‘No Wrong Door’
June 2011
ELSA
(Emotional Literacy Support Assistants)
The TaMHS Project
(Targeted Mental Health in Schools)
The TaMHS Project
(Targeted Mental Health in Schools)
• DCSF funded project. In York it provided
£222,500 for 1 year April 2010 –2011
• Aims to improve emotional wellbeing and
mental health of children and young
people, working preventatively
• Joint working with CAMHS
• The Educational Psychology (EP)
Service seconded a Senior EP and
maingrade EP to lead the project.
Aims of TaMHS
To offer a preventative approach to emotional
health and wellbeing by:
 Increasing staff confidence and competence in
recognising and managing mental heath needs
 Providing evidence-based interventions which are
sustainable and can build future capacity in
schools. Creating enhanced and appropriate
pastoral care to children and families.
 Reducing inappropriate referrals to specialist
CAMHS
 Reducing levels of fixed term and permanent
exclusions.
York TaMHS Schools:
8 schools: 2 high schools and 6 feeders
York High
• Hob Moor Primary
• Woodthorpe Primary
•
•
•
•
Canon Lee
Burton Green Primary
Clifton Green Primary
Lakeside Primary
Clifton With Rawcliffe
Primary
Additionally training was accessed by staff from
Danesgate Community (EOTAS)
York TaMHS
• ELSA 5-day training programme
(Emotional Literacy Support Assistants)
Delivered by Educational Psychology
Service and Behaviour Support Service
What are ELSAs?
• ELSAs help children with social and
emotional difficulties to recognise,
understand and manage their emotions,
to increase their wellbeing and success
in school.
• ELSAs plan and deliver individual (and
small group) support programmes.
• ELSAs receive training and supervision
from Educational Psychologists.
ELSA Training Programme:
• Day 1: Emotional literacy in schools
Self-esteem
• Day 2: Loss and Bereavement
Writing therapeutic stories
• Day 3: Anger management
Attachment
• Day 4: Active listening and communication skills
Autistic spectrum difficulties/social stories
• Day 5: Social skills and Friendship skills
Circle Time and Silver SEAL
Psychology Service Commitment
• Deliver training to develop ELSA skills.
• Follow-up advice on planning
programmes of support and on useful
published resources.
• Provide group supervision and problemsolving to ELSAs
School Commitment
• Release ELSA for training and
supervision sessions.
• Designate time and space for planning
and delivery of ELSA support to pupils.
• Allocate funds to develop bank of
resources over time.
• Maintain ELSA role within school.
Benefits to School
• Positive changes in managing pupils with
behavioural, emotional or social
difficulties.
• New skills/ideas cascaded to staff.
Capacity building within school.
• Increased confidence in managing
mental health issues and less need to
‘refer on’.
Measuring impact
• Questionnaires to evaluate ELSAs confidence
and competence over time.
• Pre and post questionnaires completed by
parents, teachers and pupils using York SEB
Competencies and Goodman's Strengths and
Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
• Cost effectiveness case studies
• Impact on referrals to CAMHS
Confidence and Competence
Questionnaires
ELSA Training Outcome Measures
early interventions
Confidence Statements
individual skills
group skills
effective intervention
seek advice
recognise difficulties
understanding issues
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Pre, Post and 6-m onth follow -up Gain Scores
8
9
10
Confidence and Competence
Questionnaires
• Overall there was a significant positive increase
from the initial induction of ELSAs to the end of
the first year of TaMHS.
• The top three items showing the biggest overall gains:
 ’I know where to seek information, advice and support on
EHWB issues’
 ’I have the skills to run effective groups to develop
EHWB’
 ’I have the skills to work with individual pupils
experiencing difficulties relating to EHWB’
Range of interventions
Group level:
• Friendships
• Social Skills
• Transition
• Behaviour for
Learning
• Self-esteem
• Emotional Literacy
• Anger Management.
Individual level:
• Anger Management
• Social Skills
• Self-esteem
• Self-awareness
• Anxiety
• Solution-focused
Conversations.
Range of interventions
Experiences of working as an ELSA:
Karen Reynolds and Lesley Purcell
from Lakeside Primary
Jackie Fox and Angela Scarr from
Clifton with Rawcliffe Primary
SEB Competencies – group work
Using SEB Com petencies for pupils receiving group w ork
80%
70%
Percentage
60%
50%
Improved
40%
No change
30%
Detriorated
20%
10%
0%
School staff
Parent
Pupil
SEB Competencies – individual work
Using SEB Com petencies for pupils receiving individual w ork
80%
70%
Percentage
60%
50%
Improved
40%
No change
30%
Detriorated
20%
10%
0%
School staff
Parent
Pupil
SDQs - – individual work
Using SDQs for pupils receiving individual w ork
100%
90%
80%
Percentage
70%
60%
Improved
50%
No change
40%
Detriorated
30%
20%
10%
0%
School staff
Parent
Pupil
Cost effectiveness case studies:
costs with TaMHS interventions
• Secondary 1 - £170
• Secondary 2 - £157
•
•
•
•
•
•
Primary 1 - £371
Primary 2 - £345
Primary 3 - £324
Primary 4 - £193
Primary 5 - £183
Primary 6 - £182
Cost effectiveness case studies:
costs without TaMHS interventions
•
•
•
•
•
•
Non/poor attendance*
Fixed term exclusion*
Permanent exclusion*
Referral to PSA (or similar)
Referral to Beh. Support
Referral to PMHW
£580 per intervention
£500 per event
£1,500 per month
£50 per case
£350 per case
£234 per case
Cost effectiveness case studies:
costs without TaMHS interventions
•
•
•
•
•
Alternative provision:
Danesgate PRU £3,500 per term
Danesgate tuition £4,000 per term
ALPS package £30,000 per year
Country Classroom (BESD non-residential) £28,000 per year
BESD residential school up to £200,000 per year
Referrals to CAMHS
Data comparing April 2009-10 with April 2010-11
• TaMHS schools - referrals increased from
15 to 26 referrals, with an anticipated
increase to 31 referrals with
February/March data extrapolated, giving
an increase of 107%.
