Parents and Carers of children and young people who are experiencing Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) were invited to a conference at the end of last year, organised and delivered by Bexley’s Educational Psychology Team. 

The conference was a chance for participants to understand more about Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), seek advice, share their experiences and contribute to co-creation of a Parent and Carer EBSA Toolkit for Bexley. 

EBSA refers to a child or young person’s difficulty in attending school due to emotional distress, anxiety, or fear. 

Following on from the conference, contributions from parents and carers in attendance are being collated to input into the final version of the Parent/Carer EBSA Toolkit. In addition, a Parent and Carer EBSA Forum has been established following expressions of interest. The first role of the forum will be to collaborate on finalising the toolkit.  

Bexley Educational Psychologists are continuing to run the EBSA Parent/Carer support group which meets once every half term at Bexleyheath Central Library. To enquire about booking onto a future session please email ParentEBSAsupport@bexley.gov.uk 

Alongside the ongoing roll out of the EBSA training and EBSA Toolkit for Schools across Bexley’s educational settings, next steps for this work will involve working more closely with children and young people, which will include the development of a Children and Young Person version of the EBSA Toolkit. 

The conference is part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to SEND improvements in Bexley following Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission’s Local Area inspection in December 2023. 

Detailed improvement work has been taking place over the last two years as part of an approved action plan. 

Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Caroline Newton said:  

In Bexley, we understand Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) as a child or young person’s experience of finding it challenging to attend and engage with school due to emotional distress, such as feeling worried, fearful and anxious.

This innovative conference, along with those other initiatives, reflects our deep commitment to listening, collaborating and taking action. By working closely with carers and partners, we can continue to strengthen the support we offer, ensuring it meets the needs of our young people and their families".