Why does Southampton need an ELSA register?
EL and the valuable work of ELSAs is something which Southampton Psychology Service is extremely proud of. It encompasses the following four roles:
Teaching social and emotional skills.
Providing safe and therapeutic learning experiences.
Advocating for the children they work with.
Advocating for emotional literacy in the settings they work in.
In recent years, we have become increasingly aware of the need to define clearly the boundaries of what is and what is not ELSA work (hence the four roles above) and what constitutes good practice within this. A key part of this strategy has been increasing the contact that school ELSAs have with the authority via their continuing professional development activity.
Following a review of ELSA supervision and ELSA networks (downloadable here), a new centralised package of support was launched in 2023 - FuEL (Fill up Emotional Literacy). These termly in-person sessions comprise 3 core aspects of personal development for ELSAs:
Connect = Networking with other ELSAs (including access to resources that can be borrowed)
Reflect = EP led supervision using a set model and small groups (8-12)
Grow = EP led spot-light training on EL related area (complete with a 'take away' resource)
Together with our annual EL conference, actively engaging in FuEL sessions supports ELSAs to invest in their ongoing development, to support the development of fellow ELSAs, and to contribute to EL development across our city.
The ELSA register is a list of ELSAs who the authority has confidence are working in the ELSA role.
What do I need to do in order to become registered?
You need to:
have attended a recognised ELSA Initial Training course (usually 5 or 6 days long),
be able to show us that you work as an ELSA for at least half a day per week,
have accumulated at least six (6) 'ELSA Credits' since the beginning of the academic year, including activities across all three key areas of professional development (Networking, Supervision, Training).
Undertaken relevant Child Protection training (in line with setting requirements)
To tell us that you satisfy these requirements, you need to complete and submit an ELSA Registration application form. You can download the form from the Registration page. Information about ELSA Credits can also be found on the same page.
Details of the upcoming EL CPD events will be circulated to our email distribution list and will also be displayed on our Calendar.
Information about past and future EL conferences can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/sotonelconference/
Where do I get my ELSA Credit from at the end of a training activity?
You don't. ELSA Credits are not physical things that you have to pick up. When you make your application to be registered, just list the activities you've undertaken since the start of the school year. We will then check this against our own register of attendees. So make sure you sign in on the register at every session you go to.
PLEASE NOTE: Completing a 'reflective learning log' can help you to think about and apply what you have learned from training events. This can extend shorter activities (such as EL specific podcasts / webinars) to make them worth additional ELSA Credits (see Registration page for details).
The 2024 Registration Form contains an example log, with some initial prompts to help - a further 'fillable' Reflective Learning Log proforma is also available for download.
How do I show evidence that I'm working for at least a half day per week as an ELSA?
You need to attach to your application form a sample weekly timetable with work within the ELSA role clearly highlighted. Alternatively, together with your line manager, you can write a short supporting statement to outline how your time as an ELSA is being used and how this connects with the 4 roles noted above. Please ensure any evidence is anonymised (i.e., no children's names should feature on it).
Is there any way in which our school can buy in training from the service in order to get additional credits?
Southampton Psychology Service is happy to negotiate a bespoke training package for ELSAs in a school as part of its traded services agreement. Further activities that specifically focus on improving EL provision within your setting or more widely may also be considered appropriate professional development to earn ELSA credits (please contact us to discuss this).
Between my last application for registration and the end of the school year, I took part in additional training activities. Can I count these towards my next application?
The purpose of the register is to ensure that ELSAs plan for and undertake a minimum level of professional development opportunities each year, not as a 'banking' system. All activities listed on your application form, therefore, should have taken place during or since the previous September.
I am not on the ELSA register and will not be able to satisfy the requirements for it. Can I still call myself an ELSA?
Southampton Psychology Service is not in a position to tell schools what titles they can use for their support staff. As an authority, however, we will only recognise as ELSAs those people who are listed on our register. If you have not gained sufficient ELSA Credits (or not met all other requirements), a direct commitment should be made to access appropriate professional development and support (particularly supervision) in order to regain your registration during the next academic year.
What's in it for me as an ELSA to be registered?
Achieving registration as an ELSA will be something you can add to your CV as evidence of progression within your job. All registered ELSAs will receive a certificate of registration.
What's in it for us as a school for our ELSAs to be registered?
ELSA registration is evidence of an investment being made by the school in the mental health and emotional wellbeing of your children and can be presented as evidence to OFSTED or other certificating organisations. Having well supported ELSAs who are positively engaged in deepening and developing their knowledge and skills is also of clear benefit to your students and setting more widely.
What if I have lost my initial ELSA training certificate?
We do have fairly detailed records of attendance for the initial training course in Southampton going back several years. Whilst we would prefer to see a certificate, we can consult these and other sources of information if necessary. We do not have access to any information of this type on non-Southampton initial training courses (eg, Hampshire), however, so certificates are our only way of verifying your attendance on this training.
If I haven't yet attended the initial ELSA training course, can I still come to CPD events (e.g., out of professional interest)?
Yes. Southampton Psychology Service training events are open to a wide range of adults who work with children and young people. Attendance to our FuEL sessions are restricted to ELSAs and Trainee ELSAs (i.e., those either currently completing or registered on an ELSA Initial Training course)
What is the difference between FuEL supervision meetings and purchased supervision?
As a core element of our FuEL model, ELSAs access structured supervision facilitated by an Educational Psychologist. These run on a termly basis (3 sessions over the year) with group sizes that limits the number of participants and helps to develop a safe and trusting environment between ELSAs and the supervisor/s. The number of ELSAs attending is approximately 8 - 12 participants, with participants coming from a variety of different settings.
Although there is no guarantee that everyone's cases will be discussed, our experiences is that all ELSAs will benefit from attending when they engage in the discussions (e.g., from sharing experiences and ideas related to another ELSA’s case).
There is a small cost to access this system, which can be purchased at the start of the academic year or as part of SLA arrangements. Please contact us for more details.
Purchased or bespoke supervision is more expensive and would involve an Educational Psychologist visiting your school for up to half day per supervision session. This gives schools the opportunity to arrange for their ELSA or ELSAs to have a supervision session focused more closely on their casework, but reduces their contact with other ELSAs who may be able to understand, empathise, and advise.
PLEASE NOTE: We are currently creating a guide on how to make get the most from supervision sessions - once completed, this will be available to download.
We are also developing a 'top up' system of additional supervision to increase the ease and frequency of access to EP support for ELSAs - this will launch in the 2024/25 academic year.
Can two or more schools get together to jointly purchase EP supervision for their ELSAs?
Yes.
My ELSA register application has been turned down. Does this mean I am not able to re-apply for a whole year?
Not necessarily. The great majority of applications we have turned down are due to very simple things like not receiving a timetable as evidence of a half day per week ELSA work (or the timetable if submitted not being clear which sessions are ELSA related sessions). If you are able to rectify this quickly, please send us your application again with the necessary evidence and we will try to process it as soon as possible. The deadline for resubmissions is 30 September.