Social, emotional and mental health for 0 to 5 year olds

To help manage this need you can:

• use trauma informed practice and relational approaches such as PACE
• use co-regulation to support self-regulation - co-regulation is the nurturing connection of another person that supports regulation using strategies, tools, and calming techniques
• share clear expectations, using positive language, with the children, in relation to the setting ethos verbally and visually
• ensure all staff are consistent in how they support children to remember and follow expectations
• make sure all staff use a consistent approach to supporting the child in distress and keep other children safe making reasonable adjustments to support individual needs
• implement strategies that are reassuring and acknowledge children’s emotions
• anticipate the trigger and use distraction to avoid physical interactions
• provide the child with safe things and places to throw which meet the physical need to throw
• model the use of alternative strategies to express feelings of anger or frustration for example screaming outside, pushing against a pair of handprints on a wall, banging a drum and so on
• monitor so that you have a good understanding of the frequency and location of triggers use:
• frequency charts
• STAR observation sheet
• ABCC
• therapeutic thinking tools, anxiety analysis and early prognosis tools
• observation sheets
• informal observations to analyse incidents, develop understanding and plan for adjustments accordingly
• communicate with families about what might be happening at home such as divorce, bereavement, illness and strategies that work or don’t work - relay this information to staff
• put preventative strategies in place, avoiding high arousal situations such as busy noisy environments or groups of children in small spaces
• arrange a safe and calm area or reflective area, chosen in agreement with the child
• access Promoting Positive Behaviour training and review practice to employ appropriate de-escalation strategies in place for example:
• distraction to an activity of interest
• offer child’s comforter
• preferred adult
• calming strategy
• implement a time limited risk management plan which is consistently reviewed - this should include pro-active strategies, early interventions to reduce anxiety or harm and reactive strategies to ensure a consistent approach
• implement a clear plan of action, agreed with parent carers, to keep all children safe if a child is having a physical response to an emotional outburst regarding the need of any physical intervention. This may require moving of other children from the area. A risk assessment must be in place if the child’s dysregulation is causing a risk
• parent carers and staff have access to inclusion and behaviour management policy - reasonable adjustments are made to policies in response to the child’s needs
• for reception classes, following suspension, create a pastoral support plan (PSP) - ensure that strategies are implemented, and feedback given to the pastoral lead
• arrange to undertake self-regulation in early years training
• use the ‘keep your cool toolbox’ strategies for ideas to support - share the app with parent carers to download and support at home

To help manage this need you can:

• reflect on triggers and consequent behaviours - What is the child communicating? Why is the child displaying this behaviour? - and talk to parent carers to learn more about the child’s behaviours at home
• ensure your school or setting's behaviour management policy focusses on supporting children’s social and emotional development including supporting self-regulation
• make sure there is an understanding within the setting that all behaviour is a form of communication
• ensure there is a positive robust key person system in place where the adult takes charge in building the relationship
• before implementing strategies, be curious about what the child is trying to communicate and explore what is happening for the child - take a holistic approach to this exploration considering when, where, what, why and who, and any commonalities
• consider what the behaviours are reflecting and what the child needs currently:
• Do they need connection, sensory or physical feedback?
• Is there anything we are missing or need to unpick further?
• Could there be underlying needs such as social communication, social, emotional, and mental health needs, or adverse childhood experiences?
• be curious about the child's previous lived experiences collaborating with home and any other professionals to gain a greater prospective
• keep a note of concerns, liaise with a designated professional - special educational needs coordinator (SENCO), key person or safeguarding lead - within your setting
• be aware if children have been prescribed medication, feedback any changes or concerns to parent carers so that they can discuss with their GP to rule out health issues
• respond to the emotions of the child in a calm and considered way - share your calm

To help manage this need you can:

