Why We Need ELSAs in Educational Communities

10 years of evidence based ELSA research shows that children, young people, educational communities and families have benefitted from the support provided by ELSAs during the last decade. At this time, we are acutely aware of some of the difficulties and adversities that children and young people face and may continue to face during this pandemic. The skills that ELSAs bring are to support children and young people with overcoming life's challenges, to support their wellbeing, to provide relational care, and to help children and young people to develop the skills they need that promote emotional, social, and psychological growth and resilience.

Why Choose Summit?

Summit Psychology Services took the lead, investing in, and introducing ELSA Training and Supervision to Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent in 2018. The ELSA Network training that Summit Psychology Services provides is quality assured by the national ELSA Network, so you can be certain that not only will you have highly experienced trainers and qualified supervisors, but that training and supervision is of the highest possible national standards. The lead trainer, Dr Dawn Bradley, is also a member of the national ELSA Network steering group and is the regional contact for advising and guiding all other ELSA Network training providers in the West Midlands and the North West.

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ELSA Course Details

ELSA training is a 6 day course that aims to support practitioners in developing the emotional literacy and overall resiliency of vulnerable children and young people. There are an additional two days optional training on Attachment, Trauma, Relational Care in Education, and Emotion Coaching.

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ELSAs are trained to transfer their knowledge and skills to plan and deliver programmes of support for children and young people in their school or setting. A programme of support usually lasts for one half term but can extend to a term.

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The course covers the following areas, and all training days and supervision sessions are delivered by specialist Educational Psychologists:

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• Attachment Aware and Trauma Informed ELSAs

• ELSA and Emotional Literacy in Schools

• Building Resilience and Self-Esteem: Part 1

• Building Resilience and Self-Esteem: Part 2

• Understanding Feelings, Social, and Friendship Skills

• Story Work, Loss, and Bereavement

• Puppet Work, Active Listening, and Reflective Conversations

• Emotion Coaching  ELSAs

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During and After Training ELSAs will be able to:

• Carry out regular (weekly) sessions with individual pupils or small groups if this is appropriate.

• Develop individualised programmes of support that are matched specifically to the individual needs of children and young people.

• Monitor interventions using appropriate tools for evaluating the impact and efficacy of the support provided.

• Share ideas with other staff in your school community about how best to support pupils in school.

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During and After Training ELSAs will receive:

• A minimum of six days training including an information pack, resources, and access to additional complimentary resources, webinars, and online training, prepared and hosted by Summit Psychology Services.

• Six sessions of mandatory supervision approximately every six weeks until the end of the 2021 academic year.

• Peer support from the growing ELSA Network of trained ELSAs in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent schools.

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Educational Communities will Need to Commit to Supporting Their ELSAs Both During and After Training

This support and commitment needs to come from within the educational community, SLT, and a designated ELSA line manager.

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Please Read the Following Documents Before Registering an ELSA for Training to Ensure you are Aware of your Commitments to your ELSA:

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• School Commitment and School Support

• Questions to Consider for ELSA Line Managers

• ELSA Person Specification

NEWCASTLE UNDER LYME

NEW COURSE

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December 2020

to July 2021

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Booking Form

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Training and Supervision Schedule

STAFFORD

Continuation of Training

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October - December 2020

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Schedule of Training and Supervision

STAFFORD

NEW COURSE

January - July 2021

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Booking Form

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Dates to be confirmed

In the News: Staffordshire's ELSAs

This course was amazing.

Dawn is such an inspiration.

It has already had such a positive impact for our children.

(ELSA)

What a brilliant course!

I couldn't wait to come back every month to learn more; and I love supervision, it's so helpful to share ideas and talk

(ELSA)

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We are starting to see the positive impact ELSA is having within our school.

I am thinking I would like to have another staff member trained up and I can imagine there will be a high demand for places on the course.

(Deputy Headteacher)