There is no single tool that will effectively screen for all social, emotional and mental health needs so it is important that all adults remain curious about behaviour and seek to understand any underlying needs. It is important to ensure that a holistic picture has been gathered and consideration has been given to potential trauma, attachments and family relationships, adverse experiences, deprivation, health needs, sensory needs as well as learning, language and literacy language needs. See the Communication and Interaction section for further screening tools.
When identifying need, it is important to gather a full picture of the child or young person using a variety of approaches including teacher assessment and observation, pupil progress and attainment, identifying patterns in attendance and behaviour data as well as specific screening and assessment tools, ensuring that the views and experiences of both the pupil and parent carers are listened to and used to inform any next steps.
Tools and resources
- The Boxall Profile is an evidence-based tool that supports a whole school approach to assessing and addressing children and young people’s social, emotional and behavioural development to positively impact learning, behaviour, attendance and wellbeing.
- The Coventry Grid can be used to identify similar presenting needs relating to autism and attachment. It can be used to help understand the subtle differences between these needs.
- ‘Observing Children with Attachment Difficulties in Preschool Settings’ by Kim Golding. A tool for identifying and supporting social and emotional difficulties age 2-5.
- ‘Observing Children with Attachment Difficulties in School’ by Kim Golding. A tool for identifying and supporting social and emotional difficulties for children age 5 to 11.
- ‘Observing Adolescents with Attachment Difficulties in Educational Settings’ by Kim S Golding. A tool for identifying and supporting social and emotional difficulties for young people age 11 to 16.
- ‘The Social Play Record’ by Chris White. A toolkit for assessing and developing social play from infancy to adolescence.
- The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire is a brief behavioural screening questionnaire that can be used for 2-17 year olds.
- Thrive-Online is an online tool designed to assess children’s social and emotional skills, create targeted action plans to support mental health, and track progress over time.
- Emotional and Social Developmental Framework – Fagus Educational Resource. An online framework for social and emotional development for CYP who have social, emotional, attachment, trauma-related needs.
- Resiliency Scales for children and adolescents provide a profile of personal strengths as well as vulnerability in teenagers and children (age 9 – 18).