• ensure that children’s social and emotional development including self-regulation is at the heart of the curriculum
• all staff understand ‘the window of tolerance’ including hypo- and hyper-arousal responses
• notice how the child presents when in the hypo-arousal freeze response. This might look like:
• isolated
• quiet
• withdrawn
• hiding
• limited language to communicate
• difficulty decision making and so on
• before implementing strategies, be curious about what the child is trying to communicate and explore what is happening for the child - take a holistic approach to this exploration considering when, where, what, why and who, and any commonalities
• make sure all adults are aware of their reactions to the observed behaviour and ensure a consistent response
• build a picture of the child’s likes and interests through observing and joining in with their play when they are regulated - this knowledge can be used to support regulation
• co-regulate with the child using their trusted adult - co-regulation is the nurturing connection of another person that supports regulation using strategies, tools, and calming techniques
• explore with the child a range of resources and activities linked to their likes and needs to support regulation - model this when the child is regulated so their bodies and brains are familiar with the activities and how they feel compared to when they are dysregulated
• carry out activities to support hypo-arousal, this could be:
• blankets
• soft toys
• sensory or fidget toys
• being outside
• breathing activities
• do activities to support hyper-arousal, this could be:
• breathing activities like blowing pompoms
• deep muscle work, for example:
• moving heavy objects like tyres
• wearing a heavy backpack
• sensory play
• rolling
• sensory circuits
• sweeping
• throwing beanbags
• mirror the child’s interests and comment on what they are doing or looking at to show them we are alongside them on their journey
• be calm and sensitive, take the pressure off by limiting the number of questions - keep demand low and praise high
• analyse all observations and staff's knowledge of the child made to identify the child’s needs and plan how to support them. Plan specific observations if needed.
• discuss with colleagues and your special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) to ensure consistency of approach with all staff
• plan tasks and activities to ensure that all children experience success in the learning environment - adapt provision to meet needs of the child
• try activities and experiences which provide the child with a sense of belonging or importance to the group

To help manage this need you can:

• spend time creating positive and warm relationships with the child - start with their likes and interests
• before implementing strategies, be curious about what the child is trying to communicate and explore what is happening for the child - take a holistic approach to this exploration considering when, where, what, why and who, and any commonalities
• talk to parent carers about what they see in the home environment - develop a shared understanding and plan strategies appropriate to be used at home and in the setting
• co-regulate with the child using their trusted adult and previous activities that the child has enjoyed - co-regulation is the nurturing connection of another person that supports regulation using strategies, tools, and calming techniques
• review routines, practice, and provision in the setting identifying and making changes that will support all children:
• ask questions about why you do things the way you do and who it benefits
• be open and flexible – if it isn’t working, make a change
• share strategies with all adults and ensure they are used consistently
• explore the use of peer observations or videoing good staff interactions and use of strategies to develop other practitioners’ skills and confidence
• work with the child to create a safe space that they can go to when overwhelmed - this will look different for the children you are supporting as it needs to be where the child feels safest
• provide an emotional narrative alongside the child - when the child is calm, name their feelings and emotions and those of others in a natural way
• model positive interactions and language to support collaborative play, turn taking and negotiation with peers for example using visual prompts such as timers, moving to another experience while they wait for their turn, being able to use their voice to say ‘stop’ or ‘no’ rather than using physical communication
• plan a proactive rather than reactive approach to support the child and improve their experiences
• observe the child’s play and plan exciting activities to engage them in which follows their interests
• observe what is happening when the child is engaged, calm, happy and ensure the same experiences, opportunities and interactions are available every time
• notice the positives - reflect these back to the child
• explore what motivates the child and use this to support them develop their pro-social behaviour – this could be:
• giving them a role that they see as important
• providing praise, an activity of interest, a challenge or something new and exciting
• make sure staff consider using a therapeutic approach to supporting positive behaviour - staff consider the positive or pro social behaviours as well as “anti-social” (behaviours of concern) to gain a full picture of the child’s needs and strengths
• get staff to consider a low arousal approach
• use ‘wondering out loud’ to support emotional understanding, for example:  “I can see you are…tapping/stamping/shouting…. I wonder if you are... worried/cross/stuck… shall we… go for a walk/ take a break/get a drink of water/ read a book/ do some climbing?
• ensure that reasonable adjustments are made such that we adapt for social and emotional development in the same way that we adapt for learning
• ensure learning needs are being met
• understand the basis for the behaviour - what is the history or context?
• continue to implement strategies that are reassuring
• offer clear guidance – explicit messages letting the child know what is expected of them
• monitor so that you have a good understanding of the frequency and location of triggers use:
• frequency charts
• STAR observation sheet
• ABCC
• therapeutic thinking tools
• observation sheet
• informal observations to inform understanding
• devise a risk management plan which includes pro-active strategies, early interventions to reduce anxiety or harm and reactive strategies to ensure a consistent approach
• employ a clear plan of action, agreed with parent carers to encourage and support pro-social behaviour - develop a one-page profile to support all staff to understand the child and provide consistent, appropriate support
• consider the impact of the routines and how you prepare a child for transitions
• plan for transition between activities, rooms, and outside play including ‘what works well’ in terms of in adaptation and support professionals meeting to unpick the behaviour
• communicate effectively with home or family - what is going on at home, another agency’s involvement?
• raise the need for use of an individual learning plan, one page profile, star observations with your special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) or inclusion lead if a child shows regular episodes of behaviours that challenge - use the plan to focus on supporting positive behaviours and encouraging practitioners to focus on supporting the child’s wellbeing and self-esteem
• for settings, talk to your early years childcare advisor (EYCA) about further support. For additional advice and guidance for reception class, discuss the need for getting advice from the Fair Access Team, Educational Psychology Service, Learning Behaviour and Advisory (LBAT) and Autism and Social Communication (ASCT) teams if difficulties persist
• ensure that advice is consistently implemented and analysed and reviewed for effective impact
• review individual plans regularly: they may have changed, or you may be able to contribute new information to inform and update the plan
• ensure there is a whole setting consistent approach to support the child’s individual strategies

