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This pre-recorded training is designed for school staff and wider professionals to support your understanding of meeting the needs of young people with barriers to education / EBSNA. It is designed to be watched either alone or with colleagues, with frequent opportunities to pause and engage in reflection tasks. This will likely take 1.5 - 2 hours in total. All corresponding resources can be found on this Padlet section.

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Book a free 30-minute telephone call with an Educational Psychologist via our Facebook page.

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NEW 2025: An Ideas Bank to support development of support plans after the EINT has been completed.

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NEW: Action Plan and Review Templates (2025)

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NEW: Action Plan and Review Templates (2025)

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NEW 2025: Templates which can be used for Action and Review Plans.

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NEW: Early Identification of Needs Tool (2025)

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NEW: Early Identification of Needs Tool (2025)

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NEW: 2025 update. Trafford's checklist tool to better understand a young person's potential barriers to school attendance. This should be completed in partnership with home and school to best understand the range of factors and develop a targeted support plan.

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SDT of motivation in the classroom handout

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CAMHS SCHOOL AND COLLEGE INFORMATION LINE (SCIL)

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CAMHS SCHOOL AND COLLEGE INFORMATION LINE (SCIL)

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School CAMHS Information Line Information

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Trafford SEND Together (Parent Carer Forum)

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Trafford SEND Together (Parent Carer Forum)

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Trafford Directory | Trafford SEND Together - Parent Carer Forum

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Welcome to Trafford SEND Together! This group is all about bringing parents and carers together - to connect, share, and support one another. It's a safe, friendly space for peer-to-peer support, sharing experiences, and signposting to helpful services across Trafford.

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Trafford Virtual School drop-in advice sessions

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Trafford Virtual School drop-in advice sessions

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Free online consultations with the virtual school team, providing advice and signposting for care experienced children and young people.

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Parent & Carer Information & Advice sessions 25 - 26

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Parent & Carer Information & Advice sessions 25 - 26

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https://forms.office.com/e/JFhdJQdEgS

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This website has been designed as a practical, flexible resource to support everyone working to reduce barriers to education. At the heart of the site is the WARMTH Framework. Although the underlying reasons for young people not being in school may differ (such as absence or exclusion) the WARMTH framework is designed to be inclusive for all young people.

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This website has been designed as a practical, flexible resource to support everyone working to reduce barriers to education. At the heart of the site is the WARMTH Framework. Although the underlying reasons for young people not being in school may differ (such as absence or exclusion) the WARMTH framework is designed to be inclusive for all young people.

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This website has been designed as a practical, flexible resource to support everyone working to reduce barriers to education. At the heart of the site is the WARMTH Framework. Although the underlying reasons for young people not being in school may differ (such as absence or exclusion) the WARMTH framework is designed to be inclusive for all young people.

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This website has been designed as a practical, flexible resource to support everyone working to reduce barriers to education. At the heart of the site is the WARMTH Framework. Although the underlying reasons for young people not being in school may differ (such as absence or exclusion) the WARMTH framework is designed to be inclusive for all young people.

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Free webinars for parents and carers across Trafford packed with practical strategies for supporting your child’s mental health and wellbeing.

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Family Webinar Series 2026 Spring Term Flyer

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STEP/Advocating Together peer support sessions

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STEP/Advocating Together peer support sessions

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Relational Approaches to support School Belonging and Attendance: A Guide and Toolkit

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Relational Approaches to support School Belonging and Attendance: A Guide and Toolkit

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Relational Approaches to support School Belonging and Attendance: A Guide and Toolkit, with thanks to Kent County Council

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Relational Approaches to support School Belonging and Attendance

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NEW 2025: An Ideas Bank to support development of support plans after the EINT has been completed.

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Workbook to support young people with EBSNA

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Workbook to support young people with EBSNA

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Downloadable resources to support attendance

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Downloadable resources to support attendance

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This resource is for teachers and non-clinicians to consider approaches to support children settling into school. It includes ideas around reading books, activities for children and other ideas.

The personal development scale is a tool to help you think about some of the things you might find difficult and things you are really confident in. The purpose is to help those around you think of ways that might be able to support you.

Emotional regulation booklet

For primary school children that need extra support with understanding behaviour.

For children and young people to explore relationships including social media

For teachers, parents & carers to explore war and conflict. Including key questions for fact checking, some support for emotional well-being and signposting for further support

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This resource is for teachers and non-clinicians to consider approaches to support children settling into school. It includes ideas around reading books, activities for children and other ideas. The personal development scale is a tool to help you think about some of the things you might find difficult and things you are really confident in.

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Reducing Barriers to Attending School Questionnaire (Primary)

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Reducing Barriers to Attending School Questionnaire (Primary)

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Sensory Audit for Schools and Classrooms

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Sensory Audit for Schools and Classrooms

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The NEST Approach to Supporting Autistic Meltdowns

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The NEST Approach to Supporting Autistic Meltdowns

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A checklist for professionals when supporting autistic pupils with extended non-attendance

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A checklist for professionals when supporting autistic pupils with extended non-attendance

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Checklist for professionals to support extended nonattendance

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With thanks to STEP

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Support for bereaved young people and families.

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Providing practical and emotional support to bereaved families to enable them to adjust to a new life without their loved one.

At Once Upon a Smile we have lots of creative programmes where children and young people remember their loved ones and express their thoughts and feelings in a fun and safe environment.

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Children’s Bereavement Support Charity | Once Upon a Smile

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Providing dedicated bereavement support for children and families in Greater Manchester. A trusted children’s bereavement support charity.

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Parenting Smart offers practical advice for parents and carers of children aged 5-11. All of our content is created by Place2Be's parenting experts. It's based on evidence and their experiences working with children, young people and their families.

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Talkshop is an advice, support and information centre for young people aged 11 to 19 (up to 25 with additional needs or care leavers).

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Trafford Directory | * Trafford Talkshop

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Talkshop is an advice, support and information centre for young people aged 11 to 19 (up to 25 with additional needs or care leavers). The Talkshop offer a confidential service. This enables us to offer a safe and non-judgemental environment for young people to seek the help they need. Advice and information Talkshop Drop-Ins Talkshop Drop-Ins - Sexual Health help Connexions Careers Guidance Service Trafford Youth Forum Pregnancy and Parenthood Young Bumps Butterflies Young Parents Group - Sale Help when young people need it most Trafford Talkshop: Early Help Hub for Young People Talkshop Young People’s Sexual Health Clinic with The Northern at Urmston Cinic Other Services delivered from Talkshop Missing from Home or Care Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Emoptional Wellbeing support for young people who go missing or are exploited Rainbow Reflections LGBT+ group run by Proud Trust Mental Health Support from 42nd Street Help with substance misuse from Early Break More youth work in Trafford Talkshop Trafford is part of Trafford Youth Engagement Service that includes Talkshop, Street Talk, Connexions and Activity Agreement. Instagram: Talkshoptrafford

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Support and advice for young people's emotional health and wellbeing

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42nd Street’s vision is for inclusive, accessible mental health and wellbeing support and opportunities for all young people.

