Welcome to the Reintegration Service

We aim to support students, their families and schools whilst a young person is receiving home tuition and towards reintegration back into school or an alternative provision.

Referrals to our service take place when a student has or will have 15 days of absence from their mainstream school because of their condition. The school will need medical evidence from a hospital consultant or from a CAMHS psychiatrist.  We realise you may want more information and have questions about this process, which we aim to answer in the booklet we have produced.  If you have any further questions or queries, please contact me at lavenderoffice@melbury.merton.sch.uk 

                                                                                                                                                                                      Helen Mayhew, Tuition Coordination                                                                                                                   

What is the reintegration programme?

Lavender tuition provides a time limited (6 weeks) supported reintegration programme for vulnerable young people, resident in Merton, who are unable to attend school for reasons of low mood, anxiety, phobia or bullying and to reintegrate these pupils back into education. Home tuition may be offered as part of the programme. 

We coach the student to enable them to identify the challenges within the school environment, academic, physical and social, and work with the school to find solutions for these. We aim to build up the student's confidence and self-esteem by a combination of bespoke strategies, eg: developing their study skills, pre-learning topics before going into class, practicing methods to reduce anxiety in their anxiety tool kit. 

The Reintegration programme aims to improve a student's attendance to school and enable them to access the academic curriculum.   The student is dual registered, Lavender is subsidiary.  Throughout this process, the student is expected to be on a part time timetable, but we hope to see an increase both in the timetable and in the attendance, figures held by the mainstream school.  If the mainstream school have referred to us, we will work in partnership to increase the timetable and any increases will be discussed by all parties.  The mainstream show will show tolerance to the student's poor attendance until the end of the programme.

Who is this programme for? (Target Group):

Pupils who have stopped attending school for reasons of bullying, anxiety or needing support after a prolonged absence because of medical need. Pupils must have been referred to CAMHS and be actively engaging in therapy sessions. Pupils are accepted onto the programme on a case by case basis at the discretion of the Tuition Co-ordinator and the Head of Lavender Campus. 

Criteria

  Pupil is:

• Resident in Merton
• On roll at a school.
• Actively engaging in CAMHS and meeting therapeutic targets.
• Ready for reintegration to school.

School is able to:

• Make appropriate amendments to provision such as teaching in the resource base/delivering a part–time timetable as needed.
• Provide an assigned adult from the school with capacity to engage in the pupils’ reintegration plan as required. Building a successful relationship between a pupil, their school keyworker and other members of the school community is fundamental to a successful long-term reintegration.

How do I refer a pupil for this programme? (Referral Process):

EWO’s, schools and CAMHS may refer pupils to the project, provided they fit the criteria.  A completed Lavender tuition referral form must be submitted for consideration by the Headteacher, accompanied by a referral letter/supporting documentation from CAMHS. An initial home visit/risk assessment will be arranged, and decision made as to suitability for the programme and range of provision to be offered.

What does the Reintegration Programme consist of? (Programme Offer):

The programme offers 3 Sessions of 1 hours per week over 6 weeks, dependent on a student’s age and need.

The Home tuition co-ordinator will contact the home school for appropriate material to ensure that education delivered is in line with the home school’s curriculum offer. Overleaf is a draft schedule which will be amended by the key worker in consultation with the pupil. It is important to note that the maximum time-frame is 6 weeks.

Weeks 0-2
The key worker will visit the home to build rapport and develop pupils’ self-esteem, looking at life skills and coping strategies Pupils will design their own individual reintegration plan, created in collaboration with the key worker, to cater appropriately for their individual needs. This plan will outline agreed objectives for their reintegration with graded exposure to their home school environment.

Weeks 2-4
Sessions will move to a separate room in their home school. Pupils are taught core subjects and will continue to work on life skills and coping strategies. During this time, support may also be provided for the journey to school, ensuring the pupil is able to manage public transport independently.

Weeks 4-6
Pupils are taught in the school moving from the resource base or annex into their normal timetable. Pupils attend selected lessons with or without the support of the teacher in the classroom, meeting the teacher before/after lessons for support. Pupils progress at an agreed pace, handing over to school professionals, without the regular support of the Lavender tutor. During this process links with key school personnel are essential.

Outcomes:

It is expected that through a combination of academic and pastoral support pupils will grow in confidence and independence, enabling them to re-engage with education – either at their home school or another suitable educational establishment.

The project is a short-term measure – actively promoting reintegration, not a long-term solution. If pupils refuse to engage, meet targets or the programme is deemed unsuitable, then the offer of the programme will be reviewed and can be withdrawn. The service is mindful that a timely successful return to full time education in a setting that best fits the pupil is the primary objective and that the reintegration programme is not a substitute for this.

The service does not run multiple programmes for individual pupils. If further input is needed after the initial reintegration, a TAC meeting including the health teams will be needed, to decide upon the next course of action.