Building resilience
and mental wellbeing for children and young people

The SWAN Framework – Safe, Welcoming, Altogether and Nurturing - A Reflective Tool for tricky times (last updated April 2023)

The SWAN Framework[1] Reflective Tool was originally created by the Education Psychology Service and Headstart to support the post Covid return to school in 2020. Drawing on Supporting C&YP with Special Educational Needs. The Graduated Response in Mainstream Schools (TFF, Cornwall Council 2017) 

From our conversations and observations in recent months as well as recent publications / media coverage it feels that many school communities are having a particularly tough time e.g.:

  • Staff workload, wellbeing and retention[2]
  • Ofsted
  • Government priorities and pressures on schools (including funding)
  • More C&YP struggling with their wellbeing[3]
  • Increasing numbers of C&YP waiting for wellbeing support / services
  • Concerns and possibly some contradictory views about behaviour[4] and an apparent shift to more behaviourist v relational behaviour policies.
  • More C&YP experiencing EBSA or moving to EHE
  • Attendance[5][6]
  • Cost of living crisis

Given all this it maybe that ambitions for a Whole School, trauma informed, relational approach to Wellbeing feel a bit much when the day to day I so full on. Of course, we would want to argue that this is just the time for a WSA prioritising wellbeing for the whole school community.

This revised SWAN framework is intended to offer a few prompts / conversation starters to consider wellbeing needs in the context of current experiences and concerns alongside your core values.  

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can"

Download a copy of the updated SWAN Framework (April 2023 PDF)


References

[1] From online training by Dr Pooky Knightsmith - our thanks and credit to Pooky. 

[2]Working lives of teachers and leaders – wave 1 Research report’ April 2023 – which makes for difficult reading.

[3] E.g., https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/information/professionals/resources/good-childhood-report-2022

[4] Compare the recent publicity e.g., about locking toilets and/or teacher patrols during times they are open due to behaviour and 1 in 10 school staff reporting have been assaulted in the last year (plus anecdotal reports on social media and teacher forums) with the reported 62% of school staff (leaders and teachers) reporting pupil behaviour as ‘good’ or ‘very good’ in the newly published ‘Working lives of teachers and leaders – wave 1 Research report’ April 2023 as above

[5] Voices of England’s Missing Children The findings of the Children’s Commissioner’s Attendance Audit June 2022

[6] Young Futures and Young Lives report – Schools for All? Young people’s experiences of alienation in the English secondary school system (Kings Fund Feb 2023)

This report on YP in secondary schools from the King’s Fund looking at the most recent reforms in education (2015-16) provides a snapshot of experiences of the cohort who have had their whole secondary experience under those reforms. One of the key findings is: “For nearly one in two 15-16 year-old young people in England, school is not an enjoyable or meaningful experience, but is rather something they feel they need to ‘get through’ because of its bearing on their futures”.

 

Conversation Starters

“A Whole School, trauma informed, relational Approach to Wellbeing that is ‘Everybody’s Business’”.

What are the Core Values of our school community?

What is working well? What do we want to do more of? What could we do tomorrow? What could we work towards together?

 

Safe

Welcoming

Altogether

Nurturing

 

(Physically, Socially, Emotionally, Cognitively)

Feeling safe is a basic need – without which students can’t function / flourish.

Do children feel safe? How do we know?

Genuine, empathetic relationships that help students see that we are genuinely glad to see them and be with them in school.

It can often be the small everyday interactions & connections that have the greatest impact.

(Staff, Students, Parents, Governors, partners / outside agencies)

Creating a sense of belonging and inclusion.  Working together across the whole school community to support each other and help all children achieve their full potential.

Creating an inclusive environment and ethos that helps all students to see school as a safe and supportive place, fostering readiness to learn.

Universal

 

It is not just about the reality of safety but a child’s perception. How can we better understand how the child really feels?

Do children understand of what is expected of them and what they can expect from others?

Do we offer consistency, predictability and clear boundaries?