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Free, safe and anonymous digital mental health support for 10 - 25 year olds

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Kooth is your online mental wellbeing community. Access free, safe and anonymous

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Trafford Directory | The Proud Trust (LGBT young people)

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The Proud Trust supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans young people in Manchester, Greater Manchester and the North West. We do this in three main ways: Services for Young People – we run a variety of weekly youth work sessions for young people in Manchester. Our LGBT youth offer includes groups for lesbian and bisexual young women, trans groups, a BAME group which run alongside our LGBT youth groups. We also run a 121 and Mentoring Service for young people to access support remotely. Our groups are open to young people ages between 13 and 19 (up to 25 with an additional need) The Proud Trust has recently launched a new digital help service for LGBT+ young people and trusted adults called ‘Proud Connections’, made up of an information hub and an instant messaging service. To explore the site visit: https://www.theproudtrust.org/proud-connections Training and Consultancy – we offer a wide range of LGBT+ Awareness training opportunities from workshops for young people through to bespoke training for professionals working in the youth sector. Proud Connections Mentors programme pairs LGBT+ young people with trained LGBT+ adult mentors for regular online support sessions. The programme is open to LGBT+ young people aged 16 – 19 (up to 25 with additional needs) across the UK.

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A website about autism, for autistic young people - so that everyone can gain a better understanding of what autism actually is.

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Starling support for neurodivergent young people

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Starling support for neurodivergent young people

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Supporting neurodivergent young people aged 10-25 across Greater Manchester

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Starlingcio | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree

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Supporting neurodivergent young people aged 10-25 across Greater Manchester

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Spectrum Gaming is an online community for autistic young people. The aims of Spectrum Gaming are to enable autistic young people to develop meaningful friendships; to help them understand and develop a positive perspective of their differences; and to advocate for the needs of autistic young people

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Starling - creative support for neurodivergent young people

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Starling - creative support for neurodivergent young people

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We provide training for organisations and professionals looking to find out more about neurodiversity. Our packages work with organisations to discover practical ways to become more neurodiversity friendly both in the workplace and in community settings. Invest in equity and diversity by collaborating with us and discovering more about neuroinclusion.

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We provide training for organisations and professionals looking to find out more about neurodiversity. Our packages work with organisations to discover practical ways to become more neurodiversity friendly both in the workplace and in community settings. Invest in equity and diversity by collaborating with us and discovering more about neuroinclusion.

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Trafford Family Information Service (FIS)

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Trafford Family Information Service (FIS)

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Here at the Family Information Service we provide free, impartial, confidential information and advice to mums, dads, carers, young people and professionals on a range of subjects.

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Trafford Directory | Trafford Family Information Service (FIS)

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Here at the Family Information Service we provide free, impartial, confidential information and advice to mums, dads, carers, young people and professionals on a range of subjects including: Childcare We can support you find suitable registered childcare at a childminder, pre-school playgroup, day…

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Trafford Family Information Service (FIS)

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Trafford Family Information Service (FIS)

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Here at the Family Information Service we provide free, impartial, confidential information and advice to mums, dads, carers, young people and professionals on a range of subjects.

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Trafford Directory | Trafford Family Information Service (FIS)

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Here at the Family Information Service we provide free, impartial, confidential information and advice to mums, dads, carers, young people and professionals on a range of subjects including: Childcare We can support you find suitable registered childcare at a childminder, pre-school playgroup, day…

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Starting Strong is a fully funded 6 week course for parents and carers who have children in Trafford schools with emerging special educational needs.

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The Counselling & Family Centre | Courses | SEND Parents

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The Counselling & Family Centre. 6 week course for parents and carers who have children in Trafford schools who are displaying SEND behaviours.

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These pages explain how children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) should be supported by schools, early years settings and colleges using the Graduated Approach.

The Graduated Approach recognises that children and young people learn in different ways and can have different kinds or levels of SEN. So increasingly, step by step, specialist expertise can be brought in to support the child to achieve the best possible outcomes.

If you need any help to understand some of the terms mentioned have a look at our guide to key words and meanings.

Contents

What are Special Educational Needs?
I think my child may have SEN What is Inclusive Quality First Teaching? What is the Graduated Approach? What is SEN Support? What should educational settings do? What is the Assess, Plan, Do, Review Cycle? When do other professionals get involved? What if no progress is made at SEN Support? SEN Funding
Find out more about the EHC Needs Assessment? process

Find out more about EHC plans

Printable version - Trafford Graduated Approach to Special Educational Needs: A guide for parent carers and young people.

You can read more in depth information on the Graduated Approach in the I am a Practitioner area which explains in detail the provision for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) which should be available. The Graduated approach guidance also provides the threshold for access to the high needs funding block.

What should I do if special educational needs are not being met?

If you still have concerns and want to talk with an independent organisation you can contact Trafford SENDIASS. Tel: 0161 912 3150 Email: sendiass@trafford.gov.uk

Services that support schools

There are a wide variety of services across education, health and social care providing advice on children with SEN or who are disabled. These are some of the services which can provide training, advice and guidance to schools:

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Inclusive Quality First Teaching and the Graduated Approach | Trafford Directory

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These pages explain how children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) should be supported by schools, early years settings and colleges using the Graduated Approach.

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Trafford Directory | * Trafford Team Together: a co-ordinated partnership approach to help families

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TTT is currently running in the North and West Areas of Trafford and partially in the South. TTT will be rolled out to the rest of the South and to Central areas. TTT - “Finding the right help at the right time in the right way” for children and families living in Trafford or attending a Trafford school. Trafford Team Together (TTT) finds support for children and families living in Trafford or attending a Trafford school to prevent small worries turning into bigger problems. What can families expect? “I am now connected to the community in more ways than I ever imagined. All I can say is thank you for everything. You have given my daughter her smile back.” Parent “We needed support with housing and mental health support. It has helped working with Yasmin from Homestart. I was able to call her anytime during working hours. She was very good at calming me down or sorting it out for me.” Parent “At first I was angry but my mum helped me see it. I enjoyed working with Siobhan in F92. I most enjoyed playing table tennis. I feel my well-being is improved.” Primary Pupil “I love coming here to Gorse Hill studios after school every day even when I am tired after school has finished, I just find lots of energy to still do the dance sessions because everybody makes it so fun and enjoyable.” Young Person North Trafford Where can I find out more? Contact the TTT lead at the school that your child attends if you would like support. For more information about Trafford Team Together please email: traffordteamtogether@trafford.gov.uk

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Book a free 30-minute telephone call with an Educational Psychologist via our Facebook page.

