Emotional Barriers to School Attendance (EBSA)

EBSA support is available for children and young people who experience difficulty attending school due to emotional factors. We know the earlier difficulties are identified and support is put in place, the more successful we can be in developing children’s access to education and ongoing life experiences.

Collaboration between the following services offers support to school staff, parents, children and young people:

• School Attendance Team
• Early Help Team (including Family Help Practitioners and School Co-ordinators)
• Educational Psychology Service (EPS)
• Primary Inclusion Team (PIT)
• Learning Support Service (LSS)
• CAMHS (including i-Reach)
• Place2Be and 42^nd Street – mental health practitioners
• Barnardo's Attendance Mentors

There are different ways to access EBSA support in Salford which is summarised in the EBSA Support Decision Tree 23-24 (scroll down to download this document).

We are currently developing Salford’s EBSA Toolkit and will upload it as soon as it is ready.

Please email EPS@Salford.gov.uk for further information or to book onto any of the below sessions.

Training – for schools and services

Centralised training sessions for schools and professionals are available for free to develop awareness of EBSA and the recommended intervention approaches. All below dates can be booked via: EPS@Salford.gov.uk

• Term 1: Wednesday 22nd November (10-12pm) – in person
• Term 2: Wednesday 17th January (1.30-3.30pm) – in person
• Term 2: Tuesday 19th March (10-12pm) - in person
• Term 3: Tuesday 7th May (10am-12pm) – in person

Plus: Virtual problem-solving sessions with a multiagency team:

• Term 1: Monday 4^th December (2.30-3.30pm) - Teams
• Term 2: Wednesday 14^th February (2.30-3.30pm) - Teams
• Term 3: Tuesday 23^rd April (2.30-3.30pm) - Teams

Training for individual schools can be requested via EPS Planning Meetings and Thrive in Education Meetings.

Parent / Carer support

We understand EBSA can impact the whole family and following positive feedback, we will be running Parent / Carer meetings again this year.

These are an opportunity to meet other families and to understand the support available for children and young people in Salford.

The sessions are run by members of the Educational Psychology Service, CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service), SIASS (Salford Information, Advice and Support Service) and the Primary Inclusion Team (PIT).

We are offering a mix of in person and virtual meetings and based on feedback can adjust how sessions are delivered. Please email EPS@Salford.gov.uk to book your place.

• Wednesday 22^nd November 2023, 30-11.30am (in person)
• Thursday 7^th December 2023, 30-11.30am (in person)
• Tuesday 16^th January 2024, 10am-12pm (in person)
• Wednesday 7^th February 2024, 10am- 12pm (Virtual, on Microsoft Teams)
• Thursday 14^th March 2024, 1pm-2.30pm (in person)
• Wednesday 24^th April 2024, 10am- 12pm (Virtual, on Microsoft Teams)
• Monday 13^th May 2024, 10am-12pm (in person)
• Tuesday 11^th June 2024, 10am- 12pm (Virtual, on Microsoft Teams)
• Monday 8^th July 2024, 10am-12pm (in person)

Key documents

• Whole School Audit Supports prevention and early intervention.
• Attendance Graduated Response Document Sets out expectations for the local authority and for schools
• EBSA Support Decision Tree Indicates what schools and settings should do when concerns are first identified and what assessment tools to use
• Early Identification of Needs Tool (EINT) Supports conversations with families to quickly identify risk factors and triggers
• Return to School Questionnaire Workbooks to use with children and young people to gather their views
• Mapping the Landscape and Card Sort provide additional pupil views activities
• Templates for capturing information gathered, actions and reviews are available