Universal screening of a year group of children Meeting to discuss needs, select children for clu... more Universal screening of a year group of children Meeting to discuss needs, select children for clubs/alternative support Pyramid Clubs The Pyramid Model • Developed by an Educational Social Worker in London in 1970s • Based on Schiffer's 1976 work on latency period children's need for peer group acceptance, and Kolvin's 1970s Newcastle work on playgroups • National Pyramid Trust set up in 1992 to expand the work beyond Hillingdon, Bristol and Cardiff Origins of Pyramid
Background & rationale Poor social skills in adolescence are related to a range of negative outco... more Background & rationale Poor social skills in adolescence are related to a range of negative outcomes including lack of school adjustment, poor academic performance and mental health issues (Segrin and Flora, 2000; Masten et al, 2005). Research suggests pupils with good socio-emotional skills are more accepted by their peers, less anxious and more likely to perform well in school (Bijstra, 1998; Caprara et al, 2000). Previous studies have demonstrated the impact of a group-based socio-emotional intervention (Pyramid club) in primary schools, improving vulnerable children's social and emotional well-being (Ohl et al, 2008; Ohl et al, 2012). Pyramid clubs provide an experiential model of learning in a supportive group environment (www.uwl.ac.uk/pyramid/how-it-helps). Schools have a duty to support young people develop social and emotional competencies, nourish emotional well-being and nurture resilience (Chief Medical Officer's Report, 2013).
rising tide of psychological distress among children and young people, coupled with extensive spe... more rising tide of psychological distress among children and young people, coupled with extensive spending cuts to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), has created a treatment gap with increasing numbers of pupils presenting with mental health and behaviour difficulties in schools (Taggart et al., 2014). The crucial role of schools in providing early intervention to pupils with psychological difficulties is recognised, with some authors insisting that mental health should be part of the ‘core business’ of schools (e.g. Bonell et al., 2014). This sentiment is incorporated within a settingsbased approach to health (World Health Organisation, 1986), integrating sectors from the wider social system (e.g. schools, public health, local authorities and social care): it builds on the principles of community participation, partnership, empowerment and equity. A strategic framework for mental health that reduces risk and increases protective factors for children is imperative (Dep...
A key global policy initiative in the management of diabetes is empowerment through education. Ho... more A key global policy initiative in the management of diabetes is empowerment through education. However, implementation of policy in the context of healthcare delivery may be challenging at times and the delivery of multi-disciplinary education is not an exception. Objective: To explore practitioners view about factors associated with non-attendance and identify ways to break some of the barriers to advancing government policy of education for all patients with diabetes. Method: A qualitative approach was adopted using a focus group interview with practitioners in four hospital sites in South East of England. It involves Diabetes Specialist Nurses, Podiatrist and Dietician (n=7) and semi-structured individual interviews (n=3). Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings: Three main themes emerged (1) Practitioners associated barriers (2) Patients’ associated barriers and (3)Strategies to improve attendance. Conclusion: The findings indicated that the practitioners agreed...
Presented at the British Psychological Society's annual conference for the Children, Young Pe... more Presented at the British Psychological Society's annual conference for the Children, Young People and Families Division in October 2015, this presentation looks at how the Pyramid model of early intervention is implemented in schools across the UK. It discusses the benefits and the challenges in ensuring implementation fidelity when working in a diverse range of primary and secondary schools.
Background: The incidence of emotional disorders in children and young people is an escalating co... more Background: The incidence of emotional disorders in children and young people is an escalating concern. Research suggests poor emotional health in adolescence is related to many negative outcomes including loneliness, lack of school adjustment, poor academic performance and mental health issues. The Pyramid project (school-based intervention programme) aims to improve the socio-emotional well-being of vulnerable adolescents. Previous studies with primary-aged children have demonstrated the positive impact of Pyramid programmes on vulnerable children’s social and emotional health (Ohl et al 2008, Ohl et al 2012). Aim(s): To examine the impact of Pyramid interventions on the socio-emotional health of pupils in early secondary education and to explore how programmes bring about change. Methods: The impact of the Pyramid project on twenty-one early-adolescent students was examined through a mixed-methods design including the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997) and f...