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Starling support for neurodivergent young people

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Starling support for neurodivergent young people

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Supporting neurodivergent young people aged 10-25 across Greater Manchester

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Starlingcio | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree

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Supporting neurodivergent young people aged 10-25 across Greater Manchester

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EBSNA parent drop in on line-20250203_103730-Meeting Recording

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A 1 hour recording of an EP-led webinar for parents and carers, sharing information about Trafford's graduated approach to SEND and attendance difficulties.

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VIDEO: Introduction to Trafford EBSNA resources

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VIDEO: Introduction to Trafford EBSNA resources

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A 15 minute video with two of our EPs, exploring our range of resources to support young people experiencing school attendance difficulties in Trafford.

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NEW: Early Identification of Needs Tool (2025)

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NEW: Early Identification of Needs Tool (2025)

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NEW: 2025 update. Trafford's checklist tool to better understand a young person's potential barriers to school attendance. This should be completed in partnership with home and school to best understand the range of factors and develop a targeted support plan.

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This toolkit is based on the things that neurodivergent young people and their parents/carers have told us about the transition from primary to secondary school. It is part of the School Transitions across Education for Pupils with SEN/D (STEPS) project.

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EBSA Horizons School Training (Online CPD)

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EBSA Horizons School Training (Online CPD)

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EdPsychEd | EBSA Horizons School Training

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An online CPD course for teachers and school staff on Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA). This training includes assessments, models, and interventions strategies, and shifts the narrative from 'school refusal'. Developing our skills to support children experiencing persistent absenteeism.

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NEW: Action Plan and Review Templates (2025)

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NEW: Action Plan and Review Templates (2025)

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NEW 2025: Templates which can be used for Action and Review Plans.

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The series of seven webinars, with Dr Naomi Fisher and Eliza Fricker, is for parents and carers to understand more about low-demand parenting.​

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A website about autism, for autistic young people - so that everyone can gain a better understanding of what autism actually is.

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Action planning using the SPIRAL framework

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Action planning using the SPIRAL framework

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Action planning to support school attendance: using the SPIRAL framework - edpsy.org.uk

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Currently, we find ourselves in an ‘attendance crisis’ (Children’s commissioner, 2023) with more children than ever feeling unable to attend…

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Trafford Directory | Medical Education - Trafford children who cannot attend school for health reasons

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Trafford has a duty to arrange education for children of compulsory school age who cannot attend school for health reasons. The Medical Education Service can provide interim education for a child whose absence is due to health reasons whilst they are unable to acccess their full curriculum from their school.

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Improving school attendance is a key priority for Trafford and the hub is where you will find a range of resources to help your school.

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Welcome to the School Attendance HubImproving school attendance is a key priority for Trafford and the hub is where you will find a range of resources to help your school.

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With Eliza Fricker - author, illustrator & consultant for PDA, autism and learning.

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We are always looking to add to and improve our Padlets, please follow this link to a short questionnaire to provide feedback and suggestions for improvements

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EBSNA Padlet Feedback Survey - Trafford Council’s Citizen Space - Citizen Space

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Find and participate in consultations run by Trafford Council

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Trafford Directory | * Trafford Team Together: a co-ordinated partnership approach to help families

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TTT is currently running in the North and West Areas of Trafford and partially in the South. TTT will be rolled out to the rest of the South and to Central areas. TTT - “Finding the right help at the right time in the right way” for children and families living in Trafford or attending a Trafford school. Trafford Team Together (TTT) finds support for children and families living in Trafford or attending a Trafford school to prevent small worries turning into bigger problems. What can families expect? “I am now connected to the community in more ways than I ever imagined. All I can say is thank you for everything. You have given my daughter her smile back.” Parent “We needed support with housing and mental health support. It has helped working with Yasmin from Homestart. I was able to call her anytime during working hours. She was very good at calming me down or sorting it out for me.” Parent “At first I was angry but my mum helped me see it. I enjoyed working with Siobhan in F92. I most enjoyed playing table tennis. I feel my well-being is improved.” Primary Pupil “I love coming here to Gorse Hill studios after school every day even when I am tired after school has finished, I just find lots of energy to still do the dance sessions because everybody makes it so fun and enjoyable.” Young Person North Trafford Where can I find out more? Contact the TTT lead at the school that your child attends if you would like support. For more information about Trafford Team Together please email: traffordteamtogether@trafford.gov.uk

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Our aim is to improve the child's function in daily activities so they can achieve their full potential and stay healthy. We work closely with partner agencies to provide safe, coordinated interventions, which focus on the needs of the child and their family and keep waiting times to a minimum. We're based at Sale Waterside but also work in a variety of settings including schools, nurseries, clinics and the child's home.

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Children's Therapy Service - Occupational Therapy - Trafford LCO

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Trafford Children's Therapy is a combined physiotherapy and occupational therapy service.

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Trafford SEN Advisory Service (SENAS) provides advice and information to Early Years settings, schools and colleges to meet the needs of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. We work with parents, Education, Health and Social care staff to ensure that children and young people in Trafford are supported in their education. We work together to identify a child or young person's needs and ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to enable them to learn.

SENAS works closely with Inclusion Services across Trafford. We contribute to the statutory assessment process and liaise with families and staff. We aim to build capacity through inclusive teaching and reasonable adjustments to the environment, the curriculum and assessments. SENAS works collaboratively with SENCOs in Trafford to facilitate SENCo Cluster meetings, SENCO Forums SENCo and whole school Training.
Who we are
Trafford's SEN Advisory Service includes staff with extensive knowledge and experience of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Our Team includes SEN Advisory Service Consultants, Early Years Area SENCos and SEND Specialist Teaching Assistants.

Our SEN Advisory Service Consultants have the following areas of responsibility:
Autism and Social Communication
Social communication describes how we communicate in social situations; it includes both verbal (spoken language) and nonverbal (eye gaze, facial expression, gestures) communication. Not all children and young people who have differences in their social communication to their peers are autistic, but most of the same approaches will be helpful to them.

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference which affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people and how they experience the world around them. Like anyone else, autistic people will have different life experiences, strengths, weaknesses, and support needs which is why autism is described as a spectrum condition.

The SENAS autism and social communication consultant and specialist teaching assistants work alongside schools to help remove the barriers to the well-being and achievement of autistic children and young people. This can be through:

providing advice to support individual pupils in schools

a varied training offer for whole staff, and staff groups including understanding autism as well as support approaches

developing autism awareness (especially a positive view of autism), as well as providing informal advice to SENDCos, schools and families.

