Our social worker manager, Barbara Wilson has been working over the summer with children and families anxious about the return to school. Given the unprecedented circumstances this year has brought and five months away from the routine of school attendance Welcare staff have had to work differently to continue to work with families and children who are most in need.
“Back to school is a huge milestone for families this year.”
Following a locked-down spring and socially-distanced summer, many children and parents alike are showing increased anxieties around the return to the classroom. “Back to school is a huge milestone for families this year,” says Barbara “We’ve seen more intense anxieties around transitions and separations, as well uncertainties about the impact of Covid-19.
Ordinarily, Welcare would run a ‘My Next Step’ program with year 6 students in the Summer term, with a focus on transition from primary to secondary school. This year, Welcare has had to work differently, offering one-on-one support to year 6 students at Parish Primary School in Bromley. In these sessions, conversations have been focused on alleviating anxiety with practical preparations, what to expect in terms of daily routine, access to resources – to name a few.
Welcare Bromley will also be running a 6 week Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities program on Tuesdays from the 3rd November, with an introductory session at the end of October. This is an inclusive, evidence-based parenting programme, designed to promote positive parenting skills that are associated with better outcomes for children. The course will be held online and is open to all parents in the borough of Bromley.
In Greenwich, Gemma has been working with Plumstead Manor Secondary School to deliver return-to-school workshops. These again have been focused around establishing new routines and anxiety alleviating strategies, with an emphasis on both mental and physical health of the students. This has been a multi-agency approach, where Welcare staff operate in partnership with other organisations who may be in touch with particular families, in order to ensure as much consistency as possible.
For more information about the services in Bromley contact Bromley@welcare.org or call 020 466 0399
For Further information about work in Greenwich contact Greenwich@welcare.org or call 0208 854 3865.
