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‘Building Curriculum for Excellence – Through Positive Relationships and Behaviour’

Towards Emotional and Social Health and Wellbeing

Challenging perceptions: changing perspectives

An activity based programme of support for staff working within schools and children’s services

Rationale

“Curriculum for Excellence cannot be delivered without good relationships and positive behaviour”

“Health and wellbeing across learning is a responsibility for all. Children and young people should feel happy, safe, respected and included in the learning environment and all staff should be proactive in promoting positive behaviour in the classroom and the wider learning community. Underpinning this is the emotional health and wellbeing of staff.”

‘building curriculum for excellence through positive relationships and behaviour(2010)’

“The mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing of

everyone within a learning community should be positively

developed by fostering a safe, caring, supportive, purposeful

environment that enables the development of relationships

based on mutual respect”

CfE HWB experiences and outcomes

Aims and intentions

To further support, enable and positively influence us in our work within schools

and children’s services through:

• consideration of how we best support and enhance our own emotional wellbeing

• further building upon our confidence, skills, abilities and attitudes to promote positive emotional wellbeing in our children and young people to enable them to develop as responsible citizens, confident individuals, effective contributors and successful learners

• To consider culture, relationships and emotional wellbeing as core factors which inform transformational change

Themes

• Emotional wellbeing – universal state – a wellbeing continuum? • Ecology of the learner – our environment and relationships help shape us

• Core factors – attachment, coherence, resilience and mindset

• Not fixed – we can influence and promote – a consideration of Early Years Framework, Curriculum for Excellence, Getting it Right for Every Child, More Choices, More Chances, Equally Well, and Becoming Effective Lifelong Learners • Supporting our children and young people. to develop their own emotional wellbeing to help them grow as responsible citizens, successful learners, effective contributors and confident individuals

Why what we do is crucial

The Significance of Emotional Wellbeing

Adults• 1 in 4 adults are estimated to be experiencing mental health problems

during the course of a year

• A third of GPs’ time is spent dealing with mental health issues

• Depression was the most common condition recorded at G.P. consultations in Scotland in 2000 (NHS info. and statistics 2000)

• Over 31 million NHS prescriptions are written each year for anti depressants

• According to HSE statistics almost 60% of absenteeism is due to stress related issues

• British men are three times as likely as British women to die by suicide

• At this time in Scotland for every 1 homicide there are 3 suicides

• There has been an 80 per cent increase in self-harm among women aged between 16 and 24 since 2000

Mental Health Foundation Website

• 1 in 10 of Scotland’s under 19 population have “mental health problems which are so substantial that they have difficulties with their thoughts” (Scottish Government)

• This was higher in boys & twice as high in children from lone parent families or low income households

• 275 pupils in Scotland have a mental health problem recorded as a reason for support in their Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP) or Individualised Educational Programme (IEP) (2009)

Children and young people

• UK ranks bottom out of 21 industrialised countries in terms of children’s subjective well-being (UNICEF)

• 2 young people take their own lives every day in the UK

“The international health community is concerned about the mental health status of our young people…. It is a time bomb that is ticking and, without the right action now, millions of our children growing up will feel the effects.”

Dr Hans Troedsson, former WHO director for Child and Adolescent Health

Changing perceptions of emotional wellbeing and education

Traditional view

• For young children• Responsibility of parents and

carers• Defined the child / young

person• For children with ASN /

SEBN• About trouble shooting /

fixing /child deficit • ‘Bolt on’ extra / low status

activity / ‘addressed’ in PSE

Emerging view

• For everyone, including adults• Responsibility of parents, carers,

schools, services, workplaces (all!)• Influenced by relationships and the

environment• Focus on positives e.g. wellness,

personal growth, strengths,• Central to progress and

achievement – learning and behaviour

• Holistic

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDSNEEDS

Self-Self-actualisatiactualisati

ononSelf-Self-

esteemesteemLove, affection Love, affection and belongingand belonging

Safety /SecuritySafety /Security

Physiological (Survival)Physiological (Survival)

Universal Levels of Human Need

multidimensional model of emotional well-being

• positive relationships with others• personal growth• self-acceptance• autonomy• purpose in life• environmental awareness / mastery Carol D. Ryff

Relationships

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.”   Mother Theresa

What makes a good relationship?     

Whether the relationship is between friends, family members, partners, a teacher and a young person, work colleagues, etc. we know how important it is.

Discuss with your partner what are the key features of a good relationship.

Relationships

Recent research highlights that positive relationships are central to wellbeing, brain development, learning and behaviour.

Relationships help map our way on our individual journeys - and provide us with skills and confidence

to continue – even when the going gets tough.

Equally Well Review

“Poor health is not simply due to diet, smoking or other life style choices. We need to understand factors underlying poor health and health inequalities such as people's aspirations, sense of control and cultural factors. This is best understood as a 'sense of coherence', in which the external environment is perceived as comprehensible, manageable and worthwhile. Without this sense of coherence, people are likely to be subject to chronic stress and poor health.”

What are the skills and qualities that are employed which might help us? – Or help us

help others?

• Good communication skills – including listening• Empathy – understanding, or trying to understand

how the other person feels• Fairness – awareness of circumstances and

personal needs and acting accordingly• Solution centric – helping to develop a range of

skills and qualities which may support an individual to move on.

What are the characteristics which best support and promote the emotional wellbeing of

Adults

• Supportive colleagues / friendships / partners

• Good relationships• Good communication• Engagement• Clarity of purpose• Affiliation• Autonomy• Agency• Trust• Feel valued• Fairness

Young People

• Friendships / good relationships• Supportive staff• Clarity of purpose• Inclusive learning approaches• A feeling of belonging• The chance to develop

independent skills• Opportunities to take on

responsibilities• Trust• Feel valued• Fairness

Impact on learning of the programme

• Building resilience

• Building upon staff strengths

• Relationships and culture at the heart of learning

• Supporting staff skills

• Confirming and consolidating what we know works

• Better experiences, better outcomes for all

Next steps?

• Individual?

• Organisational?