The document states that the Scottish Government will “embed a focus on preventing ACEs and supporting the resilience of children and adults in overcoming early life adversity across all areas of public service, including education, health, justice and social work”. There is a heavy emphasis on prevention of ACEs and mitigation of their impact. Interventions include: Disorganised attachment refers to children who have what might seem an unpredictable “love-hate” relationship with their carers. In this group, parents or carers may be a source of both fear and comfort for a child. Offering healthy, nutritious lunches at school tended to have beneficial effects on educational outcomes.

Explores different mental health issues and risk and vulnerability factors as well as how to recognise when a child needs help and how to respond. Using surveys, documentary analysis, data analysis, observation and interviews, the researchers found evidence to suggest that the training had an impact on whole staff understanding of attachment, the meaning behind behaviour and emotional well-being. Despite the limitations of the methodology and analysis of the data available, this report is an example of the potential impact of attachment informed schools in the UK and connects qualitative evidence from participants to quantitative findings which may provide useful insights. Fancourt, N and Sebba, J (2018) The Leicestershire virtual school’s Attachment Aware Schools Programme: evaluation report ( pdf) According to Corcoran and McNulty (2018), adverse childhood experiences are “traumatic events (e.g., sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse) or chronic stressors (e.g., neglect, parental separation) that are uncontrollable to the child”. Follow your organisation’s child protection procedures without delay. These should provide clear guidelines on the steps you need to take if a child discloses abuse. They will state who in your organisation has responsibility for safeguarding or child protection and who you should report your concerns to.

It just takes one

The ACE score, a total sum of the different categories of ACEs reported by participants, is used to assess cumulative childhood stress. Study findings repeatedly reveal a graded dose-response relationship between ACEs and negative health and well-being outcomes across the life course. As the number of ACEs increases so does the risk for the following: They tend to underachieve in school and are often punished and even excluded. Little that schools do seems to work. As a result, these children and young people may not fulfil their potential as adults, either in employment or relationships. Teachers are very aware of drop-off in the morning, and separation, when the children are very young,” he says. “But what I would emphasise is that separation responses in the morning are much less meaningful than reunion behaviour at the end of the day. The interventions summarised below include trauma-informed, attachment aware and ACE approaches to interventions to support young people in the school environment and with educational attainment. Bartlett, JD et al. (2018) The impact of a statewide trauma-informed care initiative in child welfare on the well-being of children and youth with complex trauma. Children and Youth Services Review, 84(1), pp.110-117 ( Open Access)

In a systematic review of the effects of trauma-informed approaches in schools, Maynard et al. (2017) outline existing evidence of the impact of trauma on educational outcomes: Avoidant attachment can be observed in children who show no real preference for a carer over a complete stranger. It can be indicative of neglectful or abusive family relationships. Bartlett, JD et al. (2018) The impact of a statewide trauma-informed care initiative in child welfare on the well-being of children and youth with complex trauma. Children and Youth Services Review, 84(1), pp.110-117 ( Open Access) Nurturing adult attachments provide children with protective, safe havens and secure bases from which to explore and engage with others and their environment (Bowlby 1988)

Making teachers aware

The core of his theory is that attachment is an evolutionary adaptation which is characterised by a child seeking proximity to a caregiver when that child perceives a threat or suffers discomfort. Given the intense needs of human infants, it is perhaps unsurprising that the formation of a ‘deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space’ evolved to improve the chances of an infant’s survival.

Fancourt, N and Sebba, J (2018) The Leicestershire virtual school’s Attachment Aware Schools Programme: evaluation report ( pdf) Freeman, PC (2014) Prevalence and relationship between adverse childhood experiences and child behavior among young children. Infant Mental Health Journal 35(6), pp. 544-554 ( Open Access) The first two years of a child’s life are the most critical for forming attachments (Prior and Glaser, 2006) 1.This study of 29 students in seventh and eighth grade in the US examined the impact of the RAP Club, sessions led by teachers that incorporate psychoeducation, cognitive behavioral (CBT), and mindfulness strategies to focus on several areas: Attachment in Practice™' is a 3-day course from the Association for Psychological Therapies (APT), a leading provider of training for professionals working in mental health and related areas in the UK and Ireland. This is not to say that those who have experienced trauma and may have attachment challenges should just get the same treatment as everyone else. Fonagy says a student who has experienced trauma and has attachment issues is more likely to find forming later attachments more challenging. This non-statutory advice clarifies the responsibility of the school, outlines what they can do and how to support a child or young person whose behaviour - whether it is disruptive, withdrawn, anxious, depressed or otherwise - may be related to an unmet mental health need. It includes recommendations for practice including positive classroom management and small group work, social skills development, peer mentoring and support from external bodies. Forster, M et al. (2017) Associations between adverse childhood experiences, student-teacher relationships, and non-medical use of prescription medications among adolescents. Addictive Behaviors, 68(1), pp.30-34 ( Available with NHS Scotland OpenAthens username or author copy) McPherson K et al. (2013) The role and impact of social capital on the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents: a systematic review. Glasgow Centre for Population Health ( pdf)