The Emotional Literacy Support Assistant Project Buckinghamshire Pilot

1. The Emotional Literacy Support Assistant ProjectBuckinghamshire Pilot With acknowledgements to Sheila Burton and the Hampshire Educational Psychology Service

2. What is ELSA? • ELSAs are emotional literacy support assistants working in schools. • ELSAs receive training and supervision from educational psychologists. • ELSAs help children recognise, understand and manage emotions to increase success and participation in school. • ELSAs plan and deliver individual and small group support programmes.

3. Origins of ELSA • Developed by and educational psychologist called Sheila Burton • Peripatetic ELSAs working for Psychology Service (Southampton). • School-based ELSAs given training and supervision by Educational Psychology Service (Hampshire). • School-based model adoptedin other local authorities.

4. Training Modules – over 4 days Each day has a combination of theory and practice • Emotional Literacy in Schools • Building resilience and self-esteem • Managing emotions • Social and friendship skills • Social communication difficulties • Active listening and reflective conversations • Planning and delivering group work • An introduction to Social Stories and Therapeutic Stories

5. Supervision • Educational Psychologist or Trainee EP led • Group supervision sessions (every half term) • ‘Clinical Supervision’ approach (not managerial) • Problem-solving and sharing good practice with supportive peer group

6. What makes a good ELSA? • ELSAs need to be able to build a good rapport with challenging and emotionally vulnerable pupils. • They need to be able to work independently and creatively. • They need to be willing to learn and to plan and evaluate programmes of support.

7. Benefits for Pupils • Pupils feel supported by being listened to and having ‘special time’ • They develop greater self-awareness and coping strategies • They are able to build more positive relationships with peers and others • They learn to talk about their difficulties • They feel better about themselves • Pupils manage better in school

8. What are the wider benefits to schools? • Having an ELSA means that there is a member of staff who can quickly offer support to pupils with social and emotional needs in school. • Other staff benefit from the new insights and skills the ELSA brings following their training and schools find themselves more confident in being able to manage pupils’ needs. • Providing support to meet an individual’s needs can increase their learning and improve the learning environment for their peers because of the effect of reduced disruption.

9. Summary The ELSA initiative is: • A long-term partnership between the educational psychology service and schools, • A tried and tested means of building capacity in schools to meet a variety of individual pupils’ needs, • A cost-effective way of providing quality, evidence-based and evaluated support to vulnerable children and young people.

10. How can my school become involved? • Schools can apply for a member of staff to become a trained ELSA. The ELSA will receive four days of training delivered by the educational psychology service. They will also be offered group supervision support. The application form will be available on the nurture page of the EPS website and through the schools bulletin. The cost is £60 per person for all four days. • www.buckscc.gov.uk/schools/eps