Secondary Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Emotional Literacy Support Assistants: ELSA Training

The Educational Psychology Service is offering the ELSA training programme in Hackney.  This is for any member of staff working with vulnerable children and young people, for example, Teaching Assistants (TAs), SEN Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), Learning Mentors, Family Liaison Workers, etc.

Who should attend?

Any member of staff working with vulnerable children and young people, for example, Teaching Assistants (TAs), SEN Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), Learning Mentors, Family Liaison Workers, etc.

Course structure:

• 6-day Training Course to enable support staff to develop and deliver emotional literacy interventions for their students. 
• Followed by 7-sessions of group supervision led by specialist Educational Psychologists to help with planning and delivery of interventions. Supervision sessions will run up until academic year 2024/25. Please be aware there is an additional cost to attend the Supervision sessions (£150)

Course benefits:

• The ELSA project is an evidence-based initiative where teaching assistants receive six days of special training from EPs related to emotional literacy and well-being of children and young people in school.
• By becoming a registered ELSA in their school, staff receive ongoing professional supervision from EPs to help them deliver individual and small group support programmes in schools.
• ELSAs can help with a range of issues, including loss and bereavement, self-esteem, motivation, social skills, issues with friends and relationships, anger management, behavior in class, bullying, anxiety, exam-related stress, etc.
• This preventative, inexpensive initiative can build on schools’ current resources, delivering quality support to students.
• Beneficial outcomes have been found to be: increased staff confidence in supporting vulnerable pupils and a significant improvement in the emotional well-being of students

Plus 1 x group supervision sessions will take place in summer term 2025 and a copy of “Emotional Well-Being: An Introductory Handbook for Schools.

• Target audience:
• Primary
• Secondary

• Included in package:
• Not Included

SEND Conference

Hackney’s annual SEND Conference on June 19th, 2024 is going to be a comprehensive and informative event focusing on inclusive education. Here's a breakdown of the key components:

Date and Time:

• Date: Wednesday, 19th June 2024

• Time: 8:30 am - 3:45 pm

• Venue: The Tomlinson Centre

TARGET AUDIENCE: All school leaders

Morning

8.30 - 10.30: School visits

• Stormont House – Supporting children with moderate learning difficulties
• Ickburgh – Positive parent/carer partnerships
• Bridge Academy – Nurture group / classroom practice / distributed leadership
• Harrington Hill – Adaptive teaching / formative assessment
• Thomas Fairchild – Including children with complex needs / updating SEND register 
• Halley House – ELSA provision
• Clapton – Autism in girls

focus on positive parent/carer partnerships, autism in girls, distributed leadership, adaptive teaching, and support for children with moderate learning difficulties and complex needs.

10.30 - 11.00: travel to venue via minibuses

Afternoon

Overall, the conference will offer a well-rounded programme covering a range of topics crucial for fostering inclusive education and supporting the diverse needs of students.

 Biographies

Dr Barbara Sandland

Barbara is a Post-Doctoral Researcher, Assistant Professor and Specialist Student Mentor. Her work focuses on Autism and Neurodivergence in education and the workplace. As a neurodivergent individual and mother to neurodiverse children she brings personal insight, alongside critical research, to her work. Barbara's background is as a qualified secondary school teacher, with many years’ experience as a Special Educational Needs Coordinator.

Ann Marie Christian

Qualifying in 1996 and worked in children and families child protection teams then promoted to management in 2003. Ann Marie was a school based social worker from 1999 to 2003 and worked alongside education welfare, behaviour teachers and mentors in a government pilot project.

In 2003 she started a unique role as the team manager of the Vulnerable Children Team  and managed teachers working with LAC, advised schools in child protection and delivered child protection training to schools and heads. This role evolved and Ann Marie worked as a LADO in Education, Safeguarding advisor,  DSL Local Authority coordinator, LSCB Trainer and School Improvement Advisor and managed a team of social workers allocated to set schools within the local authority.

Unfortunately, when austerity started in social care she was taken away from the proactive work and called back to manage child protection teams in 2010. Ann Marie found this reactive, punitive and not helpful to families. She resigned and returned as an independent safeguarding consultant and registered Child 1st Consultancy Limited.

The welfare of the child is paramount and this name was chosen to champion their rights.

Ann Marie has managed various social work teams:

• Managed a child protection team 0-5 (Early years) 2011-2015

• Managed a child protection team in Youth Justice 2010-2014

• Managed school based social workers and pastoral staff 2010 -2015

• Target audience:
• Primary
• Secondary
• Early Years