The diagram indicates the range of long-term effects that children who do not make positive, nurturing attachments to their parents or caregivers will experience. These will last into adulthood without appropriate early intervention and support.

When we recognise a child as having any of the difficulties identified, it is not the job of school-based staff to diagnose an attachment difficulty. However, using the bio-psycho-social model, we may wish to find out more about the family background to see whether there are indicators that there may be a problem in this area that requires personalised support.

Developmental difficulties

• They may have difficulty processing what they hear.
• They may have difficulty expressing themselves orally.
• They may have gross motor problems.
• They may have fine motor problems.
  

Social difficulties

• They may not be able to form positive, healthy relationships with others.
  
• They may lack trust.
  
• They may demand affection.
  
• They may need to be in control of all situations.
  
• They may be socially immature.
  

Emotional difficulties

• They may have difficulties in understanding cause and effect.
  
• They may have difficulties in expressing their feelings appropriately.
  
• They may demonstrate a lack of resilience.
• They may have difficulties in recognising and responding to the feelings of others.
  

Cognitive difficulties

• They may have difficulties with logical reasoning.
  
• They may appear to have a confused thought process.
  
• They may have difficutlies in thinking and planning ahead.
  
• They may have difficulties with organisation.
  
• They may have an impaired sense of time.
  
• They may have difficulties with abstract thinking.
  

Self-Regulation difficulties

• They may have difficulties with impulse control.
  
• They may need high levels of external control to self-regulate.
  
• They may struggle with awareness of risk.
  
• They may have difficulties with concetration and focus.
  

Poor self-image and low self-esteem

• They may not be able to accept praise when they have done well.
  
• They may not see themselves as worthy or deserving.
  
• They may not be able to see that they can change.
  
• They may have difficulty having fun.
  

The most powerful healer for attachment difficulties is a nurturing, consistent, non-judgemental environment which allows children and young people to feel safe, accepted and able to learn, both personally and academically.

TRAUMA HISTORY

Childhood trauma is often referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACEs.

ACEs are “highly stressful, and potentially traumatic, events or situations that occur during childhood and/or adolescence. They can be a single event, or prolonged threats to, and breaches of, the young person’s safety, security, trust or bodily integrity.” YoungMinds, (2018) Addressing Adversity

Examples of what might constitute an ACE include:

Experiences which directly harm a child

• Physical abuse
  
• Verbal abuse
  
• Sexual abuse
  
• Financial abuse
  
• Physical neglect
  
• Emotional neglect
  
• Exploitation
  
• Inhumane treatment like torture, forcible imprisonment or FGM
  
• Prejudice and discrimination
  

Experiences which affect the child's environment

• Parental separation or divorce
  
• Conflict in the family
• Abandonment
  
• Domestic violence
  
• Mental illness
  
• Alcohol abuse
  
• Drug abuse
  
• Bereavement
  
• Imprisonment of significant adult
  
• Living in care
  
• Family or placement breakdowns
  
• Leaving care
  
• Being a young carer
  
• Intergenerational trauma, such as experiences of genocide
  
• Being a refugee or asylum seeker
  
• Living in poverty
  
• Facing significant social, material or emotional deprivation
  
• Moving home or area
  

Statistics vary but, on average, approximately half the population of England have experienced one or more ACEs, although this varies depending on the type of ACE. Those who experience four or more ACEs are significantly more likely to suffer poor health outcomes, both physical and mental, than those with no ACEs and there is a greater chance of health harming behaviours, which include drug and alcohol addictions. Increased numbers of ACEs also have a negative impact on education, employment and income outcomes.

There are particular risk factors the increase the chances of children experiencing ACES:

The context in which families live

Families which are socially isolated, live in poverty or deprived areas, or are low socio-economic status are all at higher risk of exposure to ACES than those who are not.

Parental and family factors

Poor parenting, the age of parents and family structure have all been shown to have a negative impact on ACEs.

Household adversity

The presence of adversity i the home is an ACE in itself and will negatively impact on children's health and wellbeing.

SO WHAT DO WE DO?

The presence of protective factors can mitigate the negative impact of ACEs. These are generally recognised to be:

Ideally, every member of staff in a setting which prioritises whole school training on ACEs and trauma will become an emotionally available adult, ready to support children when they need it but, at the very least, it is important for children to develop relationships with as many emotionally available adults in a setting as possible. This will help mitigate the effect of loss in the event of staff turnover or ensure there is someone else they can turn to when a member of staff is absent or otherwise engaged.

Considering these potential risks and the protective factors, it is important that, as professionals:

• we avoid taking a judgemental approach to family circumstances
  
• we engage with relevant agencies to share our concerns and work collaboratively to provide holistic support to families through their difficulties, wherever possible
  
• we ensure all adults in our schools, communities and wider support networks are fully trained to be emotionally available to meet the needs of children who have experienced ACEs.
  

Free online, certificated training is available via ACEs online.

This short animated film Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) has been developed by Public Health Wales and Blackburn to raise awareness of ACEs, their potential to damage health across the life course and the roles that different agencies can play in preventing ACEs and supporting those affected by them.

To develop effective universal provision and ensure high quality first teaching for all, school leaders should consider their strategy for ensuring that all adults are ACE or trauma aware and understand what this means for everyday interactions in the classroom.

The roles that school play in promoting the resilience of their students is particularly important for children with less supportive home lives, who may not have a trusted adult they can talk to. Schools should be a safe and affirming place for children where they can develop a sense of belonging and feel able to trust and talk openly with adults about their problems.

Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools (2018), para, 3.10

Current Family Dynamics

In November 2022, NHS Digital shared a follow up report on 2,866 children and young people interviewed in 2017 as part of their research into the Mental Health of Children and Young People in England.

Key findings related to family dynamics were:

• 1 in 5 (19.9%) of 7 to 16 year olds lived in households that experienced a reduction in household income in the past year. This was more than 1 in 4 (28.6%) among children with a probably mental health disorder.
  
• Among 17 to 22 year olds with a probable mental disorder, 14.8% reported living in a household that had experienced not being able to buy enough food or using a food bank in the past year, compared with 2.1% of young people unlikely to have a mental disorder.
  

