This page is sponsored by

B Squared Logo

SEMH Resources

Created and curated by our 12,000+ amazing SENCOs. This is your library of tried and trusted resources. Take your SENCO knowledge to the next level and become a go-to expert. Find peace of mind knowing you have reliable resources at your fingertips.

SEMH

SEMH stands for Social, Emotional and Mental Health. It refers to the special educational needs of children and young people who may display challenging, disruptive or withdrawn behavior due to difficulties with their social, emotional or mental health development.

Social Skills

Developing strong social skills is essential for successful personal and professional relationships. The ‘Social Skills Resource’ section is designed to offer a comprehensive collection of guides, tools, and activities aimed at enhancing social competencies across various contexts.

Emotional Skills

Emotional skills are foundational to personal development, effective communication, and healthy relationships. The ‘Emotional Skills’ section is a dedicated space for individuals seeking to cultivate emotional intelligence (EQ) through self-awareness, empathy, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills.

ADHD/ADD

ADHD and ADD are both conditions characterised by difficulty with attention and impulsiveness. ADHD includes hyperactivity as a symptom, while ADD refers to the inattentive type of ADHD. Symptoms can persist into adulthood.

Mental Health

Mental health refer to a range of symptoms that affect emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, making it difficult for individuals to think, feel, and react in ways that allow them to live their lives effectively. Symptoms can include mood changes, anxiety, withdrawal, and difficulty concentrating.

Psychological Difficulties

Psychological difficulties, also called mental illnesses, are conditions that affect a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behavior, often causing distress and impairing important areas of functioning. They include various types such as anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and psychotic disorders.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing refers to the state of being comfortable, healthy, and happy, both physically and mentally, with good relationships and a sense of purpose, and the ability to manage stress.  It includes several dimensions such as emotional, physical, and subjective wellbeing. Taking steps to improve mental health and wellbeing, such as connecting with others and practicing mindfulness, can lead to a more positive outlook on life. Overall, wellbeing is about how we feel in ourselves and how sustainable that feeling is for the future.

What is SEMH?

SEMH: Which includes ADHD/ADD, OCD, ODD, Eating Disorders.

SEMH (Social, Emotional & Mental Health) is a term that was introduced in the Special Educational Need and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice in 2014. It replaced the terms BESD (Behaviour Emotional Social Development) and EBD (Emotional & Behaviour Difficulties). The new abbreviation, SEMH, was the first term to drop the word ‘behaviour’, in an attempt to emphasise that behaviour is only ever a way of communicating something more significant. In other words, referring to behaviour meant that many practitioners were focusing on the behaviours on display, rather than the needs behind the behaviour. Another key change to the term is the inclusion of mental health. Although the use of this term needs to be carefully managed (not least with the young people themselves) it has increased the focus on tackling issues which have an impact on the mental health of children and young people.

 

How do I access the SEN Resources?

Just a quick reminder that the resources on the following section are probably copyrighted, so please do not share them with anyone, use them in your school to help your pupils, and if anyone asks or wants a copy, direct them to the website.  We are all for sharing the wealth, but I’m sure you’ll know there are people out there that will pinch stuff, charge people and hand it out.  It’s not great when you can get it for free…

Anyway, enjoy the Free SENCO resources for SEMH needs. We will be adding more over time, so make sure to check back regularly to see what’s new!