We work alongside the Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, and Educational Psychology services in Trafford.
Early Years
Our Specialist Teaching Assistants support the informal assessment of children with SEND in conjunction with a SENAS Early Years Consultant and other relevant services. We work closely with parents and carers offering advice and support in relation to their Nursery child's assessment, provision, intervention, inclusion and transition. We also work closely with the Trafford Early Development Portage Service (TEDS) who cater for younger children, and Trafford Speech and Language Therapy Service. We aim to ensure that starting school for the children on our caseload, is well planned and we are available to advise on this transition through the first term of Reception.

We take referrals for Nursery children who may have significant Physical and/or Medical Needs, and for children who have a significant delay in 2 or more areas of their development.

SENAS staff are highly trained in Early Support as well as specific areas of need. We offer guidance to parents for children in the Early Years whilst helping to coordinate information gathering to enable the Local Authority to decide whether the needs are sufficiently complex and long term that an Education Health and Care Needs Assessment is necessary.

We also offer advice to support the inclusion of children with cognition and learning needs including Down Syndrome in Trafford's mainstream schools. Training is available for schools on a range of approaches to support learning.

We consulted with parents, staff in Early Years settings and schools about our SEN Advisory Service. This is how we have acted on the feedback we received.
Physical and Medical Needs
Children and young people with physical and medical needs may have lifelong conditions, short term needs or acquired conditions that impact on their ability to access education. The SENAS Physical/Medical Needs Consultant and Specialist Teaching Assistants work with EY settings and schools to provide support to families and education settings to raise achievement, promote inclusion and improve access to learning. We follow a graduated approach to ensure that children with physical/medical needs get the level of support they require.

We work closely with relevant services to ensure a multi-agency joined-up approach. This includes Children's Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Speech, Language and Communication Therapy Services. We link in with Trafford Sensory Impairment Support Service for children with additional visual or hearing impairment and work closely with Trafford Children's Community Nursing Team to meet the clinical needs of children and young people in school. We ensure that multi-agency recommendations are implemented to keep children and young people healthy and safe, able to access their environment and learn.

Our SENAS Physical/Medical Consultant oversees the provision of specialist equipment for children and young people who require specialist seating, toileting and/or moving and handling equipment. We have a store of equipment that is recycled to provide value for money. We also provide Assistive Technology assessments, support and training to implement any recommendations. Assistive Technology includes hardware and software that will enable children and young people to perform functions that otherwise may be difficult or impossible because of their disability.
Specific Learning Difficulties
Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) is a term that covers a range of learning differences, that include Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and Dysgraphia. SpLD often co-occurs with other conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or social communication difficulties.

If a child or young person has had access to a wide range of learning opportunities via quality first classroom teaching and group intervention, but attainment remains a concern, an unidentified specific learning difficulty may be the underlying cause.

The SENAS Consultant for SpLD supports by offering:

informal assessments of need

recommendations on appropriate strategies, interventions, and assistive technology to inform a robust SEN Support Plan

training for teachers and/or teaching assistants on supporting students with specific learning difficulties in the classroom, including advice on creating a dyslexia friendly learning environment

advising and supporting education providers through the Dyslexia Friendly Kite Mark

Who to contact

Who is it for?

Ages

Supporting People With

Learning disability

Mental health

Autistic Spectrum

Communication

Physical impairment

Challenging Behaviour

Profound or Multiple Needs

Hearing impairment

Visual impairment

Eligibility Details

Children and young people who:

are resident in Trafford and attend an Early Years setting, state funded school or college in Trafford;

are resident in Trafford and have an EHCP, but attend a state funded school or college in a different Local Authority;

are resident outside Trafford but attend a state funded school or college in Trafford.

Children and young people who are resident outside Trafford and have an EHCP should contact the Local Authority in which they reside.

Referral Required?

Yes

Referral Details

Early Years Referrals to SENAS:
PVI settings should use a Trafford Single Agency Referral Form (SARF) to refer Early Years children to SENAS: SENAS PVI Referral

Early Years referrals from school nurseries need to be made via Liquid Logic.
School Referrals to SENAS:
Schools or colleges can make a referral to SENAS for a specific child by using the Single Agency Referral Form (SARF): SARF to SENAS Enquiry V1.0

Other agencies should encourage the setting, school or college to refer, if they feel support from SENAS is appropriate.

Telephone advice is available on general issues which may lead to a referral for a specific child. SENAS Consultants offer virtual advice sessions and may be booked following contact with the Service.

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Trafford Directory | Special Educational Needs Advisory Service (SENAS)

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What we do Trafford SEN Advisory Service (SENAS) provides advice and information to Early Years settings, schools and colleges to meet the needs of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. We work with parents, Education, Health and Social care staff to ensure that children and young people in Trafford are supported in their education.

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Trafford Directory | The Proud Trust (LGBT young people)

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The Proud Trust supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans young people in Manchester, Greater Manchester and the North West. We do this in three main ways: Services for Young People – we run a variety of weekly youth work sessions for young people in Manchester. Our LGBT youth offer includes groups for lesbian and bisexual young women, trans groups, a BAME group which run alongside our LGBT youth groups. We also run a 121 and Mentoring Service for young people to access support remotely. Our groups are open to young people ages between 13 and 19 (up to 25 with an additional need) The Proud Trust has recently launched a new digital help service for LGBT+ young people and trusted adults called ‘Proud Connections’, made up of an information hub and an instant messaging service. To explore the site visit: https://www.theproudtrust.org/proud-connections Training and Consultancy – we offer a wide range of LGBT+ Awareness training opportunities from workshops for young people through to bespoke training for professionals working in the youth sector. Proud Connections Mentors programme pairs LGBT+ young people with trained LGBT+ adult mentors for regular online support sessions. The programme is open to LGBT+ young people aged 16 – 19 (up to 25 with additional needs) across the UK.

