90% of students experience problems in their academic lives. Of those struggling, only 15% seek help.
75% of those facing academic difficulties don’t speak up and therefore remain unsupported in many cases. It is concerning that large quantities of students are not receiving the support and intervention that they need from social workers and school counsellors.
There has never been a more crucial time to give students wraparound support. Offering young people an outlet to speak up and an efficient support system to fall back on is essential to their academic, social, and emotional development.
Establishing trust with students gives professionals insight into the well-being of young people. Building relationships nurtures a positive learning environment. Positive relationships between students and adults can show how young people can be supported in all aspects of their lives.
One study found that student behavior drastically improved when they had a positive relationship with a teacher. 38% less aggressive behavior was reported, and 56% less defiance. Teachers who build positive relationships with students can identify welfare concerns and refer them to a school counselor or social worker. Building a collaborative support system between teachers, school counselors, social workers, and other staff members can be vital to a student’s safety.
In addition to academics, a student’s social and emotional well-being massively depends on the effectiveness of the support system surrounding them.
How ECINS Builds Collaborative Support Systems
Building collaborative support systems provides wraparound care for students, ensuring that all relevant members know a young person’s situation and which actions need to be taken.
As 75% of students facing academic difficulties don’t seek help, a collaborative support system needs to be in place. Those seeking help can be directed to the appropriate course of action, and those struggling but haven’t spoken up are more likely to be identified. Staff responses can then be faster and more effective.
This system promotes trust and understanding between students and teachers and efficient communication among staff members.
Case Management Module (CMM)
The ECINS Case Management Module functions as a collaborative support system for students, as relevant staff can input and access information about specific pupils. With guaranteed data privacy, student records can be accessed, and a focus on giving a child the appropriate help can be established. Reducing administrative load increases the time spent supporting students.
Moreover, the CMM also captures data that can be visualized and plotted to assist staff. For example, a particular student’s score on a mental health assessment can be plotted and compared to previous scores to assist school counselors in their role. Data mapping can be done on individuals, specific groups, or entire cohorts.
Student Engagement Module (SEM)
The Student Engagement Module has been adapted to provide wraparound support for students. Accessed through a web browser or app, the SEM has a variety of tools to track and ensure student well-being:
| · Attendance Tracker | · Mood tracker | · Chat function |
| · Help + advice documents | · Calendar | · Task setting |
The SEM is accessed through MyPortal360. It is entirely secure, with only trusted staff members having access to the information logged by students.
The task-setting function is especially useful for staff, as personalized goals can be set for each student. Teachers may use the tool to assign specific homework tasks to different classes or individuals. Moreover, a school social counselor may utilize the feature by assigning a student a follow-up task after a session, such as ‘Keep a mood journal this week to aid discussion in our next session.’
The mood-tracking functionality is ideal for social workers and school counselors, but this holistic exercise can benefit every student.
Chat functions also help build positive teacher-student relationships. Trusted staff members can monitor logs and reach out directly to pupils who may require support. These features can identify struggling students who have been masking their situation in class, perhaps feeling too nervous to speak to a staff member about any issues. SEM offers students support virtually and has the bravery to seek out the support they need.
Some features require less staff monitoring, such as the attendance tracker, calendar, task setter, and advice documents. The help and advice resources particularly support students by offering solutions and guidance without the pupil needing to reach out for help. These features are completely at the students’ disposal and provide support in the various areas of a young person’s school life.
The mood tracking and chat functions help build positive teacher-student relationships. Trusted staff members can monitor logs and reach out directly to pupils who may require support. These features can identify struggling students who have been masking their situation in class, perhaps feeling too nervous to speak to a staff member about any issues. SEM offers students support virtually and has the bravery to seek out the support they need.
ECINS makes building collaborative support systems for students simple. By improving the understanding of students both directly and through information sharing with staff, ECINS systems give young people the wraparound support that is crucial to their well-being and success.
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