Developing social and emotional fluency: an evaluation of a therapeutic group for girls who attend a school for students with complex needs

Abstract

Beverley Flitton is a PhD student a the University of Hertfordshire, where Julia Buckroyd is Professor of Counselling, and Maria Vassiliou is employed at Durants School, Enfield, as a nursery nurse. In this article, they describe the process of setting up and running a therapeutic group for girls in a school for students with learning difficulties and complex needs in London, England. Six girls, from years 9 and 10, aged 14 to 15, participated in the group. They were offered 23 weeks of group work. The six girls, their teachers and their teaching assistants were interviewed before and after the series of sessions using a semi‐structured schedule. These interviews formed a core part of an evaluation of the impact of the therapeutic group and data were also gathered from notes taken in the group sessions. This article describes the issues presented by the girls and their development in the group. Staff reported significant changes in two of the students and noticeable changes in the remaining four. The girls reported an awareness of changes in themselves and Beverley Flitton, Julia Buckroyd and Maria Vassiliou, reflecting on the girls' emotional problems and social development, suggest that they were able to transfer skills gained in the group into other situations.