Angela Dixon,
Pastoral Care Lead 
Home School Link Worker (HSLW)

As the Home School Link Worker for the school, my role is to:

 •  Offer support in school
 •  Support parents/carers and their families
 •  Improve attendance and punctuality
 •  Promote positive behaviour
 •  ​Ensure that all children enjoy school and are happy and secure
 
As the name suggests I am the link between home and school and during the term work in partnership with parents/carers, the school and any other agencies that may be involved to support families with the aim of reducing current stressful situations and prevent further difficulties.

The type of help that can be provided:

 •  One to one support, someone to talk to
 •  Help with identifying other agencies that may provide you with help and support, or just  local services and community activities
 •  Support groups for parents/carers

Who can I help?

 •  Parents/carers experiencing behavioural issues with their children;
 •  Families who are reacting to change, such as parental separation or bereavement;
 •  Parents/carers to improve attendance and punctuality;
 •  Difficulties impacting on family life e.g. illness, domestic violence, disability, financial difficulties;
 •  Signposting – providing information on local services, benefit entitlements and community activities;
 •  Completing forms and documentation for benefit applications;
 •  Children who are experiencing difficult times or are withdrawn or anxious;
 •  Ensuring children feel happy and secure in their school environment.

I am also ELSA trained (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant).  ELSA's aim is to remove the barriers to learning and to have happy children in school and at home. ELSA's can work one to one with a child or with groups, in these sessions  they can cover a range of areas including; self - esteem, social skills, friendship issues, anger management and dealing with emotions. There are two ELSA staff in school.

All the work I do is kept confidential and parental consent is always obtained before initiating contact with your child. If there is something that may be worrying your child that may affect them in school then please contact me as I can work with them to ensure that any issues are worked through and we can hopefully minimise the effect.

To contact me:

Email:   a.dixon@shawfield.surrey.sch.uk
Tel:        01252 320379  Option 2(during school hours)