From the survey results of the same group, released in October 2020, it was also reported that:

• 30.2% of children and young people whose parent experienced psychological distress had a probable mental health disorder, compared to 9.3% of children whose parent did not. These children were also more likely to be living in families who reported problems with functioning.
  
• 63.8% of 11-16 year old girls with a probable mental disorder had seen or heard an argument in their household.
  
• Children aged 5-16 years with a mental health disorder were twice as likely to live in a household that had fallen behind with payments than those without a mental health disorder.
  

When we consider family functioning and the impact on our students, we need to be aware of factors affecting a family that may be outside of social care thresholds for support. While not an exhaustive list, these may include:

• young carers
• children who live in fear of parental anger
• parents who are unable to provide adequate care in terms of emotional, physical or financial needs
• parents with strained relationships
• absent parents
• parents who are struggling with their own wellbeing
• families who do not have access to the support of an extended family or wider network
• large sibling groups
• housing/accommodation
• the impact of community on the family
• family conflict.

Strong relationships with families enable us to find out more about family functioning as, where parents feel they are supported without judgement, they are more likely to volunteer information that helps us understand their child's needs and develop appropriate support plans for the child and family as a whole.

Current PEER GROUP Dynamics

The ONS report into online bullying in England and Wales found that one in five children aged 10-15 years had experienced at least one type of online bullying in the year ending March 2020. This equates to 764,000 children. One in four of these children did not report their experiences to anyone. 72% of these children reported that at least some of this bullying occurred while at school or during school time. Encouragingly, more than two-thirds of the children surveyed reported that their school deals well with bullying.

The Department for Education longitudinal study into bullying in 2018 found that 30% of Y11 students reported that they had been bullied in the last year, which was a decrease from 37% while the cohort were in Y10. Name calling was the most common form of bullying at 15% with 14% of young people reporting bullying through exclusion from friendship groups, which was an increase of 3% from Y10. 10% of the sample report cyberbullying and there was an increase in the number of girls reporting bullying since the original study in 2006.

The Anti-Bullying Alliance in the UK reports that the impacts of bullying include:

• barriers to learning
  
• school absence
• exclusion
• strain on families
• self-harm and depression
• impaired wellbeing.

Schools need to ensure that there are effective procedures to address bullying that ensure students are confident to report issues to an adult within the school without fear of repercussion.

NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES IN OTHER SYSTEMS AROUND THE CHILD

SCHOOL

While there have to be consequences for infractions of school rules and inappropriate behaviour, we have to consider the impact of exclusions on students with SEMH. Often they serve to fuel the self-critical voice of a fragile self-esteem and exacerbate feelings of rejection and worthlessness so these children find themselves in a cycle of fixed-term exclusions that lead either to a managed move or a permanent exclusion. We also need to remember that many children in our SEMH provisions have had this experience in more than one school and the impact on their wellbeing and educational outcomes will last through to adulthood.

When we are unable to engage with a child and meet their needs adequately, we add to the negative experiences they may already be experiencing in their lives outside of school, reaffirming that they are unlovable and incapable of achieving more. As we are taught to differentiate learning content to support those who struggle with acquiring the academic knowledge and skills, we also need to differentiate our approach to behaviour to support those who struggle to regulate their emotions or have wellbeing needs which impact on their ability to learn. An inclusive culture which makes a student feel accepted and valued, irrespective of their challenges, coupled with a package of appropriate support to meet their needs and improve their self-regulation, can be a determining factor in their chances of success in the future.

COMMUNITY

As a school, it is important to have your finger on the pulse with regard to what is happening in the community.On the 20th anniversary of the death of 10 year old Damilola Taylor on a Peckham estate, Channel 4 aired a moving documentary, Damilola: The Boy Next Door filmed by Yinka Bokinni, one of his childhood friends, which explored the long-term impact of his murder on the community. What it showed is that even as adults, his friends had struggled to come to terms with his death and the way it had changed their lives as the North Peckham estate was demolished and their community fragmented.

Serious incidents in the community can have a significant impact on the wellbeing and anxiety levels of our students, whether they are directly affected or not, so it is vital that we plan effective support to manage resultant anxieties and trauma in response.

SOCIETY

The NHS Digital report (2020) into the Mental Health of Children and Young People looked specifically at the group’s worries and anxieties during the coronavirus pandemic. Unsurprisingly, they found that children with a probable mental health disorder were more likely to experience anxieties than those without. Over one third of parents surveyed felt that their child had anxieties related to the pandemic around their family or friends catching COVID-19 or missing schoolwork. For children with a probable mental health disorder, 50.2% reported their child as having anxieties, compared to 33.2% for parents of children without a mental health disorder.

While we hope that the COVID-19 pandemic is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it is a perfect example of how a global event can directly impact a child or young person and this is increasingly more likely if they have SEMH. All Barking and Dagenham schools have put effective wellbeing plans in place to support both their students and staff. However, it is important to remember that wider social incidents like terrorist or racist attacks can have a significant impact on the levels of anxiety our children experience so it is important to be mindful of how we address this in school and apply our learning from the pandemic to strengthen our whole-school wellbeing policies and procedures.

semh: THE MORAL IMPERATIVE

Schools cannot be held accountable for all the challenges in a student’s life that will lead to the identification of SEMH needs and associated difficulties. However, we can provide the positive, nurturing experiences and access support to provide that critical turning point that enables a child or young person to change their future. Indeed, there are many adults who talk highly and affectionately about that one adult or school community or support service that allowed them to believe in themselves to beat the odds.

Sadly, we know that this is not the case for the majority. Students with SEMH needs are more likely to be excluded from school as a result of their behaviour, which will exacerbate their feelings of rejection and worthlessness; further damage fragile self-esteem; limit their chances of good educational outcomes; affect their ability to be self-supporting adults; and disrupt their ability to form safe, trusting relationships.

SUSPENSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS: THE STATISTICS

The latest Government statistics for suspensions and exclusions for Autumn 2021-22 (as published in November 2022) show consistent disproportionality with previous years in:

• SEND: The highest rate of suspensions is among those students with an EHC plan at 6.37%, followed by those with SEND without an EHC plan at 6.31%. This compares to 1.44% for students with no SEND. The highest rate of permanent exclusions is among students who have SEND but no EHC plan at 0.08%.
  