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Trafford Directory | * Trafford Sleep Services

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Sleep is something that we all take for granted, it is only when we don’t get a good night’s sleep that we realise how important it is for our health and wellbeing. Sleep problems are very common in children, especially children with SEND. For some families the sleep problems are short lived but for others their child’s sleep problems can last for years and they can have a devastating impact on the whole family - leaving parents feeling exhausted and unable to function properly during the day. Every child is different, and each family has its own needs and preferred parenting styles, but if you want to make changes to how your child sleeps, we are here to help. Sleep is a highly complex process which is affected by many aspects of our daily life, such as what we eat and drink. Parents can join one of our webinars to find out how to make simple changes that can have a big impact on how your child sleeps. Parent carer webinars We provide parent webinars tailored to the age of your child: Parents or carers of children aged 2 to 7 years. (Infant) Parents or carers of children aged 7 to 11 years. (Junior) Parents or carers of children aged 11 years and older. (Secondary) We have tailored all of our webinars to cater for children with additional needs so please select the webinar for their age group. You can book a webinar yourself on our website: Trafford Sleep Services – Sleep and Therapy Services Parents will be offered a 30 minute follow up appointment after attending the webinar if they are not eligible for the 1:1 clinic service. There are also guidance sheets available on the website under the ‘Resources’ tab. 1:1 clinic appointment for Children with EHCP or a named worker Referrals to the 1:1 clinic can only be made by professionals for a child/young person who fulfils any of the following criteria: An Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) and can be supported to implement a sleep plan by a school professional such as a SENCO or pastoral lead. An allocated worker, this can be any professional who is supporting the family and who has capacity to assist with the implementation of a sleep plan, for example an Intensive Family Support worker (IFS) or Early Help worker (EH) or the voluntary sector such as Home Start. Is under the care of a paediatrician regarding sleep issues. If they have both an EHCP and an allocated worker the referral should be made by the professional who is agreeing to support with the implementation of the sleep plan. If you have any queries relating to who can be an allocated worker, please get in touch by emailing: trafford@sleepandtherapyservices.co.uk A specialist sleep practitioner will contact you to arrange an appointment. The appointments will be for the parent or carer and will be on Teams. Appointments will usually last about 1 1/2 hours. The specialist sleep practitioner will ask you about your child and the types of sleep problems that they have. As every child is different and you will be provided with a personalised sleep plan, tailored to meet the needs of your child.

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Trafford Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) - Royal Manchester Children's Hospital (mft.nhs.uk) provides emotional and mental health assessment and treatment to children and young people aged 0-18 years and their families and carers. We offer support to professionals such as school staff, GP's and school nurses who are working with children and young people within Trafford.

We are part of a wider comprehensive network working to the THRIVE Model ( THRIVE Framework (annafreud.org)). Helping to promote the importance of good mental health and ensure CAMHS is everyone's business. We work closely with our partner agencies including Just Psychology, 42 nd St, Early Help Services, Talkshop and Children's Social Care. As a multiagency network we can offer support in lots of different ways to make sure there is something suitable for everyone. We can also signpost and help you access other types of help within the THRIVE Model.

The CAMHS team comprises of child psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, specialist nurses, systemic family therapists, social workers, and other specialist therapists. Children and young people experiencing a range of mental health disorders will be assessed by a member of the team and, together with family and carers, a treatment care plan will be agreed.
Help in a crises
If a child or young person under 18 is experiencing a mental health crisis you can access support from Greater Manchester Mental Health Crises line on 0800 953 0285, this is open 24/7.

If you are looking for information regarding assessments for ADHD or Autism, please click the links below

ADHD - Trafford Combined ADHD Service: TCAS | Trafford Directory

Autism - Trafford Autism and Social Communication (TASC) Pathway | Trafford Directory

Find out more on the CAMHS website.
Information on the CAMHS service for Children in Care

Who to contact

Where to go

Name

1

Address

Postcode

Notes

Parking Information
The car park entrance is on Claremont Road, Sale, M33 7LN. There are a small number of clearly marked (CAMHS) parking spaces for young people and their families to use. The car park is used by other businesses so please park in the CAMHS designated bays.
Public transport
Oriel Court is easily accessible by public transport. It is close to Sale Metrolink station and several bus routes.

You can plan your journey here

Time / Date Details

When is it on

Open Monday to Friday from 9am until 5pm (excluding bank holidays)

Accessibility

Details

Facilities
Wheelchair Access
Accessible Toilet
Interpretation available
Parking
Further Details
If you have any queries regarding accessibility, please give us a call to discuss on 0161 549 6456

Referral Required?

Yes

Referral Details

Referral form for Practitioners Self Referral Form
We accept written referrals from health, education, and social care professionals. We also accept self-referrals and referrals from parents and carers. A referral to the CAMHS team can be made in writing by using the relevant referral form above and returning it to us by post or email.

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Trafford Directory | Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)

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Trafford Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) - Royal Manchester Children's Hospital (mft.nhs.uk) provides emotional and mental health assessment and treatment to children and young people aged 0-18 years and their families and carers.

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Trafford Thrive in Education provide mental Health support in Trafford schools. Place2Be offer this support in Trafford primary schools and CAMHS work in secondary schools. We cover approximately 1/3 of all Trafford schools.

We work with children and young people presenting with mild to moderate mental health difficulties, through 1-1 intervention and groupwork. We also support schools to support all their pupils emotional wellbeing, through classroom workshops, assemblies, training for staff and parents/carers and raisiing awareness of mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Speak to your child's school if you would like to know if we are working in their school and if you think your child would benefit from mental health support in school.

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Trafford Directory | Trafford Thrive in Education Team

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Trafford Thrive in Education provide mental Health support in Trafford schools. Place2Be offer this support in Trafford primary schools and CAMHS work in secondary schools. We cover approximately 1/3 of all Trafford schools. We work with children and young people presenting with mild to moderate mental health difficulties, through 1-1 intervention and groupwork.

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Trafford Directory | Trafford Speech and Language Therapy

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Welcome to the Trafford Speech and Language Therapy page. We are a team of Speech and Language Therapists and Speech and Language Therapy assistants who assess, diagnose and treat people who have speech, language and communications needs and feeding difficulties. We do this in a…

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Trafford Directory | *Trafford Educational Psychology Service

