Multi Disciplinary Team
Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT)
Aims of SaLT within Hackney Special Schools
1) Ensure all staff have a full understanding of children’s communication and eating & drinking skills and how to support them best.
2)Support students in their preparation for adulthood, including having good health, increased independence, skills for employment and ability to develop their relationships.
3)Support students to express what they want to achieve at school and in the future and how to advocate for themselves.
4) Support each child’s communication goals through the three different “waves” of support as below.
5) Ensure all children have access to functional communication Augmentative and Alternative Communication systems where appropriate
6) For all children with Dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) have an up-to-date mealtime plan and recommendations to ensure they remain safe when eating and drinking
What does speech and language therapy look like?
The Hackney SaLT service works using the universal, targeted and specialist model of input, and base all assessments, interventions, and recommendations on evidence-based practise. This model aims to deliver prevention, intervention and a therapeutic approach for our children and young people. Through using this model of intervention all pupils are supported by the school staff and SaLTs to reach their communication potential.
Pupils may receive direct and/or indirect support from the SaLT team. Often, the most effective intervention is through offering consultation, training and advice to school staff and families who support the child day to day at school and home enables a positive communication environment and ensures that the child’s communication system and goals are incorporated into all parts of the child’s day. At Stormont we also have experienced Speech and Language Teaching Assistants who run many interventions. As children’s needs change over time, SaLT support is likely to vary.
The Speech and Language Therapists are not employed directly by the school but are commissioned through Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Hackney Education to provide SaLT input for children who attend Hackney Schools. Some schools commission some additional SaLT input to supplement the core offer.
- The School Nurse undertakes child health assessments for newly enrolled and other pupils in school to ensure early identification of needs and timely referral to specialist services as required.
- The School Nurse develops health care plans in partnership with the young person, their parents / carers in order to meet their health needs and to maintain safety in school.
- Advising and supporting parents and children on strategies to promote good health
- Organises Girls/Boys groups to promote & discuss hygiene, puberty and having healthy relationships with friends.
- Ensuring that children with medical conditions have an up to date care plan in school as required.
- To undertake home visits as appropriate in accordance with Homerton health and safety guidelines.
- The School Nurse signposts young people, parents and carers to other services to support their health and wellbeing.
- Actively participate in school medicals with the school doctors.
- Making sure that an up to date medical needs register is received from the school termly.
- Actively participate and attend safeguarding meetings.
- Deliver medical training to education staff (Anaphylaxis, Asthma and Epilepsy) to enable the management of conditions in school.
- The School Nurse safeguards the health and well being of children and works with other agencies to support vulnerable children & their families.
A Space
A Space for creative learning & support was established in 1997 by the Glass-House Trust (a Sainsbury Family Charitable Trust) in partnership with The Social Science Research Unit (University of London) and the Hackney Education Authority (now the Hackney Learning Trust). A Space provides therapy services to schools as well as contributing to the field of child & adolescent psychotherapy by engaging in research, delivering CPD, supervising trainees, writing books and articles and publishing resources. Find out more on www.aspaceinhackney.org View our resources on www.iniva.org
Therapists from A Space for Support offer students at Stormont House School the opportunity to learn more about their emotions and how to manage them. Everyone benefits from having their own time to make sense of their experiences.
A Space therapists see students for weekly one-to-one appointments. They use a range of creative resources and guided exercises to support students in exploring common feelings ranging from those we enjoy to the emotions we feel most uncomfortable with. A Space therapists also identify each student's personal strengths and build on them. Learning more about ourselves and our relationships is an important task for us all - A Space is here to help with this.
Marta Alonso and Briony Dillon are in school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If you want to find out more, they are happy to have a conversation with you and talk through what A Space can offer.
Wellbeing and Mental Health in Schools
What is WAMHS?
The Wellbeing and Mental Health in Schools (WAMHS) project is a new initiative led by the CAMHS Alliance with the support of the Children and Young People’s Integrated Commissioning work stream City & Hackney.
This innovative project aims to improve mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people in schools, colleges, specialist and alternative provision education settings in City & Hackney.
The WHAMS pilot project began in September 2018 and there is a dedicated CAMHS worker in Stormont for one day a week.
Why have we started WAMHS?
Schools are reporting higher numbers of students across the board that have difficulties with managing their emotions, coping with the stresses of life, both in and out of school, and in making the most of their learning and life opportunities in school.
Research tells us that positive health and education outcomes are closely related and that school staff are ideally placed to spot mental health difficulties at an early stage. The Government in its recent Green paper has also stressed the importance of bringing schools and mental health services more closely together to make sure that children and young people get the best support as soon as they need it.
The Wellbeing and Mental Health in Schools (WAMHS) Project seeks to ensure that schools are settings where children and young people are helped to develop resilience and wellbeing in all areas of their lives, not only academically, but also socially and emotionally.
The focus of WAMHS is on building resilience and coping skills in students alongside helping students to access any extra help they may need, when they need it. It also aims to upskill staff in schools so that they feel equipped and confident in dealing with mental health difficulties and in supporting their students and their families.
The WAMHS worker at Stormont house is Sherly O'Hara, Clinical Psychologist from HOMERTON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST.
For further information on WAMHS please speak to Sandra Collier, the mental health lead in school, or contact elft.wamhs@nhs.net.
You can also find more information about The CAMHS Alliance and the services and projects provided on the Hackney Local Offer website (www.hackneylocaloffer.co.uk/)
If your child is experiencing a mental health crisis please visit www.camhs.elft.nhs.net or call NHS Specialist CAMHS on the following number: 02032225600 .
If you need urgent and immediate support please call 999 or attend the accident and emergency department (A&E) with your child where there will be people there whose job it is to help keep young people safe.
If you are seeking advice you can contact the following organisations:
NHS England 111 (24 hour non-emergency advice)
Childline 08001111 (24 hour service for children and young people)
NSPCC 08088005000 (24 hour service providing advice for adults who have concerns about a child or young person)
Young Minds parent helpline 08088025544 (Mon-Fri 09:30am -16:30pm)