Supporting children and young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs

This page explains how to support children and young people with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs, offering practical strategies and resources to help them thrive at home and in educational settings.

It is everyone’s responsibility to meet the needs of children and young people with SEMH. The SEND Code of Practice and the Equality Act 2010, say that schools and settings must make reasonable adjustments for children and young people with SEMH.

SEMH

SEMH describes children and young people who struggle to manage their:

  • emotions
  • mental well-being
  • social interactions

Children and young people with SEMH often struggle with developing and maintaining positive relationships and can feel anxious, scared, and misunderstood. This can lead to them having difficulties in engaging with education.

Children and young people with SEMH Needs

Children and young people with SEMH needs may struggle to engage and cope, for example, learning in a mainstream classroom or setting, or with other usual situations, without additional support and intervention.

Some children and young people with SEMH needs may have other unidentified learning difficulties. SEMH needs can also mean that children and young people may feel anxious, scared or misunderstood.

Why you, your child's school and their teachers need SEMH guidance

As everyone improves their understanding of the link between mental health and education, SEMH guidance is an important tool to help children and young people.

All children and young people have their own responses to their emotions. SEMH needs, and how these are viewed, can be seen as:

  • uncooperative
  • unresponsive
  • inappropriate.

It is important to know how your child is expressing themselves. Professionals sometimes see this as ‘dysregulated behaviour’ (being overly quiet or challenging).

Further information and guidance

In response to your feedback, the SEND Inspection and the SEND Code of Practice, 3 guidance documents have been developed:

All About Me profile

The ‘All About Me’ Profile allows children and young people to say what they need to help them feel included. The profile aims to make children and young people feel comfortable accessing:

  • services
  • activities
  • appointments
  • sessions

If your child has SEMH, please support them with completing the profile and share it with:

  • your school or setting
  • people you might be meeting for the first time. This could include your doctor, other health people, your school, short breaks provider, a club leader or sport coach
  • your friends and family

All About Me profile guidance

The guidance helps everyone to understand:

  • who the profile is for
  • what the profile is for
  • how it will make a difference

How can I help? - SEMH Guide for Professionals

This guide provides information, including:

  • what is SEMH
  • what triggers there are
  • how a child or young person may behave/respond as a result of their SEMH needs
  • what reasonable adjustments can be made

The documents have all been developed with children and families. They will provide support for children and young people with Social, Emotional, Mental Health (SEMH) and for those who work with them.  

The documents can be found on the Westmorland and Furness Safeguarding Children Partnership website or you can request a copy of the documents by email from: SEND@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.