• Free School Meals (FSM): The suspension rate for FSM eligible students is almost 4 times that for non-FSM eligible students. The permanent exclusion rate for FSM eligible students is 0.07%, compared to 0.01% for those without.
  
• Gender: Male students have a higher permanent exclusion rate than female students, with permanent exclusion rates of 0.04% and 0.01% respectively. The suspension rate for male students is almost double that for females.

This is consistent with the current trend in Barking and Dagenham: if you are a White British boy with SEMH needs who is receipt of free school meals, you are more likely to be suspended from school than any other subgroup.

The Timpson Review (2019) found that:

• 78% of permanent exclusions issued were to students who had either SEND or were classified as being ‘in need’ or were eligible for FSM
  
• 11% of permanent exclusions were to students who had all three characteristics.
  

If we look at Alternative Provision (AP) as a destination for students who are excluded from school, statistics published by the DfE and the Centre for Social Justice show that:

• 66.3% of students from AP went to a sustained destination after KS4, compared to 93.8% of students from state-funded mainstream schools (DfE, October 2022)
  
• 81% of students in AP have an identified SEND compared to 14% of mainstream peers (Centre for Social Justice, 2020)
  
• More than half of students in AP are eligible for FSM, which is more than double that of students in mainstream settings (DfE, August 2022).
  

In 2017, the Institute for Public Policy Research published Making the Difference: Breaking the Link Between School Exclusion and Social Exclusion, which highlights that excluded children are the most vulnerable group in our schools. While the personal cost of this is immeasurable, in 2017, the conservative estimate on the financial cost was 'around £370,00 per young person in lifetime education, benefits, healthcare and criminal justice costs' which amounted to £2.1bn for the cohort of 6,685 students permanently excluded during the period of the study. However, the report also stipulates that, given the number of students who are 'functionally excluded through methods which elude government data', it is difficult to estimate the true cost of exclusion which is 'likely many multiples of this conservative estimate.'

SEMH and OFFENDING BEHAVIOUR

Disrupted early experiences and childhood trauma will disrupt normal child development, particularly emotional regulation. Wright and Liddle (2014) in Young Offenders and Trauma: Experience and Impact - A Practitioner's Guide, report that, in adolescents, we may expect to see:

Consequently, these behaviours may lead children and young people with SEMH to:

• Attention difficulties
  
• Difficulties in building and sustaining safe, trusting relationships
  
• Challenging behaviour
  
• Poor school attendance and exclusion
  
• Peer delinquency and substance misuse
  
• Offending behaviours.
  

Focusing specifically on 10-17 year old offenders, Wright and Liddle (2014) found that:

• 72% had experienced abuse
  
• 57% had experienced significant loss
  
• 91% had experienced abuse and/or loss.
  

In the 2020 report into the (unmet) needs of sentenced children in the youth justice system, the Youth Justice Board data for 2018-19 shows:

• 88% had a safety or wellbeing concern
  
• 71% had a speech, language or communication need (SLCN)
  
• 71% had a mental health need
  
• 65% had concerns around learning or Education, Training and Employment (ETE)
  
• 55% had parenting concerns
  
• 53% had concerns around family behaviour
  
• 52% had concerns around their relations with others
  
• 45% had a care history.
  

Furthermore, children aged 10-14 had greater concerns around speech, language and communication (80%) and learning/ETE (71%) while those aged 14-17 had greater concerns around substance misuse (78%). Girls were more likely to have a mental health concern (81%) than boys (69%).

The statistics are stark. SEMH, along with the factors which increase the likelihood a child will develop this need, is more highly represented in children who are involved in the youth justice system.

It is well recognised that there is a correlation between trauma and antisocial or offending behaviour. In particular, Wright and Liddle highlight that we may expect to see all or some of the following:

• Difficulties with emotional regulation
  
• The development of maladaptive or self-endangering behaviour
  
• The use of avoidance strategies, particularly emotional avoidance
  
• Dissociation, substance abuse or tension reducing behaviour
  
• Compulsive sexual behaviour, purge eating, impulsive aggression, suicidality or self-harm.
  

Lose the child from their school and we lose the child.

Roger Mitchell, Head of Ripple Primary School

SEMH and exploitation

There are three main types of child exploitation:

Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)

As defined by the Home Office in 2018, ‘Child criminal exploitation is common in county lines and occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18. The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. Child Criminal Exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.’

The guidance also stipulates that typical childhood vulnerabilities to this kind of abuse include:

• having prior experience of neglect, physical and/or sexual abuse
• lack of a safe/stable home environment, now or in the past (domestic violence or parental substance misuse, mental health issues or criminality, for example)
• social isolation or social difficulties
• economic vulnerability
• homelessness or insecure accommodation status
• connections with other people involved in gangs
• having a physical or learning disability
• having mental health or substance misuse issues;
• being in care (particularly those in residential care and those with interrupted care histories)
• being excluded from mainstream education, in particular attending a Pupil Referral Unit.

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

In 2017, the Department for Education defined child sexual exploitation as ‘a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.’

While the guidance is very clear that this form of abuse can affect any child of any age, gender or ethnicity in any community, there are particular vulnerabilities that may make them more susceptible:

• having a prior experience of neglect, physical and/or sexual abuse;
  
• lack of a safe/stable home environment, now or in the past (domestic violence or parental substance misuse, mental health issues or criminality, for example)
  
• recent bereavement or loss
  
• social isolation or social difficulties
  
• absence of a safe environment to explore sexuality
  
• economic vulnerability
  
• homelessness or insecure accommodation status
  
• connections with other children and young people who are being sexually exploited
  
• family members or other connections involved in adult sex work
  
• having a physical or learning disability
  
• being in care (particularly those in residential care and those with interrupted care histories)
  
• sexual identity.
  

Radicalisation

The Department for Education (2011) research, Teaching approaches that help to build resilience to extremism among young people, defines radicalisation as the ‘process by which people adopt an extreme position in terms of politics and religion; a violent extremist ideology; or move to violent action in support of their beliefs’.

