Social, emotional and mental health​ for 5-25 year olds

Managing barriers or needs in social, emotional and mental health.

In addition to the quality first teaching expectations outlined in Section 1, additional provision and interventions may be required. Examples of presenting needs and suggested strategies are given below as a starting point for your planning and practice.  

Get a copy

For more specialist advice, see the SEND Toolkit.  

Top tips

You should:

  • consider what the behaviour may be communicating - are there any unmet communication, social, or emotional needs? 
  • use trauma-informed and therapeutic approaches
  • seek the child or young person’s views on what happened to gain a clearer understanding of the behaviours in context
  • seek the child or young person’s views in an adapted method that suits their needs - possibly through using photos, pictures, drawing, video, or methods such as Lego therapy - see the child or young person’s views section for more ideas
  • know their motivations and experiences, to inform decision-making about effective strategies and adaptations
  • look at the history - when did the behaviour start to change? What are the triggers? - collect this information in a one-page profile so that all working with the child or young person are aware and prepared to support
  • liaise and collaborate with home to understand the wider picture
  • keep notes of strengths and concerns - communicate these with parent carers and designated professionals
  • be aware of any prescribed medication and feedback changes or concerns to parent carers and your special educational needs coordinator (SENCO)
  • model pro-social behaviours in the classroom and acknowledge them in children and young people - pro-social behaviours are positive, helpful and intended to promote social acceptance and benefit other people or society, such as sharing or co-operation

Identified barrier or need

  • To help with this need you can:

    • use assessment through teaching and learning – for example, are there parts of the curriculum that they find easier to manage than others? Use these to develop confidence
    • analyse informal observations; frequency observations and other observation sheets- use this information to inform planning 
    • discuss the child or young person with key adults and your special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) - check if there are staff members who seem to get a more positive response - what are the strategies or approaches they use with the child or young person? Can these be more widely replicated? 
    • adapt tasks to ensure that all children and young people feel successful and have positive learning experiences 
    • model and explicitly teach behaviour expectations 
    • try small group work, for example friendship or social skills, or nurture groups
    • give the child or young person responsibility for looking after someone else
    • use a backward chaining approach to activities, such as bringing children and young people in at the end of assembly
    • use play-based activities, matched to the level of the child or young person’s emotional and cognitive development
    • use buddying or peer mentoring - support the child or young person to take on both roles, enabling them to receive support from a peer and provide support to a peer
    • provide activities which help the child or young person to develop an increased sense of belonging or importance within the group, for example by giving them a job to do within the classroom, giving them a responsibility within the wider school, or giving them a role as an expert in an area of strength   
    • provide alternative methods of contributing to class or group discussions

  • To help with this need you can:

    • give a consistent message but flexible approach, for example ‘I want you to be in class learning’ is the consistent message - the approach to support this happening may vary or be flexible depending on individual needs
    • ensure that reasonable adjustments are made, to provide access to social, emotional, and mental health needs in the same way that we adapt for cognition and learning - some children or young people require support to develop emotional literacy 
    • ensure learning needs are being met 
    • understand the basis for the behaviour, for example: what is the history or context?
    • continue to implement evidence-based strategies consistently
    • offer clear guidance – explicit messages letting the child or young person know what is expected of them 
    • offer a ‘get out with dignity’ choice letting the child or young person leave the situation without increasing feelings of shame or humiliation 
    • monitor so that you have a good understanding of the frequency and location of triggers – frequency charts, situation, trigger, action, response (STAR) observation sheet, antecedent, behaviour, consequence, communication (ABCC) observation sheets; informal observations can be carried out to inform understanding
    • understand that behaviour is a method of communication - what purpose is the behaviour trying to achieve for the child or young person? What are they trying to tell us with their behaviour? Is there an unmet need? Help the child or young person to learn to substitute with more pro-social behaviours
    • devise a safety plan which includes proactive strategies, early interventions to reduce anxiety or harm and reactive strategies to ensure a consistent approach - involve the child or young person in making plans 
    • use reintegration plans and meetings to support the child or young person in returning to full time education - a gradual reintegration, with ongoing review is most effective
    • employ a clear plan of action, agreed with parent carers regarding positive handling (settings do not need parental permission to use reasonable force on a child or young person) - a risk assessment must be in place if the child or young person is at risk, or if dysregulation may pose a risk to others 
    • use choices to allow the child or young person to have some control with the same result, for example “would you like to talk to me now or in one minute?” 
    • teach the child or young person ways to get their needs met, such as developing social skills, emotional literacy, or strategies to self-regulate - use visuals to support where required 
    • use readiness to learn strategies and routines, for example, after breaks or between tasks 
    • consider the impact of the timetable and how you prepare children and young people for transitions - some children or young people need prior notice of things that may be the same or different to their usual routine
    • plan for transition between year groups or phases of education as early as possible - communicate ‘what works well’ in terms of in-class adaptation, and support colleagues to analyse behaviour 
    • communicate effectively with home and the family and be aware of what is going on at home - are other services involved? 
    • create a pastoral support plan with your special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) or inclusion lead if a child or young person shows regular episodes of dysregulated behaviour, or persistent disruptive behaviour, or is at risk of exclusion
    • discuss the need for getting advice from the Fair Access team, Educational Psychology Service, Mental Health in Schools team or Specialist Teacher Advisory teams if difficulties persist 
    • ensure that advice is consistently implemented, analysed, and reviewed for effective impact 
    • review individual plans regularly, in co-production with the child or young person, parent carers and any professionals who are providing support 
    • use scripts, so that responses to dysregulation are predictable and consistent even if there is a change of face