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How we contribute to the council’s vision The Council’s Corporate Plan (2018 -2022) articulates that part of its vision is – ‘for all children and young people to have a fair start no matter their circumstances and to ensure people get support when they need it most.’ The Educational Psychology Service (EPS) is committed to delivering this vision. What we do Trafford’s Educational Psychologists (EPs) work with children, teaching staff, parents/carers and other agencies. They apply their understanding of psychology to identify teaching and learning strategies which will promote inclusion and wellbeing and improve educational outcomes for children and young people. Who we are All Trafford’s EPs are Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered and have a degree or equivalent in Psychology/ Educational Psychology and further training to Masters and/ or Doctoral level in Educational Psychology. Training Trafford EPS maintains close working links with Manchester University. Trainee Educational Psychologists (TEPs) in years 2 and 3 of the doctoral training are placed with us for two years; year 1 TEPs are placed with us for a shorter placements of five months. At trainees receive weekly supervision from a qualified, experienced EP. We also have an Assistant Educational Psychologist who supports us in our work with Trafford Virtual School. Work with schools Trafford EPS can work with all schools, colleges, other educational providers and children’s services within the local authority through our Service Level Agreement (SLA) offer (see http://www.sla-online.co.uk). This enables organisations to purchase time for EPs to work at an individual, group, class or whole-school level. Prioritising and types of work Our work is prioritised and agreed during regular, termly consultations with key school staff. We may carry out direct individual assessments and/or interventions to support individual children or work in a consultative way with staff to support the needs of a wider group of children. Individual assessment work can include class observations, consultations with teaching staff and parents/carers as well as work with other professionals where appropriate. EPs apply the principles of assess, plan, do, review to their work at all levels, whether individual casework or systemic work. Outcomes identified as the result of assessment are co-produced with parents and school staff. Direct assessments are summarised in a report which is completed and copied to schools, parents/carers and other agencies as appropriate. Training We offer a wide range of bespoke whole school/in-service training packages as follows: Precision teaching Emotion Coaching Promoting resilience and addressing anxiety Supporting children and young people through loss and change Attachment in the classroom Working with children and young people with social communication and Autistic spectrum condition Approaches to facilitate change Working with children and young people with restless and inattentive behaviour including ADHD. Mindfulness Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSA) Research We are also able to work as research partners with our clients through engaging in action research projects which support the wider development of pedagogy and continuing professional development within learning organisations. Links with the TTSA The Educational Psychology Service is regularly commissioned by the Trafford Teaching School’s Alliance (TTSA) to plan and deliver training and research projects e.g. Developing Whole School Relationship Policies and a Transition Project looking at transition from primary to high school. To discuss your training/ research needs lease talk to your school EP or get in touch with Steph Littleton or Dr Andrew Byrne. Other work in the Local Authority In addition to work commissioned by schools the Educational Psychology Service is also commissioned to work with the Early Years’ Service, Trafford Virtual School and the Trafford Autistic Spectrum Condition (TASC) Pathway. Facebook Trafford Educational Psychology Service has a Facebook page which offers a free advice line, Facebook live events and general information sharing. Parent Feedback Educational Psychologists continuously try to develop their practice and we are therefore very grateful for feedback from parents who have experienced the service. Complete our Parent Feedback Questionnaire

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Working together to better understand absence from school & find effective solutions to attendance barriers

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Not Fine in School is a parent-led organisation empowering families & raising awareness of school attendance barriers (school refusal/ anxiety/ SEND/ bullying)

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Stronger Together Empowering Parents (STEP)

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Stronger Together Empowering Parents (STEP)

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STEP @ Advocating Together

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STEP are a support service within Trafford Parents Forum. We provide peer to peer emotional and practical support and advice for parent/carers of children and young people with SEND in Trafford. We have a team of Co-ordinators as well as a number of trained volunteers who can offer their knowledge and lived experience through peer to peer support.

At STEP we provide low-level support such as;

Emotional support

Practical support for day-to-day challenges

Signposting to Trafford services

Help navigating the Local Offer

Guidance for completing DLA/PIP Application forms

Support in low-level meetings in school

NOTE: We cannot support with issues around EHCP's.

Who to contact

Contact Name

Emily Heywood and Clair Domville

Contact Position

Senior Co-ordinators

E-mail

Website

https://www.traffordparentsforum.com/.../step

Scan to visit this website

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/STEPtraffordparentsforum

Twitter

https://twitter.com/StrongerStep

Parent Organisation

Trafford Parents Forum

Where to go

Name

STEP at Trafford Parents Forum

Address

Postcode

Notes

Our offices are a 5 minute walk from Altrincham Interchange with bus, tram and train links. We are a 5 minute walk from a large pay and display car park at Altrincham leisure centre/ice rink. Our office is accessible on one level.

Time / Date Details

When is it on

Monday-Friday 9.30am-2.30pm Term time only

Who is it for?

Ages

Eligibility Details

Any parent/carer with a child or young person with suspected or diagnosed Special Educational Need or Disability who lives in Trafford can request support from STEP.

Accessibility

Details

We will make every effort to meet the needs of any parent/carer looking for support from STEP. Please include in the referral form if there is anything we can do to make contact more accessible for you. We can offer, telephone, virtual or face to face support depending on what is most accessible for you.

Referral Required?

No

Referral Details

To refer to STEP please click and complete the 'Self Referral' tab at the bottom of our website STEP | Trafford Parents Forum

Anyone can contact STEP to ask for support or guidance. We endeavour to respond to new referrals within 3 working days but as a small team, during periods of high demand, it could occasionally take a little bit longer.

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Trafford Directory | Stronger Together Empowering Parents (STEP)

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STEP are a support service within Trafford Parents Forum. We provide peer to peer emotional and practical support and advice for parent/carers of children and young people with SEND in Trafford. We have a team of Co-ordinators as well as a number of trained volunteers who can offer their knowledge and lived experience through peer to peer support.

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SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)

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SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)

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If you are a parent, carer or young person needing help or information, there are a range of resources available for you.

Trafford Special Educational Needs and Disability Information and Support Service (SENDIASS)

If you are a parent, carer or young person that needs help or information, including advice about your Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and the processes involved contact Trafford SENDIASS.

SENDIASS is your impartial organisation in Trafford. They have local knowledge about how the process works in Trafford and can offer guidance and advice on the support available.

Trafford Parents Forum

Trafford Parents Forum is a group of Trafford parents supporting other Trafford parents who have children and young people with SEN and Disability.

SEND Parent Carers Chatty Cafe

The Chatty Cafe is a regular, friendly coffee morning to meet other people, get information and advice, and take a break.

Hosted by the SEND Local Offer Advisor and Trafford Carers Centre, the aim is to create a community space to share experiences of caring for family and chat about positives and the challenges carers experience, to feel connected with others and to help others in the same situation.

Family Information Service

The Family Information Service can provide you with information and advice about services which make up the local offer in Trafford. You can get details about the support which is available and what's on in the local area.

National information organisations

Newsletters

The Link SEND Newsletter
View latest edition
This is Trafford's termly newsletter to keep parents up to date on all things SEND. This includes changes to local processes and services as well as linking you to our local offer where you can find lots of useful information, advice and support.

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Trafford Directory | Information, advice and support

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If you are a parent, carer or young person needing help or information, there are a range of resources available for you. Trafford Special Educational Needs and Disability Information and Support Service (SENDIASS) If you are a parent, carer or young person that needs help…

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All information and services have been categorised into different SEND needs. As SEND is such a vast subject, duplicates of services may occur under different needs. This is to make sure that no matter which path is taken, the right support can always be found.

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EBSA workbook school thoughts and feelings

EBSA is Emotionally based school avoidance. Pupils who struggle to come to school or are non attenders. This might have an emotional cause or a mental health cause. We also have EBSA Workbook School difficulties and EBSA Workbook Coping with school worries on the website.

This workbook is aimed at KS2 Primary Pupils. Age 7 to 11.

Thoughts, feelings, physical feelings and behaviours(actions). How are these linked when it comes to school?

