It takes a community of practice

School is a significant part of our lives. Some of us enjoyed it, others didn't, but it leaves its mark on us forever. Our schools are now on their knees trying to manage the stresses that have come about because of the Covid-19 pandemic. School children have had to adapt to new routines, leaving their favourite teachers behind without a goodbye. They have had to relearn what it means to play. Some have had to watch members of their families fall ill and wonder whether they were the reason for it.

All of these things fester, accumulate and grow in the minds of our children, chipping away at their resilience, leaving their reserves depleted. They wake up wondering if school is safe for them; they don't know how to reintegrate themselves. Some stop attending.

The lives of children are multi-faceted, therefore the professional knowledge helping that child must also be multi-faceted.

Turning all that round takes a long time and the efforts of many people. This ideally takes the form of multi-professional collaborative working, helping schools and families to remove barriers children with anxiety needs have when attending their lessons. The lives of children are multi-faceted, therefore the professional knowledge helping that child must also be multi-faceted.

Etienne Wenger talks about how professionals who regularly interact around an issue learn together and develop new ways of approaching a problem. This way of working is needed more now than before. The complexity of each child's life leaves school staff feeling incapable of providing meaningful support. This in turn affects the confidence of teachers to do the job, resulting in increased rates of staff burnout and stress.

Furthermore, the logistical, social and emotional issues that have arisen due to the pandemic require professionals to consider a broader range of factors than in recent times. No one professional can act as the conduit of all information anymore.

As most professionals who regularly work in collaborative teams know, there can often be tensions arising to varying perspectives and organisational factors. These tensions need to be navigated first before any support can be offered to a child. Therefore, it stands to reason to develop a tool that helps professionals manage such issues.

Our schools know our children's mental health is suffering, but so is that of their dedicated staff.

In an issue of Educational Psychology Research and Practice out now (volume 8, issue 1), I offer a solution. This takes the form of a collaborative framework that recognises the likely tensions that arise and provides clear behavioural and procedural strategies to direct them. This means that professionals are free to dig deep into each other's expertise to develop meaningful strategies that help children with anxiety stay in school.

The model works by naming the tensions that arise due to variations in professional knowledge. It suggests that professionals recognise these differences and begin to build a common language by having the 'right' professionals help each other understand their terms. It also encourages rapport building by validating the perspectives of others. Through time, validation and acceptance helps form a shared identity that maximises the collaborative capacity of multi-professional approaches through mutual understanding. Once all these elements begin to take form, the child can benefit from an effective and bespoke strategy. 

Schools can often be labelled as a misinformed and uncaring place. I do not believe that this is the case in most circumstances. Our schools know our children's mental health is suffering, but so is that of their dedicated staff. If we can help them do their jobs by having effective and responsive collaborative teams, the ability of schools to provide nurturing and stimulating learning environments may become a reality again.

Adam McCartney