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Sign in or register for an accountUse questions and strategies to guide and encourage young people to find mutually satisfying solutions eg understanding the other’s position, saying sorry, looking for solutions that meet each young person’s needs, for example, using a solution circle approach.
Use turn taking, mutual help activities and cooperative learning activities during subject lessons. Rotate groups, so that young people work with different group members, helping to build a range of social skills and fostering inclusiveness.
Create learning opportunities by introducing classroom routines to teach friendly behaviour and positive relationships. For example, model giving compliments and then set up situations where young people can practice giving and receiving them.
Adopt a planned PSHE curriculum that involves group discussion and activities that explore different relationships.
Use of Anti Bullying policies and programmes.
Staff / peer modelling to promote social skills and interaction and environmental considerations to the organisation of the space, seating and group dynamics.
Provision of planned opportunities to learn and to practice social and emotional skills during structured activities.
Set up peer mentoring or ‘buddy’ systems’ for use during unstructured times.
Established routines and secure and explicit boundaries across curriculum areas. Clear routines for transitions.
Clear pathways to access further support within the setting are known to young people and displayed around the setting including information about services that they can access.
Access to Mental health first aid training for staff to support their understanding of fostering positive peer relationships.
Access to quiet areas in college during unstructured times. Access to a range of social opportunities and extracurricular activities.
Offer social time support, for example, setting up a club around a young person’s interest (eg gardening or gaming).
Use of the freely available DEAL: Developing Emotional Awareness and Listening Programme (Samaritans) training for teachers and whole class session plans.
Time limited intervention programmes to teach SEMH skills, with staff who have knowledge and skills to address specific needs.
Small group delivery includes good role models. Set programmes include:
Small group work in class which supports the differentiated curriculum/programme and individual goals. This could include the teaching/ instruction of specific social skills and language.
Use conflict resolution strategies and other similar techniques such as restorative justice to support young people through conflicts.
Use of resources such as spiralling toolkit for Safe Healthier Relationships and Expect Respect education toolkit and UK says no more.
Conduct appropriate assessments to develop understanding of the presenting needs in relation to friendships. For example:
Offer additional transition visits, transition books, transition clubs before the young person starts. Observe and record the young person’s presentation and patterns of interaction and behaviour (eg using an ABC chart) across a range of varied contexts/times to understand what they are trying to communicate and to inform possible strategies.
Use personalised Social stories (Carol Gray) to reaffirm appropriate behaviour in specific situations according to the needs of the individual young person.
An appropriately trained adult, (supported by the Inclusion Lead, Educational Psychologist or CAMHS professional), to be available to provide de-escalation and reflection work following any confrontation with peers.
One tool that might be used is Comic Strip Conversations to support the young person to reflect on real-life events and consider alternative ways of responding.
Implement appropriate one to one tailored interventions for young people with specific individual needs that have been planned to enable the young person to meet specific targets in relation to peer integration / friendships.
Access to key adult support at specific times that have been identified as challenging for the young person, eg unstructured times. Ensure that one to one time with this key adult is prioritised in order for the key adult and young person to build a relationship. Key adult characteristics: nurturing yet able to hold firm boundaries; resilient; patient; empathetic; and able to seek and accept support from another adult.
Access to a peer mentor. Provide adult support to structure any group or paired work. Personalised timetable introduced in negotiation with the young person, parents and staff.
Access to in-college support base (eg college based counsellor. If negative thoughts are a barrier to the young person engaging with their peers, try cognitive behavioural approaches such as Think Good Feel Good.
Create a calm, positive and nurturing learning environment. Offer whole setting training to support staff in de-escalation techniques.
Use of emotional validation strategies when upset, angry or distressed eg Emotion Coaching Approach. See EPS for more detail.
Discuss and model feelings and emotions often, using a wide vocabulary of feelings and emotion words. Staff to model that getting things wrong is okay.
Create displays focused on developing emotional awareness and vocabulary. Ensure consistent rules and routines across the setting:
Other whole setting approaches may include:
Identify and complete appropriate assessments to establish a greater understanding of the young person’s needs, for example:
Offer support to develop skills related to emotional regulation and emotional literacy eg recognising and labelling emotions and self-calming techniques.
Use appropriate emotional awareness and regulation workbooks or programmes within individual or a small group, such as:
Consideration is given to the emotional arousal continuum to support young people’s emotional regulation.
Use of THE INCREDIBLE 5-POINT SCALE to aid emotional regulation. Work with a group of key staff to identify an individual profile of the young person and gain an understanding of their individual triggers, observable behaviours, as well specific escalating and de-escalating adult responses. An example of this might be the RAMP (Reducing Anxiety Management Plan).
Work with a group of key staff to identify the individual profile of the young person to gain an understanding of their individual triggers, observable behaviours, as well as specific escalating and de-escalating adult responses. An example of this might be the RAMP (Reducing Anxiety Management Plan). Contact EPS for information.
Assign a key adult/team of adults to provide daily opportunities for the young person to talk through success and achievements experienced that day and to develop their skills. Such as:
Complete appropriate assessments to establish a greater understanding of individual young people’s needs. Teach self-calming techniques, such as breathing, visualisation or repetitive, soothing or sensory activities (colouring, play dough, theraputty). Always ensure access to these activities at all times through use of a ‘calm box’.
