DfEE Green Paper (22/10/1997) - Principles into practice: emotional and behavioural difficulties

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8 Principles into practice: emotional and behavioural difficulties

Children with emotional and behavioural difficulties: a strategy for action

1. This chapter exemplifies the policies and action proposed in the rest of this Green Paper for one group of children: those with "emotional and behavioural difficulties" (EBD). This term is applied to a broad range of young people - preponderantly boys - with a very wide spectrum of needs, from those with short term emotional difficulties to those with extremely challenging behaviour or serious psychological difficulties. Defining this group is not easy; difficulties are compounded by the fact that different agencies often use different terminology. For schools, pupils with EBD can present problems to which exclusion has sometimes seemed the only recourse. Even where they are not formally excluded, many of these children effectively remove themselves from the educational process. Children with EBD are at great risk of under-achievement, educationally and in their personal development. They can also disrupt the education of others.

2. The roots of EBD are complex. They include family disadvantage or breakdown, poor parenting skills and poor experiences at school. Emotional difficulties may lead to poor behaviour, and should therefore be addressed as early as possible. The emotional well-being of all children will be highlighted in the forthcoming Green Paper on the Government's health strategy. In some instances EBD may stem from other special educational needs.

3. This chapter does not seek to analyse in detail the different ways in which the term EBD is used. But we recognise that distinctions matter in practice. The wide variation of needs and causes is reflected in a wide range of different provision. Some of this, for various reasons, is not improving children's performance; failure and disaffection are increasingly marked as they approach Key Stage 4. Improving the quality of provision for young people identified as having EBD, and preventing other children from manifesting such difficulties, is one of the most urgent, and one of the most daunting, tasks facing schools.

4. Tackling EBD is therefore one area in which, over time, we aim to shift resources from remedial action to preventive work. Placements in EBD special schools are expensive. The cost to society more widely of failure to tackle these problems is higher still, both in terms of reduced economic contribution in adult life and, for some, of criminal activity and prison.

5. We do not expect schools to solve, unaided, problems which are linked to wider social issues. There needs to be the closest co-operation between the education service and other agencies. And there needs to be co-ordinated action at school, local and national levels. For example, schools should be looking at the full range of policies and practices which affect the way in which their pupils behave. LEAs will be consulting schools on the contents of local behaviour support plans. At national level we need to look at financial and other incentives for good practice, and possibly at national targets (for example, for reduced numbers of exclusions).

6. Within such a framework, we believe that the foundations for an overall strategy are:

education policies for improving the achievement of all children, combined with broader social policies to combat disadvantage;
early identification and intervention, with schools and other agencies working with the families of children with EBD;
effective behaviour policies in schools and LEAs;
strengthening the skills of all staff working with pupils with EBD;
a range of specialist support to meet the varied needs of pupils within this broad group;
wider dissemination of existing best practice; and
encouraging fresh approaches in the secondary years.

We shall welcome views on this strategy. We are pleased that the National Advisory Group on SEN has set up a sub-group - its first - to examine ways of improving provision for pupils with EBD. The sub-group will consider views expressed in response to this chapter, and will take them into account in advising on a programme for action which will build on the approaches described below.

31/08/2000