IMPACT OF SEMH NEEDS ON LEARNING

Indicators may include a child or young person who despite whole school support:

• Continues to require frequent adult prompting to remain on task.
• Continues to need support to make and sustain appropriate relationships with adults and/or peers.
• Displays frequent unpredictable responses to a range of situations e.g. anxiety, anger, unhappiness.
• Has difficulties expressing their point of view verbally and/or talking about their feelings without intervention. This includes refusal to speak.
• Engages in attention seeking behaviour and regularly seeks approval from adults and peers.
• Continues to show signs of being withdrawn and may need encouragement to take part in activities.
• Signs of emotional turbulence (for example unusual tearfulness, withdrawal from social situations).
• Signs of selective mutism.

May occasionally be unpredictable or destructive.

May be withdrawn or behaviour may hinder their own concentration or that of others.

PROVISION - Quality Teaching Strategies/Specialised Adaptations

Quality Teaching Strategies/Specialised Adaptations

All children benefit from good quality Wave 1 Teaching. This includes high quality teaching which is scaffolded and personalised to meet the needs of the majority of children and young people.  Special educational provision is underpinned by high quality teaching and is compromised by anything less.

Within Wave 1 teaching some children may, at times, be taught in small groups or in a one-to-one situation to support their learning. Lessons should be planned to address potential areas of difficulty and to ensure that there are no barriers to every pupil achieving. Teachers carefully explain new vocabulary; use lively, interactive teaching styles and make maximum use of visual and kinaesthetic approaches as well as auditory / verbal learning. These need to be carefully matched to pupil needs and abilities. Additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good quality teaching.

Assessment, Planning and Review

• Stage 1 - Initial assessment
• When a young person is initially identified as needing support, it is necessary to obtain a baseline assessment of those difficulties that are causing concern so that the effectiveness of any intervention can be evaluated. Baselines should give clear ideas of the frequency and severity of any difficulties.  Behaviour should be described using non-judgemental, accurate descriptions and do not “over describe” or “under describe” the behaviour.  At all stages during the graduated response, attempts should be made to analyse and understand the feelings and motivations that drive behaviour so that interventions follow logically from this.
•  
• Useful tools at this stage could include the use of:
• Checklists
• Observations
• Assessments eg Boxall Profile; SDQ; Risk Assessments (see appendix),
• Analysis tools such as: anxiety analysis, therapeutic tree, subconscious and conscious behaviour checklists.
• Young person’s views
• Advice sought via a Mental Health surgery (with EP / PHMW).  This may be done in general terms (eg: without naming the child or making a formal referral).
• Children and young people at Stage 1 require support which is additional and different to the support normally available within the school environment.
• The indicators for intervention at Stage 1 would be based on concerns, underpinned by evidence and analysis, that despite receiving scaffolded learning opportunities, a child or young person makes little or no progress over a sustained period of time.
• Schools will have a clear behaviour policy that provide clear instructions for staff on how to respond to prosocial, difficult or dangerous behaviour and this is fully integrated into school systems to support positive behaviour management.
• Baseline information of particularly significant behaviours will be collected   in   order   to   inform   strategies   for   intervention   and evaluation.
• An Individualised Plan provides which focuses on the promotion of positive feelings / experiences and therefore the development of appropriate behaviours and the reduction of inappropriate behaviours.
• Pupil progress and the effect of interventions will be measured over time (i.e. through the Boxall profile / SDQ / Individual SMART targets and goals.).
• Effects of all interventions will be considered holistically, i.e. in relation to the outcomes for the child, family and school.
• The child/young person’s behaviour will be observed in a range of contexts.
• Progress will be systematically and regularly monitored to establish the effectiveness of the intervention.   Reviews will take place at least each half-term.

A Team Around the Child (TAC) meeting may be called to inform holistic planning.

Grouping for Teaching Purposes

• Curriculum is clearly differentiated and adapted to meet the child/young person’s needs.
• Grouping strategies used flexibly, taking into account group dynamics, to make best use of available staff and space, to enhance learning and access to the curriculum.
• Small group programmes using evidence based interventions.
• School based individual or group pastoral support sessions focussing on the educational consequences of behaviour to support the child to respond in more prosocial ways.
• Work and intervention are focused on    particular aspects/modules from school based SEAL programme or similar, as appropriate.
• Personalised learning programmes are implemented.