There are parallels that can be drawn between radicalisation and other types of harm, particularly CSE. In the Government research Safeguarding and Radicalisation, the authors note that ‘radicalisation follows a similar kind of grooming process and that it may involve a vulnerable young person having their views and opinions influenced by other people, as well as being encouraged to undertake harmful actions’. However there are key differences highlighted by participants involved in the research:

• how the harm manifests
  
• diagnosis and assessment of harm
  
• the vulnerabilities that may lead to radicalisation as some affected children are otherwise healthy, well-cared for and well-educated.
  

While the Government website, educate.against.hate, does stress that ‘children from all backgrounds can become radicalised’, it does also identify some common vulnerabilities that all staff working in schools and with young people more broadly should be aware of:

• Individuals struggling with a sense of identity
  
• Individuals becoming distanced from their cultural or religious background
  
• Individuals questioning their place in society
  
• Individuals experiencing family issues
  
• Individuals who are experiencing/have experienced a traumatic event
  
• Individuals experiencing racism or discrimination
  
• Individuals with difficulty in interacting socially and lacking empathy
  
• Individuals with difficulty in understanding the consequences of their actions
  
• Individuals with low self-esteem.
  

Furthermore, there are particular external factors which may also play a part:

• community tension
  
• events affecting the country or region where they or their parents are from
  
• having friends or family who have joined extremist groups
  
• exposure to one-sided points of view.
  

Finally, young people involved with criminal groups, or who have found it difficult to reintegrate after being in prison or a young offender institution, may also be at risk.

The evidence shows that there are links between a student's vulnerability to exploitation and those factors which predispose them to SEMH needs.

Consequently, schools and local systems need to ensure they facilitate:

• early identification of a student's needs.
  
• holistic assessment of vulnerability, examining all risk and protective factors, as set out in the latest version of Working Together to Safeguard Children.
• supportive and nurturing environments.
• a co-ordinated multi-agency approach to provision as an early intervention model.
  

SEMH AND BEHAVIOUR

Children or young people with SEMH may display passive or active behaviours. Examples include:

However, as we may all exhibit a range of these behaviours at any point in our lives, before we identify a child or young person as having SEMH difficulties, there are particular guiding principles we should consider:

• whether the student has a ‘significantly greater difficulty’ than same age peers
  
• the context or causes of their difficulties
  
• any other additional needs they may have
  
• what works to support them.
  

It is important to apply the graduated approach, as outlined in the Code of Practice for SEND (2015), in collaboration with all adults involved in supporting the student, to respond to concerns about a child’s behaviour or presentation before we apply a label.

Assess

Plan

Do

Review

BEHAVIOUR AS COMMUNICATION

All behaviour is communication, which is not a surprise when we consider that most of our communication is non-verbal.

Students with complex needs, like SEMH, may have many unmet needs and often find it difficult to express them. Given that research indicates anywhere between 75% and 81% of children with SEMH also have language and communication needs, it is all the more imperative that we seek to understand behaviour as communication. We must ask ourselves the question: why does the student need to engage in this behaviour? This will help us to understand the origins of the behaviour and plan appropriate support.

There are three approaches to understanding behaviour:

1. The internal approach which sees the behaviour as coming from the individual (bio-psycho origins) and includes mood, mental health and character.
   
2. The external approach which sees the behaviour as a result of the environment (social origins) and includes family, peer group, school, community and physical environment.
   
3. The interactional approach which considers the interactions of both internal and external factors (bio-psycho-social approach). This approach looks at the interaction between the child and their environments. It tends to focus on an examination of the function of behaviour to identify the locus of the difficulty and develop an appropriate plan of support.
   

The interactional approach is the most successful when analysing the needs of students with SEMH.

The Interactional Approach

Behaviour as Communication: The Neuroscience

Our brain has three main parts:

When the brainstem perceives a threat, it will trigger our amygdala which is the brain’s ‘fear centre’. The amygdala will trigger the release of cortisol and adrenaline. The release of these hormones will in turn trigger a fight, flight or freeze response in the face of the perceived threat. Dan Siegel’s Hand Model of the Brain provides a helpful explanation to illustrate how the brain works.

In children and young people, this fear response may manifest as:

• an inability to control their bodily movements
  
• a need to escape or run
  
• not appearing to listen or follow instructions
  
• an aggressive response, verbally or physically.
  

It is important for teachers to remember that in this state, the brainstem and amygdala are in control and the function of the prefrontal cortex to think, communicate, analyse, rationalise, reason and reflect is impaired. For a child who has experienced trauma, this response will be more acute.

You can understand more about what happens in the brain after children face trauma and how it affects behaviour by watching this short animated film by the UK Trauma Council: Childhood Trauma and the Brain.

The Trauma Recovery Centre has also produced this helpful video, The Triune Brain, where children explain how their brain works when faced with a perceived threat. There is growing evidence that suggests it helps teach children from a young age what is happening in their brain.

The Learning Zone Model, developed from the Zones of Proximal Development, a concept first proposed in Vygotsky (1978) Mind in Society. is a useful tool for understanding the impact of stress on the brain. Students need to be in the ‘sweet spot’ of the Learning Zone in order to be able to engage in learning. In the Panic Zone, the amygdala is activated and it becomes impossible to learn.

PANIC ZONE

LEARNING ZONE

COMFORT ZONE

The Learning Zone is where your existing skills and knowledge are stretched, enabling you to learn and develop new skills.

The Comfort Zone is the place where you perform best. You can also rest, reflect and recharge here.

The Panic Zone is where you are most likely to feel stressed because you are being asked to do what is beyond your abilities at the time.

Children with disrupted early experiences will need to be explicitly taught the skills of emotional regulation and a simple framework like the Zones of Regulation provides an easy-to-use strategy that can be adapted to meet need at an individual, class/group or whole-school level across the age range.

Adolescents

Towards the upper end of primary school, the temporal lobes begin to become more sensitive to behaviour in the world around them - it is at this time that parents begin to become embarrassing!

At the same time, the prefrontal cortex begins a period of maturation which is not complete until about the age of twenty-five. The prefrontal cortex allows us to rationalise, reason and reflect to regulate the response of our amygdala to perceived threat. As a result, their responses can seem impulsive, dramatic or risky because they still do not yet the capacity to analyse if their behaviour is proportionate or whether other people are acting with the intention to cause them harm.

