EP Reach-Out webinar – Parents’ views on EBSNA: A solution-based exploration into successful reintegration with Dr Rachel Sawyer

During this webinar, I will present my doctoral research which aimed to explore parents’ views and experiences around supporting ‘emotionally-based school non-attendance’ (EBSNA; also known as ‘EBSA’, characterised by difficulties with attending school driven by ‘severe emotional upset’; Berg 1969).

Adopting a ‘solution-oriented’ approach, this research gathered retrospective experiences of successful EBSNA support, aiming to uncover ‘what works’ when supporting children and families experiencing this difficulty. This study additionally hoped to explore the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on such support and determine if opportunities to learn from practices during the school closure period may exist.

The resulting findings provides insight into the different forms of support accessed by parents when experiencing their child’s EBSNA, identifying areas of success as well as improvement when considering EBSNA support from professionals across both schools and local authorities. These have been presented as a set of principles for professional practice (SPIRAL), providing a framework for professionals to use when designing and implementing EBSNA support.

It is hoped that this webinar will provide a brief overview of my research and promote conversation around the inclusion and utilisation of parent views in this area going forwards.