Pupil and Family Support Workers
Mendip Green Primary School is a family school. We believe strongly in caring for our children, families and wider community. As part of our School Based Early Help offer, our Pupil Family Support Workers support parents and children both in and out of school.
Sarah Handcock and Lorraine Young are our Pupil and Family Support Workers. This pastoral role includes working closely with children, parents/carers, staff and outside agencies to ensure the well-being of individual pupils is fully supported.
For the child, they are someone supportive to talk to, share successes with, or to provide help with difficulties or worries. They offer a 'safe' place and work with children to raise self-esteem, remove barriers to learning and thus allow children to reach their full potential.
For the parents/carers, they offer a listening ear, can share positive parenting skills, lend resources and, where needed, refer families to external agencies for more in-depth advice.
Some of the areas we can offer support includes:
- Domestic Abuse
- Bereavement
- Low-self esteem
- Food issues
- Loss and Separation
- Conflict resolutions
- Routines at home
- Online Safety
- Healthy Relationships
- Understanding identity
- Friendships in school
- Anxiety and Emotional Wellbeing
- Transition between classes
- Transition between schools
- Attendance
- Young Carers
- Hygiene and self care
- Self Harm
Identified children can have the opportunity to spend designated periods with Mrs Handcock or Mrs Young on a 1:1 basis or within a small group to share information confidentially or talk through issues that concern them.
What are the benefits for pupils?
- Improved motivation
- Raised self-esteem
- Increased confidence
- Reduced challenging behaviour
- Developed social skills
- Coping skills
- Knowing what safe behaviour is
- Increased positive attitudes
- Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Establishing and maintaining friendships
- Empathy for others
- Reach full learning potential
- Manage their own feelings successfully