I am a friendly and passionate individual offering a range of professional and affordable inclusion support services for children and young people in educational settings from the ages of 5-18.

Having completed my master’s degree in Psychology at the University of Cambridge, I am now a graduate member of the British Psychological Society and hold a Post Graduate Diploma in Psychology. 

I have worked for over 4 years with children and young people aged 5-18 within schools and non-academic settings. During this time I have both taught and supported students with mental health difficulties, social emotional concerns and special educational needs such as dyslexia, Autism Spectrum Conditions and ADHD.

I offer comprehensive assessments and reports of student’s inclusion needs, covering both academic and SEMH concerns.

I also offer recommendations for support for parents and teachers via face-to-face meetings, written support plans or staff training.

I am trained in a number of interventions for Social, Emotional and Mental Health support, including 1:1 and group programmes for a range of ages, needs and abilities.

What I Offer

SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) Support Interventions 

A number of evidence-based interventions for a wide range of age ranges and concerns. Including:

• Drawing and Talking (Psychoanalytic-based)
• The Anxiety Gremlin Programme (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy -based)           

Emotional literacy programmes focusing on:

• Understanding emotions
• Emotional regulation
• Mindfulness-based programmes for emotional awareness

 Social skills intervention programmes to support children with their communication, social behaviours, and self-esteem e.g.:

• Talkabout Teens 

After working with a child I will always provide recommendations and strategies for all adults working with the child, including parents / carers, teachers and other professionals.

Observation reports of children in and outside of the classroom highlighting strengths, concerns and recommendations.

My Approach

 I offer a friendly, adaptable and bespoke approach to working with students and schools.

No two young people are the same; I try to be as flexible as I can to work with what the individual requires. Wherever possible I try to adapt my resources and programmes to make them as tailor-made and engaging as possible.

Similarly, I can fully tailor my record keeping and paperwork to the needs of the individual school. For example, helping to generate Learning Passports, Individual Education Plans or classroom recommendations for teachers, as this is an area where every school has a slightly different approach.

Having been a teacher myself, I appreciate the need for pragmatic and workable solutions that can be effectively implemented in a busy classroom environment!

 I provide weekly intervention records and monitor progress of a child from a baseline level in order to see whether the intervention is having the desired positive effect on the child.  

Unlike many other mentors and inclusion support workers, I believe that school hours offer an essential opportunity for contact with the students. I therefore try to minimise the amount of time spent completing paperwork and admin during the hours that I am contracted to be within a school.

Safeguarding and Holistic Support

 I am fully DBS checked and have undertaken extensive CPD training in Safeguarding. I always ensure that I am fully aware of the schools DSL and safeguarding procedures before commencing any work with children in a new school environment. Within school environments I work closely with the inclusion leader or SENCO, and directly with parents, as I believe that good communication between us will ensure that the child receives the best holistic support possible.

References are available on request from many happy SENCOs, parents and schools I have worked with over my time as an inclusion practitioner.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions! I would be happy to answer your queries and look forward to hearing from you!

zaraoverton@hotmail.co.uk