When Bath parent and education professional Vicky Batlle found herself navigating the complex and often overwhelming world of emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), she realised just how many families were struggling in silence.
Her experience inspired her to create EBSA Connect – a support network offering workshops, one-to-one consultations and signposting for parents and carers whose children face barriers to education and school attendance.
“I wanted to create a space that would provide families with the knowledge and strategies to best support their young person’s experiences,” explains Vicky. “It’s about helping them feel heard and listened to, while also giving them the skills to ask the right questions of school settings and extended services to find the educational environment that best fits their young person’s unique strengths.”
Vicky’s journey began with her own family’s experience of EBSA. Despite her professional background in education, she describes the period as “an extremely difficult and challenging time”, involving the unfamiliar worlds of home education, diagnostic pathways and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
“It took a long time to access the information that really had a positive impact,” she says. “As I began to look beyond my personal experience, I became more aware of the issues surrounding EBSA at a local and national level.”
Since then, Vicky has become an influential voice in this area. She has contributed to the EBSA Horizons training programme, served as Co-Director of the B&NES Parent Carer Forum, and spent more than two years as part of the B&NES Local Authority steering group for EBSA.
Most recently, she has collaborated with PANS/PANDAS UK to create a series of videos exploring the links between PANS/PANDAS and EBSA — an issue she describes as “close to my heart.”
Vicky understands just how isolating life can become for parents when a child is unable to attend school. “Parenting a young person who is unable to access their right to an education can be a hugely stressful experience,” she says. “Self-esteem, relationships and your normal daily environment are all suddenly turned upside down.”
Through her work with EBSA Connect, Vicky supports families to look beyond attendance alone and consider the young person’s sense of self, relationships and environment. She recognises that EBSA can stem from multiple factors — including mental health needs, dyslexia, physical illness, unmet SEND needs or even practical barriers such as transport.
“The pathways into EBSA are multi-layered,” she adds, “and although every young person’s roadmap is different, finding connection with other parents in your community and beyond is hugely empowering.”
Alongside her individual consultations, Vicky runs workshops for parents, carers, schools and trusts across Bath and North East Somerset and beyond, with plans to expand her SEND-focused online workshops in the coming months.
Tickets are now available for November workshops in Larkhall, Bath, priced from £8.50, with one-to-one consultations from £75.
For more information or to book a session, visit www.ebsaconnect.co.uk or email email hidden; JavaScript is required.
