Practitioners' views about effective mental health and well‐being support for post‐16 students attending special school

Abstract

Supporting children and young people's mental health and well-being is central to UK Government policy, with statistics suggesting post-16 students and those with learning difficulties are vulnerable. This case study explored how practitioners at a special school for students with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties promote post-16 students' mental health and well-being. Data were drawn from four semi-structured interviews and a follow-up focus group. The thematic analysis identified a whole-team approach to supporting mental health and promoting student well-being, through staff knowledge and interpersonal skills, particularly related to communication and ability to build trusting relationships, providing experiences and preparing students for adulthood. Consideration was also given to facilitators and barriers to promoting such provision for students. The emotional needs audit from the Human Givens Institute (2006) could provide a framework for practitioners in special schools to promote mental health and well-being, enabling practical and tangible strategies for intervention and support.

A job analysis of mental health nursing in a school for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities

“…The author made a deliberate decision to supervise students at recess and lunch, so this influenced the results which showed a large amount of time relating to building relationships at these times. The importance of ‘getting to know students’ and quality relationships between students with disabilities and school nurses is acknowledged (Kruger et al., 2009), so spending time with students at recess and lunch is one way of strengthening relationships for supporting mental health (see Thompson & Atkinson, 2022).…”