  • Soiling or wetting: consider carefully, these could be due to:  

    • development – exploring the sensation 
    • sensory stimulus – the pupil likes the feel 
    • not being toilet trained 
    • a medical need
    • abuse

    To help with this need you can:

    • use activities that are stress reducing, for example:
      • games
      • dance
      • colouring
      • gardening
      • animals
      • forest school 
    • monitor to see whether the symptom is persistent and consider contributory factors, for example sensory processing differences or anxiety impacting on eating
    • keep a log and analyse pattern or trends to identify triggers and talk to designated lead (special educational needs co-ordinator, pastoral or safeguarding lead) regarding your concerns if the issue persists 
    • liaise with parent carers and the school nurse if underlaying medical needs are suspected 
    • remember that pain can affect autistic children and young people or those who have experienced trauma in ways that are different to people who are neurotypical
    • gather the views of the child or young person to develop an individual plan 

  • To help with this need you can:

    • have a clear structure to the day and support the child or young person to access this with visual supports if required
    • explicitly explain any changes to routine 
    • sit the child or young person away from distractions and near good “learning” role models
    • have clear expectations and a consistent approach to encourage positive behaviour for learning 
    • think about potential reasons, is there a pattern? 
    • record behaviour and remember to analyse and review trends -use this information to plan support
    • allow plenty of time for movement between frequent small concentration periods - short bursts of focus could be supported by a timer and built up gradually as the child or young person develops their attention skills
    • plan lessons in small manageable chunks 
    • be aware of times of the day that may be more difficult 
    • use a ‘time out’ card to enable a child or young person to re-regulate and do not assume the ‘time out’ card is being “abused” if it is used often for one lesson of the week - it may be that there are certain barriers to learning for the child or young person in the lesson, for example, sensory which requires further exploration
    • make reasonable adjustments to behaviour policies and ensure these are in line with equalities legislation
    • remember to consult with the child or young person so they can share their perspectives about what may help them to focus 

  • To help with this need you can:

    • be aware that a child or young person with attachment difficulties may respond differently to behaviour strategies which work with others - discuss this with your special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) if needed
    • be aware that the child or young person 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
    • listen to the child or young person and proactively seek their views to find strategies to support without making them feel different
    • liaise with parent carers for shared understanding and use this information to proactively plan support and build a one page profile
    • consider the family context and the range of children and young people who may have attachment differences, for example:
      • adopted
      • forces children
      • child in need
      • a child who has experienced care
    • ensure there is a well planned transition when the child or young person starts in a new setting and check the history of how transitions have been in the past
    • use attachment and trauma informed strategies within class and if required, develop a nurture group, or foster a nurture ethos 
    • review the appropriateness of existing discipline procedures and behaviour policies - discuss an individual support plan if necessary - the law states that ‘reasonable adjustments’ must be made
    • liaise with the virtual school for care experienced children, educational psychology service (EPS), learning behaviour advisory team (LBAT) or autism and social communication team (ASCT) for training 

  • To help with this need you can:

