Hearing Accepting Valuing Every Neurotype
What is HAVEN in Schools?
HAVEN stands for Hearing, Valuing, Accepting Every Neurotype. It is a training programme for educational staff in secondary school settings to develop knowledge and skills to set up HAVEN groups.
HAVEN groups aim to give neurodivergent young people positive social experiences within their secondary school setting. Students are given opportunities to naturally build friendships within the groups.
Positive social connections are important for physical and mental well-being. Neurodivergent young people may make connections in different ways.
The aim of HAVEN groups is for neurodivergent young people to feel safe, accepted and supported. HAVEN groups can lead to students having increased confidence, better engagement, positive interactions and strengthened peer relationships within the school environment.
This approach was developed through coproduction by a team of Speech and Language Therapists Educational Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and Researchers from the University of Manchester and in line with best practice, the programme was developed in consultation with neurodivergent young people (NIHR, 2018; Butter & Baldwin, 2023).
HAVEN is a relatively new intervention approach which has been driven by recent research, lived experiences and clinical expertise in response to changing views about best practice for support for neurodivergent young people
An initial small scale qualitative feasibility study completed in 2025 found:
Students who experienced HAVEN groups reported that they:
- Built social connections and friendships
- Enjoyed sessions and feeling motivated to attend.
- Felt more regulated
- Felt more socially confident and accepted to be themselves.
Group facilitators reported that they:
- Had positive views of the training sessions (enjoying learning activities, developing skills in student-led teaching approaches)
- Saw benefits for students (building friendships, increased confidence, improved school attendance)
- Developed new skills to support students
- Saw benefits across the school (encouraging neuro-affirmative approaches across the school, working with other professionals).
How can I be trained to run HAVEN groups in my setting?
HAVEN in Schools training is for staff who work in Secondary schools. This includes teaching staff, teaching assistants, pastoral care staff, Speech and Language Therapists/Mental Health Practitioners etc. No specific qualifications are needed; however, schools should select staff based on their experience and capacity to run small groups for neurodivergent students. We recommend a member of the school’s senior leadership team attends along with any members of staff who will be running the groups. This approach supports understanding and implementation across the school and sustainability of the intervention.
To gain full accreditation to run HAVEN in your setting you will be required to:
- Attend 1-day training
- Deliver a HAVEN group (for approx. 1 term)
- Attend a HAVEN Facilitator supervision session.
On completion of the 1-day HAVEN training, you will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to set up HAVEN groups within your settings.
The content of the 1-day training session includes:
- An introduction to understanding and valuing neurodiversity
- The importance of social connections and positive social experiences, and the impact of this on social communication, relationships, and engagement
- How to set up and facilitate a group with an optimum environment for neurodivergent students to experience positive, natural and relaxed interactions and relationships with like-minded peers
Once trained, how can I keep up to date and access further support?
Included in the training package, we offer 6 monthly supervision sessions online (via MS Teams). We expect facilitators to access this support to keep up to date with HAVEN developments and gain valuable ideas from other facilitators.
Contact:
HAVEN@encompasspsychology.co.uk
Katy Baldwin / Alison Hunter
HAVEN Leads, Specialist Speech and Language Therapists
Encompass Psychology Ltd is licensed by Manchester University NHS Trust to train Facilitators in HAVEN in Schools
Manchester University NHS Trust holds the intellectual copyright for HAVEN in Schools and all its materials
Testimonials:
Feedback from Group Facilitators:
“The HAVEN session was absolutely brilliant, I’ve never seen them interact with other students so openly and none of them felt the need to mask. It genuinely made me feel quite emotional to see their raw interactions and several members of staff from different departments commented on how lovely the intervention was when they walked past or asked to take a look”
“It felt really freeing to just let them be who they are and to have evidence from yourselves to back the case for this”
“It was all about celebrating the successes and the talents that being neurodivergent brings, rather than trying to make a neurodiverse child fit into a neurotypical world”
“The young people in the group grew in confidence each week as their relationships developed. The young people involved had some lessons together before the group began, but had not previously interacted in school. During the sessions, they discussed interactions in lessons that had taken place as they knew each other more, which evidenced that their connections were building.”
“As the sessions progressed, it become less about the activities they were doing and more about their conversation and interaction. I feel that the group provided a place for connection and belonging…sometimes the sessions were the reason why pupils wanted to come into school.”
Feedback from young people:
“it was more of a private space, where, just people who are, more like me other than everyone else. Well I always get a bit nervous talking to other people, but it felt a lot more safer”
“I feel like the group was fun and made me happy. I enjoyed doing clay and have interacted with more people.”
“Haven group makes me calm in school, it has helped me to feel like I can be myself. I really enjoy coming to school on a Wednesday now”
“ I feel like the group let me have fun and quality time with new friends, it is hard for me to make new friends”
“It’s good because we can share common interests”