School staffs’ experiences of supporting students’ social, emotional and mental health needs: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Social Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) is a growing concern in education, and school staff face mounting responsibility to provide support for students with complex SEMH needs. Although this is often detrimental to staff well-being, little is known about how they make sense of this responsibility. This study uses Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore school staffs’ experiences of supporting students with SEMH needs. The dataset comprises five semi-structured interviews with staff from state-schools in England, each with additional pastoral and inclusion responsibilities beyond standard teaching duties. The analytic process developed three themes: ‘working in a time of mounting SEMH crisis’, ‘working outside of limitations’ and ‘appreciating sources of motivation and hope’. The study highlights the complexities of providing SEMH support and the need to maintain a nuanced understanding of SEMH so that school staff are supported in recognising and responding to the breadth of difficulties that fall under this umbrella.