• Non-TaMHS schools - referrals increased
but by a comparatively smaller percentage:
approximately 20%.
Referrals to CAMHS
Data comparing April 2009-10 with April 2010-11
Possible explanations:
• improved identification of need
• swifter/more efficient referral procedures
through consultation processes with PMHWs
• ELSAs confident and empowered to refer
NB The consultation process enables ‘filtering
out’ of inappropriate referrals, leading to
more appropriate referrals going through to
CAMHS.
OFSTED
• ‘Pastoral care is good … A team of well-trained
teachers and support staff provide particularly
effective care for the most vulnerable pupils. The
'Targeted, Adolescent and Mental Health'
(TaMHS) support programme is a real asset in
developing pupils' social and emotional skills,
consequently enabling them to be successful
learners. One parent described how her child's
participation in this programme has 'made a
massive difference to (her) child's approach to
school and home life' (Dec 2010)
Quotes from steering group
• “It has given the more vulnerable children more
confidence and has built up their resilience in
dealing with situations, which would otherwise
have caused them unhappiness. It is lovely to
see the children using the coping strategies they
have been taught.”(Headteacher)
• “Children have been very well supported both on
a formal and informal basis. They themselves
recognise an improvement in their emotional
state/behaviour and have a more positive view
of school, they are as a result making good
academic progress.” (Deputy Head)
Quotes from staff
• “The programme has added an extra dimension
to the school’s pastoral system, and has enabled
staff to get a real handle upon children in their
care.” (primary school teacher)
• “An extremely effective and excellent use of
money.” (Y6 teacher)
• “The liaison with parents is effective…..it is good
to see the pupils applying skills they have learnt
when they return to class.” (Y3 teacher)
Quotes from staff
• “X has improved considerably since the one-toone sessions. She really appreciates the
attention…and feels special … In tutor time she
is usually polite and friendly and just seems
generally a lot happier with life. She still has big
issues with punctuality although her attendance
has improved significantly. More importantly, X
feels pleased with this herself and she is making
good efforts to get herself to school. X seems to
have a lot more self control and appreciates the
need for respectful behaviour and attitude even
though she does still need to work on this at
times!” (Y9 teacher)
Quotes from parents
• “X is getting better at accepting helpful criticism. He
used to have tantrums if you tried to offer help or
guidance.”
• “I have noticed a change in X as he seems to be
applying himself in school better.”
• “We have seen a big difference in his mood swings.
I am very happy with his attitude to life now.”
• “X has really enjoyed the sessions and talked
positively about them. He seems to be able to
accept praise more readily and is more aware of his
and other people’s emotions.”
Quotes from pupils
“I started getting worried about things about 1
year ago but ever since Mrs X started helping
me it’s been a lot better. I’ve done lots of
strategies to help me calm down like the firework
method where I think about a firework, so there
is the trigger which gets me worried then the
fuse when I get even more worried then BANG!
in which I sort of break down but I’ve managed
to stop it every time on the trigger. I have also
done a method where there is a bag with six or
seven marbles which represent my worries and
every time I take out a marble it means 1 worry
gone away.” (primary pupil)
Quotes from pupils
• “I have found the sessions helpful and have
enjoyed speaking to someone about H. The
memory book has been helpful as I can store all
my memories of time with H and will give me
something to share and discuss with my mum. I
am going to continue with the memory book.”
(secondary pupil with terminally ill sister, H)
• “I am better at: making friends … listening and
being sensible … calming down … joining in
more and being confident enough to answer
questions.” (primary pupils)
Mainstreaming Strategy:
TaMHS at a strategic level
• Funding from the Early Intervention Grant
has been provided to sustain ELSA
activities.
• Key themes are embedded in the Children
and Young People's Plan (2010-2012) and
CAMHS Strategy (2011)
Mainstreaming Strategy
• Danesgate Community Outreach –
autumn term 2010
• Danesgate Centre TAs – spring term 2011
• Westfield ELSA – summer term 2011
• Hob Moor ELSA – autumn term 2011
With thanks to:
THE ELSAs
“It is great knowing that you’ve
made a difference to children’s
emotional wellbeing.”