From the section: Graduated Approach - Social, emotional and mental health
Targeted Provision for those who require additional short-term support over and above that provided routinely as part of universal services.
Social skills and self-esteem groups: planned for and led by a trained member of staff focusing on relationship and social skills. An example of these groups may be:
Guidance from the Educational Psychology Service and Solar can be found here:
Emotionally-Based School Non-attendance: Guide for Professionals (solihull.gov.uk)
A traditional Nurture group is one where the pupils and young people attend 4-5 times per week for at least 12 weeks. The Nurture group is facilitated by two Nurture staff; the pupils are selected for this group using the Boxall profile assessment tool, along with the school’s background knowledge of the child/young person’s life.
Closer partnership working between parents and carers may be needed at a targeted level compared to that which occurs at a universal level. TAC meetings are central to the process including services stepping in and out from the team depending on progress and pupil need. This collaboration should encourage parties to meet to consider the needs of the child or young person. Conversations will centre around questions such as, how does this differ? How is it similar? Do they share concerns? How can each party support progress?
These can be useful tools to consider for creative problem-solving.
Following a cycle of APDR, advice may be sought from specialists including those accessible within school, the Local Authority and wider services. They may offer specialist advice and support on targeted interventions and reasonable adjustments within the classroom. These may include:
Solihull School Health Nursing offer for Primary and Secondary schools can be found here: Solihull School Nursing Team.
Counsellors may offer short-term person-centred interventions with a specific focus. They may also offer opportunities to talk and reflect over longer periods of time, supporting pupils to understand patterns in their behaviours and relationships.
Many schools employ or train staff to deliver therapeutic support which could include drama therapy, animal therapy, Lego therapy; play therapy; music therapy; art therapy and talking therapy.
Available to work with pupils with mild to moderate mental health issues such as low mood, worry and anxiety, low self-esteem, and confidence. Support can be offered in clinics, schools, the community and online. Support may take place in groups or 1:1 depending on the need and agreed intervention.
The SISS Team offer a traded service to schools to support with identification of a pupil’s strengths, needs and barriers to learning. The team can also offer advice and make recommendations on strategies which schools could implement:
Specialist Inclusion Support Service (SISS) (solihull.gov.uk)
An Educational Psychologist will use their knowledge and understanding of child development and psychology to assess difficulties pupils may be having with their learning and offer support and strategies to support these areas. The Educational Psychology team can offer assessments of children and families and can deliver training with SOLAR around mental health awareness, emotion coaching and mindfulness.
An early assessment and planning tool, designed to capture a family’s strength and needs and to consider next steps around supporting their needs to be met. Any universal/ specialist service can offer Early Help support to families:
Further details of appropriate organisations, access information and contact details can be found on Solihull’s Local Offer/ SEMH Pathway.
Some pupils will be considered as having “high needs” in relation to SEMH and should be referred to Solihull High Needs Pathway.
Where a placement is at risk of breakdown or where a pupil is at risk of permanent exclusion, they should also be referred to Solihull High Needs Pathway.
The work of the SEMH High Needs Team is primarily to support the prevention of exclusion through early intervention and responsive support:
Alternative provision (AP) is defined as ‘Education outside of school…arranged by LAs [local authorities] or schools… It can range from pupil referral units and further education colleges to voluntary or private sector projects’ (Department for Education). An Additionally Resourced Provision (ARP) is a provision within a mainstream school designed to provide specialist and targeted support for pupils with long term special educational needs.
If access to an AP or ARP is required, applications must be submitted with the required evidence in line with the protocol of the Alternative Provision Single Panel: Fair Access Protocol
There are a range of APs and ARPs in Solihull which may meet the needs of pupils with SEMH needs.
It is expected that pupils have accessed a range of universal and targeted interventions before progressing to this stage.
A partnership between Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Barnardo’s and Autism West Midlands and provides emotional wellbeing and mental health services to children, young people and families in Solihull.
The team is made up of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists; Clinical Psychologists; Child Psychotherapists; Family Therapists; Mental Health Practitioners; Community Psychiatric Nurses; Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners; Primary Mental Health Workers; Counsellors; Advocates; Administrators; Students and Volunteers.
Solar – Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (bsmhft.nhs.uk)
This is needed to ensure all professionals and the family are working collaboratively to secure the best possible outcome for the child.
Team Teach
Further details of appropriate organisations, access information and contact details can be found on Solihull’s Local Offer SEMH Pathway