People who work in schools and education are actioning poor attendance through the penalty system as they don’t see School Refusal as a mental health issue. We would like to see staff trained to recognise & act accordingly as mental health is not a punishable condition and shouldn’t lead to fines.
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SRSS was set up to support families enduring the crisis of their child’s EXTREME daily anxiety. Staff misinterpret what they see & instead treat it as truancy. Staff need to be trained in the differences, have skills to support families, recognise the child's needs, work with families & allow time for a mental health Referrals to CAMHS (who are in crisis) without fines. A plethora of feedback from parents suggests that undiagnosed spectrum conditions underpin School Refusal.