Social and emotional wellbeing for children and young people

Short Text

Promoting children and young people's social and emotional wellbeing while they are in primary and secondary education.

Introduction

This pathway focuses on universal interventions to support all young people. These are used as part of an organisation-wide approach to promoting social and emotional wellbeing in primary and secondary education.
Social and emotional wellbeing is important in its own right, but also because it affects physical health and can determine how well children and young people do at school. Good social, emotional and psychological health helps protect against emotional and behavioural problems, violence and crime, teenage pregnancy and the misuse of drugs and alcoholAdi et al. (2007) Systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions to promote mental wellbeing in children in primary education. London: NICE Colman et al. (2009) Outcomes of conduct problems in adolescence: 40 year follow-up of national cohort. BMJ 338: a2981 Graham and Power (2003) Childhood disadvantage and adult health: a lifecourse framework. London: Health Development Agency..
Social and emotional wellbeing is influenced by a range of factors, from individual make-up and family background to the community within which people live and society at large. So activities in primary and secondary education can only form one element of a broader, multi-agency strategy to promote and support it.
The recommendations put the emphasis on ensuring children and young people can participate fully in the development of any relevant programmes.
The recommendations are aimed at everyone with public health as part of their remit working in education, local authorities, the NHS and the wider public, independent, voluntary and community sectors.
They may also be of interest to parents, children, young people and other members of the public.

Source guidance

The NICE guidance that was used to create the pathway.
Social and emotional wellbeing in secondary education. NICE public health guidance 20 (2008)
Social and emotional wellbeing in primary education. NICE public health guidance 12 (2008)

Quality standards

Quality statements

Effective interventions library

Successful effective interventions library details

Implementation

Costing support

Costing support includes national cost impact reports that summarise the national costs and savings and discuss the assumptions used; costing templates to assess the impact on local budgets; and costing statements when the impact is not significant or impossible to quantify at a national level.
Social and emotional wellbeing in primary education: costing statement
Social and emotional wellbeing in secondary education: costing statement

Information resources and templates

These include key points for scrutiny or compliance assessment, signposting to resources, checklists and case studies. They are designed to offer practical help in putting NICE guidance into practice and the format depends on the specific topic.
Schools and evidence-based action: NICE recommendations

Slide sets

Slide sets provide a framework for discussion and assist in local dissemination of the guidance. The slides contain the key messages from NICE guidance and can be tailored for local presentations.
Social and emotional wellbeing in primary education: slide set
Social and emotional wellbeing in secondary education: slide set

Pathway information

National initiatives

The recommendations complement existing national initiatives to promote social and emotional wellbeing within: Healthy lives, healthy people: our strategy for public health in England; No health without mental health; and the schools white paper.
The recommendations for secondary education establishments also help them to meet their statutory responsibilities to promote social and emotional wellbeing and to provide personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

Social and emotional wellbeing

For the purposes of this pathway, social and emotional wellbeing encompasses:
  • happiness, confidence and not feeling depressed (emotional wellbeing)
  • a feeling of autonomy and control over one's life, problem-solving skills, resilience, attentiveness and a sense of involvement with others (psychological wellbeing)
  • the ability to have good relationships with others and to avoid disruptive behaviour, delinquency, violence or bullying (social wellbeing).

Who should take action?

The recommendations are for those involved in improving children and young people's social and emotional wellbeing. This includes those who work in: schools, local authority education, children's and youth services, primary care, child and adolescent mental health services and voluntary agencies.

Supporting information

Glossary

Children who are exposed to difficult situations such as bullying or racism, or who are coping with socially disadvantaged circumstances, are at higher risk of anxiety, emotional distress and behavioural problems. They may include: looked-after children (including those who have subsequently been adopted), those living in families where there is conflict or instability, those who persistently refuse to go to school, those who have experienced adverse life events (such as bereavement or parental separation), and those who have been exposed to abuse or violence.
Organisation-wide approaches in secondary education help all young people to develop social and emotional skills, as well as providing specific help for those most at risk (or already showing signs) of problems.
For the purposes of this pathway, social and emotional wellbeing encompasses:
  • happiness, confidence and not feeling depressed (emotional wellbeing)
  • a feeling of autonomy and control over one's life, problem-solving skills, resilience, attentiveness and a sense of involvement with others (psychological wellbeing)
  • the ability to have good relationships with others and to avoid disruptive behaviour, delinquency, violence or bullying (social wellbeing).
Organisation-wide approaches in secondary education help all young people to develop social and emotional skills, as well as providing specific help for those most at risk (or already showing signs) of problems.
For the purposes of this pathway, social and emotional wellbeing encompasses:
  • happiness, confidence and not feeling depressed (emotional wellbeing)
  • a feeling of autonomy and control over one's life, problem-solving skills, resilience, attentiveness and a sense of involvement with others (psychological wellbeing)
  • the ability to have good relationships with others and to avoid disruptive behaviour, delinquency, violence or bullying (social wellbeing).
Organisation-wide approaches in secondary education help all young people to develop social and emotional skills, as well as providing specific help for those most at risk (or already showing signs) of problems.
For the purposes of this pathway, social and emotional wellbeing encompasses:
  • happiness, confidence and not feeling depressed (emotional wellbeing)
  • a feeling of autonomy and control over one's life, problem-solving skills, resilience, attentiveness and a sense of involvement with others (psychological wellbeing)
  • the ability to have good relationships with others and to avoid disruptive behaviour, delinquency, violence or bullying (social wellbeing).
Secondary education refers to all education establishments for young people aged 11-19 years including further education colleges, technology colleges, academies and private sector establishments.
For the purposes of this pathway, social and emotional wellbeing encompasses:
  • happiness, confidence and not feeling depressed (emotional wellbeing)
  • a feeling of autonomy and control over one's life, problem-solving skills, resilience, attentiveness and a sense of involvement with others (psychological wellbeing)
  • the ability to have good relationships with others and to avoid disruptive behaviour, delinquency, violence or bullying (social wellbeing).
Primary care services including those offered by GPs, paediatricians, health visitors, school nurses, social workers, teachers, juvenile justice workers, voluntary agencies and social services.
Child and adolescent mental health services relating to workers in primary care. It includes: clinical child psychologists, paediatricians with specialist training in mental health, educational psychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, child and adolescent psychotherapists, counsellors, community nurses/nurse specialists and family therapists.
Universal approaches are curriculum-based programmes and other activities aimed at developing the social and emotional competence of all students.
Universal interventions are curriculum-based programmes and other activities aimed at developing the social and emotional competence of all students.
The term whole-school is commonly used to refer to organisation-wide approaches in schools.

