SEND Family Voices Your parent carer forum
Why SFV exist We bring people together into a community to improve services, share support and strengthen our common voice. By ensuring families are heard, we empower children, young people and their families to obtain the best possible care and services. We work independently from, but in partnership with the providers of children's services.
Reasonable Adjustments • Schools have a statutory duty under the Equality Act 2010 …to take such steps as is reasonable to have to take …to avoid substantial disadvantage to a disabled child …caused by provision, criterion or practice applied by or on behalf of a school.
“I just want to be like everyone else�
http://www.sendfamilyvoices.org/film
Moderating SEN identification Sarah Herbert
SEN definition A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child‌has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she: • has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or • has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools
Remember the waves
1. Every child is entitled to quality first teaching that is differentiated 2. Some children will need provision that enables them to catch up: booster groups and short term interventions. 3. A few children will require intensive support for the longer term, and it would be hard for them to catch up: this would be SEN provision.
Monitoring
All children in schools should have their progress in learning and social emotional skills monitored. There should be no need to keep a special ‘monitoring’ list re SEN. If a child is experiencing difficulties there must be assessment and intervention.
Decide • Does the child have SEN? • What would you do for each child in terms of the graduated response (at SEN support or statutory level):
– assess, – plan, – do, – review?
Questions?
“I just want to be like everyone else�
http://www.sendfamilyvoices.org/film
Practical Tips and Interventions for Parents/Carers
What you can do at home
• • • • • •
Provide suitable environment Make a visual timetable Use a timer Build in breaks Allow for exhaustion Support sensory needs
What you can do at school • Regular contact with Class Teacher/Senco • Tell school about what works for your child • Get Schemes of Work from school for pre-learning opportunities • Negotiate homework • Keep the school on your side
What you can do to help with reading
• • • • • • • • •
Read everyday Books of interest Favourite books Paired reading Listen to audio books Dyslexia friendly books Use reading ruler/overlay Tracking exercises Toe by Toe
What you can do at home to help with spelling • • • • • • • •
Multi sensory approach Use resources Lots of methods Word families and High Frequency words Reinforce learning, revisit learnt words until secure Spelling rules, origins of a word Apps and computer games Proof reading skills
What you can do to help with maths maths • Use concrete resources • Download apps/games to help with mental maths recall. Squeebles, Number Shark, Mathletics – there are lots • Remember lots of learners do not have the capacity to retain and recall mental maths facts
What you can do at home to help with handwriting
• • • • •
Gross Motor Exercises Fine Motor Use resources Lots of practice Touch typing
What you can do at home to help with study skills • Scheme of work from school for pre-learning opportunities • Mind Maps • Presentations • Interval Learning • You Tube Videos/ BBC Bitesize
What you can do at home to help with your child’s self esteem
• Celebrate your child’s strengths • Confidence makes a huge difference • Make sure they have role models • Have fun
What you can do at home to help with writing • Use writing frames • Use resources to support the writing • Use other methods of recording • Mind Map or brain storm ideas using post –its • Scribe for your child
What you can do • • • • • • •
Books at local libraries Websites Talks Support Groups Parent/Carer Forums Advisory Services You can make a big difference to your child’s success at school
What you can use at home
Dyslexic?
“I just want to be like everyone else�
http://www.sendfamilyvoices.org/film
Mental Health in the Primary School Years
Dr Jo Steer, Head of Service & Clinical Psychologist Emotional Health Service (EHS)
Objectives •What is mental health and why is it important? •Common childhood mental health concerns •Talking about mental health •When to seek additional support
What is mental health? What do you think of when you hear mental health?
What is mental health? It can be helpful to think of mental health as existing on a continuum for all of us: At any particular point in our lives we are somewhere on this continuum, either with good mental health, functioning well emotionally, psychologically and socially or at times functioning less well in these areas and therefore having poorer mental health. Where we are on this continuum at any one time can be influenced by a number of things‌.
Risk and protective factors
Source: www.kidsmatter.edu.au
What is mental health? Mental health can vary in relation to the stress that comes along, the changes taking place and our resources to manage these. But change is necessary.... Does change = stress? Stress prompts us to change and adapt and develop to our environments. It’s how we grow... The balance! For us to adapt and manage change well enough, the level of stress must be high enough to prompt us to do something different, but not so high that it overwhelms us.
Getting the balance right
So….. How stress impacts on our mental health or overall functioning varies in accordance to: ✓ How much stress at any one time ✓ How intense the stress
✓ How many resources to manage stress ✓ How much support in managing the stress
Children and adults alike can be more vulnerable to mental health difficulties depending on the number and type of stressors they have and their ability to manage these stressors.....
Why is good mental health important at school? •Positive emotions influence concentration, memory, problem solving and all learning skills. •Positive relationships enable individuals to break out of dysfunctional patterns •Emotional literacy promotes creativity, innovation and leadership. •Children learn more effectively if they are happy in their work, believe in themselves, like their teachers and feel school is supporting them. •Achievement in school in academic subjects is vital to pupil happiness and self esteem.
Common mental health difficulties of childhood •1 in 10 children and young people aged 5 - 16 suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder that is around three children in every class. •2.2% of children have an anxiety disorder •0.2% of children have depression •4.9% of children have a conduct disorder •1.6% of children have severe ADHD
Depression
Depression occurs when sad feelings do not go away, and when they overwhelm a person and stop them from doing the things they normally do. It used to be thought that children and young people couldn't get depressed, but in fact they can, they may just show it in a different way to adults.