To help manage this need you can:

• be aware that children with attachment needs may respond differently to behaviour strategies which work with others
• be aware that a child may say they do not want the support offered - this doesn’t always mean that they don’t need it - seek to support in more subtle ways, but do not withdraw support
• liaise with parent carers for shared understanding
• consider the family context and the range of children who may have attachment difficulties, for example adopted, forces children, previously Children in Need (CIN), Children Looked After (CLA)
• check out whether your school has had any attachment-based training or has appropriate resources which may be useful
• ensure there is a good transition when the child starts school – check the history and share important information
• use attachment informed strategies within class and develop a nurture group or foster a nurture ethos
• consider the appropriateness of existing behaviour management policies
• discuss an individual plan if necessary - the law states that ‘reasonable adjustments’ must be made
• liaise with the Virtual School for training
• for reception classes, liaise with Educational Psychology Service (EPS) and Learning and Behaviour Advisory team (LBAT) for training

To help manage this need you can:

• consider use of:
• voice
• gesture
• body language
• focus on reducing anxiety
• positively reinforce expectations through verbal scripts and visual prompts
• have a quiet area to go to - plan how to support them to engage on another occasion
• lower demands
• remember it is unreasonable to expect “perfect” behaviour and it is unreasonable to apply the same sanctions in the same way as you would with a child who is neurotypical and doesn’t struggle with impulse control or maintaining focus
• ensure a positive progressive approach to managing behaviour is taken, not a punitive behaviourist approach - even though the latter may be more immediate and may make adults feel temporarily more in control
• use a low arousal approach

To help manage this need you can:

• use small group or nurture group activities to support personal social and emotional development
• model appropriate emotional responses to disagreements or difficulties with sharing and turn taking
• think about who the children can maintain a relationship with (adults only, younger children) - try and understand the reasons for this and use this information to build the children’s capacity to maintain relationships
• use and model the conflict resolution approach to help manage upsets and disagreements
• use restorative approaches when relationships break down
• use a key worker to rehearse and replay appropriate social communication methods - provide opportunities to practice the social communication skill being learned in class

To help manage this need you can:

• look for patterns and triggers to identify what may be causing behaviours, for example the use of language
• be aware that these behaviours may indicate an unmet need for safety - plan accordingly to increase the child’s feelings of safety
• use consistent scripts - positive language to re-direct and reinforce expectations
• consider calming scripts to de-escalate including, for example, use of sand timers for ‘thinking time’
• provide limited choices to give the child a sense of control whilst following adult led activities
• use meaningful positive feedback to ‘catch them being good’ and reward with whatever the child is personally motivated by, for example:
• LEGO
• superhero play
• jigsaws
• technology
• create a visual timetable and use visual cues such as sand timers to support the end of activities and sharing

To help manage this need you can:

• identify a key figure within the school or setting who can provide an emotional support and build interests
• establish a safe place or quiet area which is chosen and agreed with the child
• ensure co-production with parent carers, to ensure consistency between home and the school or setting
• use comic strip conversations to identify triggers and identify alternative actions
• provide opportunities to reflect emotional states and develop strategies to support self-regulation

To help manage this need you can:

• talk to parent carers to identify barriers of non-attendance
• think about ‘push and pull’ factors - what pushes them away from attending? What interests them and pulls them in?
• in reception classes, consider accessing the West Sussex emotional based school avoidance (EBSA) materials, as these can be useful diagnostic tools for early intervention
• consider the impact of suspensions on individual attendance in the long run - will the children learn that this behaviour enables them to go to their safe space?