Patchway Community School

Safeguarding Introduction

Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

At Patchway Community School we have high expectations of each other.

We show this by respecting ourselves, each other and our community. Details of our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy can be found by clicking here.

 Key School Contacts

The staff below can be contacted via the main school number: 01454 862020

Designated Child Protection Officer

Catherine Walbridge

catherine.walbridge@olympustrust.co.uk 

Deputy Child Protection Officer 

Hannah Edwards

hannah.edwards@olympustrust.co.uk

Deputy Child Protection Officer

(TBC)

 

 

Student Safeguarding Tutorials 

Safeguarding our students includes supporting them to look after themselves and each other.  We train our students every fortnight in different aspects of safeguarding during an extended morning tutorial, delivered by tutors who know their tutor group well.  Parents may wish to follow up this training with discussions at home and can find out about the content of each tutorial here:

Tutorial 1: Attendance and Behaviour for Success 17.09.21

Tutorial 2: Sexism and Gender Bias 01.10.21

Tutorial 3: Mental Health and Student Leadership 15.10.21

Tutorial 4: Healthy Relationships and Relationship Abuse 05.11.21

Tutorial 5: Anti Bullying 19.11.21

Tutorial 6: Identity and Pronouns LGBTQ 3.12.21Tutorial 7: Safe to Speak 14.01.22

Tutorial 8: Punctuality, Pace and Purpose 28.01.22

Tutorial 9: Sexting 11.02.22

Tutorial 10: Lockdown 04.03.22

Tutorial 11: Your voice counts 18.03.22

Safeguarding Information for Parents and Carers

Patchway Community School recognises its responsibility under section 175 of the Education Act 2002 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and to work together with other agencies to ensure effective early intervention takes place to identify, assess and support children who may be suffering from harm. 

Safeguarding our students is paramount and we respond promptly and robustly to any child protection or safeguarding concerns. Our staff selection and interview process assesses all candidates’ suitability and commitment to safeguarding children. All of our staff receive yearly updates as part of their child protection training and named Child Protection staff receive annual training and specific updates on a range of safeguarding areas. 

Click here to enter our Online Safety Hub

An independent review in February 2018 made the following reflections:

"There is clear evidence that safeguarding provision has improved in the recent history of the school. The safeguarding culture is tangible. There is a variety of support available for students."

"Support provided by OAT which has maintained the high profile and ‘gives extra confidence'."

"Clear operational procedures and safeguarding organisation understood by staff."

"There is a very consistent agreement by all stakeholders regarding the significant safeguarding improvements that have taken place."

"Safeguarding is now seen as ‘everybody’s business’; staff interviewed deeply care about pupil wellbeing."

 "A lack of complacency and a mission to provide the best safeguarding provision for pupils."

South Gloucestershire Safeguarding Board 

The school follows the advice issued from the South Gloucestershire Safeguarding Board.

Their website has a range of useful information for parents and carers as well as numbers to contact if you have concerns about the safety and well-being of a child. To visit the web page, please click on the logo below.

If you have concerns about a child and would like to speak to someone from the Access and Response Team directly, please use the numbers below. 


Helpful Websites - General Wellness/Advice

 Well Aware

0808 808 5252 www.wellaware.org.uk

Well Aware is available to everyone in South Gloucestershire and the surrounding area. It lists over 5000 services that could help to improve your health and wellbeing. Wellaware can also be contacted free by phone on the above number and trained staff will help you find the support you need.

If after contacting Wellaware you still feel you need further help, advice or an assessment, please contact our customer services:

Phone: 01454 868007

Email: csodesk@southglos.gov.uk

SMS text service: 07950 080111

Textphone: 01454 868010

If the request is straightforward someone will try and help you over the phone or with a return email. They may send you some information and a form in the post, or they will suggest that someone with experience and understanding comes to visit you to talk things over.

More information about adult social care is available here.

 NHS UK

On eating disorders: www.nhs.uk/conditions/eating-disorders/advice-for-parents/

How to talk to your teenager (and common problems such as stress, anxiety, worry, depression): www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/talking-to-your-teenager/

Sleep tips for teenagers: www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/sleep-tips-for-teenagers/

Coping with your teenager (challenging behaviour advice for parents): www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/coping-with-your-teenager/

Healthy eating for teens: www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/healthy-eating-for-teens/

One You South Glos

www.oneyou.southglos.gov.uk

One You South Gloucestershire is a healthy lifestyles and wellbeing service for adults to help make important, lasting improvements to their health. The service is for all adults over the age of 18 who are a South Gloucestershire resident or registered with a GP practice in South Gloucestershire.

