Social, Emotional, Mental Health and Well-Being
What is Social, Emotional, Mental Health and Well-Being?
‘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 These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour.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.’
Code of Practice
What do we do to support children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs?
At Lutley, we take mental health and well-being seriously. We have a ‘Well-Being’ team of practitioners that work with the children to promote their social, emotional and mental Health. Within this team there is a member of the Senior Leadership Team (Head of Inclusion), our Family Liaison Officer and a two Teaching Assistants who are all experienced in supporting children with a range of needs. Two of the practitioners are Mental Health First-Aiders.
Support that children receive follows a three-tiered graduated response.
Wave 1: Quality First Teaching
As part of quality first teaching for all children, we recognise the importance of teaching our young people to achieve a healthy mind and body. Curriculum subjects which support the children with this are Science, Physical Education (P.E), Personal, Social Health Education and Citizenship Curriculum (PSHE&C), Food Technology, R.E, teaching through class and school assemblies, Rights Respecting Schools and Forest School.
Wave 2: Short term Individual or Small Group support
It may be that we notice that a child is acting in a way that is not usual for them or it may be that a child is experiencing a short-term difficulty which they need support with. Parents may also alert us to the fact that their child is going through a difficult time.
Examples of this could be that a child:
At this point, we would provide something that is additional to, or different from quality first teaching for a short time. At this point, we would not necessarily define a child as having a special educational need. They may need some additional support through an intervention for a short time. School staff will speak to parents about this before a short intervention begins (See Policy for Interventions).
Support for a child may be:
In some instances, a Boxall Profile will be completed to support staff to meet the needs of individual children. You can find out more about the Boxall Profile, you can read here https://new.boxallprofile.org/
Monitoring Progress at Wave 2
We monitor the children’s progress on individual or small group interventions in a range of ways at this point. Ways of monitoring may be:
If children make good progress over the period of intervention, then the intervention will end and support for the child will return to Wave 1 – Quality First Teaching. Parents will always be kept informed regarding these decisions.
Wave 3 Individualised Support
Sometimes, children need more support over a longer period. It is probable that a child would be identified as having special educational needs at this point as likelihood would be that the child’s academic progress would be impacted by their social, emotional, mental health needs.
This would be discussed with parents.
Possible 1-1 strategies could be as follows:
Monitoring Progress at Wave 3
We monitor the impact of what has been put in place in a variety of ways as necessary. These may include:
Support for Families
In addition, we can offer family intervention through Early Help. Families can seek support due to a variety of issues including:
Our Family Liaison Officer will work with both parents and children in a variety of ways to support them through identified issues using outside support as appropriate.