Making a referral
Kyle is 13 years old and is in S3 at a mainstream high school. He’s autistic and struggles with anxiety.
Kyle lives in a kinship care placement with his aunt. In the past, he has received some learning support at school but this has now stopped. Kyle found the transition into S3 difficult and his attendance started to drop as he found it more and more stressful to go into school.
Because of this, Kyle’s school decided to review his support. Kyle has a social worker who suggested that My Rights, My Say could provide Kyle with independent support. This would help Kyle give his views about what would help him feel able to return to school.
Building trust
Billy from My Rights, My Say met Kyle and his aunt at home to explain her role and to get to know Kyle a little better. During the visit, Kyle tells Billy that he likes going for walks. They agree that at the next visit, they will go for a walk together to start talking about the plan to go back to school.
Gathering views
The next time they meet, Billy and Kyle go for a walk. Kyle tells Billy that he is worried about how much school he is missing and the longer he is away from school, the harder it feels to go back.
Kyle agrees that he would like to talk to school about a plan for him to go back. However, he is worried about going into school for a meeting. He tells Billy about what he finds difficult at school, explaining that he doesn’t like classes where pupils have to work in groups or are asked to speak in class. It makes him not want to go into school. He also finds it difficult at lunch-times and breaks as he doesn’t like the noise.
Billy explains that she will write a report telling Kyle’s school what he has said. Kyle will have the chance to look at it again before Billy sends it.
Sharing Kyle’s views
The school arrange a meeting to talk about a plan for Kyle’s return to school. As Kyle is unhappy with the meeting being held in school, it’s decided that the meeting can take place at the local library, which is somewhere that Kyle feels comfortable.
Billy and Kyle meet on the morning of the meeting to make sure that Kyle feels prepared. They talk about the key things that Kyle wants the school to know. They have also agreed that if Kyle feels too nervous to say them, Billy will say them for him.
Outcomes
At the meeting, a plan is written to help Kyle go back to school. Billy and Kyle organise to meet again in a week to go over the plan, to make sure it is clear.
Everyone agrees to a review meeting after 3 months. In addition, a teacher Kyle gets on with will check in once he starts going to school again to see how he is doing.
Billy and Kyle meet again before the review meeting to talk about how things have been going and if there’s anything Kyle wants to raise. Kyle is happy with the plan that is in place and feels more able to go to school.