The Mix

0800 808 4994 www.themix.org.uk

Text ‘THEMIX’ to 85258

The Mix’s Crisis Messenger text service is available 24/7 and open to anyone aged 25 or under living in the UK. If you’re in crisis and need to talk, text THEMIX to 85258.

Webchat and Helpline service for free and confidential information and help on a wide range of issues for 13 to 25 year olds including, sex and relationships, your body, mental health, drink and drugs, housing, money, work and study and crime and safety.

Childline

08001111 www.childline.org.uk

Free, confidential advice to help young people under 19 with any issue they are going through.

Helpful Websites - Drugs and Alcohol

Frank

0800 77 66 00 www.talktofrank.com

Free helpline / website for anyone concerned about drugs.

DHI South Gloucestershire

01454 868750

Harm reduction and structured treatment services for adults using drugs and alcohol, and for those affected by a family member or friend’s use.

SPACED

www.spaced-sg.org.uk

Offers free and confidential information, advice, and support to users of Stimulant, Psychoactive, Alternative, Club and Experimental Drugs in the South Gloucestershire area.

Young People’s Drugs & Alcohol Service

www.southglos.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/care-and-support-children-families/young-people/young-peoples-drug-and-alcohol-service

01454 866000

Provide confidential and holistic advice, information and support to young people and their families around substance use (alcohol, illegal and legal substances). Can see young people at school or in other community settings and offer on-going 1:1 counselling & harm reduction advice.

Helpful Websites - Physical and Mental Health Concerns, Sleep, Eating Disorders

NHS 111

111  www.111.nhs.uk

Get medical help near you.

Mental Health Helplines

Bristol MindLine is a free confidential freephone helpline. Call 0808 808 0330 (freephone, Wed to Sun 8pm – midnight). At other times call the national line on 0300 123 3393 (local rate from landlines, variable from mobiles, Mon to Fri, 9.00am-6.00pm).

Samaritans provides confidential non-judgemental emotional support, 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which could lead to suicide. Call 0117 983 1000 (local rate) or 116 123 (freephone).

Off The Record provide free and confidential mental health support for young people aged 11-25 in Bristol. Call 0808 808 9120 (freephone) or text 07896 880 011.

The CALM helpline operates from 5pm-midnight every day. Calls are confidential and are taken by trained and skilled helpline workers who provide support, information and signposting. Call 0800 58 58 58 (freephone).

PAPYRUS is the national charity for the prevention of young suicide. Their HOPELineUK telephone service is confidential and operates Monday-Friday 10am-10pm, Weekends 2pm-10pm & Bank Holidays 2pm-5pm. Call 0800 068 41 41 (freephone) or text 07786 209697.

SupportLine provides a confidential telephone helpline offering emotional support to any individual on any issue. Call 01708 765200 (local rate, variable hours).

Bristol Mental Health

0300 555 0334 www.bristolmentalhealth.org

Bristol Mental Health is an NHS-funded partnership of 18 public and voluntary sector organisations. The website has a list of services available to people with mental health difficulties in Bristol. For the full list, click here.

Young Minds Parents Information Service

0808 8025544  www.youngminds.org.uk

Free helpline for parents concerned about mental health issues and their children (anxiety, depression, self harming, behaviour problems etc). Young minds also has more information for parents on their website, including an A-z support guide for help with specific conditions and situations, here

NHS UK

On eating disorders: www.nhs.uk/conditions/eating-disorders/advice-for-parents/

How to talk to your teenager (and common problems such as stress, anxiety, worry, depression): www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/talking-to-your-teenager/

Sleep tips for teenagers: www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/sleep-tips-for-teenagers/

Coping with your teenager (challenging behaviour advice for parents): www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/coping-with-your-teenager/

Healthy eating for teens: www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/healthy-eating-for-teens/

Beat Eating Disorders

Helpline: 0808 801 0677 Youthline: 0808 801 0711

www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Support for young people, friends, families and carers who think they might have an eating disorder or are worried about someone who does.

Helpful Websites - Money, Benefits, Foodbanks

Money Advice Service

0800 138 7777 www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en

Service is available 24 hours a day via the website and five days a week by telephone (calls are free). Anyone can use the service and it provides guidance across a wide range of money matters, including a number of useful tools and calculators to help people manage their money.

