Group supervision: understanding the experiences and views of Emotional Literacy Support Assistants in one county in England

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study was interested in the views of Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs) in one English county. Support staff from ten schools experienced 7 days of ELSA training over one academic year and attended four supervision sessions led by educational psychologists over the subsequent 12 months. Five ELSAs were interviewed about their views at the end of their first year of ELSA supervision; these interviews were carried out in respective ELSA’s school. The interviews were transcribed: six overarching themes were identified through thematic analysis, carried out by two researchers. The themes identified were: “session format”; “learning in the moment”; “applying learning from supervision sessions”; “communication, relationships and emotional support”; “schools' approach to ELSA”; and “challenges”. Implications for practice are discussed.