Page 48 - SEN114 September/October 2021

SEMH
Creating a culture to support SEMH needs
Donna Gale-Page, CEO of SENDEducation & Pathway2Independence, and Kerryn Thomas, SENDCo of The Romsey School discuss their thoughts on ‘Creating a culture to support SEMH needs’.
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A school needs to be so much more than an institution for educating children; as school leaders we aspire to create communities that meet the needs of the children, families and staff we work alongside.
School-age children spend almost 25% of their waking life in the school environment: we know that to succeed and make the most of their potential schools need to be welcoming, safe places where students, and staff alike, feel supported and are able to thrive.
Our students with SEMH needs can be some of the more difficult to work with, disaffected due to trauma, special educational and mental health needs. The headline figures for this year are 15.9% of students are categorised as SEND. The second largest group within the SEND category is SEMH (240,000 children). Support for these students needs to be carefully considered - their environment, curriculum, interventions and most importantly the school ethos that underpins the values of all within the community. Schools tread the fine tightrope of balancing the needs of the individual against the needs of the school; this has never been more important when dealing with SEMH, especially in the wake of a year of uncertainty and global crisis.
“The frontline in mental
health support for our students and families”
It is estimated that 1 in 10 children have a diagnosable mental health need. 1 in 4 show evidence of mental ill health, including depression and anxiety. Speaking to school leaders and teachers, this estimate is growing daily; this at a time when services and resources are overwhelmed due to the social, employment and financial impact of the last 18 months. As schools we are the frontline in mental health support for our students and families: signposting and referrals are not enough in the current climate.
How do we create a culture to support SEMH needs?
Identifying the needs
SEMH needs come in different shapes and sizes. Prompt identification is key to support. Unmet needs in critical areas such as mental health, self-esteem and anxieties can widen progress and developmental gaps to ‘Grand Canyon’ sized crevices within the fabric of our children’s health and future aspirations. Once a need has been identified, we must carefully monitor the holistic progress of the individuals - tracking not just academic progress but the complexities of personal development. Without focus on independence, health and wellbeing, daily living skills, communication and social skills, students will be unable to apply the academic knowledge they have gained.
The graduated approach provides a structure promoting inclusion and success for all. Early identification is key. Staff awareness of behaviours that may reflect underlying mental health difficulties is vital, alongside clear processes to support following the “Assess, Plan, Do, Review” model.
Consistency of whole school message
Every school has a vision, value or mission statement - most follow a three-word format, much like the ‘hands - space - face’ message we all know verbatim. In fact, the repeated
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