We are committed to keeping all of our young people safe. We actively promote the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy which can be viewed below or on our policies page:
Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies, when there are concerns about a child's welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our students are discussed with parents and carers first, unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child's welfare.
We actively support the Government's Prevent Agenda to counter radicalism and extremism.
Landau Forte QEMS is proud to be an Operation Encompass School. This vital police and education partnership ensures we are informed and equipped to support students affected by domestic abuse, helping to safeguard and protect their wellbeing every day.
We regularly hold safeguarding information evenings for parents and carers. Please follow our social media, check out our website and check the academy calendar for upcoming events.
Senior Safeguarding & Mental Health Team
If you need to contact the Senior Safeguarding Team please use the contact details below. Alternatively, to email the team directly please email: [email protected]
Further information
Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy provides clear direction to all Academy stakeholders about expected practice in dealing with safeguarding issues. It makes explicit the Academy’s commitment to the development of good practice and effective procedures, ensuring that safeguarding concerns and referrals are handled sensitively, professionally and in a way that supports and protects the needs of the child.
There are three main aims to our policy:
- Prevention: by creating a positive Academy atmosphere and providing high quality teaching and pastoral support to pupils;
- Protection: by following agreed procedures and ensuring staff are appropriately recruited, trained and supported to respond appropriately and sensitively to Child Protection concerns;
- Support: by providing support for pupils and school staff and for children who may have been or are being abused.
All those working in education can contribute to the safeguarding and protection of the welfare of a child in need.
According to the DfE, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:
- protecting children from maltreatment;
- preventing impairment of children’s health or development;
- ensuring children are growing up in circumstances consistent withe provision of safe and effective care; and
- taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Child protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility at Landau Forte Academy QEMS and Tamworth Sixth Form.
Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families and carers has a role to play in safeguarding children. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all professionals should make sure their approach is child-centred. This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child.
This policy applies to all who come into contact with children at Landau Forte Academy QEMS and Tamworth Sixth Form including:
- Teachers
- Learning Support Assistants
- Administrative assistants
- Supply teachers
- Students
- Visitors/volunteers
- Governors
- Trustees
If in doubt, any one with concerns should seek advice from the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) using the contact details above.
From time to time in your life, you may feel stressed. This could be for a variety of reasons such as exam pressures, friendship troubles or issues outside of the Academy.
The following links take you to websites with apps that you can download for free on a phone or tablet as well as being able to access them through a computer.
There are a number of websites that can provide counselling and advice on a range of issues. You will also find apps that give you a way into mindfulness and basic meditation techniques such as breathing and focusing the mind to help you take control of stressful situations. They are also good to use if you are struggling to get to sleep in the evenings as they help you to relax.
Year 11 and Year 13 students across the country have used these apps when working towards their GCSE and A Level exams as some of them have found them to be really useful and they are a good tool for any student (or parent/carer) to use if they are finding it hard to relax and switch off. Mindfulness and meditation are techniques that you develop over time and these apps are designed to help you to do this. This is just one way you can help support your mental health.
If you have any questions or need support at the Academy please contact a member of the safeguarding team or email [email protected]
Links
Action for children - mental health toolkits for students https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/our-work-and-impact/children-and-families/good-mental-health/writing-for-mental-health/
Anxiety UK – Support targeted for anxiety - https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/
B- Eat - The UK’s eating disorder charity. They have online support groups for anyone under 18. - https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/
CALM – mental health support - https://www.thecalmzone.net/
CAMHS - The digital platform facilitates access to routine online self-referrals for children and young people, without the requirement for them to go through their GP - https://www.mpft.nhs.uk/services/camhs/south-staffordshire
Changes – Local wellbeing support - https://changestamworth.com/
Child Bereavement - If you are suffering from the loss of someone close to you - https://www.childbereavementuk.org/
Frank - Drugs Information and Support - https://www.talktofrank.com/
Headspace - Live a happier, healthier life with just a few minutes of meditation a day on the headspace app - https://www.headspace.com/
Hope Link UK - If you are a young person at risk of suicide or know someone who is - https://www.papyrus-uk.org/
Hub of hope – directory of mental health support - https://hubofhope.co.uk/?scrlybrkr=35e5b9e7
Kooth - Online counselling and emotional wellbeing support for young people - https://www.kooth.com/
MIND – general support for young people - https://www.mind.org.uk/
Runaway Helpline - Confidential advice and support for those contemplating running away/have done - https://www.runawayhelpline.org.uk/
Self-Harm Support - Struggling or worried about self-harm and need some support and guidance - https://www.selfharm.co.uk/
SHOUT – 24/7 support helpline where you can contact a crisis support worker via text – https://giveusashout.org
Stonewall - The UK Charity for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People - https://www.stonewall.org.uk/
The MIX – essential support for young people in the UK - https://www.themix.org.uk/?scrlybrkr=35e5b9e7
Young Minds - Looking for support and advice concerning mental health and emotional wellbeing - https://youngminds.org.uk/
Young Minds – Targeted support for bullying - https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/bullying/
We provide a lot of support for our students. If required our students have access to the below.
