Staff knowledge and understanding
The senior leadership team should ensure that:
- Staff skills are routinely and regularly audited (see SEND and Inclusion Toolkit) and further training in SEMH is offered to staff groups and individual staff when required.
- School staff understand how SEN in other areas may impact on SEMH.
- There are systems in place to disseminate training to the wider school staff
- All staff understand the need for a flexible approach to the management of young people’s responses, in line with school policy. This includes an awareness of the communicative intent of behaviour.
- Schools encourage and support a team approach to addressing SEMH needs. In particular:
- Staff are given encouragement and opportunities to discuss concerns, problem solve and provide support both practically and emotionally to each other.
- There are planned opportunities for key staff to share good practice with staff from other schools. Senior staff actively promote and facilitate these networking and mentoring opportunities.
- There are processes in place in school for sharing information with all staff regarding individual young people’s social, emotional and mental health needs, for example One Page Profiles.
- Staff mental health needs are monitored and supported.
- School systems are flexible enough to support the individual needs of all young people on roll at the school including;
- Education off site
- Access to Nurture groups
- Small group and individual teaching
- Access to interventions / counselling
- Curriculum modification
- Adaptations to transport for school trips and visits
Proactive planning for non-routine situations to inform individual adaptation or preparation.