Considering Mechanisms for Gaining and Sharing Information From Partners and Within Your Team
As well as working with parents and carers, there will be other professionals involved in supporting the child or young person, for example in school or if there are medical or therapeutic interventions.
Read the case study below…
Rosa is a 10-year-old girl on the autistic spectrum who experiences significant anxiety. This is often displayed through behaviour that challenges at school. Her anxiety can be triggered by changes in routine, sensory overload, or social interactions, leading to outbursts that disrupt her learning and that of her peers. These behaviours include shouting, leaving the classroom without permission, and very occasionally becoming physically aggressive.
To manage her anxiety, Rosa is on medication prescribed by her paediatrician. Additionally, she receives ongoing support from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This support includes therapy sessions where Rosa learns coping strategies to manage her anxiety and improve her emotional regulation. The CAMHS team also works closely with Rosa’s school to develop individualized support plans.
At school, Rosa has a dedicated teaching assistant who helps her navigate the school day. Rosa’s parents are actively involved, attending regular meetings with the school and CAMHS to review her progress and adjust her support plan as needed. Through this collaborative approach, Rosa is gradually learning to manage her anxiety better, leading to fewer outbursts and a more positive school experience.
You may want to read this again. As you do, start to think about the partners you will need to work with as you support Rosa.
Take your pen and paper and think about the partners you will need to work with as you support Rosa…
You may well be able to get all the information you need from Rosa’s parents or carers, however there are a few people who work with Rosa who might give you some really useful information for when she is attending your wraparound provision, should you need to. These professionals are:
- The Doctor who has prescribed medication;
- The Child and Adolescent Mental Health worker who is providing therapy for Rosa;
- The learning support assistant who is working with Rosa at school (note that school is a very different situation to wraparound provision – it is a much more structured environment with tighter ‘rules’. Rosa may well not need such close support in an environment where she has more choice about how she spends her time). As well as what you can get from the support assistant you may also be able to share information about what supports Rosa in the after-school setting that may also support her in school.
You will, of course, need to gain permission from the family in order to access information from other professionals.(see useful link below)
Useful information to find out could be:
- Is the medication prescribed for regular use, or should it be given in advance or in response to any heightened anxiety
- What are the strategies that Rosa finds helpful to calm herself or to prevent her from getting anxious.
- How do these techniques work in different situations, for example at school?
You may find, for example, that the learning support assistant uses visual schedules and social stories to prepare Rosa for transitions and new activities or that the school has implemented a quiet space where Rosa can go when she feels overwhelmed.
Knowing this information will help you to plan how you can best support Rosa in your provision so that she can remain calm, have fewer outbursts and be supported to be fully included in your wraparound provision.
Once you have gained information from all the important people in a child or young person’s life, share it with your colleagues within the provision. Sharing information within your team is essential for providing consistent and effective support.
You will need to create a plan for how information about a child’s needs and progress will be shared, considering confidentiality and the need for timely updates. Think about how you might use team meetings, shared documents, and regular check-ins to ensure everyone is informed and aligned.
Don’t forget…
We want a whole setting approach to inclusion. For example, if Rosa finds a clear timetable useful, this is something that could be offered to all children and many may find this helpful.
You may need to share information about a child or young person externally, for example when getting involved in an outside activity or welcoming an external activity provider.
Make sure that you have full permission to share information that is necessary (and only the information that is necessary) to ensure safety and inclusion of the child or young person.
You should have a policy about this and a method for noting down permissions etc. This document has useful information to help you here.
An information sharing agreement for partners that you regularly work with e.g. a local school, football coach, minibus company will help you to keep everyone safe.
