Mrs Claire Jessup - ELSA (Emotional, Literacy, Support Assistant)
What is ELSA?
ELSA stands for emotional literacy support assistant. ELSA acknowledges that children and young people learn best when they feel happier and their emotional needs are being addressed. ELSA's are supported by Educational Psychologists within the Local Authority and attend regular supervision and training.
What Mrs Jessup can help and support your child with?
- Recognising their own or others emotions
- Learning and developing friendship skills
- Learning and developing Social Skills
- Support and developing self-esteem
- Anxiety/ worries/ nightmares and looking at how to cope with these feeling (this includes separation anxiety/worries)
- Feelings of Anger and look at how to cope with these
- Loss and Bereavement
- Changes in their life (eg: moving house, parental separation/divorce or a new baby in the family)
- Anything that is having an impact on a child's life and/or schooling.
Supporting - not fixing
Please remember that ELSA's are not there to fix children's problems. What I can do is provide emotional support. I aim to establish a warm, respectful relationship with a pupil and to provide a reflective space where they are able to share honestly their thoughts and feelings.
It needs to be appreciated that change cannot necessarily be achieved rapidly and is dependent upon the context and complexity of the presenting issues. For children with complex or long-term needs it is unrealistic to expect ELSA intervention to resolve all their difficulties, however support will be designed to target specific aspects of a child's need. Training and development of ELSAs is an on-going process and wisdom is required to recognise when issues are beyond the level of expertise that could reasonable be expected of an ELSA. However we can sign post you to outside support that maybe more suitable in complex cases.
Mrs Jessup's working hours
Monday 9:30am - 2.00pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 2.00pm
Thursday 9:30am - 2.00pm
Friday 9:30am - 2.00pm
Please note: Mrs Jessup does not work on a Wednesday.
ELSA leaflet
Useful links
Useful App links