    • adapt your use of voice, gesture, and body language - position yourself where the child or young person is comfortable 
    • focus on reducing anxiety and thereby behaviours - work with the child or young person to understand and support anxiety triggers 
    • positive reinforcement of expectations through verbal scripts and visual prompts 
    • ensure that everyone working with the child or young person understands their needs and consistently uses the agreed strategies to support - consider whether anyone needs more training to develop therapeutic relationships
    • have a ‘time in and out’ or quiet area and ensure that this is a space that the child or young person is comfortable with 
    • focus on the behaviour and what it is you would like the child or young person to do – what is it you (the adult) wants to achieve? Provide support to achieve the aim
    • ensure a pro-social relational approach to managing behaviour is taken, not a punitive behaviourist approach, for example, therapeutic thinking, thrive or trauma-informed practice 

  • To help with 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, for example sharing or turn taking 
    • think about who the child or young person can maintain a relationship with, for example, adults only, younger children - why might that be? Can you use this information to build the child or young person’s capacity to maintain relationships? 
    • try adapted opportunities for social and emotional development for example, a buddy system, paired learning activities or by scaffolding group work
    • use restorative approaches when relationships break down, for example comic strip conversations or social stories
    • use a key worker to rehearse and replay more appropriate social communication methods, provide opportunities to practise the social communication skill being learned in class
    • discuss the use of dedicated and planned time with your special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) to support the child or young person where necessary, such as during unstructured break and lunch times
    • do not use the school or settings ‘special educational needs’ base purely as a reactive strategy when friendship issues arise - use the views of the child or young person alongside their parent carers to consider proactive strategies to promote healthy friendships 
    • consider using a ‘circle of friends’ technique or similar

  • To help with this need you can:

    • look for patterns and triggers to identify what may be causing behaviours for example, the use of language 
    • use clear language and ensure that instruction or direction is not too complicated for the child or young person to process 
    • be aware that these behaviours may underlie an unmet need for safety - use the views of the child or young person and their parent carers to unpick what makes them feel safer
    • use positive scripts – positive language to redirect and reinforce expectations and ensure that these are consistently used by all adults working with the child or young person 
    • consider calming scripts to de-escalate, including for example, use of sand timers for ‘thinking time’ - ensure that these are consistently used by all adults working with the child or young person
    • provide limited choices to give the child or young person a sense of control whilst following adult led activities 
    • allow take up time for the child or young person to process instructions or direction, rather than expecting an immediate response - repeat instruction or direction of necessary 
    • use meaningful rewards and consequences flexibly and creatively such as ‘catch them being good’ sticker charts or whatever the child or young person is personally motivated by, for example hair care, personal care, sports, shooting baskets, controlled access to iPad, YouTube and so on
    • create a visual timetable and use visual cues such as sand timers to support the end of activities and sharing - be aware that for some children and young people, a visual timetable may be perceived as an additional demand - in this case, the child or young person may need more ownership of their timetable, with an adaption to decide what to do when

  • To help with this need you can:

    • identify a key adult within class or the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) team who can provide an emotional secure base and build on preferred learning styles
    • establish a calm place or quiet area which is chosen and agreed with the child or young person
    • ensure feedback is used to collaborate and plan with parent carers, to ensure consistency between the home and school or setting 
    • consider the use of comic strip conversations to identify triggers and identify an alternative action or ways to approach similar situations in the future
    • provide opportunities to reflect emotional states and develop strategies to support self-regulation and build emotional literacy so that the child or young person builds self-awareness and can recognise when they begin to feel unhappy or stressed

  • To help with this need you can:

    • talk to parent carers to identify barriers and possible reasons for non-attendance
    • think about ‘push and pull’ factors - what factors are driving non-attendance? What motivators would support them to attend? 
    • use the West Sussex Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) materials, as these can be useful diagnostic tools for early intervention
    • collaborate and plan with parent carers, to ensure consistency between the home and the school or setting 
    • consider the impact of suspensions and exclusions on individual attendance in the long run – will the child or young person learn that certain behaviour enables them to go home? 

Post 16 additional guidance

  • The move to college can be an exciting and invigorating time for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Many yearn for the opportunity to be more independent and focus on subjects which nurture their strengths and interests.  

    Although college continues to mirror the school or setting’s environment and the systems may be familiar, there are key differences which can cause difficulties to arise. These difficulties may be ones which the young person has either not experienced during their school years or ones they have been able to successfully manage, (sometimes with additional support), up to this point in their education.  