Curriculum and Teaching Methods

• Responses to antisocial behaviour for all students are to either protect or to teach. How can I keep people safe? What does the child need to learn? How are we going to teach them? These are educational and protective consequences which follow logically from the behaviour causing a concern.
• Responses to behaviour do not include pointlessly taking things away or imposing meaningless activities or limits to freedoms.
• Use of de-escalating techniques (e.g. Bill Rogers / adopted scripted language such as Positive phrasing and Limited choices). All communication is carefully considered and where needed staff are using agreed scripts).
• Conflict resolution programmes.
• Consideration of alternative  means  of  accessing  the  curriculum (e.g. ICT).
• Devoting additional time to activities which address the child/young person’s difficulties using specific teaching methods/programmes e.g.  Circle  of  Friends  approach, cognitive behavioural approaches,  social  skills  programmes, emotional regulation techniques,  self-esteem/self-confidence programmes etc.
• Tasks may need to be differentiated by level/outcome/pitch/pace and grouping to match learning needs, concentration level, interest and motivation.
•  

Additional pastoral support, Human and Other Resources

• Access to a key worker adult or peer mentor on a regular basis – building in opportunities to talk.
• Making use of SEN Personal Advisors / Mental Health surgeries to help reduce barriers to learning that are behavioural, emotional and/or social.
• The child / young person may have flexible access to a base within school where support is available, e.g. LSU nurture provision / safe quiet space to spend breaktimes, etc.
• Implementation of support programmes to address child/young person’s specific needs.
• The child/young person may be supported via a Buddying/peer mentoring scheme.
• Use of counsellors / learning mentors if school has access to this type of support.
• Targeting existing resources in the classroom with children/young people who are experiencing SEMH.  Consider the needs of identified groups (safe learners, internalisers, externalisers) and differentiate to ensure therapeutic outcomes for each learner.
• Deploying additional support specifically for one or more children/young people in the class.
• Help in adjusting to school expectation and routines.
• Making use of pupil support within the class group (e.g. cross age peer support)
•  

Parent’s/Carers and Young Person participation

• The child/young person will be fully involved in the assessment process and in the planning of subsequent interventions.

Parent’s  /  Carers  will  be  encouraged  and  supported  to  work together  with  the  school. They will be an integral part of the process of assessment, intervention and target setting.

School should work with the child and parent carers to identify triggers, experiences and underlying emotions, and identify a plan to get the necessary help.

• Child/young person and parental involvement in the programme is clearly defined.
• Self evaluation encouraged and developed.
• Students’ self-assessment routinely used to set individual learning targets.
• Parent/Carer engagement and involvement are positively and actively promoted from the earliest opportunity.

Training and Advice

• Enhancing the skills level and knowledge of human resources through targeted and specific training.
• All RBC Head teachers and schools are strongly encouraged to attend and apply the Therapeutic Thinking Schools training.  This then needs to be cascaded to all staff working in their school so that staff can apply the tools and techniques in their everyday practice. 
• Staff training needs with regards to child/young person’s social, emotional   and   behavioural   development   are   addressed   and information passed to other staff and parents, as appropriate.

School to School support

Including observations, joint training, consultation and outreach.

                                   STAGE 2 PROVISION FOR SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL HEALTH    

Provided from school’s delegated budget Element 2 (Notional Special Educational Needs budget)

When move to Stage 2?

After at least 2 reviews at Stage 1, a few children or young people may not be making expected progress towards the targets set.               These children and young people would be considered for Stage 2 intervention.        The period of time covered by this review process would normally be approximately six months, but during this period or towards the end of this period, schools or colleges should consult with relevant support services to consider the nature of the difficulty and appropriate Stage of additional support. If a child or young person’s behaviours escalate quickly, in spite of appropriate strategies being in place, it may be appropriate to shorten the review cycle. Progress indicators should be measured against baseline information after targeted intervention has been implemented and monitored as part of the evaluation process.

PROVISION - Quality Teaching Strategies/Specialised Adaptations

Stage 1 plus:

Assessment, Planning and Review

• Regular monitoring and reviewing of programmes and strategies as advised by outside agencies.

Parent /carer involvement in programmes is particularly desirable. All agencies should work together to ensure that parental involvement is achieved wherever possible.

Baseline recording of particularly difficult or significant behaviours should be made in order to analyse and understand the behaviour to inform interventions and protective / educational consequences.  