Citizens Advice Service

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money

Dealing with money issues can sometimes be off-putting, but if you don't understand how things like credit or mortgages work, you could end up losing out financially or getting yourself deep in debt. This site will give you the information you need to make the right choices, including help to deal with your debt problems, how to avoid losing your home and how to get your finances back into shape.

North Bristol Foodbank

0117 9791399 www.northbristol.foodbank.org.uk

Can provide three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to them in crisis. Part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

Helpful Websites - Parenting, Social Media, Friends, Relationships, Gender, Sex, Bullying

Bullying.co.uk 

0808 800 2222 www.bullying.co.uk/advice-for-parents

Has lots of advice for parents/carers and young people on all types of bullying. Some information specific to cyber bullying is here, including how to report bullying or abuse, how to block people, how to remove friends and how to close accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, Snapchat and Whatsapp. There is also general information about keeping safe online.

Family Lives (was Parentline)

0808 800 222

Offers information, advice, guidance and support on any aspect of parenting and family life, including bullying.

Brook

www.brook.org.uk

Offers advice on sexual health and wellbeing for under 25s, including information on contraception, consent, pregnancy, STIs, relationships, gender and abuse.

Stone Wall

www.stonewall.org.uk

Online information service providing details on lesbian, gay, bi and trans rights and issues affecting LGBT people.

Helpful Websites - Crime, the Law, Justice, Victim Support, Abuse, Bereavement

Julian House

01225 354650 www.julianhouse.org.uk

Julian House provides high quality refuge accommodation for survivors of domestic abuse, runs programmes for adults and young people who have experienced domestic abuse, work with schools and offer support in safety planning for people who are not ready to leave abusive relationships. 

Cruse Bereavement Care/Hope Again

08088 081677

www.cruse.org.uk | www.hopeagain.org.uk

Provides support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies. Hope Again was set up by young people for young people to share their experiences of dealing with the loss of a loved one.

Youth Justice Legal Centre

www.yjlc.uk

Information and support for children and young people who may find themselves involved in the criminal justice system.

Victim Support

0845 30 30 900 www.victimsupport.org.uk

Free and confidential support and information to help people cope with the effects of crime.

24-hour National Domestic Violence

0808 2000 247 www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk

A national service for women experiencing domestic violence, their family, friends, colleagues and others calling on their behalf.

Rights of Women

www.rightsofwomen.org.uk

Information and support on a wide range of legal issues including violence against women, family and criminal law and asylum and immigration.

Refuge - Help for Teenage Girls

0808 2000 247 www.refuge.org.uk/get-help-now/help-for-teenage-girls

Information and advice on violence against teenage girls and young women.

Men’s advice line

0808 801 0327 www.mensadviceline.org.uk

Free advice and support for men experiencing domestic violence and abuse.

Helpful Websites - Disability

Scope

0808 800 3333 www.scope.org.uk

Support for disabled people, their families/carers and professionals.

Disability Rights UK

www.disabilityrightsuk.org/how-we-can-help

Information and advice on a wide range of issues for disabled people.

Helpful Websites - Looked After Children and Young People, Issues at home

Coram Voice

08088005792 www.coramvoice.org.uk/young-peoples-zone

Advocacy, information and support for looked after children and young people.

The Care Advice Line

020 7017 8901 thewhocarestrust.org.uk/pages/care-advice-line-.html

Help and advice for children and young people in care or leaving care.

National Youth Advocacy Service

0808 808 1001 www.nyas.net

Provides information, advice, advocacy and legal representation to children and young people.

Runaway Helpline

116000 (call or text)

Provides information, help, support and options for young people thinking of running away or already away.

 

Beyond the Gates 

 

it is is important for our parents and carers to be aware that we work closely with our school community - the Police and Willowbrook Centre and are alert for concerns involving contextual safeguarding.  

Beyond The Gate

Adverse Childhood Experiences

PCS is an ACE aware school and is part of the Local Authority ACE strategic group.

Adverse Childhood Experiences 

All policy information can all be found  here.

Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and Addendum, Acceptable User ICT Policy, Attendance Policy, Confidentiality Policy, Anti-Bullying Policy, Code of Conduct, OAT Allegations of Abuse Policy, OAT Drugs Policy, OAT Educational Visits, OAT Lone Working, OAT Recruitment, OAT Whistle Blowing, Use of Reasonable Force and Physical Intervention, Statement of Intent- Health and Safety, Student Well-Being Policy, Supporting Students with Medical Conditions Policy and Single Equality.