The best way for adults to respond to challenging adolescent behaviour is to use their own ability to think and reason to empathise with a young person. Even when the reason for the behaviour is not fully clear, adults need to show that they are genuinely interested in trying to understand the cause and support the student through their emotional dysregulation. This co-regulation strategy will help to activate their pre-frontal cortex to help regulate the fight, flight or freeze response of the amygdala.

The Implications

It is important for adults to see all behaviour as communication and, using the tools outlined in this section, to work with the student and all adults involved in supporting them to make an assessment of:

• the whole child or young person in their context
  
• what the behaviour is communicating
  
• whether there have been changes over time and
  
• whether the behavioural responses are consistent in a variety of contexts and affecting progress in general.
  

ASSESSMENT OF SEMH NEEDS

Assessment of a students’ SEMH needs must be completed using the SEMH Banding Document which was updated in 2023.

It is important that schools conduct a holistic assessment of the whole child to ensure that support plans consider:

• their social context
• any co-occurring learning needs or barriers to learning
• their interests and motivators
  
• areas of relative strength
  
• all areas of need and small-step targets for development.
  

In line with the Code of Practice for SEND (2015), it is important that learners and their families are 'involved in discussions and decisions about their individual support' (1.3). More specifically:

• 'Children have a right to receive and impart information, to express an opinion and to have that opinion taken into account in any matters affecting them from the early years' (1.6)
• 'Schools should enable parents to share their knowledge about their child and give them confidence that their views and contributions are valued and will be acted upon. At times, parents, teachers and others may have differing expectations of how a child’s needs are best met. Sometimes these discussions can be challenging but it is in the child’s best interests for a positive dialogue between parents, teachers and others to be maintained, to work through points of difference and establish what action is to be taken' (1.7)
  

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The key foundation for supporting students with SEMH needs is found in the ethos of the setting.

There are six key elements:

A Culture of Empathy

A Whole-School Approach to Wellbeing

Nurture

Universal Provision for SEMH

Restorative Approaches

Developing Resilience

Low-Arousal Approaches

universal provision and high quality first teaching

a culture of empathy

The shift from a category of EBD to SEMH in 2015 encouraged us to move away from a deficit model of focusing on behaviour to a holistic model of identifying the causes.

To be able to achieve this, we need to be able to empathise with a child. Empathy is very different to sympathy. It is the ability to use our emotional intelligence to understand what other people feel and to see things from their point of view. Essentially, it is putting yourself in someone else's position to try to connect with what they are feeling.

While we are generally well-attuned to our own feelings and emotions, stepping into someone else’s shoes can be more difficult. This is because it requires us to put aside our own belief and value system so that our understanding of the child’s life experience and reality is not tainted by our own biases.

We will naturally bring our own opinions into a situation and these can create barriers in our ability to empathise. We need to guard against this and ask further questions sensitively before we make a judgement that could bias our understanding of a child’s context.

For example, if a child comes to school in the same shirt that becomes progressively dirtier every day for a week, we would rightly become concerned for their wellbeing. However, we shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that the child is neglected. There are other possibilities:

• It may be that the family’s washing machine is broken and they can’t afford to get it fixed.
  
• It may be that they don’t have a washing machine (why did we assume that in the first place?) and that they can only get to the launderette at the weekend.
  

We need to guard against the cognitive biases which are rooted in our own life experiences. If we don’t, then we will be less likely to see a situation from the perspective of the child relative to their school experiences, their family experiences and their broader environmental experiences. It is vital to maintain a consistent and unconditional positive regard for the child and to always challenge our own belief system before jumping to a judgement.

It is not easy but the payback, when we get it right, is immeasurable. When we truly empathise with the child, then we are able to better understand their emotions; better understand what they might be thinking; and better able to understand their response to a situation. Only when we do that, can we co-regulate effectively with them to offer support.

The biggest deficit we have in our society and in the world right now is an empathy deficit. We are in great need of people being able to stand in someone else's shoes and see the world through their eyes.

Barak Obama (2008)

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NURTURE

Students who were not able to develop healthy attachments in their early childhood may exhibit a vast array of difficulties (see: Attachment History). These children are:

• less likely to do well at school
  
• more likely to have poor attendance
  
• less likely to form meaningful and positive relationships with peers or adults
  
• more likely to exhibit challenging behaviour
  
• more likely to be involved in offending behaviour
  
• more likely to experience physical or mental health problems.
  

A nurturing approach offers a range of opportunities for children and young people to engage with missing early nurturing experiences, giving them the social and emotional skills to do well at school and with peers, develop their resilience and their capacity to deal more confidently with the trials and tribulations of life, for life.

There are 6 key principles for nurture in a school environment:

• children’s learning is understood developmentally.
  
• the classroom offers a safe space.
  
• nurture is a key component in developing wellbeing.
  
• language is a vital means of communication.
  
• all behaviour is a form of communication.
  
• transitions are carefully planned to support the child to manage them effectively.
  

Children's learning is understood developmentally.

Disruptions in our early attachments can arrest our development in a wide range of skills, such as our social, emotional, language and physical skills. For this reason, it is vital that we use the following approach to meeting needs.

The classroom offers a safe space.

Holley and Steiner (2005) state 'the metaphor of the classroom as a ‘safe space’ has emerged as a description of a classroom climate that allows students to feel secure enough to take risks, honestly express their views and share and explore their knowledge, attitudes and behaviours'.

The classroom should enable children to flourish emotionally. It should be a safe space where children can learn, develop and grow, based on their individual needs. Adults need to model and establish a culture of empathy, mutual respect and honesty.

SAFE

• Ensure the environment is structured and safe.
• Identify safe spaces for regulation and relaxation.
• Ensure messages are reassuring and restorative.
• Use low arousal approaches when dealing with increasing levels of stress:
  

- slow down your movements.

- lower the pitch and tone of your voice.

- keep your body language relaxed.

SEEN

• Spend time observing students and see them for who they really are.
• When we describe behaviour, think carefully about the labels we use and how they may reveal our biases or convey jugement:
  

- attention or connection seeking?

- defiant or anxious?

- lazy or fear of failure?

• Create 1:1 opportunities for deeper connection and conversation to build relationships.
  