Do we communicate expectations clearly?

How are children supported to understand their feelings (emotional literacy)?

Do we create an environment where help seeking is possible and encouraged for the whole school community?

Do we create a learning environment where children feel empowered to try new things and do not fear failure?

How are key staff (class teachers/ Tutors) ensuring that all children feel welcome?

Do we ensure our children feel seen and heard in school?

Do we – the adults- want to be with children? What will this look like in practice? What will help us?

Is there ‘someone for everyone’ in school?

What do we want the school environment to convey? (To pupils, parents & carers, staff and visitors). How do we do this?

How do we ensure that all children joining us already feel welcome on day one?

 

What does a consistent whole school ethos and approach look like for our school?

Do we prioritise all staff wellbeing (including school leaders) recognising that it is the foundation of an effective WSA?

Do we ensure that all parents and children have a voice? (Can express worries / ask questions / raise issues / seek help)

Do we ensure that all our children can have a sense of belonging to school and to their peer group?

Do we support all parents & carers maintain a sense of connection to / involvement in the school community?

Do we ensure all staff recognise and are confident about their role in a WSA where wellbeing is ‘Everybody’s Business’?

Are there opportunities to review behaviour policies and incorporate trauma-informed, relational approaches? (And include the whole school community in the process)?

How is the curriculum supporting ’psychoeducation’? (How our mind and bodies function best) and emotional literacy?

Are the strengths and resilience of the school community identified and celebrated? How?

Do we know what children, parents and staff are feeling / what their experiences of school are / what they need? How?

What are we doing to ensure that all our children feel nurtured?

How is the wellbeing of all the staff supported?

How do we (staff) continue to nurture one another?

Do we offer all staff a supportive environment which encourages and allows reflection.

 

All of the above will also be relevant to Targeted and Specialist sections below

Targeted

How do we identify individual needs of our students? What tools do we use to do this? (E.g., a Pyramid of Need)

How and with whom do we develop individualised plans?

How do we inform staff (e.g., subject teachers / supply staff/ lunchtime supervisors) about vulnerable children?

What are the support systems for staff working with our children receiving targeted support.

How do we welcome and ‘hold in mind’ children who need a bit extra support?

How do we support children who become dysregulated?

Do we create safe spaces for individual children?

 

How will we maintain and build key adult-child relationships?

How can we support peer to peer relationships?

Are we maintaining communication between staff (within school and with home) re children’s needs?

Are there training needs can we identify and facilitate?

How can we ensure a flexible response to individual pupil needs?

Who is involved in planning transition for vulnerable children?

How can we ensure a consistent understanding of the needs of vulnerable children?

Could we aim to be stress regulators rather behaviour managers?

What systems will we have to support staff members who are struggling?

Specialist

Who/ how do we create individual plans for our most vulnerable children?

How do we create safe spaces for individual children?

How are important key adult relationships established / supported?

How do we create safe spaces for individual children?

How do we create a ‘Team Pupil’? (There to support the pupil and each other).

How do we plan key transitions / partings for our vulnerable children? Who does this?

What services / support can we access? Do we make best use of them?

How are SLT / SENDCo’s / key adults / those working with vulnerable children supported?

What opportunities are there for peer support and supervision?

 

Safe

(Physically, Socially, Emotionally, Cognitively)

Feeling safe is a basic need – without which students can’t function / flourish.

Do children feel safe? How do we know?
Welcoming

Genuine, empathetic relationships that help students see that we are genuinely glad to see them and be with them in school.

It can often be the small everyday interactions & connections that have the greatest impact.

Altogether

(Staff, Students, Parents, Governors, partners / outside agencies)

Creating a sense of belonging and inclusion.  Working together across the whole school community to support each other and help all children achieve their full potential.

Nurturing

Creating an inclusive environment and ethos that helps all students to see school as a safe and supportive place, fostering readiness to learn.

 

 



Page last updated: 17 April 2023

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