Exploring the relationship between the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) intervention and whole-school approaches to wellbeing – a case study

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) intervention was designed to build the capacity of schools to support social and emotional needs. Within the current research base, there is little focus on the relationship between the ELSA intervention and its wider school context. This study adopted a qualitative single-case-study design to explore the relationship between the ELSA intervention and whole-school approaches to wellbeing in one primary school, hearing the voices of the ELSA, school staff, parents, and an assistant educational psychologist. Reflexive thematic analysis generated five key themes: conceptualisations of whole-school approaches and the ELSA role; communication and connection facilitate wider understanding and wrap-around support; this is the way we do things – enacting relational values across the whole school; organisational and leadership support as the foundation for successful ELSA work; and the importance of increasing wider support to meet needs. Findings indicate the importance of shared relational values and practices, with understanding and support for the ELSA intervention across the school community. The ELSA intervention becoming an embedded component of a whole-school approach to wellbeing appears to facilitate addressing pupils’ needs in context and allows ELSAs to use their skills, knowledge, and ways of being to contribute towards whole-school practice. Implications for practice are discussed for both educational professionals and educational psychologists.