The pupil may have negative thoughts about school which leads to difficult feelings, physical sensations and the pupil wants to avoid going to school so doesn't go. The cycle can continue.

This workbook will help the pupil to identify their thoughts, inspect them, challenge them and change them. This will help them to have more comfortable feelings and may help them to get back into school.

Work through the workbook together. There are sheets to support such as lots of feeling words, suggestions for thoughts both positive and negative, thought challenging questions and examples of how positive and negative thoughts impact on feelings, physical sensations and behaviours.

Every activity should be easy to follow with adult support. At the end of the workbook the pupil will hopefully understand that link between their thoughts and behaviours.

Remind them that every one of those can be changed - thoughts, feelings, physical feelings and behaviours. The focus, however is on changing thoughts in this workbook.

To compliment this resource there is a diary to take away - print as many sheets as you require. I would suggest 2 weeks worth to see how they get on monitoring their thoughts and feelings then sharing those with an adult to get support.

The EBSA workbook school thoughts and feelings pack contains:

15 page workbook

Thoughts and feeling journal sheet with cover

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EBSA Workbook School Thoughts and Feelings - Item 571 - Elsa Support

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EBSA workbook school thoughts and feelings is all about identifying, challenging and changing thoughts to help positive feelings.

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Dr Mollie Higgins, Educational Psychologist, shares the key themes and outcomes of her doctoral research around Autistic Young People experiencing Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA). Mollie has been working alongside Dr Jerricah Holder to create a new chapter for the EBSA Horizons EP Course - Supporting Autistic CYP experiencing EBSA. To be released early next year. Sign up here to access the course. The Ideal School: EBSA and Autism
In addition to the risk factors for EBSA, autistic young people experience a number of differences which further increase their feelings of anxiety within the school environment. These include:

Differences in identifying and describing their own and others' emotions

Emotional regulation difficulties

Differences in sensory processing and finding the sensory environment overwhelming e.g. loud corridors, different smells, busy classrooms

Difficulties understanding and predicting social situations and managing interactions with others

Worries around change or transitions e.g. moving between classrooms, changes to timetables, supply teachers

Executive functioning and organisation difficulties - remembering books, homework, equipment

Masking - try to 'fit in' or attempting to appear more neurotypical by changing their behaviour and internalising any anxiety

Experiencing performance anxiety related to the schoolwork or exams

These challenges mean that some autistic students try and manage their anxiety by avoiding school altogether. This is reflected in statistics which show higher levels of EBSA amongst autistic students (Department for Education, 2021). I felt it was important to speak with students directly to hear their views and opinions about what might help them attend school.

I asked ten autistic secondary-age students to describe the best school ever and the worst school ever. This technique is known as The Ideal School and is based on Personal Construct Psychology. By asking students to describe their ideal and non-ideal schools, I was able to understand the type of adjustments that would help these students feel more able to attend school.

Five key themes were identified from the data and the key points are summarised below.

So What Can Schools Do?

This technique was adapted by Williams and Hanke (2005) using Moran's (2001) Drawing the Ideal Self.
If EBSA is an area which you're supporting CYP with, we've been fortunate to work with Dr Jerricah Holder on her EBSA Horizons courses for Educational Psychologists and School Staff. - New ** EBSA Horizons | School Training
Stay connected with news and updates!

Sign up to receive updates, resources, inspiring blogs and early access to our courses.
Don't worry, your information will not be shared.

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Sharing EP Practice: EBSA and Autism - What Can Schools Do?

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Dr Mollie Higgins, Educational Psychologist, shares the key themes and outcomes of her doctoral research around Autistic Young People experiencing Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA). Mollie has been working alongside Dr Jerricah Holder to create a new chapter for the EBSA Horizons EP Course - Supporting Autistic CYP experiencing EBSA.

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Spectrum Gaming is an online community for autistic young people. The aims of Spectrum Gaming are to enable autistic young people to develop meaningful friendships; to help them understand and develop a positive perspective of their differences; and to advocate for the needs of autistic young people

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We also have some codes for parents of teens to access Triple P online which have been commissioned through Early Help commissioning.

Triple P Online can help you: Build a stronger relationship, Negotiate boundaries and expectations, Deal calmly with conflict, Survive the emotional rollercoaster, Prepare for risky situations and equip your children to handle life's problems.

Referral is through the Early Help Panel using an Early Help Assessment form or detailed and up to date Child and Family assessment with details as to which course the parents are being referred to.

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Trafford Directory | Triple P - Positive Parenting Programme

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We also have some codes for parents of teens to access Triple P online which have been commissioned through Early Help commissioning.

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Energy Accounting Tool: Understanding Barriers to School Attendance

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Energy Accounting Tool: Understanding Barriers to School Attendance

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For many children and young people, attending school can feel overwhelming. What might seem like simple daily routines - getting dressed, travelling to school, entering a busy classroom - can require significant emotional and sensory energy. Without understanding these experiences from the child's perspective, we risk missing opportunities to provide effective support.

Exploring emotional barriers to attendance requires creating space for children to share their lived experiences in ways that feel accessible and meaningful to them. Traditional conversations about feelings and difficulties may not always capture the full picture, especially when children struggle to verbalise their experiences or feel their challenges aren't understood.

Visual frameworks and concrete analogies can help bridge this gap, giving children tools to express how different aspects of their school day impact their emotional and sensory wellbeing. Energy Accounting activities offer exactly this kind of structured, visual approach to understanding a child's experience.

Understanding Energy Through Different Lenses

The concept of managing daily energy has been explored through several helpful frameworks. Maja Toudal and Tony Attwood developed their Energy Accounting approach using the metaphor of a bank account. Just as we manage our money through deposits and withdrawals, they explained how we navigate our daily energy. Each interaction or activity either depletes our energy balance (a withdrawal) or replenishes it (a deposit). When we consistently make more withdrawals than deposits, we risk going into 'energy overdraft', leading to exhaustion and overwhelm.

Christine Miserandino's Spoon Theory provides another concrete way to explore energy with children. This approach uses the tangible image of spoons to represent available energy. Children can physically hold, create or draw spoons to show how different parts of their school day use up their energy 'spoons'. This hands-on approach helps make abstract concepts of energy and fatigue more visible and discussable. For instance, a child might identify that morning assembly costs them three spoons, while a quiet reading session replenishes ('gives them back') a spoon. This insight can lead to meaningful conversations about where in the school day they need more support or opportunities to 'recharge'.

Making Energy Visible: From Simple Batteries to Smartphones

For younger children, the simple concept of a battery provides an accessible starting point. Most children have experience with battery-operated toys or devices - they know batteries can run low and need regular charging to keep working. This basic understanding creates a natural bridge to exploring their own energy levels throughout the school day.

