The research paper Five Essential Elements of Immediate and Mid-term Mass Trauma: Empirical Evidence, Hobfoll et al. tells us that that resilience can be helped by promoting:
- A sense of safety
- Calming
- Sense of self- and collective- efficacy
- Connectedness
- Hope
Activities to help staff teams and/or children and young people think about character strengths and what makes them resilient can be downloaded here.
A similar activity, more suitable for older children, asks you to draw a 'tree of hope' considering your passions, goals, your support network, and strengths. An interactive PDF can be downloaded here.
Support for parents
As a parent, it’s natural to have hopes and dreams for your child. Parents can have very different responses when concerns are raised about their child's development, learning and progress, and their feelings and concerns may change over time. It is important practitioners consider that parents may need to build trusting relationships with staff before they feel comfortable enough to share their true thoughts and feelings. The following information aims to provide parents whose child may have a recent diagnosis of SEND with information and support.
Advice from a parent from The Brain Trust
- Be honest with yourself about your emotions
A great resource for parents is a support group. Attending a group with parents who understand what you are going through can provide you with an outlet to talk about your feelings and experiences with people who may share them. Manchester Parent Carer forum has lots of events, information, support groups and drop-in sessions for parents in the Greater Manchester area.
- It isn't all about what they can't do
It can be very overwhelming to hear and read information about what your child can't do. The information shared in reports and meetings aims to give the clearest picture of your child, and the support and funding they will need, but can often be challenging to process. Information shared can also include positive events of the day through communication books, photographs, email or text or chatting. Talk to your child's teacher about the new things they may have tried at home; this could be food, a game, activities, or a new skill.
SEND guidance
The following links lead to the most recent updates to the SEND guidance for parents, carers, children and young people
Changes to special educational needs and disability support- easy read guide for parents and carers
Special educational needs and disability: A guide for parents and carers
Last updated: 30-01-2023