Keeping Students Safe and Healthy
UPDATE - SAFEGUARDING AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH & WELL-BEING DURING SCHOOL CLOSURE
Looking after your mental health and well-being is really important. Below you will find top tips for managing worries about the Coronavirus or other issues during the school closure. We have prepared for this by compiling a guide below to support pupils and parents during this time.
EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
If you are worried about yours or someone else’s mental health or would like information about how mental health services work to support children and families in the city visit:
- Schools Well Being Service: Schools well-being Service 01273-293481
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Young Minds
- Winstons Wish
- Cruse
- YMCA DownsLink Group
- The Mix Coronavirus support and advice: 0808 808 4994
Useful Websites/ Numbers
- Child line: 0800 1111
- Samaritans: 116 123
- Sussex Mental Healthline: 0300 5000 101 (Out of hours CAMHS)
- GoNoodle
- CalmZone
- FindGetGive
If urgent support is needed call specialist CAMHs on 0300 304 0061 between 8.30am and 4.30pm. Outside of these hours please seek support from the Royal Alexander Hospital.
SAFEGUARDING CONCERNS
If you have any concerns about your child or another pupil, always let someone know. Please make contact with:
FrontDoorForFamilies (Social Care) Phone: 01273 290400
Out-of-hours: 01273 335905 (Emergency Duty Service)
Childline 0800 1111
Safeguardingresourcehub: range of services for pupils and parents
Sussex Police 101 Emergency 999
Hate incidents and anti-social behavior: report directly to a specialist Casework Team: 01273 292735 communitysafety.casework@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Guidelines and advice on Keeping Safe online
PACA’s Pastoral System: to help support your child through school.
We look at the whole child at PACA and every part of a child’s well-being plays a part in helping them achieve their potential.
Some children need more support than others but almost all students at one point or another run into some difficulty in or out of school and we are there to help.
Your child will have a form tutor who they will see every day. It is the tutor’s role to get to know your child well and to be responsible for their progress through school. If you have any concerns the tutor should be your first port of call. They will either be able to help you or refer you to the right person.
The form tutors are supported by the Heads of Year and a variety of specialist teams in school. These include the Aspiration Centre for children with Special Needs (click here to find out more), the Education Welfare Officer, for children with attendance and punctuality issues, and access to a counsellor for children who need some focussed individual support. They are all supported in turn by the Senior Leadership Team and the Head and of course we also have access to outside agencies for additional help if required.
The School system fosters support and co-operation between students and an opportunity to work with students of different ages. It also allows for some inter school competitiveness when we run inter School competitions.
Safeguarding at PACA
Portslade Aldridge Community Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young adults.
All members of staff, students and volunteers are expected to share this commitment. We have robust systems in place with regards to safeguarding. It is vitally important that all referrals are addressed promptly and dealt with sensitively.
All staff receive training annually on child protection and safeguarding within the Academy. We, therefore, have a wide network of support staff who students can talk to.
The members of staff include:
- Tutors
- Heads of Year
- Senior Leadership Team
- Aspirations Team
If you have any child protection concerns please contact:
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Christopher Mellett Ext 3253
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mark Poston Ext 3246
Hate Incidents and Anti-Social Behaviour
Hate incidents and anti-social behaviour can be reported directly to a specialist Casework Team within a combined police and council team.
Vulnerability and risk are assessed for each incident and the team will either directly support victims, or refer cases on to appropriate partner agencies, to reduce harm and resolve issues.
A duty phone line, 01273 292735, is staffed on weekdays between 09:00 and 17:00, an answer machine is in operation out of office hours or the team can be emailed direct on communitysafety.casework@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Hate incidents and anti-social behaviour can also be reported directly to the police by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.
Internet Safety
CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre)
Click here to see the CEOP website
Whether you are a child, teenager, parent, carer or teacher, the thinkuknow website has information for you that could keep you safe online.
As children grow and become more independent, it is natural that they take this independence online.
In our teenage years we explore, try new things and sometimes we push boundaries and take risks. This is an essential part of growing up.
With the potential that the online world and new technology offers, young people use technology to express themselves, explore, and be creative. It has changed the way they communicate.
The internet has changed our lives. Many of the things that confuse, baffle or even scare us are part of the everyday online world and for many of us, this can all be a bit too much.
This site aims to make online parenting simple and helps parents develop their online parenting skills and ensure their children are safe.
Operation Encompass
PACA are part of Operation Encompass. This is a joint project with Sussex Police which started in September 2018. The project provides early reporting to schools of any domestic abuse incidents involving children (incidents in which a child was present, ordinarily resides at the incident location or with an involved party).
We know that children and young people can be significantly affected through witnessing or being exposed to domestic abuse and this operation will allow our school to better support our pupils/students and their families. A nominated member of school staff, known as a Key Adult, will be trained to liaise with the police. Our Key Adult is Mr Mellett (DSL) and the Deputy Key Adult is Mark Poston (DDSL). They will be able to use information that has been shared with them, in confidence, to ensure that the right support is available should it be required by a child/young person and/or their family. We are keen to offer the best support available to our students and we believe this is going to be extremely beneficial for all those involved.
- Additional information about Operation Encompass is available at via their website.
- Information about a wide range of local services for families is available on familyinfobrighton.org.uk.
If you have any concerns or questions then please contact our Key Adults and we will be happy to discuss this further.
Mr Mellett, c.mellett@paca.uk.com