Universal screening of a year group of children Meeting to discuss needs, select children for clu... more Universal screening of a year group of children Meeting to discuss needs, select children for clubs/alternative support Pyramid Clubs The Pyramid Model • Developed by an Educational Social Worker in London in 1970s • Based on Schiffer's 1976 work on latency period children's need for peer group acceptance, and Kolvin's 1970s Newcastle work on playgroups • National Pyramid Trust set up in 1992 to expand the work beyond Hillingdon, Bristol and Cardiff Origins of Pyramid
Background & rationale Poor social skills in adolescence are related to a range of negative outco... more Background & rationale Poor social skills in adolescence are related to a range of negative outcomes including lack of school adjustment, poor academic performance and mental health issues (Segrin and Flora, 2000; Masten et al, 2005). Research suggests pupils with good socio-emotional skills are more accepted by their peers, less anxious and more likely to perform well in school (Bijstra, 1998; Caprara et al, 2000). Previous studies have demonstrated the impact of a group-based socio-emotional intervention (Pyramid club) in primary schools, improving vulnerable children's social and emotional well-being (Ohl et al, 2008; Ohl et al, 2012). Pyramid clubs provide an experiential model of learning in a supportive group environment (www.uwl.ac.uk/pyramid/how-it-helps). Schools have a duty to support young people develop social and emotional competencies, nourish emotional well-being and nurture resilience (Chief Medical Officer's Report, 2013).
rising tide of psychological distress among children and young people, coupled with extensive spe... more rising tide of psychological distress among children and young people, coupled with extensive spending cuts to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), has created a treatment gap with increasing numbers of pupils presenting with mental health and behaviour difficulties in schools (Taggart et al., 2014). The crucial role of schools in providing early intervention to pupils with psychological difficulties is recognised, with some authors insisting that mental health should be part of the ‘core business’ of schools (e.g. Bonell et al., 2014). This sentiment is incorporated within a settingsbased approach to health (World Health Organisation, 1986), integrating sectors from the wider social system (e.g. schools, public health, local authorities and social care): it builds on the principles of community participation, partnership, empowerment and equity. A strategic framework for mental health that reduces risk and increases protective factors for children is imperative (Dep...
A key global policy initiative in the management of diabetes is empowerment through education. Ho... more A key global policy initiative in the management of diabetes is empowerment through education. However, implementation of policy in the context of healthcare delivery may be challenging at times and the delivery of multi-disciplinary education is not an exception. Objective: To explore practitioners view about factors associated with non-attendance and identify ways to break some of the barriers to advancing government policy of education for all patients with diabetes. Method: A qualitative approach was adopted using a focus group interview with practitioners in four hospital sites in South East of England. It involves Diabetes Specialist Nurses, Podiatrist and Dietician (n=7) and semi-structured individual interviews (n=3). Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings: Three main themes emerged (1) Practitioners associated barriers (2) Patients’ associated barriers and (3)Strategies to improve attendance. Conclusion: The findings indicated that the practitioners agreed...
Presented at the British Psychological Society's annual conference for the Children, Young Pe... more Presented at the British Psychological Society's annual conference for the Children, Young People and Families Division in October 2015, this presentation looks at how the Pyramid model of early intervention is implemented in schools across the UK. It discusses the benefits and the challenges in ensuring implementation fidelity when working in a diverse range of primary and secondary schools.
Background: The incidence of emotional disorders in children and young people is an escalating co... more Background: The incidence of emotional disorders in children and young people is an escalating concern. Research suggests poor emotional health in adolescence is related to many negative outcomes including loneliness, lack of school adjustment, poor academic performance and mental health issues. The Pyramid project (school-based intervention programme) aims to improve the socio-emotional well-being of vulnerable adolescents. Previous studies with primary-aged children have demonstrated the positive impact of Pyramid programmes on vulnerable children’s social and emotional health (Ohl et al 2008, Ohl et al 2012). Aim(s): To examine the impact of Pyramid interventions on the socio-emotional health of pupils in early secondary education and to explore how programmes bring about change. Methods: The impact of the Pyramid project on twenty-one early-adolescent students was examined through a mixed-methods design including the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997) and f...
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