Emotional Wellbeing: An Introductory Handbook for ELSAs and Pastoral Support Staff

This is an essential resource for educators working to support emotional wellbeing in children and young people. Written by the team behind the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) training programme, it provides practical suggestions that can be implemented straight away to make a positive difference in the life of the young person. Fully updated, the third edition of this bestselling guide includes a new chapter on trauma and adverse childhood experiences, as well as expanded material to support neurodivergent children, help those who struggle with worry, and work more closely with parents and carers. The chapters give a clear overview of each topic underpinned by the latest research in educational psychology, descriptions of vulnerabilities as well as case studies, 'let's get practical' ideas, and reflective moments. Topics include: Self-esteem Friendship skills Social skills Therapeutic stories Understanding anger and anxiety Dealing with loss and bereavement. With fresh colour illustrations throughout, this resource will be vital reading for ELSA trainees as well as anyone wanting to provide the best possible support for the emotional wellbeing of the young people they work with. It is designed for use with individuals, groups or whole classes.

Table of Contents:
CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1 ELSA 4 Psychological theory 5 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs 5 Emotional literacy 8 Research around ELSA 10 Building relationships and modelling appropriate skills 12 About this third edition 14 2. Keys to good communication 21 Introduction 23 Connecting with children and young people who have experienced trauma 26 Elements of communication 28 Non-verbal communication 28 Some useful verbal strategies 28 Use of pauses and silence 29 Barriers to communication 30 Working with parents and carers 31 Let’s get practical 32 Case studies 34 3. Recognising and managing feelings 37 Introduction 39 The impact of feelings 40 Brain physiology 42 Let’s get practical 45 Ideas for helping children become more aware of their brain physiology 45 Activities for developing emotional awareness 47 Case studies 50 Working with parents and carers 52 4. Self-esteem 55 Introduction 57 1. Security (trusting, warm relationships) 58 2. Selfhood 60 3. Affiliation/belonging 62 4. Mission/motivation 63 5. Competence 66 Case study 70 Working with parents and carers 72 5. Working with angry feelings 77 Introduction 79 Understanding and managing anger 80 The assault cycle 81 Normalising anger 83 The firework model 84 The trigger 84 The fuse 85 Physiological changes 85 Calming strategies 87 Expressing angry feelings effectively 89 Working with puppets 90 Working with parents and carers 94 6. Anxiety 97 Introduction 99 Common triggers 101 Identifying children and young people who may be experiencing anxiety 102 Let’s get practical 105 Case studies 115 Working with parents and carers 118 7. Friendship skills 121 Introduction 123 Let’s get practical 125 Setting up a friendship group and clarifying the aims of the group 125 Selecting pupils 127 The group meetings 127 Content of the sessions 128 Tricky behaviour 130 Case studies 133 Working with parents and carers 135 8. Therapeutic stories 139 Introduction 141 Denial 143 Stages of change 144 Case study 145 Hearing about new strategies 148 A consistent approach 149 Let’s get practical – writing a therapeutic story 150 Case study 151 The use of ready-made stories 155 Case studies 156 Working with parents and carers 158 9. Social skills and writing social stories 161 Introduction 163 The nature of communication 165 Basic social communication skills 166 A staged approach to teaching social skills 167 Let’s get practical 168 Eye contact 168 Facial expression 169 Gesture 169 Posture 170 Proximity 170 Touch 171 Social skills groups 173 Lego® therapy 174 Child-friendly principles of attunement 175 Social stories 176 Case study 179 Working with parents and carers 180 10. Supporting children through loss and bereavement 183 Introduction 185 The process of grieving 188 Developmental responses to death 190 Death of a close relative 192 Case studies 194 Death in a school (and case study) 196 Complex grief 198 Family break-up 199 Let’s get practical 202 Case study (family break-up) 204 Looking after yourself 205 Working with parents and carers 206 11. Resilience 209 Introduction 211 Factors underlying resilience 212 Risk factors 214 External protective factors 215 Internal protective factors 217 Let’s get practical 219 Case study 223 Working with parents and carers 224 12. Supporting children who have experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences (ACE) 227 Introduction 229 Understanding trauma 230 Types of adverse childhood experiences 230 The impact of trauma on development 231 Let’s get practical 233 Trauma-informed care 233 Developing a positive relationship 233 The tree of life 234 Teach emotional literacy / self-regulation skills 236 Professional development for staff 239 Case study 240 Working with parents and carers 242 Appendix 1: Target-setting in intervention programmes 245 Appendix 2: A therapeutic story created by an ELSA within a friendship skills group 249

About the Author :
Gillian Shotton is an Educational Psychologist and writer with a passion for supporting the emotional wellbeing of children. In the 2000s, she worked with Sheila Burton to create the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) programme. In addition to her work on ELSA, Gillian has authored several influential texts aimed at assisting those working with emotionally vulnerable children. She is the author of A Session-by-Session Guide to Life Story Work and The Feelings Diary, both of which provide practical guidance for supporting children emotionally. Her writing offers valuable strategies for helping children process their experiences and build resilience. She is currently working with bMindful Psychology, supporting both schools and children’s homes to enhance the emotional wellbeing of the young people in their care. Beyond her professional achievements, Gillian is passionate about enjoying nature and mindfulness to enhance wellbeing. Sheila Burton is the founder of the ELSA initiative and worked as an Area Principal Educational Psychologist in Hampshire prior to retirement. Her special interest as an educational psychologist has always been emotional wellbeing, and during her career she has had experience of running many therapeutic groups for children and young people. Sheila is the author of the ELSA Trainers’ Manual and Excellent ELSAs. She set up the ELSA Network to support ELSAs and the educational psychologists who train them, remaining actively involved as its Chair. In her retirement she continues to provide ELSA training and supervision for an educational psychology service in her locality. Sheila is also Chair of Trustees for an educational charity in Uganda. Her other main interests are sailing and enjoying time with her husband, children and their seven grandchildren.