HOW CAN ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF A PLANNING INTERVENTION TOOL BE USED TO SUPPORT CHILDREN’S EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING IN SCHOOLS?

The questions of how best to support children’s behaviour and their emotional well-being in schools are pervasive ones, but are rarely treated simultaneously within the United Kingdom. The efficacy of two forms of a planning intervention tool to support these in a way which could address internalizing as well and externalizing emotional needs, which could promote early intervention and which was sustainable in schools was explored in the present Case Study. The planning intervention tool was based on principles of Multi-Element Plans (MEPS) and Target Monitoring and Evaluation (TME); an alternative form also included an explicit section on exploring the reasons underlying behaviour (ERB) in line with principles of Functional Analysis (FA). The efficacy of the alternative forms of the planning intervention tool was explored for twelve children across two primary schools, within the framework of a multiple-embedded case study. Data from scaling (TME), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the School Children’s Happiness Inventory, and interviews with school staff and the children themselves were analysed using a combination of descriptive, statistical and thematic analyses. Findings suggested that the planning intervention tool supported positive outcomes overall for the children, as well as the adults involved in the study, and indicated particular facilitatory as well as limiting features. There was not a clear additional benefit of incorporating ERB into the planning intervention tool in terms of outcomes for the children, although this may reflect a limitation in the training and the implementation of this feature. School staff generally reported that the use of either form of the planning intervention tool was sustainable and identified practical considerations, including some areas of support from Educational Psychologists.