Pets on the Green provides structured Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. This provision is designed to be commissioned or funded by local authorities, schools, or alternative provision settings and can be specified within Section F (Special Educational Provision) of an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Sessions are delivered by Ciera O’Rourke, a certified practitioner in Animal-Assisted Therapy and Interventions, with a strong background in safeguarding, SEN support, and animal welfare. All sessions are planned, documented, and outcome-focused to meet SEND and EHCP requirements.
What is Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI)?
Animal-Assisted Interventions use purposeful, facilitated interaction with animals to support emotional regulation, learning readiness, confidence, and social development.
Unlike traditional talking therapies, AAI is experiential and interactive. Animals act as a calming, motivating presence, supporting engagement and emotional safety. Sessions are forward-focused and solution-oriented, rather than exploring past trauma.
AAI is particularly effective for children who:
- Struggle with emotional regulation or anxiety
- Have reduced engagement with formal learning environments
- Experience communication or social interaction difficulties
- Require non-verbal or low-pressure therapeutic approaches
Key Outcomes Supported
AAI programmes at Pets on the Green are aligned offer:
- Self and social awareness
- Emotional regulation and self-management
- Confidence and self-esteem
- Communication and interaction skills
- Relationship building and trust
- Engagement, motivation, and readiness to learn
Each sessions typically follows a predictable, supportive structure:
- Arrival and Regulation Calm transition into the session, with clear expectations and optional sensory regulation support.
- Facilitated Animal-Assisted Activities The child works alongside carefully selected animals within their environment. Activities are designed to reflect the child’s individual goals and needs.
- Reflection and Skill Linking The practitioner supports the child in making links between the animal interaction and real-world skills, such as boundaries, communication, patience, or emotional awareness.
- Closure and Transition Clear ending to the session to support predictability and emotional safety.
Programme Length and Format
AAI is delivered as a structured programme, not a one-off activity.
- Programmes typically run for 6 or 8 sessions lasting 60 minutes each
- Weekly sessions are recommended for consistency
- Alternative delivery patterns can be agreed where required
- Single assessment sessions can be offered to determine suitability
Evidence and Reporting
Pets on the Green can provide documentation suitable for EHCP and council review, including:
- Initial programme plan aligned to EHCP outcomes
- Session records documenting engagement and progress
- Mid-programme or end-of-term summary reports
- Outcome-focused written feedback suitable for EHCP reviews
Specific reporting requirements can be agreed in advance with the local authority or school.
Pricing (Council-Funded Provision)
- Prices on enquiry
- Adults and support staff attend at no additional cost
- Pricing reflects specialist delivery, animal welfare standards, reporting, and structured programme design
Block-funded or term-based arrangements can be discussed directly with commissioning bodies.
How This Differs From Private Animal Experiences
Council-funded AAI sessions are not recreational animal handling. They are:
- Outcome-driven and EHCP-aligned
- Delivered by a qualified AAI practitioner
- Structured, documented, and reviewable
- Designed for emotional regulation, wellbeing, and learning readiness
This provision sits separately from private or leisure-based animal experiences offered on the website.
Who Can Refer
- Local Authority SEND teams
- EHCP case officers
- Schools and specialist provisions
- Alternative provision settings
- Parents and carers (with EHCP or funding pathway in place)
How to book
These private sessions are not bookable online, please get in contact with pets on the green for an initial discussion to check for a feasibility assessment and then sessions can be booked in.
Contact Details:
- 📧 ciera.rose@gmail.com
- 📞 07748 656269
