Outreach

Links Multi Academy Trust Outreach Team serve schools in the St. Albans, Harpenden Welwyn, Hatfield and Hertsmere area. The team supports children and young people who are experiencing social, emotional, mental health and behaviour difficulties with planned intervention and training for staff.

The aim of the team is to enable children and young people to experience success in all elements of their school life, particularly where challenging behaviour is preventing them from accessing learning or places them at risk of exclusion from school. Challenging behaviours may include refusal to follow instructions, defiance, verbal or physical aggression, attention seeking behaviours and persistent disruption to learning.

Emotional wellbeing is a key component of our interventions; we work therapeutically to explore, identify and improve children’s and young people’s sense of self which includes self-esteem, self-worth, anxiety and withdrawal.

Referrals to the team for behaviour management support are made by schools, with consent and input from parent(s) or carer(s) by completing a Single Service Request form and an Assessment and Progress form (please see referrals on website).

Targeted interventions for children and young people are individualised for their particular needs. Alongside our intervention, we work very closely with other agencies and the team will be represented at any agency meeting that relates to the needs of the child or young person and their family. This approach ensures appropriate information sharing and promotes positive outcomes.

We are a short term intervention service and we measure our success through assessment and progress data provided by schools and regular reviews with staff, families or agencies. Occasionally, we will signpost schools and families to other services that we feel can work alongside us or better support the child or young person’s needs.

What do we offer?

When we receive a referral, a variety of options may be offered. Each intervention is personalised for the student and may include:

  • 1-1 support
  • Group work: social skills, friendship groups (bespoke)
  • Transition Programme (KS3)
  • Staff training
  • Behaviour Surgery
  • Reintegration support
  • Managed move support
  • Sign posting / advice and strategies
  • Support with statutory assessment paperwork
  • Observation, advice and strategies for school staff
  • Support for school staff through regular communication, planning and discussion
  • Support for parents to facilitate consistency between school and home
  • Training / delivery of Zones of Regulation

This is not an exhaustive list and we are continually developing our work with schools and professional partners.

Secondary (Welwyn Hatfield and Hertsmere)

Targeted support for young people is offered through 1:1 sessions once or twice a week when challenging behaviour is affecting their learning. We might see a student more often if they are at risk of permanent exclusion, or experiencing a traumatic or transitional event, such as a managed move. Occasionally, it is appropriate to work with very small groups on challenging behaviour issues.

We can also deliver short interventions, such as a return from exclusion programme or a managed move programme.

At the start of Year 7, we work with all of our secondary schools to support small groups of young people who have been identified as needing additional intervention during their move to secondary.

Referral Forms

Referrals to the Outreach Team can be made by completing the Single Service Request form and the Assessment and Progress form relevant to your setting.

All referrals for targeted support must be fully completed and include a parent’s/carer’s signature.

To contact our School’s Outreach Team: