Empathy is the ability to put yourself in somebody else’s shoes and to understand how they might be feeling in a situation. It’s a personal connection that you need to have experienced to have empathy, which makes empathy flawed. In today’s podcast, Amanda Sokell joins Dale to discuss ‘Empathy? What we need is compassion’. Amanda created a model that for any child, and in particular a child with SEND, to be successful they need 3 key factors to be in place:  Empathy – from others and for themselves Expertise – from those supporting them and about themselves (age appropriate) Environment – to learn in an environment that supports them However, she discovered that empathy is actually the wrong word, what we need is compassion. Compassion is something we can all do, you can show compassion without having to experience what they’re experiencing. “You can train yourself to be more compassionate, you can’t train yourself to be more empathetic.” Amanda Sokell Anxiety is widespread in schools, frequently leading to school non-attendance. The root causes are varied and often stem from staff members lacking an understanding of students' underlying needs. Listen to hear that by equipping all staff with the ability to demonstrate compassion, instil a desire to listen, accept, and grow, it will result in greater expertise and establish more supportive environments – all children will be more successful as a result. About Amanda Sokell Amanda works with caregivers of neurodiverse children and the schools that support them as they navigate the complex world of school support.  Amanda know’s first-hand how isolating it can be to discover that your child isn't like everybody else's.   When her son started refusing to go to school, she found myself struggling to get his needs understood and supported.  Despite holding his own academically, her son was struggling with high levels of anxiety, which were having a dramatic impact on his attitude to school and behaviour at home.  It can be really challenging to navigate the available support. Amanda used online resources to equip herself with a knowledge of the law, and successfully secured the provision he needed. During this process, she felt the entire range of emotions eventually moving from despondent to empowered.  Despite there being a wealth of online information and support, sometimes what you really need is a conversation.    Amanda helps parents and educators by sharing information on how best to support neurodiverse children, and, particularly for parents, how to secure the right support and provision for their children. Amanda works individually, with groups and through an online learning platform.    She look at life through the lens of process and finds it instinctive to cut through the chaos and find step by step methodologies that are easy to follow, and which help those involved to surmount challenges and achieve.  A former software developer, and school governor for 9 years, she is blessed with two spirited neurodiverse boys and an equally process-orientated and neurodiverse husband.  Amanda’s interests include companies that make stuff, education, special educational needs, change and constant learning. Contact Amanda Twitter - @amandasokell  @navigatingND   @SENlightended_ Facebook - navigatingneurodiversity.life Website - www.navigatingneurodiversity.life  Email - [email protected]    ·         B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk  ·         Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast  ·         Email Dale – [email protected]  ·         Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe

From the moment we are born, none of us have fears or phobias, we don’t have any beliefs about how the world works, they are shaped by our reality – the world in which we are brought up in by our parents/carers. As we grow, our unique life experiences and the emotions we attach to certain situations or behaviours begin to define us. “We need to recognise that whatever emotion is in control at any given time, will steer and direct how we view the world and how we react to it.” Alison Knowles A regular guest on the SENDcast, Alison Knowles, brings her expertise as an Emotional Therapist to discuss ‘Being Hijacked by your Emotions’ today. Alison tells us how emotions can block our ability to reason, think positively and our life direction is dictated by which emotion has the steering wheel.   Emotions are part of us all, and by listening to this episode, you will gain valuable insights into how to harness and navigate the power of your emotions. By learning to manage our emotions rather than allowing them to control us, we gain the ability to chart our own course and regain control over our lives. Liked what you heard in today’s podcast? Take your knowledge one step further with this training session from Alison! For just £10 for your whole school you can access Alison’s SENDcast Session ‘How to connect and communicate with your emotions’. Alison explains how to help children make emotions manageable, empower them to overcome issues, and change classroom behaviour. About Alison Ali is a practising emotional therapist, author of the Ollie and his Super Powers series of books, public speaker, NLP trainer and creator of the Ollie Model.  Ali’s strength is the unique way she views the world and her instinctive ability to empower you or your child to find the solutions from within.  Contact Alison https://twitter.com/bemoreollie https://www.facebook.com/OllieandhisSuperPowers www.ollieandhisuperpowers.com [email protected] [email protected] Useful Links Ollie and his Super Powers Book Ollie and his Super Powers Youtube ollie_and_his_super_powers Instagram ·         B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk  ·         Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast  ·         Email Dale – [email protected]  ·         Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe

Beverley joins Dale for this special episode highlighting what's on at this year's Tes SEND Show 13 - 14 October in London and why you should be there!  "It's an absolutely fantastic place to network and there's so much to learn, so much to take advantage of and we've just packed so much into the programme." Beverley Walters Attending Tes SEND Show provides the opportunity for the entire school workforce to stay up to date with latest SEND issues, stay connected at a national level and find out the latest developments, policy updates such as the SENDAP Improvement Plan and how to implement them; to network with peers, exhibitors, speakers and to invest in their own CPD. Visitors can hear Michael Rosen read poems and present the winners of our poetry competition, as well as attend the Leadership Summit, Tes Editor’s Chats, free Keynotes at the start of each day, the innovative and entertaining SEND TeachMeet and inspirational Parent, Carer and Teacher Forum… to name just a few things happening in a jam-packed two day show. About Beverley Exhibition Director & Head of Content, Tes SEND Show. Beverley has over 20 years’ experience of organising and curating events for the education sector, focusing on special educational needs and disability (SEND). She is responsible for the Tes SEND Show’s content strategy and structure across all 42 seminars, parent and carer forum presentations, exhibition management and exhibitor workshops. Beverley is passionate about raising awareness of SEN and has a wealth of knowledge and experience of the SEN sector. As safeguarding Governor of a special SEMH school in the West Midlands, Beverley stays up to date with the latest policy and issues impacting front line staff and brings this knowledge and experience to Tes SEND Show. Useful Links Tes SEND Show ·         B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk  ·         Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast  ·         Email Dale – [email protected]  ·         Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe

Getting to class on time, meeting homework deadlines, making sure the right equipment is brought into school are all essential, however, are we actively teaching and equipping students with these skills? Executive function - everyone has to have, everyone needs to learn about, but no one really knows about. One of the problems that we have around executive function skills is that often it's presumed that young people will implicitly develop these skills, and our system is really set up to celebrate those who have abnormally strong executive function skills.  “The best teachers that I've seen deploying this executive function approach, and developing these skills, are constantly talking about their own executive function skills.” Victoria Bagnall Victoria Bagnall from Connections in Mind joins Dale in this episode to discuss ‘Executive Function Skills and Neurodiversity Traits’. Victoria tells us how an executive function approach can help humanise many of the challenges neurodivergent young people face. Building executive function literacy in a school can help all learners better understand their barriers to learning.   Victoria highlights what age-appropriate executive function looks like and how it always comes down to modelling. Listen to find out how to help everyone develop their executive function skills, to access learning better and be more inclusive in the school environment.  About Victoria Bagnall Victoria is a neurodiverse teacher and mother of 3 girls who has dedicated her life to raising awareness of essential brain functions: executive functions. She believes that knowledge of executive functioning helps people to be kinder to themselves and those around them and has the power to change the world. Contact Victoria https://twitter.com/VictoriaBagnal2 https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-bagnall-38204251/ www.connectionsinmind.co.uk [email protected] Useful Links https://connectionsinmind.com/schoolseducators/ https://cimlearning.com/toolkits/ https://cimlearning.com/professional-training-landing-page/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/connectionsinmind/   ·         B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk  ·         Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast  ·         Email Dale – [email protected]  ·         Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe

In schools, there is a growing blur between the realms of education and care. It has become increasingly evident that school staff are shouldering a tremendous responsibility in addressing mental health concerns, often due to long waiting lists and inconsistent quality of external support services. To shed light on this issue, we are delighted to have Zara Wright Director of SEND at the Weydon Multi Academy Trust, join Dale to discuss ’The boundaries between education and care’. Zara brings valuable insights and expertise and will delve into the complexities and implications of the intertwined roles of education and care in schools. Listen to find out: The real picture of what schools are having to manage as a result of the SEND and mental health crises. Changing roles of school staff due to the increase of mental health difficulties.  Reasonable adjustments and how they work in reality.  Solutions/Considerations for schools to get the balance right between education and care. About Zara Wright Zara is Director of SEND at Weydon Multi Academy Trust and Deputy Headteacher at a MLD school. She has worked in specialist and mainstream educational settings for over 15 years. She is a qualified SENDCo and holds an MEd in Inclusion. She has also worked as Mental Health Lead, DSL and Designated Teacher for Looked After Children. Zara works with a number of local charities and organisations to help promote support for young people and their parents.  She has presented at Westminster Education Forum and The Virtual SEND Conference.  She is currently studying for an MSc in Psychology. Contact Zara https://twitter.com/ZaraWright5   Useful Links ·         B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk  ·         Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast  ·         Email Dale – [email protected]  ·         Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe