Sensory Integration Practitioners

Our sensory practitioners are here to support children with sensory processing difficulties (SPD) by creating personalised strategies to help them thrive in school.

 Here’s how they can help:

• Develop Tailored Sensory Plans: They design "sensory diets," which are specific activities and accommodations that give children the sensory input they need to feel calm, focused, and ready to learn.
• Provide Practical Support: They can advise teachers, families, and other professionals to make sure the strategies are effective both at school and home.
• Enhance Daily Experiences: By helping children process sensory information more effectively, they can  help improve attention, behaviour, and participation in the classroom and beyond.
• Support a Range of Needs: Whether a child has autism, ADHD, developmental delays, or other conditions, our practitioners are trained to provide the right support for their unique challenges.

Staff: C Husband, S Limb, J Kelly,  R Oats, D Webb.

Emotion Coaches

Our emotion coaches use moments of strong emotions and challenging behaviours as opportunities to guide and teach children healthier ways to respond. Here’s how they can support your child:

• Teach Emotional Regulation: By helping children recognise and understand their emotions, our coaches guide them toward more effective ways of handling their feelings and behaviours.
• Provide Empathetic Support: Through compassionate and empathetic interactions, children feel heard and understood, fostering a sense of safety and connection.
• Validate Emotions: Our coaches verbally acknowledge and validate the child’s feelings, helping them feel secure and emotionally supported.
• Promote Calmness: This approach helps activate positive changes in the child’s neurological system, allowing them to calm down both mentally and physically.
• Build Confidence and Resilience: Over time, children learn to better manage their emotions and behaviours, empowering them to navigate social and academic situations with greater confidence.

Staff: R Cotton, N Peacock, T Toward.

Drawing and talking

Our Drawing and Talking sessions provide children with a safe, creative way to explore and express their emotions. Here’s how this approach can support your child:

• Encourage Emotional Expression: Through drawing and storytelling, children can process and communicate their feelings in a relaxed, non-pressured way.
• Non-Directed Approach: Unlike solution-focused or cognitive-based therapies, this technique allows children to lead the process, exploring emotions at their own pace.
• Provide a Safe Space: The sessions create a secure and supportive environment where children feel free to share and work through their thoughts and feelings.
• Support Emotional Growth: By using creativity as a tool, Drawing and Talking helps children build emotional awareness and resilience.
• Improve Wellbeing: Over time, this process can reduce anxiety, build self-esteem, and help children manage their emotions more effectively.

Staff: A Thompson, L Taylor, C Husband, E Anderson.

Mental health first aiders

Our Mental Health First Aiders are trained to provide immediate support to children and young people who may be experiencing mental health challenges. Here’s how they can help:

• Provide Immediate Support: They are trained to offer initial support during moments of mental health crisis, helping children feel safe and supported in the moment.
• Recognise Signs of Distress: Mental Health First Aiders are skilled in identifying early signs of mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, or stress, and can guide students to the appropriate help.
• Offer a Listening Ear: They offer a compassionate, non-judgmental space for children to talk about their feelings, helping them feel heard and understood.
• Promote Emotional Wellbeing: By offering guidance and support, they help children develop coping strategies and build emotional resilience.
• Ensure Ongoing Support: If needed, they can refer children to other professional services or resources for more specialised help, ensuring continuous care and support.

Staff: A Thompson, T Howard, A Butler, H Ryan, R Cotton, S Hunter.

Attachment-Based Mentoring

Our Attachment-Based Mentors helps children build strong, trusting relationships with mentors who provide guidance, support, and challenge to help them grow. Here’s how it can help your child:

• Build Trusting Relationships: Mentors create a safe, consistent relationship, helping children feel secure and valued, which is essential for emotional growth.
• Coach and Guide: Mentors work with children to set goals, develop skills, and provide guidance on how to navigate challenges, encouraging them to reach their full potential.
• Challenge in a Supportive Way: While building trust, mentors also challenge children to step outside their comfort zones, fostering resilience and encouraging them to overcome obstacles.
• Support Emotional Development: By focusing on attachment needs, mentors help children understand and manage their emotions, promoting healthier emotional responses.
• Promote Positive Behaviour: Mentors guide children in developing positive behaviours and coping strategies, especially in difficult or stressful situations.
• Increase Engagement and Confidence: As children form a trusting relationship with their mentor, they gain confidence and become more engaged in school and social activities.
• Encourage Long-Term Growth: Through consistent support, coaching, and challenge, we aim for children to form healthy relationships, develop emotional resilience, and become more independent.

Staff: R Crocker, C Fox, C Husband, J Kelly, S Wise, A Thompson, T Howard, N Peacock, R Cotton.

Trauma and Mental Health Practitioners

Our Trauma and Mental Health Practitioners are trained to provide compassionate, effective support for children and young people facing emotional and psychological challenges. Here's how they can help:

• Alleviate Distress and Support Learning: They build strong, supportive relationships with children, helping reduce emotional suffering, support academic learning, and ensure children feel cared for and valued.
• Support Emotional Regulation: When children are in distress or experiencing stress, our practitioners respond in ways that help them regulate their emotions, feel psychologically safe, and develop coping skills to manage stress in the future.
• Boost Self-Esteem and Confidence: They create an environment where children feel emotionally safe, enhancing their self-esteem and confidence, which supports their overall development and well-being.
• Offer Empathetic Listening and Support: Our practitioners provide a safe space for children to express painful feelings or experiences, offering empathetic listening and helping them reflect and work through their emotions.
• Understand and Empathise with Mental Health Issues: With in-depth knowledge of mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, our practitioners offer accurate empathy, understanding, and psychoeducation, helping children feel supported and understood.
• Support Children with Adverse Childhood Experiences: They are skilled in understanding the long-term impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences, helping children process feelings of anger, loss, or trauma in a healthy and constructive way.
• Provide Early Intervention: Our practitioners are trained to identify early signs of mental health struggles, offering early intervention strategies and referring children to the appropriate services when necessary.

Staff: S Wise, L Lawreance.

Block Therapy

Our Block Therapy Practitioners are trained to use Block building as a tool to improve social, communication, and problem-solving skills, particularly in children and individuals with autism or social communication challenges. Here’s how they can help:

• Encourage Social Interaction: Through collaborative Block building activities, individuals are guided to interact, share, and work together, promoting teamwork and communication.
• Develop Communication Skills: Block Therapy helps children practice both verbal and non-verbal communication, as they engage in structured play and give instructions to one another.
• Enhance Problem-Solving Abilities: By building and designing structures, participants learn to think critically, follow instructions, and solve problems step by step.
• Boost Confidence and Self-Esteem: Completing Block projects helps individuals experience a sense of achievement, boosting their confidence and encouraging them to take on new challenges.
• Foster Emotional Regulation: The structured nature of Block Therapy encourages focus and patience, which helps participants develop better emotional control and coping strategies.

Staff: S Limb.