Recommendations for those involved in promoting social and emotional wellbeing

Recommendations for those involved in promoting social and emotional wellbeing

Strategy, policy and commissioning

View the 'Strategy, policy and commissioning' path

Training in how to improve children and young people's social and emotional wellbeing

Training in how to improve children and young people's social and emotional wellbeing

Training for those working in primary education

Training for those working in primary education

Training for those working in primary education

Whole-school approaches

Who should take action?

Commissioners and providers of services to children in primary education including those working in: local authority public health services, education and children's services, schools, primary care, child and adolescent mental health services and voluntary agencies.

What action should be taken?

All primary schools should offer teachers and practitioners in schools training and support in how to use a whole-school approach to develop children's social, emotional and psychological wellbeing. The trainers should be appropriately qualified and may be working in the public, voluntary or private sectors. In the public sector, they may be working in: children's services, educational psychology or behaviour support, community nursing, family support or child and adolescent mental health services (at tier 1 and tier 2).

Universal approaches

Ensure teachers and practitioners have the knowledge, understanding and skills to effectively adopt a universal approach to promoting social and emotional wellbeing as part of the curriculum. The training should include how to manage behaviours and how to build successful relationships. (The aim is to help children develop a range of skills including problem-solving, coping, conflict management/resolution and how to understand and manage feelings.)

Targeted approaches

Who is the target population?

Children who are showing early signs of emotional and social difficulties, in particular, those who are:
  • showing early signs of anxiety or emotional distress (for example, children who have poor peer relations, low self-esteem, are withdrawn or have behavioural problems)
  • at risk of developing (or who already display) disruptive behavioural problems.
Parents or carers of these children.

What action should be taken?

Ensure teachers and practitioners are trained to identify and assess the early signs of anxiety, emotional distress and behavioural problems among primary schoolchildren. They should also be able to assess whether a specialist should be involved and make an appropriate request.
See also: NICE technology appraisal on parent training and education in the management of children with conduct disorders and the NICE clinical guideline on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Implementation

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Social and emotional wellbeing in primary education: costing statement
Schools and evidence-based action: NICE recommendations

Source guidance

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PH12

Training for those working in secondary education

Training for those working in secondary education

Training for those working in secondary education

Who should take action?

Head teachers, governors, teachers, support staff and other practitioners working with young people in secondary education.
Those working in (and with) education and children's and youth services within local authorities, primary care (including school nurses), child and adolescent mental health services and voluntary agencies.
Organisations concerned with the training and continuing professional development of those working in secondary education.

What action should be taken?

Integrate social and emotional wellbeing within the training and continuing professional development of practitioners and governors involved in secondary education.
Ensure practitioners have the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to develop young people's social and emotional wellbeing. Training may cover:
  • listening and facilitating skills and the ability to be non-judgemental
  • how to manage behaviours effectively, based on an understanding of the underlying issues
  • identifying and responding to the needs of young people who may be experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties
  • how to access pastoral care based in secondary education or specialist services provided by other agencies, such as child and adolescent mental health services
  • the issues in relation to different medical conditions (such as diabetes, asthma and epilepsy) to ensure young people with these conditions are not bullied, inappropriately excluded from school activities or experience any undue emotional distress
  • opportunities to reflect on and develop their own social and emotional skills and awareness.
Involve young people in the creation, delivery and evaluation of training and continuing professional development activities in relation to social and emotional wellbeing.

Implementation

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Social and emotional wellbeing in secondary education: costing statement
Social and emotional wellbeing in secondary education: slide set

Source guidance

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PH20

Schools, local authority, education, children's and youth services, primary healthcare, child and adolescent mental health services and voluntary agencies

Schools, local authority education, children's and youth services, primary care, child and adolescent mental health services and voluntary agencies

Social and emotional wellbeing in primary education

View the 'Social and emotional wellbeing in primary education' path

Social and emotional wellbeing in secondary education

View the 'Social and emotional wellbeing in secondary education' path

Paths in this pathway

Pathway created: December 2011 Last updated: December 2011

Copyright © 2012 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. All Rights Reserved.

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