Anxiety
• All children and young people get anxious at times, and this is a normal part of their development as they grow up, and develop their ‘survival skills’ so they can face challenges in the wider world. In addition, we all have different levels of stress we can cope with - some people are just naturally more anxious than others, and are quicker to get stressed or worried. • But if you think your child’s anxiety is getting in the way of their day to day life, slowing down their development, or having a significant effect on their schooling or relationships, it is best to try and help them tackle it.
Noticing – Being a Detective! ▪ Young children may not tell you there is something wrong, this means they rely on your detective skills to notice early signs of mental health difficulties....
➢ Observe children... • • • •
Has anything changed at school or at home? Notice changes in appearance? How they relate to peers and to adults? Observe beyond behaviour, what is triggering them?
➢ Observe yourself... • •
If you feel a particular way in the presence of a particular child this may give a good insight into their internal world Being aware of our own feelings can help us to see beyond the visible spectrum (behaviour) and understand what is going on inside a child’s mind.
What you may notice… Changes to sleep pattern Physical health complaints eg headaches, stomach aches Shaky, sweaty, restless Appearing low, sad or more tearful Worrying much more than usual Being more withdrawn / not talking as much. Not wanting to see friends or play Being angry, argumentative, getting into fights Changes to appetite - eat loads more, or loads less, or switch between these two. Wanting to run away or talking about not wanting to be alive or hating their lives Not achieving so well at school Losing confidence – avoiding doing things they used to do e.g. clubs, activities Re-creating “stories, worries” in their play Drawings and what they are writing
Responding to anxiety ✓ Don't be afraid to approach your child and ask if they are OK or if something is bothering them ✓ Use your listening and reflecting skills. ✓ Wonder aloud about what might be happening for your child ✓ Name feelings around events if they approach you to talk. ✓ Look beyond behaviour, be curious about what is happening for them. ✓ Model emotion regulation ✓ Ask for help- use systems of support and advice. ✓ Know where else to get support from....
Asking questions and being curious – as a detective!
• LEADING QUESTIONS Can be answered with a yes/no, it makes assumptions and may put words into mouths… •Is it true…. •Is it ……? •Would you agree…. •Would you say… •Is that right?
• OPEN QUESTIONS
Open up conversation, lead to clarifications, usually a descriptive answer is given, doesn’t assume an answer...
• Who? • What? • When? • Where? • Do you ….? • Why? • What do you mean?
Tips for talking about mental health with children • Offer a space for talking It might be over a meal, in the car or during an activity. These informal spaces can be great opportunities to talk about serious topics in a more relaxed atmosphere (as long as its private). • Explain that we all have difficult times in our lives Mental health is about our range of emotions and how we cope with our lives. Our mental health can fluctuate, just like our physical health - over the course of our lives, or even from day to day. Draw on own experiences. • Start small You don’t need to set aside hours to chat. Just opening up the conversation makes a big difference.
• Mental health is positive too Mental health isn’t just about mental distress, it is also about wellbeing. You could chat about things that help with all of our wellbeing, like talking to someone they trust, exercise, chill out or 'me' time. Let them know it isn’t about feeling happy all the time, but feeling more able to cope.
Tips for talking about mental health with children • Talk their language Children and Young people will most likely be familiar with the idea of feeling stressed, upset, low or worried. Start with the language they use and helpfully expand on it e.g. “you said you’ve been feeling stressed, when you spoke about how it feels, I wondered if it’s like a mix of angry and upset? “ • Depersonalise People often find it easier to think and talk openly about a hypothetical situation rather than their own feelings and experiences. So, instead of asking them direct questions about themselves, you could ask ‘how someone might feel who is upset about XYZ?’ You could talk about book characters or TV characters as examples of different experiences, feelings and reactions. • Show you’re happy to talk and listen Above all, let your child know that if they are worried about something or feeling sad more often– they can come and talk to you about it and you will be there to support them. • Learn together It’s OK not to know or understand things. You could always suggest that it’s something you can learn about together.
Be Solution Focused! •We tend to focus on the problem…this is not always helpful • We need to also spend time on ways to move forward •Increase problem solving skills: - Think with your child about possible ways forward (things they can do to make situation better)
Remember to... •Eat well •Good sleep routine •Exercise •Positive experiences •Fun! •Be with people they feel close to •Encourage social activities •Offer encouraging statements “you can do it”, “ lets try together” “give it a go” •Set specific, realistic, achievable goals
Resources for Parents
When to Seek Help •When your efforts to help your child do not result in improvement •Where it is affecting the child's development or level of functioning
•Where it is out of proportion to the family circumstances •Where there is an impact on the parent/carer/child relationship •Where there is a sudden change or deterioration
Where to Seek Help •School •GP •Other people you may have contact with – school nurse, health visitor, paediatrician •Parent support – SEND Family Voices •Single Point of Access 020 8547 5008 •Internet – beware!!
Local CAMHS Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services -Relate Young People’s Counselling -Saying Goodbye Project (bereavement work) -Off The Record (11-24yrs) -Emotional Health Service at AFC -Tier 3 CAMHS at Richmond Royal ALL CAN BE ACCESSED VIA SINGLE POINT OF ACCESS
Useful Websites Mental Health information leaflets: http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/youngpeople Mental health & well-being: http://www.youngminds.org.uk/ Relaxation Materials: http://www.relaxkids.com/ Self help books for older children: http://www.readingwell.org.uk
“I just want to be like everyone else�
http://www.sendfamilyvoices.org/film