How has the ELSA intervention supported students who have experienced, or are experiencing, Emotional Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA)?

Mead, Natasha Louise (2026) How has the ELSA intervention supported students who have experienced, or are experiencing, Emotional Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA)? Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

This thesis comprises three chapters. The first is a narrative literature review which investigates the wide topic of Emotional Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA), exploring the history of how it is named and defined, and the research covering the main contributing factors, protective factors and methods of early identification and interventions. One of the interventions focused on is that of Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSA), the way they work, and the way the intervention may be used to support attendance and EBSNA. The Educational Psychologists (EPs) role in EBSNA support and ELSA training is explored and areas for future research are outlined.

The second chapter draws out an empirical study. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore seven ELSA’s experiences of supporting young people from across England following a period of EBSNA. This qualitative research used reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021) to analyse the data. The analysis generated five themes with eight subthemes. The themes are discussed in the context of the existing literature, and suggestions for how this impacts EP practice are included, as well as a critique of the current study and possible extensions for the future are considered.

The third chapter comprises a critical reflection of the research process from the initial ideas of research, through exploring the literature and deciding on an area of study, to designing the study, making alterations, and collecting and analysing the data. Possible methods for dissemination of the data and ways it might influence EP practice are also explored.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Education and Lifelong Learning
Depositing User:	Amy Millward-Doherty
Date Deposited:	25 Sep 2026 15:51
Last Modified:	25 Sep 2026 15:51
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/104650
DOI:

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