We might ask a young child to think about their 'battery level' at different points of the day: "How full is your battery when you wake up?", "What makes your battery feel low?", "What helps charge it up again?" Using simple battery drawings with different fill levels helps make these conversations concrete and visual.

As children get older, Jodie Smitten's smartphone analogy builds on this foundation by introducing the concept of multiple apps running simultaneously. This resonates particularly well with older pupils who understand how different apps drain their phone's battery at different rates, and how apps left running in the background continue using power.

Each school experience becomes like an app on their phone - getting dressed for school, navigating busy corridors, participating in group work. Some experiences drain the battery quickly, while others have a smaller impact. Importantly, challenging or distressing experiences can be like apps that stay open in the background, continuously draining energy even after the immediate situation has passed.

Using This Framework in Practice

When working with children, we might explore how different parts of their school day affect their 'battery level'. Through visual aids like battery icons or sliding scales, children can indicate their energy levels at different points in the day. This often reveals patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed - perhaps showing that certain lessons, transitions, or social situations consistently drain their battery more than others.

The activity becomes particularly powerful when we map out both energy drains and recharging opportunities. A child might identify that reading in the library at lunch helps recharge their battery, or that having a quiet space available after PE helps them recover from the sensory intensity of the sports hall.

Creating Personalised Energy Maps

Working collaboratively with the child, we can create their personal energy map. This might include:

Identifying their peak energy times during the school day

Noting which activities require the most energy

Finding natural breaks where recharging can occur

Planning ahead for particularly demanding periods

Recognising early warning signs of low battery

This understanding allows us to make meaningful adjustments to support attendance. Perhaps a child needs a quiet arrival time before joining the class, or access to calming activities between high-energy lessons. The focus shifts from expecting children to 'push through' to actively managing their energy levels throughout the day.

Empowering Children and Schools

The real strength of energy accounting lies in its ability to validate children's experiences while providing a shared language for discussing needs. Children often feel relieved to have their energy demands recognised and understood. Schools gain practical insights into how they can better support attendance through environmental accommodations and simple tweaks to a child's day.

Supporting children's attendance isn't just about reducing what drains their battery - though this is certainly important. We might help them avoid having too many high-demand activities back-to-back, reduce sensory overload in busy spaces, or adjust the timing of challenging subjects. However, equally important is ensuring regular opportunities to recharge throughout the day.

These 'charging points' look different for each child. For some, it might be quiet reading time in the library, access to a calm space between lessons, or time to engage with a special interest. Others might recharge through movement breaks, time with a trusted adult, or using sensory resources. The key is working with each child to identify what genuinely replenishes their energy and then deliberately building these opportunities into their daily routine.

By taking this dual approach - reducing unnecessary drains while maximising recharge opportunities - we create a more sustainable environment for attendance. Rather than expecting children to simply endure until they reach empty, we help them maintain healthier energy levels throughout the day.

Working in Partnership with Families

Understanding a child's energy patterns requires insights from both home and school. Parents often notice early warning signs of a depleting battery - perhaps their child is exhausted after school, struggles with morning routines, or needs significant downtime at weekends to recover. This valuable knowledge helps build a complete picture of the child's energy needs across their whole day.

Families can also share what recharging strategies work well at home. These might be adapted for the school environment or help inform the timing of more demanding activities. For instance, if a parent knows their child needs quiet time after social interactions, this might influence how we structure their timetable or break times.

Creating Sustainable Support

The most effective approaches may involve:

Taking a Whole-Day View

Energy accounting isn't just about managing school hours. Morning routines, travel time, after-school activities, and homework all impact a child's energy levels. Working with families helps us understand these cumulative effects and plan accordingly.

Regular Review and Adjustment

As children grow and circumstances change, so too might their energy patterns. What works well one term might need adjusting the next. Regular check-ins with the child and family help ensure support remains effective and appropriate.

Building Independence

It's also important to recognise that some children may find it difficult to interpret or express how different experiences affect their energy levels. These interoception difficulties - the ability to recognise internal bodily signals - mean they might need additional support to identify when their battery is getting low. Working alongside parents or carers who know their child well can help spot signs of depleting energy that the child themselves might not yet recognise.

Over time, we can help children recognise their own energy patterns and advocate for their needs. This might start with adult support to spot 'low battery' warnings, gradually building to children independently using their recharging strategies.

Developing a Supportive Culture

Creating an environment where children feel comfortable expressing their energy needs requires a shift in school culture. This means:
Understanding Every Child is Different
What depletes one child's battery might recharge another's. Some might need movement breaks to recharge, while others find physical activities draining. Recognising these individual differences helps avoid one-size-fits-all approaches.
Making Support Readily Available
Ensuring recharging opportunities are easily accessible rather than requiring children to ask repeatedly or justify their needs. This might mean having designated quiet spaces, sensory resources, or movement breaks built into the routine.
Normalising Energy Management
Helping all children (and adults) understand that managing energy levels is a normal part of the day, just like eating when hungry or drinking when thirsty. This reduces stigma and encourages children (and adults) to recognise and respond to their needs.

EBSA Horizons Resource

The EBSA Horizons course now includes an Energy Accounting resource to support this work. This practical tool provides visual materials and structured activities to help explore energy levels with children and young people in a way that validates their experiences.

When using this resource, it's important to remember that our focus should be on adapting the environment rather than expecting the child to change. Too often, we can fall into the trap of trying to build a child's resilience or stamina without first addressing the aspects of their environment that are unnecessarily draining their battery. Environmental adjustments - whether physical, sensory, or social - are always a useful starting point.

The Energy Accounting resource, available within the EBSA Horizons course materials, provides schools and professionals with practical guidance for navigating these considerations while working collaboratively with children and families to understand and support their needs.

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Energy Accounting Tool: Understanding Barriers to School Attendance

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Understand and explore how children and young people's energy can be depleted and replenished through their daily activities. How we can identify emotional barriers to school attendance, possible patterns that may otherwise go unnoticed and make meaningful adjustments to support CYP in school.

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Family Help in Trafford aims to make sure that services to support children, young people and their families are there when they need them. Family Help support is for the whole family; children, young people and adults. We recognise you know your family best and when one person is facing a challenge it can affect others, and sometimes there is a significant life event that affects everyone.

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Trafford Mental Health and Wellbeing Padlet Link

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Trafford Mental Health and Wellbeing Padlet Link

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Resources and support for children and young people living in Trafford who need help with their emotional health and wellbeing.

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Trafford EBSNA guidance document (Jan 2024)

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Trafford EBSNA guidance document (Jan 2024)

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Trafford's evidence-based EBSNA guidance document for professionals working with children and young people who may be struggling to attend.

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Entrenched EBSNA - additional information

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Entrenched EBSNA - additional information

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Further guidance when attendance difficulties may be more entrenched.