How Mentally Healthy is Your Alternative Provision Setting? Carrying out an Audit

Nearly two thirds of pupils in alternative provision have social, emotional and mental health needs as their main SEND need. If mental health is your responsibility in an AP setting, you need an honest picture of where you're strong and where you're not.

This session gives you an audit to work through in four areas: your whole-setting approach, staff wellbeing, support for pupils, and work with parents and carers. Each comes with questions to ask yourself (is there a senior mental health lead? does your induction tell staff enough about a pupil's background?) and a red, amber or green rating, so you can see at a glance what needs attention.

It's led by an alternative provision leader who has also run an independent AP, so the suggested actions suit small teams: one-page pupil profiles, a daily message home, a staff shout-out board.