Environmental audits completed to identify aspects of the environment that might lead to increased anxiety, emotional arousal or sensory sensitivity, with monitoring of behavioural responses and adjustment to support plans / adult responses as necessary.
Use THE INCREDIBLE 5-POINT SCALE to aid emotional self-regulation. Teach self-calming techniques such as breathing, visualisation or repetitive, soothing or sensory activities. Use of gentle praise when self-calming strategies are attempted, even if unsuccessful.
Consideration is given and appropriate referrals made to services such as:
Put an appropriate support plan in place (may be a risk management plan / behaviour plan) which has been developed with the young person according to what they feel helps them to feel calm. Any plan should include how to reflect upon, learn from and 'incident' or 'behaviour' debriefing for the staff but also for the young person.
Provide a safe place for the young person to take time out and calm. Provide time within the day for one to one work with an appropriate accredited therapist (art therapy etc).
Reintegration to the setting following therapeutic work needs to be managed sensitively and appropriately.
High quality training is provided for all staff involved in delivering and monitoring targeted provision. Contingency plans are in place in case of changes to routine or staff absence.
Access to specialist therapeutic interventions if needed including self-help internet-based activities such as Beating the Blues and moodgym.
Ensure reasonable adjustments to behaviour policies and procedures, for example, flexibility of behaviour systems to account for a young person’s individual needs.
Identify and complete appropriate assessments to establish a greater understanding of the whole group/whole setting’s needs, for example PASS Pupils Attitudes to Self and School (age range 4-18+).
Embed a Whole group growth mindset approach which focuses on effort over achievement. Use of positive environmental management strategies such as PIP & RIP (praise in public and reprimand in private
Provide regular opportunities for young people to identify and celebrate success and achievements and share these with others.
Ensure praise is specific and focuses on the learning process ie learning from mistakes and taking on challenges.
Young people’s successes and achievements are shared with adults that are important to them. Provide opportunities for young people to engage with extra-curricular activities which allow them to showcase their strengths for example, debating club, gaming club or gardening club.
Conduct appropriate assessments such as:
Offer small self-esteem groups as a supportive way of building a young person’s confidence and self-esteem. Ideas for activities can be found within Emotionally Friendly Settings and on the ELSA website.
Offer groups such as Pyramid Clubs to support transitions from Year 11 for young people who are shy, anxious and withdrawn and therefore tend to find transition difficult to manage.
Plan out self-esteem building exercises as part of a group to enable young people to receive positive messages and acceptance from one another. Set self-esteem programmes can be used. For example, Think Good Feel Good or Banish Your Self Esteem Thief.
Interventions to support unhelpful thoughts which are impacting upon self-esteem such as Anxiety Gremlin If self-esteem is impacting upon engagement with exams and ability to manage stress, try evidence based exam stress groups which involve positive affirmations and relaxation activities.
Use of group support focused on body confidence and image, for example, The Dove Self-Esteem Project. Introduce and support the use of self-help software and apps such as GG Body Image and GG Confidence and Self Love.
Assign a key adult/team of adults to provide daily opportunities for the young people to talk through successes and achievements experienced that day.
Provide daily opportunities to spend time identifying and building on strategies with an adult on a 1:1 basis:
Use person centred reviews and meetings as an opportunity to evidence and celebrate positive achievements, with an audience of people who are significant to the young person.
Consider Exam Access arrangements.
Use of stories and therapeutic metaphors to teach about feelings and normalise feelings of anxiety Explore negative thinking styles as part of PSHE groups and tutorials, as well as strategies to challenge these.
Practise calming strategies routinely, both in classes and tutorials, particularly after a transition eg mindful breathing.
All staff have received training on anxiety and have an understanding of adjustments that can be made within the classroom for young people. There is information available to all young people within the setting about understanding what anxiety is and how they may be able to get further support and support themselves.
Embed growth mindset as a whole setting approach. This could be done by creating posters that are displayed around the setting and having regular tutorials, offering the experience of days that focus on developing a growth mindset, for example, celebrities or inventor who failed many times before succeeding.
Identify and complete appropriate assessments to establish a greater understanding of the young person’s needs, for example: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire SDQ
Consider Cognitive Behavioural approaches to group work provided over a specified period of time eg Think Good Feel Good and the Friends Programme. Offer groups such as Pyramid Clubs.
Introduce and support the use of self-help software and apps such as SAM, and Chill Panda. Systems and processes are in place for young people who are finding it difficult to attend due to anxiety to support them to gradually and sensitively transition back to attending their course.
Identify and complete appropriate assessments to establish a greater understanding of the young person’s needs, for example:
Provide opportunities for a daily check-in with a key adult / team of adults. Allow engagement with a neutral task or complete an assigned 'job' of responsibility to reduce feelings of anxiety.
Use of strategies related to the emotional arousal continuum eg Reducing Anxiety Management Plan (RAMP).
Embed a whole class Growth and learning mindset approach which focuses on effort over achievement.
Whole setting resiliency training, eg Bounce Forward
Identify and complete appropriate assessments to establish a greater understanding of the young person’s needs and inform group interventions, for example:
Consider group interventions to develop resilience in young people.
Consider risk and protective factors to provide a profile of the young person, eg Boingboing
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