Area Inclusion Worker

AIW Overview

The main priorities of our Area Inclusion Worker, Hollie, are - 

• To promote the value of inclusion and encourage and support pupils to attend and to stay in school
• To develop and maintain links between home and school focusing on maximising attendance and provide support to young people and their families by being a key point of contact
• To promote a strengths based approach and focus on improving resilience, empowering young people and their families
• To develop and deliver programmes in groups or on a 1:1 basis that build on resilience and promote strengths 
• Support and offer advice to young people and families with all well-being requirements 
• Carry out home visits to assess and support identified needs of the young person and parents/carers
• Maintain contact with young people and parents in relation to support self-esteem, improving social skills, develop peer relationships, attendance and behaviour.
• Supporting transition - promoting Irvine Royal Academy with pupils moving from P7 to S1 or who are new to our area
• Assessing pupil needs and identifying the most appropriate services. Liaising between services and families continuing to support throughout.

Group Sessions - 2022 - 23

Below is an overview of the session that our AIW is carrying out over this year.  Hollie works collaboratively with the pastoral care principal teachers to structure her groupwork sessions around the current needs of our young people. 

Confident Individuals

Supporting our young people to remove barriers in building relationships with others with a focus on self-esteem and self-worth.  Working with our young people on how to accept compliments as well as building a resilience to difficult situations. 

Period Chat

Suporting our young people to look after their own personal hygiene and taking responsibility for a healthy body and mind. This group is ran with our school nurse and also covers sexual health and peer pressure/social media influence. We aim to ensure they have a knowledge of risks and how best to deal with these and where to access support when required.

Well-being walks 

Focusing on health and well-being whilst taking in the benefits of fresh air - what a better way to get to know our new S1 young people!  AIW and Active Schools encourage movement and time in the outdoors, off screens and social media whilst using step strackers to allow goal setting, ambition and promote responsibility.  These walks will allow the young people to get to know the school community area whilst alos building relatioships with key adults in the school and supporting them to settle into their school journey in Irvine Royal.

LGBTQIA+

Promoting the health, wellbeing and equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT+) adults (16+) in Scotland. We welcome the entire diversity of our LGBT+ community including non-binary, queer, intersex, asexual people and all identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella.  This groups ensures that Irvine Royal is a safe space for all in the LGBT Community and a place where they can express thoughts and feelings. Their voices and views of these young people will drive and shape the schools journey through the LGBTQ charter. 

Pride Group occurs on a Wednesday 3-4pm in room 410.

LGBT Charter Rights

LGBT Youth Scotland

Anger and Frustration

Self-regulation and understand their feelings when anger arises is the aim of this group.  Supporting our young people to manager their emotions and behaviour within various settings and situations.  Empowering them to be able to calm themselves down; to adjust to changing expectations and to handle frustration without an outburst.

S1 Transition & Settling-in

Working closely with The Sphere and the transition buddies we ensure that our new S1 pupils have an enhced knoweldge of the school and can recognise and access a safe place and key adult(s) should they require it.  Supporting them to adapt to life in a secondary school setting. The focus of this group varies depending on the young people and their needs as they grow within our school setting. 

Social Skills & Making Good Frriendships

Minimizing and suporting young people to remove barriers to prevent social isolation and encouraging young people to have more confidence to approach new social opportunities, enhancing their school and personal lives.  Upskilling young people on social norms and respecting other young people’s personal space.

Well-being for YOU

Raising awareness of teenage issues and opportunities in a school setting with a focus on well-being and coping strategies.  Young people are targeted in a bespoke manner line with the National Framework and getting it right for all.