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Conclusions and possible directions
Summary
The Annotated Bibliography quotes Stokes (2000) as summarising five themes as emerging consistently from grounded research into what 'at risk' or 'high support' young people are saying about school engagement:
- the complexity of young people's multi-dimensional lives, in which education and training are only small parts;
- the strong hopes and ambitions expressed by these young people, including aspirations for satisfying and meaningful work and for further education and training;
- the degree and nature of these young people's connection to or disconnection from family, peers, education and support agencies;
- the diversity of the unmet needs expressed by these young people; and
- the need for a diversity of support mechanisms to meet their needs and to bridge their current situations to their aspirations. (Stokes, 2000)
In order to increase school engagement for young people with high support needs in mental health, the strong and consistent messages for schools from young people with such high support needs are of the need for:
Control over circumstances:
Young people say they must be consulted, negotiated with and share in decision-making, particularly over the nature and timing of the support that is provided for them.
Identification of significant and informed adult support:
Young people say that they need informed, timely and appropriate support and that confidentiality within that support is particularly important. It is a mark both of being treated with respect and also of their control over circumstances.
A whole school ethos within which this support happens:
Young people say that schools must initiate positive measures that build an acceptance/celebration of difference and diversity, a lack of stigma, and proactive responses to discrimination.
Flexible school structures:
Young people say that school structures must enable the development of positive relationships, support and appropriate curriculum.
Holistic approaches:
Young people say that the school's responses must be linked to those provided by other appropriate community services.
Possible directions
The Annotated Bibliography and this summary of emerging themes suggests a need for:
- More data about what young people with high support needs in mental health are saying;
- Communication of the voices of these young people to schools (in ways that ensure that they are heard);
- Consideration and implementation of the changes suggested in the existing studies;
- Teacher development in order to build informed and confident agents for change and support;
- Peer support approaches that enhance young people's capacity to assist each other;
- Pro-active building of young people's control over their circumstances - with particular emphasis on those young people who are most vulnerable.
It would therefore be valuable for the development and implementation of action in the following areas:
a) Data: We need to hear more of the voices of young people with high support needs in the area of mental health. A specific study could be undertaken to consult such young people.
Critical Questions 14:
Are there other specific studies in progress that are seeking the views of this group of students?
Is there a need for further information?
Who should conduct such a study? Who should support this?
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b) Action Research: It would be even more useful to carry out such a study through an action-research study that engages specific, identified young people with high support needs as the researchers. This could transform a minimalist approach to 'voice' (consultation) into a more maximalist approach (participation). There are many precedents within Students as Researchers (Fielding and Bragg, 2003; Edwards, 2000) and Student Action Team (Holdsworth et al, 2001 and 2003) approaches. In this particular situation there are strong possibilities for an authentic 'external challenge' and hence a real task for students. This could be carried out at a local level (with one or two schools) or as a national student-led project. It could be applied research into what approaches work, or focused on developing student-written products for use by and within schools (eg around roles of counsellors, pastoral care teachers, administration etc).
Critical Questions 15:
Is there any current consideration of such an approach? Are there schools that would be interested in taking part in such an approach as part of their curriculum?
Who would establish and carry out such an action-research study by young people? How? How would such a study be supported?
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c) Effective Communication for Change: We need to establish effective means by which schools can hear and listen to what young people with high support needs in mental health are already saying about engagement with school. The documentation of young people's stories of their engagement or re-engagement with school - perhaps through a series of case studies - could provide powerful practical examples that incorporate and exemplify valuable principles.
Critical Questions 16:
What support or resources would be useful to your school in assisting you to hear, consider and understand the voices of young people with high support needs in mental health?
Would a 'case study' approach of individuals or of school responses be an effective way to influence institutions and individuals?
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d) Peer Support: We know from existing studies that positive and informed support from fellow students is a powerful promoter of engagement with school. We also recognise that students already assist each other in help-seeking behaviour, and that peer relationships - whether as part of a formal program or operating informally - are important. However, peer relationships and behaviour in these areas is substantially intuitive.
Some schools have established effective programs to support students in caring, either through formal programs, or generally as part of building a caring school ethos. It may be useful to resource and enable the dissemination of such approaches by supporting a group of students to write 'training' materials (kits, DVDs, websites etc) that specifically address what to do in peer help-provision.
Critical Questions 17:
How do you resource young people to provide support and help to other young people?
What advice, support and materials would you need to develop such approaches within your school?
Who should develop such resources? How? Who should support such an approach?
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e) Other: There may be other possible strategies that need to be developed to respond to what young people with high support needs in mental health are saying about school engagement.
Critical Questions 18:
What other support, products or resources would be useful to you in responding to the needs identified by young people with high support needs in mental health?
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