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Social, Emotional and Mental Health Service

The Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Service is part of the Specialist Education Service.

What we do

Children and young people with additional social, emotional and mental health needs may struggle to access or engage with learning. We work with mainstream schools to help them better understand the needs of pupils with additional SEMH needs and how they can be best supported. 

The SEMH needs of individual pupils may present in a variety of ways, including:

  • Being withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging or disruptive behaviour
  • Being anxious or low
  • Difficulties with attachments
  • Difficulties with attention

We help schools, parents/carers and pupils (where appropriate) to develop support plans to help pupils attend, access and engage in school fully and safely. As part of this, we complete observations, model strategies to school staff and offer advice and guidance. We may work directly with pupils as appropriate.

We are a team of specialist teachers who support teachers in schools. We are not therapists, counsellors or medical mental health practitioners and whilst we do work with those services when they are involved, we cannot offer this level of specialist medical input should it be needed.

We work closely with the other specialist education services, when required, as sometimes children and young people with social, emotional and mental health needs also have needs in other areas such as cognition and learning or communication and interaction. We also work closely with a wide range of other services such as Early Help, Education Welfare and Health.

How to access our service

If you are concerned about your child’s social, emotional or mental health needs, we would encourage you to talk to your school in the first instance to find out what support is already being offered. In all cases we would expect schools to talk with parents and carers first about their child’s additional needs and what can be done to support them before referring to us for additional support.

However, as soon as a child or young person is identified as having additional social, emotional or mental health needs, schools can seek advice and guidance at one of our weekly Inclusion Support Meetings. This does not require a referral to be completed but we would expect schools to have gained your permission before this discussion takes place.

If it is felt that greater support is required then, after seeking your agreement, your child’s school can make a full referral to us. Schools can refer to us using the Inclusion Service Referral Form. Referrals are not accepted from parents or practitioners outside of schools. 

We are a needs-led service so a diagnosis is not needed for support at an Inclusion Support Meeting or for a full referral. Visit the SES page to download the referral form.

Contact details

Amy Jefford, Head of SEMH Service

[email protected]  / 01473 264821

Useful documents

SES Partnership Agreement 2024

Behaviour support resources

The resources and services detailed within this section of the website site aim to support parents/carers of SEND children with many typical behavioural issues.  

Video resources

You can select the individual videos below, or watch the full playlist on our YouTube channel.

Widgit resources

Neuro developmental services

I am worried about my child’s development

I need support while we await assessment

Solihull parenting course

Positive Behaviours Strategies (PBS) online resource

I don’t know where I am on the pathway

Speech, Language and Communication

I am worried about my child

What can I do while we awaiting assessment/further intervention

Mental Health

I am worried about my child’s development

Short film to help young children and young people with learning difficulties understand about PPE

The below short video has been made by the Suffolk Children’s Centres Team, and shows people wearing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and is for parents and carers to use with your child/children to talk about PPE and who you may see wearing it. This could be someone seeing you in your home, in the community, a clinic setting or in hospital. It helps to explain there is a real person under the PPE who is friendly and wants to help you and your child. The PPE is to keep us safe from a virus called corona.

You may want to talk about how your child feels seeing people in PPE. It might make your child feel worried, scared, find it interesting, or they may be confused, or they might feel fine about seeing PPE on people.

The Suffolk Children’s Centre Team also suggests using role play to help support your child’s thoughts, ideas and feelings about PPE by:

  • Dressing up
  • Telling stories
  • Sharing images of people wearing different types of PPE like in the video.

To contact your local Children’s Centre for information and support go to www.suffolk.gov.uk/childrenscentres 

Resources for families