A student with known Adverse Childhood Experiences has not been flagged as a Priority. Why might that be?

Whilst many students with Adverse Childhood Experiences [ACEs] do manifest social, emotional and learning risks this is not universal or inevitable. Despite significant risk factors, some students have sufficient protective factors to mitigate those risks, enabling them to steer resiliently through the most challenging of experiences. Remember resilience is not the absence of adversity, but the ability to face, overcome and be strengthened through adversity. 

Here are 4 questions to ask yourself

1. Might your school be a protective factor for this student? Could the quality of in-school modelling, scaffolding and signposting enable this student to steer healthily in school? If you have out-of-school STEER data [ a feature included in the STEER Safeguarding module] you may find the student has risks outside schools that are mitigated in school. 
2. Has the student's steering improved over time? Take a look at their data history. If their steering is healthier now than previously, it suggests they are developing self-regulatory skills, despite their challenging earlier experiences. This would be a powerful indicator of resilience.
3. Is the student an outlier among peers? Whilst the student may not be flagged with a Polar or Composite Bias,  their data may stand out contextually. Any outlier student should be reviewed carefully to ensure they receive the personalised signposting that their peers may not need. 
4. Has the student received therapeutic support to mitigate impact of ACEs? Whilst students live with the legacy of ACEs, skilled intervention can equip and empower a student with the self-skills to work with or overcome their challenging earlier experiences. Their healthy steer data may testify to the impact of previous therapeutic intervention.

That STEER has not flagged the student, does not mean you should overlook their ACEs. ACEs have a long-term impact on healthy development, which can be triggered at different times and contexts.  Using STEER to track the student three times a year will give you an early indicator of emerging risks, enabling proactive, preventative, personalised pastoral provision.