SOOTHED

• Identify what activities make a student feel soothed.
• Seek out opportunities to build connection and increase a sense of belonging.
• Known when you need to give a student space.
• Demonstrate engagement through active listening, reflection and attuned non-verbal communication.
• Maintain unconditional positive regard.
• Use low-arousal approaches to respond to behaviour.
• Empathise with students' feelings and difficulties.
  

SECURE

• Build trust by being there when children need you.
• Maintain fair and consistent boundaries.
• Explain how rules and boundaries keep everyone safe, physically and emotionally.
• Explicitly teach self-regulation: how we recognise and manage our emotions?
• Practice co-regulation to support students to self-regulate.
• Ensure there is time for restoration and repair of relationships after a crisis. We are all allowed to make mistakes, we can learn from them and our relationships can become stronger.
  

adapted from EdPsychInsight: Ideas for Showing Up and Being Present using the 4 S's

Nurture is a key component in developing wellbeing.

A nurturing whole-school ethos will support positive wellbeing. The nurture approach promotes:

• safety and security
  
• a sense of being seen and listened to
  
• the feeling of being valued
  
• a culture where all mistakes are an opportunity for learning
  
• a sense of belonging to the community as a whole
• qualities of kindness, compassion and empathy
• the celebration of our achievements, however small.

Language is a vital means of communication.

Nationally, it is accepted that there is a clear link between speech, language, communication and wellbeing. In 2019, the DfE commissioned Dr Jenny Smith and John Hamer to research what influences on children and young people's wellbeing. Among other factors, their research report recognises that ‘the level of access to language development, especially in the early years’ would have an impact on a child’s overall wellbeing as it affects ‘emotional literacy and communication skills and their self and social awareness’ . Furthermore, We need to talk: Access to speech and language therapy, a report from the Children's Commissioner, recognises that research shows that ‘81% of children with emotional or behaviour disorders are believed to have unidentified language difficulties and children referred to mental health services are three times more likely than other children to have [language] needs’.

In a nurturing classroom, we should consider the five good communication standards, as developed by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

1. There is good information that tells people how best to communicate with me.

2. Staff help me to be involved in decisions about my care and support.

3. Staff are good at supporting me with my communication.

4. I have lots of chances to communicate.

5. Staff help me to understand and communicate about my health and how I'm feeling.

While these are written specifically for students with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), these are practice principles which will benefit all children who are struggling to communicate their feelings and needs.

Adults also need to consider their use of language very carefully and it might be helpful for schools to develop scripts to support staff to attune and validate feelings, particularly where a student is struggling to self-regulate. Useful phrases might include:

You must be feeling ...

I wonder ...

This must be really difficult.

I notice/noticed that ...

We really like you.

All behaviour is a form of communication.

As previously outlined, we need to see past the behaviour to identify what a student is trying to tell us. We all use our behaviour to communicate our feelings and needs when we cannot find the words to explain what is going on for us, whether it be as a tool to get people around us to back off or whether we are hoping that someone will see our distress and help.

Labels like ‘naughty’, ‘challenging’ or ‘attention seeking’ do little to help a vulnerable student. We need to adopt low arousal approaches to the situation and quit taking it personally (QTIP) if we are going to be able to help.

Transitions are carefully planned to support children to manage them effectively.

While we generally see this as a difficulty most associated with a diagnosis of autism, most people don’t like change, particularly when that change is out of their control or not of their choosing.

Consistent class and school routines make everyone feel safe. However, there are times when we need to change our daily routine and it is important to prepare children with SEMH for changes as far as in advance as possible. If the change is unexpected, it is important to take the time to explain how this will work and identify strategies that will help the child.

At key transitions, such as the end of an academic year or the end of a key stage, the process needs to be carefully planned with the student and their family to identify what support needs to be put in place to support them to manage effectively.

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DEVELOPING RESILIENCE

Science tells us that some children will develop resilience, or the ability to overcome hardship or adversity, while others do not. As educators, it is important to understand why this happens if we are to be better able to support all our students to reach their full potential in school and on into adulthood.

Researchers at the Centre on the Developing Child at Harvard University encourage us to see the development of resilience as a see-saw or balance scales. On one side, we have protective factors and positive experiences while on the other, we have negative or adverse childhood experiences.

ACES, trauma or negative experiences

Protective factors and positive experiences

Negative outcomes

Positive outcomes

Protective factors and positive experiences are needed to counter-balance adversity if a child or young person is to develop the resilience to achieve positive outcomes. The research from Harvard shows that the most common single factor for children and young people who experience significant trauma but also develop resilience is 'at least one stable committed relationship with a supportive parent, care-giver or other adult' or an emotionally available adult. Within this relationship, children can be supported to 'develop the skills to respond adaptively to adversity and thrive'. In addition to this, researchers have also identified a common set of factors that, when operating effectively for the child or young person, support the development of resilience. These include:

• a network of supportive adult-child relationships
• building a sense of self-efficacy and perceived control
• providing opportunities to strengthen executive functioning, adaptive skills and self-regulation.

In short, resilience should not be seen as something that we have or something that we don't. Resilience can be developed at any age within the interaction between a person and their environment which means that, in schools, we have the opportunity to influence its development through the experiences that we provide for our students.

How do we develop resilience for our students?

First and foremost. we need to ensure that all children are supported by at least one emotionally-available adult but ideally, all adults in a setting will be trained and/or coached to fulfil this function as part of the drive for high quality first teaching.

In addition to this, schools should also consider the following questions:

Creating a culture that supports the development of resilience

Identify evidence-based, targeted interventions and ensure impact

• Do we support students to identify strengths and accept weaknesses?
• Do we work with students to set realistic, motivating targets and goals?
  
• Do we support students to learn from mistakes and celebrate a range of successes?
  
• Do we support students to ask for help?
  
• Do we support students to recognise and regulate their emotions and those of others?
  
• Do we teach problem-solving skills explicitly?
  
• Do we teach adaptive skills explicitly?
  
• Do we have a culture of nurture?
  
• Do we foster hope and optimism?
  

• Are interventions carefully matched to need?
• Are they evidence-based?
  
• Are they developed in collaboration with the student and their family?
  
• Are there robust systems to monitor impact?
  
• Are the objectives from interventions shared with class teachers and families?
  
• Are there planned opportunities to apply and build on the learning from interventions within lessons or the wider school community?
  

