Short notes for the year

A few short notes on social, emotional and mental health assessment in schools, gathered from the questions readers ask most often.

EHC needs assessment

If you are looking into EHC needs assessment, start here: requested when, the graduated approach has been tried. The point is that the request needs the evidence of cycles, not just a description of need.

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.

If something changes, note the date; patterns only show up with dates on them. In short, EHC needs assessment is worth a minute before you commit.

Whole-school factors

Whole-school factors in one line: policies and routines reviewed alongside. Beyond the number, a child's need sometimes describes the setting more than the child.

The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.

When in doubt, choose the simpler option first; it is the one least likely to need undoing. That is the whole of Whole-school factors for most readers.

Triggers and functions

Triggers and functions: the line most people need is what happens before and after, a behaviour. In practice, the function (escape, attention, sensory, tangible) points to the support.

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.

Do the cheap checks before the expensive ones. Knowing this about Triggers and functions prevents most mistakes.

Adverse experiences

A short note on Adverse experiences. The figure to hold onto is noted, not diagnosed by the school; what matters is that the school's job is to adjust the environment, not to treat.

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.

Write down what you find before you decide anything; it makes the next step obvious. In short, Adverse experiences is worth a minute before you commit.

Reasonable adjustments

If you are looking into Reasonable adjustments, start here: written into the plan, and shared with every teacher. The point is that a plan only the SENCO knows about is not a plan.

The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.

Keep the paperwork; it is the proof when something is queried later. That is the whole of Reasonable adjustments for most readers.

Sensory needs

Sensory needs in one line: asked about in every SEMH assessment. Beyond the number, noise, light and touch sensitivities are easy to miss.

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.

If something changes, note the date; patterns only show up with dates on them. Knowing this about Sensory needs prevents most mistakes.

Observation

Observation: the line most people need is several settings and times, not one lesson. In practice, behaviour in a maths lesson and in the playground often tell different stories.

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.

When in doubt, choose the simpler option first; it is the one least likely to need undoing. In short, Observation is worth a minute before you commit.

Reviewing the plan

A short note on Reviewing the plan. The figure to hold onto is termly at least; what matters is that a plan that has not changed in a year has probably not been reviewed.

The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.

Do the cheap checks before the expensive ones. That is the whole of Reviewing the plan for most readers.

Figures are general guidance; the primary source takes precedence.

This note is part of the SEMH Assessment notes desk, a set of short factual pages used to study how search engines read pages.