• Useful tools at this stage may include:
• Checklists
• Observations
• Assessments eg Boxall Profile; SDQ; Risk Assessments.
• Analysis tools such as: anxiety analysis, therapeutic tree, subconscious and conscious behaviour checklists (or other equivalent, evidence based behavioural analysis tool).
• Young person’s views.
• A risk  assessment  may  be  helpful  in  informing  appropriate interventions depending on presenting    behaviours/areas of concern.
• An assessment of cognitive functioning and speech and communication if problems are persisting - in recognition of the high numbers of CYP with learning and/or language difficulties.
• Pastoral Support Plans (PSPs) may be set following consultation with external professionals such as staff from specialist settings, Behaviour Support staff, educational psychologists, and professionals from the CAMHS. A Pastoral Support Plan is a school-based intervention to help an individual student understand and manage their feelings and behaviour and should be drawn up for any student who needs extra support in managing their behaviour, has had a fixed term exclusion, or whose behaviour has deteriorated.
• Careers Advice involvement if concerns re NEET.
• Successes will be celebrated.
• A therapeutic plan (or equivalent) should be used for pupils whose behaviour frequently victimises others in the dynamic or regularly causes significant harm to themselves; requires a high level of staff support; where the behaviour is dangerous.  A Therapeutic Plan would incorporate / be informed by many of the above strategies.  
• Therapeutic plans must be underpinned by analysis and will not be effective unless underpinned by a therapeutic behaviour policy that gives staff clear, unambiguous instructions around how to respond to behaviour.

Curriculum and teaching methods

• As above, plus:
• Implementation of programmes  and  strategies  as  advised  by relevant outside agencies.
• Wave 3 intervention as part of a small group (e.g. Silver set SEAL materials, Dinosaur Programme, social skills programmes, etc.).

Clear communication throughout the school

Management system with weekly updates;

Appropriate behaviour and expectations are taught alongside the academic curriculum.

Consideration should be given to the use of IT, audio visual support, ‘time out’ to support a scaffolded curriculum for a student who has difficulties in engaging in traditional methods of curriculum delivery.

Grouping for Teaching Purposes

• Continued access to small group support within class and outside the classroom environment, as appropriate to child/young person’s needs, with a focus on skills development, resilience and coping strategies.
• Individual  support  from  an  appropriate  adult  within  class,  as appropriate
• Group work supported by relevant outside agencies.
• Increased flexibility re curriculum e.g. “small garden”.  A small garden is a different experience that may be required when the emotional needs of a student cannot be met in the “Big Wide World” of the classroom.  A small garden is appropriate where inclusion in the classroom causes frequent and intense negative feelings for the individual, or where a protective consequence is required to prevent the behaviour of the student from victimising others or causing distress.  A small garden can include: teaching in a separate location within the school (individually or within a smaller group), at specific times, and / or taking part in a different task or activity.  Small garden are planned, proactive and should be targeted towards situations where the student is unable to cope in the whole class environment – based on analysis.
•  

Additional pastoral support, human and other resources

  These could include the strategies included in SEAL

• Continued access to supporting adults within school and support programmes up to 12 hours.
• Continued  access  to  a  base  within  school  where  support  is available.

Involvement of outside agencies as appropriate to the child/young person’s needs, e.g. Schools Link Project, individual Counselling, Therapeutic Groups, Behavioural Support team, Educational Psychologists (EPs) Primary Mental Health Workers (PMHWs) the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) as needed.

Where environmental   factors   (eg:  housing, family or other domestic circumstances) may be contributing to the presenting behaviour, a multi-agency approach may be appropriate.  This might involve Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) Family Workers (FWs), Social Care, Youth Workers etc…

• Support during times / lessons / activities in the school day where it is identified (based on analysis) that the student is more likely to experience difficulties.

Training and advice

• Specific training and advice for school staff and parents/carers as advised by outside agencies.
• Outside agency support to model strategies and approaches and to inform practice.
•  

Parents / carers and Pupil Participation

• Continued partnership with parents/carers to ensure consistency between home and school.
• Child/young person  continues  to  be  involved  in  process  of assessment, setting up interventions and targets.
• Regular   liaison   between   school,   parents/carers   and   outside agencies working with the family
• Parent / carers are informed about Parent Partnership services.
• Parent’s / carers may be directly involved in interventions within school,  e.g.  Family  SEAL  materials/parenting groups,  alongside school interventions or may have involvement from other agencies (e.g. Family Support Workers, Family Liaison Officers, etc.).

All parties will attend relevant TAC/multi-agency meetings or similar, communicating effectively to ensure the child/young person receives joined up support.