Create turning points

Recognise every student is different

• Do we support a student to break with the past and realise new options for the future?
• Does every student have a significant relationship that enables them to realise alternative pathways? Mentoring is one example although it doesn't always have to be a mentor - anyone can have those conversations that create a turning point.
  
• Do we create opportunities to experience success, foster self-esteem and recognise individual talents?
  
• Do we consider the individual's aspirations for the future?
• Do we support students to link what they are doing now with their aspirations for the future?
• Does our school culture foster growth mindset so that all mistakes, learning and behaviour, are seen as an opportunity to learn?
  

• Have we conducted a holistic assessment of the individual's context, strengths, needs and motivators?
• Is our programme of support personalised to the needs of the individual?
• Does our programme of support engage and motivate the individual to achieve?
• How do we ensure that the individual student feels that they belong in the school community?
  
• How do we support school staff to feel confident in meeting the needs of the individual?
  
• Are we confident our culture respects individuality and intersectionality?
  

Boingboing, a charity devoted to modelling and promoting resilience research in practice, have developed a helpful suite of free tools to support schools to develop Academic Resilience: the ability to achieve good educational outcomes despite adversity. Interested schools can get a better idea of how it works as a whole school approach in a short film about Academic Resilience at Hove Park School in Brighton.

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THE LOW-AROUSAL APPROACH

Taken from Professor Andrew McDonnell (2019) The Reflective Journey: A Practitioner's Guide to the Low Arousal Approach, this person-centred, non-confrontational approach to managing behaviour provides a supportive framework for all students who are struggling to regulate themselves, emotionally and behaviourally. It focuses on the deployment of strategies that will de-escalate potential crisis situations and reduce the need to physically intervene, by lowering the level of arousal in both the environment and behaviour of supporting adults.

Practitioners are taught to reflect and be aware of themselves first. An individual under stress can be triggered to crisis by the behaviours of those around them. Adults need to be aware that they can increase stress and exacerbate the situation through their own choices of behaviour or communication, both verbal and non-verbal. The transactional model of stress emphasises that stress is interactional in its nature. Therefore it is important to engage in a solution-focused approach that centres on what you can do in that moment to reduce the levels of arousal in the situation. Following the strategies listed below and ensuring that they themselves are emotionally regulated, adults are able to provide an opportunity for students to find time and space to regulate themselves.

Appear calm by relaxing our own bodies, slowing our breathing and slowing our movements down.

Use a distraction or diversion that creates a space for self-regulation.

Reduce environmental triggers such as noise, light, temperature etc.

Remove the audience.

Avoid direct eye contact as this can lead to further arousal. Try regular intermittent eye contact instead.

Say little or use non-verbal communication, where possible. For example, rather than asking if a student would like a drink, bring a bottle of water and leave it close to them.

Keep our distance and be wary of physical touch.

Know when our presence is escalating stress and tactically withdraw from the situation to give the student time and space to self-regulate.

Use active listening.

Avoid becoming involved in arguments.

Avoid standing over a student. It is more effective to get down to their height at a safe distance.

Only when appropriate, quietly remind students of previous successes with self-regulation.

Use a low tone of voice.

Reduce verbal demands as these can be triggers for aggression.

Be mindful of how many adults are in the room. Who needs to be there?

Allow adequate time for the student to calm down fully before attempting to talk about the incident.

In order to develop a plan to manage emotional dysregulation, the low-arousal approach uses a stress-based framework, adapted from McDonnell (2019), to understand students’ behaviour. A downloadable copy of the checklists below can be found on the BDSIP website: The Low-Arousal Approach Checklists.

The checklist should be completed collaboratively and objectively to enable the student, their family and school-based staff to develop a framework for support that identifies a range of strategies that may help to reduce emotional dysregulation and crisis.

Understanding Behaviour Checklist

De-escalation Strategies Checklist

Training in the Low-Arousal Approach can be organised through BDSIP. Please contact CPDEvents@bdsip.co.uk for more information.

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RESTORATIVE APPROACHES

Even with the best provision in place, there will still be occasions when it is difficult to avert crisis situations.

In these instances, schools should have an agreed protocol for restorative approaches to enable students to rebuild relationships with others and ‘start afresh’. Research conducted by Kings College in 2009 into Restorative Approaches in Schools, which focused on four schools in Bristol, indicates that restorative approaches will have the following positive impacts :

• increased attendance
• reduced exclusions
• improved achievement.

It can also help to alleviate:

• bullying (for more information, please see The Use of Anti-Bullying Strategies in School (2010) published by the DfE)
  
• classroom disruption
• truancy
• antisocial behaviour
• disputes and conflict between students, their families and members of staff.

Following a crisis or incident, it is vital that adults create an opportunity to rebuild and repair relationships, which will require sensitivity as the student moves through the final three stages of the model below:

How to restore and repair effectively post-crisis

Recovery

Immediately following a crisis, it is important to provide an environment in which a student is able to engage in activities to support their self-regulation. Wherever possible, these should be discussed with the student in advance, as they will know what helps them, and shared with all adults supporting the child so they are aware of the plan.

During this stage, adults should avoid any direction but calmly support the student to make use of the strategies that will help to calm them down.

Strategies to support recovery may include:

• An identified safe space
• Going outside
• Water
• A physical activity. For example, going for a walk, running, jumping, skipping, wall push-ups, rocking, squats.
• Counting
• Theraputty or play dough
• Drawing
• Music
• A quiet space or noise cancelling headphones
• Breathing strategies
• Being wrapped in a blanket
• Stress balls or squeezy toys
• Fidget toys
• Shouting/yelling out the anger
• Visualisation activities
• 5-4-3-2-1 challenge: 5 things you can see; 4 things you can hear; 3 things you can touch; 2 things you can smell; and one thing you can taste.
• A hand massage which can be done by the student themselves or a trusted adult, if they are comfortable with that.
• Pushing their palms together, squeezing, holding and repeating.

Low Mood

At this stage, the student will begin to process what has happened and it is usually associated with low mood. They may have feelings associated with remorse, fear, low self-esteem or lack of self-worth. This stage needs to be handled sensitively to avoid re-escalation into crisis; students continue to need calm, reassuring support during this stage and it is not the time to discuss what has happened.

