SEMH assessment, early identification and support

All children need to feel safe, heard, and supported when they come to school, and this is particularly important for children who may be living with adverse factors. Knowledge and awareness of a child’s situational history, context and life experiences are vital to ensure understanding and the implementation of proactive, graduated approaches. SEMH assessment may pick up unidentified SEN, disability, or mental health problems; however, to truly understand a child’s situation and a more complete picture, assessments should consider a wider scope, including housing, family dynamics and problems.

SEMH assessments aim to understand the underlying factors that impact a child’s ability to engage successfully with learning and thrive in educational settings leading to the development of an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) where necessary. This involves evaluating their social and emotional skills, as well as external factors like family, school, and peer relationships. SEMH assessments to gather information, support with the identification of need and provide guidance, support and signposting include a variety of methods such as:

• Observations: Teachers, pastoral staff and SENCOs monitor changes in emotions, behaviour and engagement during different activities and social interactions.
• Discussions with parents, carers and family members: Discussion with caregivers to gather information about the context, any changes or situations that may be happening or need to be taken into consideration.
• Discussion with the child and hearing their voice: It is so important to ensure children feel listened to and understood especially when plans are being made for them and provision adapted or changed.
• Structured assessments: These may involve questionnaires and screening tools designed to evaluate emotional wellbeing, social and emotional competencies etc.
• Multi-disciplinary input: Discussions with additional services such as Educational Psychologists, Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), Social Care, Early Help Teams, Speech & Language Therapists (SLT), and other mental health professionals can contribute to a clearer understanding of a child’s SEMH needs.

We know how proactively developing relationships is crucial for early understanding of a child’s strengths and needs and it is important to do this from the outset. Observing their behaviour, identifying triggers for dysregulation, and noting patterns in their responses helps to support them effectively.

Supporting children with SEMH needs requires a range of practical SEMH strategies and interventions, tailored to meet individual child needs. Targeted SEMH support helps children develop social and emotional competencies helping them to thrive academically and emotionally. Essential to these strategies is the collaboration between school staff, professionals, and caregivers, and practical strategies include:

• Building strong relationships – key staff building relationships and fostering trust and positive connections by conducting check-ins, responding to needs, actively listening, showing empathy, respecting boundaries, and tailoring interactions to individual needs.
• Listening to child’s voice – children need to feel listened to, understood and involved in the planning, development and review process. They need to know that their needs are supported and best opportunities are in place for them to feel and be successful.
• Creating a place of safety – children with SEMH challenges need to feel secure in classroom environments that provides safety, support, clear expectations, and consistent routines.
• Targeted interventions – one-to-one time, small group work, social and emotional skills group. A co-regulated small-group structure creates a sense of emotional safety, belonging and acceptance.
• Implementing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programmes in the curriculum – Integrating SEL programmes into the curriculum help children develop self-awareness, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills.
• Mentoring and counselling – access to in-school counselling services and mentoring offer an effective source of support for children. Collaborating with school counsellors, psychologists, or behaviour specialists can also provide valuable insights and guidance.
• Collaboration with parents – help parents and carers support their children’s social, emotional, and mental health.
• Personalised provision plans – develop individualised plans incorporating strategies for emotional regulation, social skills, and academic support.
• Learning, engagement and regulation plans
• Staff training and confidence building – provide ongoing training and professional development for staff on SEMH needs and best practices.

We believe that supporting children with relational and inclusive approaches alongside an evidence-based emotions curriculum that explicitly enables children to develop social and emotional skills, is pivotal to their overall success and lifelong wellbeing.

Our comprehensive emotion themes are delivered as small group interventions so that children are supported to develop new friendships and to feel they belong as part of a connected group. The children are supported to listen to and learn from each other and to develop competencies in social and emotional skills through a range of programmes that support:

• Conflict resolution
• Diversity, inclusion and anti-bullying
• Resilience
• Anxiety
• Sadness
• Change and transition
• Loss, grief and bereavement
• Self-esteem, self-worth and confidence
• Friendships and peer relationships
• Strong emotions such as anger and frustration

Based on research and evidence based learning the programmes show significant positive impact for children with SEMH needs and can be instrumental as part of a planned support package for children.