School should work with the child and parent carers to identify triggers, (be that being bullied, bereaved, PTSD, anxiety, learning difficulties etc) and identify a plan to get the necessary help.

Student and parent involvement in the plan will be clearly defined.

School to School support

Including observations, joint training, consultation and outreach.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health   EHC Needs Assessment

When move to EHC Needs Assessment?

After at least 2 reviews at Stage 2 of Assess, Plan, Do Review, Some children and young people may display difficulties of an extreme nature that require a higher level of resourcing than is reasonable for the school  to provide over a sustained period of time. In these cases, evidence will be judged on the degree to which emotional or behavioural needs have an effect on:

• Risk of harm (to self and others in the dynamic)
• Teacher attention and time.
• Access to the curriculum for the child or young person.
• The degree and complexity of these behaviours for any child or young person will need to be measured against:
• The inappropriateness of the behaviour (partly with regard to the age of the child or young person and to the context in which the behaviour occurs):
• Ø Frequency
• Ø Intensity
• Ø Duration
• Ø Persistence over time.

Before applying for a statutory assessment (EHC Needs assessment) before an EHC assessment, schools must have done all they can to identify the triggers for the child's behaviour and to plan for the safe inclusion of the child.  This will have included the involvement of external professionals and implementation of their advice, in depth analysis of behaviour, planning which aims to maximise positive feelings and experiences, responses to behaviour that are consistent and include protective and behavioural consequences, attempts to restructure resourcing to safely include the child.

Emotional and Mental Health –  Pupil Characteristics

Stage 1

Stage 2

EHCP assessment

Indicators may include a child or young person who despite whole school support:

• Continues to require frequent adult prompting to remain on task.
• Continues to need support  to make and sustain appropriate relationships  with adults and/or peers.
• Displays frequent unpredictable responses to a range of situations e.g. anxiety, anger, unhappiness.
• Has difficulties expressing their point of view verbally and/or talking about their feelings without intervention. This includes refusal to speak.
• Engages in attention seeking behaviour and regularly seeks approval from adults and peers.
• Continues to show signs of being withdrawn and may need encouragement to take part in activities.
• Signs of emotional turbulence (for example unusual tearfulness, withdrawal from social situations).
• Signs of selective mutism.

May occasionally be unpredictable or destructive.

May be withdrawn or behaviour may hinder their own concentration or that of others.

• Difficulty following rules and challenging authority.

Despite receiving an individualised programme and/or concentrated support

the young person:

• Has social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties which substantially and regularly interfere with their own learning or that of the class group.
• Continues to make little or no progress despite interventions designed to improve aspects of their social, emotional and/or mental health development.
• Remaining off task despite significant adult support.
• Highly withdrawn, anxious or significant low mood.
• Displaying unusual, harming or dangerous behaviour to self or others.
• Experiencing a significant level of rejection by peers leading to an increase in social isolation.
• A high level of dependency and may have significant difficulties relating to their peer group.
• Frequent and prolonged mood swings.
• Evidence of significant unhappiness, anxiety, stress or dissatisfaction which is affecting learning and may lead to period of absence from school.
• Persistent emotional or behavioural difficulties that have not been ameliorated by differentiated learning opportunities or by the behaviour management techniques usually employed by the school.
•  

Indicators will include:

• Appropriate support over a period of not less than 12 months and this support has included in depth analysis of behaviours leading to a therapeutic support plan or equivalent intervention programme.

And

• There is a demonstrable and significant effect on pupil progress over time despite appropriate advice being taken and appropriate support being provided by the school.

And

• The young person’s behaviours within the classroom are regularly disruptive and unpredictable.

And

Evidence has being collected and recorded over a period of at least 12 months to show that the young person’s behaviours are qualitatively different from that of his/her peers and there is a lack of significant response despite appropriate intervention to address the identified difficulties.

Or

• All involved agree that a sudden and serious deterioration in young person’s presentation has taken place requiring a high level of support on a consistent basis.
• In addition to the above the school or college should be able to demonstrate that:
• Relevant outside Agency support has been accessed as necessary, with advice being acted upon and regularly reviewed.

• Outcomes are clearly evaluated and modified as appropriate to address young person’s needs.
• The child or young person’s behaviours within the school require a consistently high level of support and is greater than would reasonably be expected from the school’s allocated SEND budget or the college’s Element 2 budget.

Where a child or young person has been permanently excluded from one school s/he must have had a period of no less than 3 months in the next one, with appropriate advice being sought.