Restoration

Adults need to work with the student to identify when they are ready to engage in a restorative conversation about what has happened. The process provides students with the opportunity to learn how to manage conflict effectively to preserve and strengthen relationships.

It is important to carefully consider who needs to be involved in order to facilitate a positive outcome; where this conversation should happen; when it should happen; and ensure there is sufficient time for the meeting. Adults directly involved in the crisis should also make sure that they are ready to engage positively and openly in a restorative conversation.

To support a positive outcome, adults need to:

• Thank the student for their time and agreeing to the meeting.
  
• Ensure body language, facial expressions and tone of voice are calm, reassuring and open.
  
• Avoid any accusatory statements.
  
• Invite the student to give their feedback.
  
• Actively listen to the student.
  
• Acknowledge their feelings.
  
• Avoid taking their comments personally.
  
• Identify the specific behaviour that needs to be addressed and avoid making statements about them as a person.
  
• Relate the behaviour to agreed rules or expectations, explaining how they keep everyone physically or emotionally safe and able to learn.
  
• Ask the student to consider what they could do differently next time.
  
• Ask the student what adults could do differently next time.
  
• Ask the student what specific support they need.
  
• Explain how the behaviour makes you feel, using ‘I’ statements.
  
• Explain what you need in the future.
  
• Show confidence in the student to make the changes needed.
  
• Emphasise personal responsibility for self-regulation.
  
• Reassure the student that this is the ‘end’ of the incident and that you are committed to rebuilding the relationship.
  
• Aim to ensure the meeting ends amicably or agree a follow-up meeting, if needed.
  

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A WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH TO WELLBEING

A whole school approach to wellbeing cannot be a tokenistic gesture. It has to be woven into the culture and ethos of the school, taking on the same level of importance as the academic curriculum.

Public Health England, working with the DfE, in Promoting children and young people's emotional health and wellbeing: A whole school and college approach (2021), identified eight key principles for leadership:

Understanding Wellbeing

At any given time, our mental health and wellbeing may fluctuate along a continuum.

Reproduced from Jude Kelly, Concepts in Mental Health

We can also consider the continuum in this way:

Reproduced from Delphis (2020) The Mental Health Continuum is a Better Model for Mental Health

Understanding Wellbeing

Wellbeing is affected when our needs are not met and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need provides a useful overview. The needs are presented in a hierarchy with our more basic needs at the bottom of the pyramid and higher level, intangible needs at the top. An individual can only move on to addressing higher-level needs when their basic needs are met.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Readiness to Learn

SELF-

ACTUALISATION

ESTEEM

BELONGING

SAFETY

PHYSIOLOGICAL

I am ready and available to learn so teach me!

I am a likeable, worthy person.

I am resilient.

I am confident enough to take risks.

I can accept constructive criticism and praise.

I can make mistakes and move on.

I can manage conflicts with my peers.

I have secure attachments to my family.

I have secure attachments to my teacher.

I have a secure friendship group.

I am part of a safe community.

I am safe within my family and home.

I have clear and consistent boundaries in my life, at home and school.

I am safe within my community.

My teacher likes me.

My teacher knows me very well and can help me in my learning.

I have someone I trust to be able to talk to about my worries.

I trust my teacher to make the right judgements about me.

The classroom is a safe place for me.

I feel safe to take risks in my learning.

I had enough to eat.

I had enough sleep.

I live in a healthy environment.

I have clean and comfortable clothes.

When faced with either passive or active behaviour which challenges, it is helpful to support students to explore their feelings. Once they have identified the feeling, adults can then support them to identify what need is not being met.

The Feelings and Needs Inventories developed by the Centre for Nonviolent Communication (2005) can be adapted to support students and adults to develop their emotional vocabulary and support wellbeing.

Staff Wellbeing

You need to care for yourself before you can care for others.

Staff need to be aware that if they are not looking after their own wellbeing or managing their own feelings and needs effectively, they are less well-placed to manage the feelings, needs and wellbeing of students.

Maslow’s Hierarchy provides a simple tool to encourage staff to evaluate their own needs to be ready to teach.

I am safe within my family and home.

I have clear and consistent boundaries in my life, at home and school.

I am safe within my community.

My colleagues like and respect me.

I am well supported at school.

I have someone I trust to be able to talk to about my worries.

I trust school leaders to make the right judgements about me.

Work is a safe place for me.

I feel safe to take risks in my practice.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Readiness to Teach

I am a likeable, worthy person.

I am resilient.

I am confident enough to take risks.

I can accept constructive criticism and praise.

I can make mistakes and move on.

I can manage conflicts and differences of opinion.

SELF-

ACTUALISATION

ESTEEM

BELONGING

SAFETY

PHYSIOLOGICAL

I am ready and available to teach so let's rock and roll!

I have secure attachments to my family.

I have secure attachments to my colleagues.

I have a secure friendship group.

I am part of a safe community.

I had enough to eat.

I had enough sleep.

I live in a healthy environment.

I have clean and comfortable clothes.

Schools will all have their own mechanisms for ensuring staff wellbeing. However, it is good practice to carry out regular audits of provision which should include staff feedback. Useful tools can be found at:

• Anna Freud Centre: Wellbeing Measure for Schools: Staff Survey
  
• Anna Freud Centre: Ten steps towards school staff wellbeing
  
• Education Support
  

A Framework for Staff Wellbeing

Universal

• Staff wellbeing policy
• Dedicated staff rooms
  
• Drop in sessions for any concerns
  
• Staff wellbeing established and supported to offer regular events
  
• Staff education on child and family mental health
  
• Culture of no-blame and stigma for mental health needs of school community
  
• Feedback boxes where staff can share (anonymously) ideas for improvement of school ethos and model good working practices.
  

Targeted

• Supervision
• Staff CPD around mental health
  
• Regular mandatory wellbeing check-in meetings for all staff using a personal or peer support model
  
• Wellbeing events for staff
  

Specialist

• Employee Assistant Programmes
• Crisis Support
  
• Referrals to occupational health
  
• Education Support Partnership
  
• Access to Counselling Services
  

Adapted from Anna Freud Centre (2018) Supporting Staff Wellbeing in Schools

PROVISION IN BARKING AND DAGENHAM

While some services may operate across multiple tiers of provision, they have been located at the tier where support may first be appropriate.

Contacts

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