ELSA

What is ELSA Intervention?

An ELSA in a school is an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. There is a recognised training course aimed specifically at Teaching Assistants or other specialist school roles. ELSAs are specialists with a wealth of experience of working with  children and young people. ELSAs are trained and regularly supervised by Educational Psychologists. The course tends to be 6 full days and covers many areas from emotional literacy to active listening.

Supervision

ELSAs must be supervised regularly by the Educational Psychologists who trained them. This supervision is key to good practice and allows the ELSA to bring up any problems with a group of other ELSAs along with the Educational Psychologist.

Scope of practice

It is important that ELSAs work within their scope of practice and only cover things they are trained to cover. Any concerns out of their scope of practice should be discussed with their Educational Psychologist and potentially referred on to outside agencies. ELSAs SUPPORT NOT FIX.

ELSA Relationship

ELSAs are warm, kind and caring people who want to make children and young people feel happy in school. and to reach their potential socially, emotionally and academically. They understand the barriers to learning that some children and young people might have and can help them with this.

They can support the children and young person’s emotional development and help them cope with life’s challenges. ELSAs will also help children and young people to find solutions to problems they might have.

An ELSA is not there to fix problems but to help them find their own solutions and offer that important support to a child or young person.

Relationships are key in helping children and young people to feel safe and nurtured. ELSA is about creating a reflective space for the child or young person.

What areas does an ELSA help with?

• Loss and bereavement
• Emotional Literacy
• Self-esteem
• Social Skills
• Friendship issues
• Relationships
• Managing strong feelings
• Anxiety and worries
• Bullying
• Conflict
• Emotional Regulation
• Growth Mindset
• Social and therapeutic stories
• Problem solving

 

Positive Play

Promoting Social, Emotional and Mental Health through structured play

The Derbyshire Positive Play Team is part of the Engagement Service. We have been running the programme for over 20 years and have experience of working in Derbyshire schools and academies to promote positive behaviour and emotional wellbeing.

We provide an opportunity for children to experience a structured, supportive play programme that helps raise self-esteem and increase their engagement with the curriculum to achieve their full potential.

We work in schools directly with pupils, staff and parents to set up and run Positive Play Programmes and Family Support Programmes.

The Positive Play Team provides a unique opportunity to facilitate the development of confidence, self-esteem and social skills in a secure, caring environment.

The programme is delivered in a sensory area with a trained Positive Play worker through a series of structured activities and play; as play is a natural medium which helps children and young people make sense of their world.

The main objective of the programme is to help children and young people develop the skills necessary for them to achieve their potential in life. They need to be able to identify and manage their own feelings, empathise with others and their feelings, and develop the appropriate personal and social skills which contribute to emotional intelligence.

This programme provides children and young people a space to express and communicate feelings and difficulties in their lives through a variety of media in a constructive, rather than aggressive way, in a safe non-threatening environment.

Children who will benefit from the Positive Play Programme

• Children and young people who do not respond to the normal behaviour policy of the school.
• Children and young people who seem to be negative about school.
• Immature children and young people who have difficulty settling in school.
• Children and young people with poor social skills.
• Children and young people with some developmental delay.
• Children and young people who present as sad, depressed, withdrawn or isolated.

Support is offered to children and young people from 3 to 21 years of age while working with their teachers, parents and carers, since the structure of the programme enables the activities to be differentiated and adapted for any age group.

Members of the team may work directly with some children and young people but are mainly involved in training staff and maintaining a quality service by providing mentoring and support through a structured approach when delivering the programme. 

Sallyann Carlin

ELSA and Positive Play Lead

Kimberley Teeboon

Positive Play Lead