Universal (Preventative) Services

Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSA)

Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs) plan and deliver emotional literacy programmes of support to children and young people, usually lasting 6 to 12 weeks. A programme might be designed to help a child or young person to:

  • recognise and manage their emotions;
  • raise their self-esteem;
  • improve peer relationships;
  • recover from significant loss or bereavement;
  • or resolve conflict effectively.

ELSAs are trained and supervised by Educational Psychologists (EPs). In order to become an accredited ELSA, six days of training and at least four supervision sessions must be completed. ELSAs need to be practising as an ELSA and attending regular supervision sessions in order to maintain their accreditation.

At the heart of the programme is a strong relational ethos. First, modelled through the training and supervision approach there is a focus on developing relationships between the EP service and the ELSAs. Second, developing relationships between the ELSAs themselves and third, the ELSA developing a relationship with the child they will be working with.

ELSA has been run in Kent since 2017 and we have trained nearly 200 ELSAs across Kent. We have a current register of around 100 active ELSAs who have trained with us and are undertaking regular supervision to support their work.

Schools joining the ELSA programme are asked for the following commitments:

  • ELSAs are released for all training and supervision sessions;
  • ELSAs have ring-fenced time for adequate planning as well as the delivery of regular sessions to the children referred for support (typically one day per week or half a day per week for small schools);
  • ELSAs have a suitable space (pleasant and semi-private) where they can work with pupils;
  • ELSAs have a small budget which allows them to periodically purchase new resources (games, books, puppets) to develop their work; and that
  • finance is protected to maintain the ELSA role year on year.

The full commitment agreement for the ELSA Programme can be found here:

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