There are a range of existing approaches and good practice that education establishments are taking forward across Stirling Council to promote children and young people’s wellbeing. Whole school nurturing approaches sits at the universal level of intervention, providing the foundation to all other activities promoting positive relationships and wellbeing.
Stirling Educational Psychology Service contributes to a number of evidence based interventions and approaches across the authority to promote wellbeing. Our primary focus is on supporting children’s readiness to learn as well as supporting schools’ readiness for children.
Nurturing Approaches
The Educational Psychology Service has a key role in supporting the implementation of nurturing approaches at a whole school and whole nursery level, along with our 2 nurture project leads. This includes the delivery of Nurture Ambassador training to staff, support and advice to schools and nurseries, and evaluating the impact.
Loss and Bereavement
We continue to run training courses for education and social work staff on the Seasons for Growth programme. This involves supporting staff to run groups for children and young people to improve their social and emotional wellbeing.
Neuro-Sequential Model in Education (NME)
Most of our educational psychologists are now trained in the NME approach. This is a classroom based approach, and focuses on how a child’s brain grows and develops, how stress can impact on the brain and how a child can learn to regulate his/her emotions to help him/her be ready to learn.
A more detailed outline of the above approaches can be found on the link Blog page provided within this section.
Mental health
The Educational Psychology Service has a lead role in the delivery and evaluation of Stirling’s school counselling service and in supporting the delivery and evaluation of a range of community mental health supports and services for children and young people.
The Scottish Government’s Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027 , which outlines the national context, can be found by following the link below:
http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/03/1750
