7 February 2023
Pathway Education SEN teaching assistants help our partner school celebrate Children’s Mental health week!
“Let’s Connect”
Pathway Education supports Children’s Mental health week!
Pathway Education is fully supporting Children’s Mental Health Week, an annual event dedicated to raising awareness about young people’s mental health.
The theme this year is “Lets connect”, encouraging children to explore how they can make meaningful connections in their lives to support their mental health and wellbeing. Connecting healthily with others is a key part of living a fulfilling life, feeling loved, cared for and safe.
Children’s Mental Health Week (childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk)
Pathway education provide our staff with training courses and information about Mental health in schools. We provide our staff with the tools to help a young person that may be facing mental health challenges. We have resources available on the following:
- Children’s Mental Health
- Understanding Bullying
- Child Neglect Awareness
- Internet Safety
SEMH in schools
SEMH stands for social, emotional, and mental health. With one in six children (5-16) believed to be struggling with a mental health issue, it’s essential that our educators understand the symptoms of mental health issues and how they can be a barrier to learning. Then develop the strategies to be able to help the young people they support.
Social and emotional skills are about our ability to regulate our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.
Social skills – how we relate to others – (cooperation, compassion, collaboration, tolerance, respect, empathy, and trust)
Emotional skills – how we relate to ourselves (Self- control, emotional stability, curiosity, motivation, resilience, responsibility, and conscientiousness)
Our mental health is our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It’s essential to overall well-being!
The term SEMH asks educators to focus on the “needs behind the behaviour, rather than the behaviour itself” The term mental health highlights the importance of prioritising children’s mental health, and wellbeing.
SEMH may be related to attachment issues, or a response to stressful situations, or childhood trauma. If children are not supported effectively, long -term SEMH issues can affect their learning and well-being into adulthood.
SEMH risk factors include:
- Having a diagnosable SEND condition, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or autism (ASD).
- Having an attachment disorder.
- Having a medically unexplained condition, such as an unmet communication need.
- Having a sensory difficulty, which may not have been addressed.
- Experiencing early-life trauma, such as abuse, neglect, severe bullying, parental separation, or the death of a loved one.
SEMH Symptoms
Children’s feelings of fear, frustration, anger, anxiety, isolation, and sadness may manifest in a variety of behaviours, from aggressive outbursts to a lack of concentration. It is often these behaviours that first indicate a support need. Monitoring behaviour carefully can help identify those children whose SEMH needs are affecting their daily lives. Providing early support and intervention can help prevent difficulties from escalating.
Children may display passive or active behaviours, alerting you to a potential difficulty.
Passive Behaviours may include.
- Anxiety and/or depression.
- Low mood.
- Low self-worth or being withdrawn.
- Lethargy.
- Being forgetful.
- Difficulty accepting praise.
- Difficulty engaging or focusing, and often daydreaming.
- Difficulty maintaining friendships.
Active behaviours may include:
- Restlessness
- Mood swings.
- Verbal or physical aggression.
- Reactive and/or impulsive behaviours.
- Poor attendance.
- Lack of awareness of personal space.
- Difficulty showing empathy.
- Eating disorders, self-harm, and substance abuse.
For me information and resources on Children’s Mental health and SEMH please email candiate@pathwayeducation.uk
If you are looking for a career in special education needs (SEN) teaching assistant or SEN learning support officer register with Pathway Education today.