Core Themes

The core themes experienced as a school social worker encompass:

• relationships and change (peer friendships, family relationships and engagement with others)
• transitions - new beginnings and losses
• low mood, anxiety & depression
• confidentiality and information exchange
• listening to each other (peers, family & teachers)
• being heard
• managing and regulating relationships (falling out and making up)
• bullying (perpetrator/victim, restorative principles)
• anger management
• aspirational thinking (going for goals (self-awareness), what’s good to me)
• exam anxiety
• conduct & behaviour issues
• change of school
• loss, bereavement and grief
• self-harm
• eating disorders
• suicidal feelings
• competence to make decisions
• acceptance of support

The aims of our interactions with students involve supporting them in:

• developing a positive self-concept, building self-esteem, self-confidence, self-acceptance and self-worth
• improving decision-making skills, relating to risks, relationships and personal issues
• clarifying their personal and social attitudes or values
• cultivating communication and negotiation skills
• inspiring their sense of personal and social responsibility
• encouraging their development of skills in participation and responsible action
• fostering skills to deal with the transitional stages they will encounter throughout their life course
• understanding aspects of good psychological and emotional wellbeing to support them throughout their life course
• undermining the barriers to their active engagement with learning, family, peers and community