    Some key factors which may be common causes of social, emotional wellbeing and mental health issues amongst post 16 students with SEND include:  

    • the emphasis and expectation regarding independent learning at all levels of qualification - to thrive in a college or post-16 setting, a young person needs to be equipped with good study skills and an increasing level of independence, particularly in relation to organisation of time and workload, and life skills such as independent travel and financial management  
    • the pace of the curriculum, particularly at level 3. ‘A’ levels, ‘T’ levels and BTEC qualifications demand strong memory retention, note taking and the ability to disseminate knowledge within set time constraints, whether these be via assessment deadlines or exam conditions - they have more intensive specifications, which must be taught, continually assessed, and revised within a relatively short time span - in many colleges and post-16 settings, there has been an increasing emphasis on ‘flipped learning’ where the young person is expected to acquire the factual knowledge for a topic area via their independent learning - the classroom is very much for checking, consolidating, and practising how to use this knowledge in formal assessed work
    • transitioning to adult services which may include the reduction of some external services and support - as the young person reaches their 16th birthday and, where applicable, moves from children to adult services, some types of support may cease - it is important that this is known and planned for ahead of time as part of the young person’s transition strategy
    • the structure of the young person’s timetable might remove them from previous, long term friendship groups, which they may have previously relied upon for support and interaction - consider how the setting can support the development of new friendships by organising social activities so young people can get to know others through shared interests 
    • the young person may not wish to disclose their SEND and this may be due to their desire not to be ‘labelled’, a fear that disclosure will prejudice their place at college, or, as many now complete their application forms without support, they did not think to include it or understand the question on the form - be sensitive to these young people and have an identified member of staff who will check in with each young person regularly to pick up on any difficulties - speak to the young person about their needs and use their chosen terminology to describe their neurodivergence 
    • transition to a new setting can invoke strong emotions within some young people who struggle with change and fear the unfamiliar - put into place a range of strategies that can support young people to cope with their emotions

    See below for more ideas. 

  • Anxiety in young people may be general, social or in relation to learning and is often one of the key difficulties which a college or sixth form’s special educational needs and disability (SEND) team is asked to support. Learning related anxiety is prevalent amongst this group. Young people with SEND can experience difficulties relating to speed of processing, working memory, time management and organisation. When they experience high levels of worry or anxiety and their threat response is triggered, working memory and the ability to process information will be further hampered as their brain shifts into ‘survival’ mode. This can add to the young person’s distress and feelings of failure which can then impact their attendance and performance in their courses.  

    Some support strategies include:  

    • wellbeing courses specifically aimed at young people who are experiencing issues with their mental health, such as anxiety, can be beneficial, for example, courses on:  
      • mindfulness 
      • academic anxiety 
      • cognitive based skills 
    • referrals for counselling may also be used as a support strategy 
    • providing a drop-in facility for young people for help with generic study skills and emotional wellbeing
    • providing transition support or programmes with a focus on the acquisition and development of the study skills required for further education and higher education study subjects
    • being aware of referral routes within college - these routes may be different in different colleges but may include:
      • pastoral mentors
      • mental health advisers
      • counsellors
      • safeguarding leads  

  • Isolation can have a devastating impact on a young person’s experience of college and can impact on their emotional wellbeing, mental health, and their ability to engage with their courses. Feedback from post 16 settings suggests that feelings of isolation are becoming more prevalent amongst young people.  

    Some support strategies include:  

    • providing supervised or facilitated social opportunities on a regular basis, which young people know about and are comfortable to attend and participate in at whatever level suits them 
    • providing other spaces that offer opportunities for social interactions and connections , for example, a ‘comfort zone’ for quiet work - often young people using this facility begin to chat to others and form friendships
    • peer mentoring – this might be an informal arrangement supported by the setting’s SEND support team or a more formal arrangement such as Circle of Friends - in addition, careful pairing and grouping within the classroom can encourage peer interaction - it is important that all students with SEND or any other vulnerable groups (for example disadvantaged students, care leavers, young carers) are seen as individuals requiring tailored support to meet their needs and many post-16 settings develop an ‘integrated approach’ to providing extra support to young people - this means that any young person who accesses support is initially assessed not only in terms of their learning needs, but also their wellbeing - West Sussex County Council post 16 settings report that they often find that young people requiring additional support, benefit from a package of support rather than just one discrete intervention

    For more information on other potentially vulnerable students see the inclusion section.