National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence [NICE]

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New NICE public health guidance on promoting children’s social and emotional wellbeing

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence [NICE] has issued guidance on promoting the social and emotional wellbeing of children in primary education.

The social and emotional wellbeing of children is important in their development, not only in terms of performance at school, but it can also help protect children against poor physical health, emotional and behavioural problems, violence and crime, teenage pregnancy and the misuse of drugs and alcohol.

This guidance has been designed to work in harmony with existing national initiatives in both health and education. The recommendations, which are aimed at education and healthcare professionals who work with primary aged children, local authorities and school governors, include:

• commissioners and providers of services to children in primary education should develop and agree arrangements, as part of the ‘Children and young people’s plan’ to ensure all primary schools adopt a comprehensive, ‘whole school’ approach to children’s social and emotional wellbeing,

• head teachers, teachers and practitioners working with children in primary education should provide a comprehensive programme to help develop children’s social and emotional skills and wellbeing. This should include:

• creating a curriculum that integrates the development of social and emotional skills within all subject areas,

 

• training and development to ensure teachers and practitioners have the knowledge, understanding and skills to deliver this curriculum effectively,

 

• support to help parents or carers develop their parenting skills and integrated activities to support the development of social and emotional skills and wellbeing and to prevent bullying and violence in all areas of school life.

• teachers and practitioners should be trained to identify and assess the early signs of anxiety, emotional distress and behavioural problems among primary schoolchildren and discuss options for tackling these problems with the child and their parents or carers.

Professor Peter Littlejohns, executive lead for the guidance, and clinical and public health director at NICE said: “Promoting children’s social and emotional wellbeing can help improve their physical and mental health, performance at school and can address behavioural problems. A range of factors impact on how children feel, including their individual family background and the community they live in, so different agencies need to work together to agree effective strategies as part of a ‘whole school approach’. This guidance sets out recommendations for use within schools and other settings, working with parents and educational specialists.”

The promoting children's social and emotional wellbeing in primary education guidance is available at: www.nice.org.uk/PH012.

Infolink: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, MidCity Place, 71 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NA. Tel: 020 7067 5800. Fax: 020 7067 5801. Email: nice@nice.nhs.uk Website: www.nice.org.uk.

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