Central Lancs

Education Partnership Officer

Claire Fox/Alison Walsh

Period

Spring Term 2- March 2024

Priority

Explore the emotional health and wellbeing offers available to support schools.

From March 2024 this priority will also include the work on School Avoidance- particularly looking at what support is available for schools when working with those children and families experiencing anxiety when attending school- resulting in poor attendance.

Intended outcomes

  • Ongoing work is needed to support schools with the available mental health and emotional wellbeing support across Chorley and South Ribble
  • The Central Lancs TASS work will link in with the county wide work looking at this.
  • Local needs can be addressed through the TASS partnership and linked to the Trauma Informed work

Activity last period

  • Compass Bloom have set up Secondary Schools Senior Mental Health Leads network. First meeting scheduled for April 24
  • The mapping work from CAMHs has now restarted with opportunity for TASS to link to this.
  • Shared details of providers with Mental Health Leads networks
  • Started discussions around 'School Avoidance'. Initial meeting held with schools and presenting factors identified as school anxiety, parents' anxiety, routines and boundaries, factors of social media and messaging.
  • Meeting with Lancashire Adult Learning around support for parents' anxiety
  • Continued to support the roll out of Change Talks and promoted the Trauma Informed training

Planned activity next period

  • First Senior MH Leads network meeting will take place.
  • Explore the work with South Ribble Borough Council and Lancashire Mind
  • Link the district in with the county wide MH work around support for schools in particular a graduated response to MH support in the district- as requested at last Locality Group
  • Link the Primary MH leads to the Primary Mental Health Worker sessions.
  • Meetings with CFW to explore their response to school avoidance including the use of the CME/ PME process, and options to update the Transitions programme to reflect some of the emerging factors as identified by schools.
  • Meetings with Educational Psychologists to discuss the use of the EBSA framework.
  • Meet with Childrens Social Care around their processes.

Impact so far

  • 12 high schools attended and contributed to the initial discussion around school avoidance.
  • The School Attendance network across Chorley and South Ribble have agreed to host the discussions around school avoidance.
  • Commitment from PMHW to offer termly network meetings for schools to come together for ongoing CPD and support around MH
  • Commitment from Compass Bloom to coordinate and facilitate the SMHL network
  • 80 schools/ partners attended the MH development session hosted by CFW with presentations for MH partners.
  • Information about some provision already shared with schools- eg Lancashire Mind and YOGI.

Exit strategy

Where this priority will no longer be a locality group focus, how will this work be sustained?

Schools will feel supported in the mental health offer. They will know what's available to them across the district and who to refer to, and when. Targeted support for those who are the MH lead in schools will be available through the MH partners.

 

Priority

To explore the development of Trauma Informed Practice with schools and partners in Chorley & South Ribble

Intended outcomes

To promote trauma informed training across the locality to raise awareness and embed practice.

Activity last period

VRN to deliver bespoke Trauma Informed awareness to heads and key staff across primary clusters in Chorley and SR. This is planned for May 24.

EPO's continue to work closely with the serious violence duty/VRN coordinators regarding the development of MASP's within Chorley and South Ribble.

Planned activity next period

VRN Education lead to progress specific work with schools in Chorley and SR – Update required relating to the Multi Academy Trust.

Chorley primary school heads (17 in the cluster) to receive half day session 3rd May and key staff from that cluster will receive a full days training on 10th May 24. If capacity allows, the trauma informed training will be opened to Chorley partners.

South Ribble schools and possibly housing and council colleagues invited to attend Trauma Informed session on 9th May.

Ongoing contact between EPO's/VRN/Virtual school to monitor take up of training by schools.

EPO's to obtain updates re: the Change Talks training take up and how this is aligning with the trauma informed agenda.

Impact so far

Dates have been set for some schools and partners to receive specific trauma informed training from VRN. Updates from schools will be obtained to understand how the training has impacted on schools policies, approaches and their CYP.

Exit strategy

The Trauma informed school's priority will continue during the academic year and feedback to each locality group.