All students receive support from:
- Form Tutor
- Student Support Officer
- Head of Year
If students require further support they can receive support from:
- School Counsellor
- School Nurse
- Safeguarding Team intervention
- School Mentor
If a student needs outside agency support we can refer them to:
- School District Nurse Service
- St. Giles
- Malachi Family Support
- Action for Children
- T3
- CAMHS
- DIP Councillor
- Dizzy Heights
- Schools Mental Health Support Team
- Stay Well
For parents/carers who would like further information to help support their child these links and resources will provide you with information we hope you find useful:
Action for Children – parent advice and guidance - https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/
Anti-Bulling Alliance – supporting parents with bullying concerns - https://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/
Barnardo’s – Online and in person support for parents - https://www.barnardos.org.uk/
CEOP ThinkuKnow – Parental support for suspected online sexual abuse - https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
Charlie Waller Trust – Network of parents with real experiences and resources - https://charliewaller.org/mental-health-training-support/parents-and-carers
Childnet – resources for parents - https://www.childnet.com/
Childline – 24/7 support regarding concerns for children - https://www.childline.org.uk/
Gingerbread – support for single parents - https://www.gingerbread.org.uk/
Internet Watch Foundation – support with online concerns - https://www.iwf.org.uk/
MIND – Tips on parenting and mental health - https://www.mind.org.uk/
Modern Slavery – advice and guidance on modern slavery concerns - https://www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/slavery-uk/
NSPCC – parent advice and resources - https://www.nspcc.org.uk/
Online Safety – advice on supporting children with online safety - https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
Place2Be - Offers a parent partnership service - https://www.place2be.org.uk/our-services/schools/mental-health-services-for-parents-and-carers/
Samaritans – Offers advice on supporting others mental health - https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/if-youre-worried-about-someone-else/
Spongy Elephant – A free Parents Guide to protect Children Online - http://www.spongyelephant.com/learn/stayingsafeonline/
Stop Hate Crime – We provide a free, independent 24/7 hate crime reporting helpline - https://www.stophateuk.org/
UK Safer Internet Centre - advice on supporting children with online safety - https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/
YoungMinds – Offers a free parent helpline - https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-helpline/
While your child is using the internet, in whatever form, we hope these apps and information will give you peace of mind and help keep your child is safe.
Information you might find useful
- Parent controls offered by home internet provider - https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/parents-and-carers/parental-controls-offered-your-home-internet-provider
- Setting up Devices Advice - https://www.internetmatters.org/
- NSPCC Parental Controls - Parents review young people’s social networks, apps and games - Use Parental Controls to Keep Your Child Safe | NSPCC
Apps you might find useful
Family Orbit
This app lets you sync to you child's phone remotely. You can monitor calls, texts and social media from the cloud. Its compatible with all iPhone, iPad and iPod devices.
Kidslox
Let you have more control over usage of any device. You can set limits per day, for example 4 hours. You can shut the phone down during school hours or at bedtime. You can also remove access for certain apps. The benefit of this app is it prevents the daily battle of taking the phone off your child. Whilst the phone is in lockdown you can still communicate with them through text or calls. However all apps like Snapchat and Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp cannot be used. You can set daily rules depending on the day of the week. Its quick to override if you want to allow more time for example.
Find my iPhone/find my kids
Both apps are great at knowing where your child is. It relies on them having data but you can ensure they have arrived safe to school or know they are where they say they are.
SecureTeen
Whilst it is important to know where your children are going it’s also important to know who they are talking to. SecureTeen is a great app that helps you to monitor their calls and texts. It allows you to know who they are talking to, whether they are the right kinds of people and protect them from bullies or potential predators.
360 life
A great app enabling you to keep tabs on where your children are. It tracks their location and also if driving in a vehicle, the speed at which they are travelling, so you know that they are safe.
Landau Forte Charitable Trust and its academies fully encourages the use and access of the following website for parents, staff and school leaders, http://www.educateagainsthate.com/
This important site brings together the best advice, support and resources available for parents, teachers and school leaders who want to learn how to protect young people from extremism and radicalisation. This site provides helpful guidance and support to the information on this academy’s website about how tackle radicalisation and extremism and how to tackle signs of both. What is so important about this resource is that it does not just offer information for teachers and schools – but parents as well. While schools may be able to spot the signs of radicalisation, the truth is much of it takes place beyond the school gates, in families or friendship groups, in communities and increasingly online. That means parents must be equipped to help protect their children from extremism. They need to understand the threat that extremist organisations pose, how radicalisation happens, what the warning signs look like and who to turn to for support if they are ever worried. The information and advice available on Educate Against Hate will be an invaluable resource in helping them to do that and all are encouraged parents to visit the site and familiarise themselves with the information it provides.
Our academies also play a key role in spotting the signs of radicalisation – just as they do when young people experience other threats or difficulties, such as CSE [child sexual exploitation], eating disorders, mental health problems or drugs. Our academies can pick up those behavioural changes which may signal that a student is being radicalised before their peers or even their parents have spotted them. That is why it is so important that academies see protecting children from radicalisation as part of their safeguarding duties. The vast majority of staff in schools do this already and want to play their part. This website, Educate Against Hate is set to become a tool that helps schools do that.
This website provides up-to-date, practical advice that will help heads and governors understand the procedures their school should have in place to robustly tackle the threat, and will help teachers facing these issues in the classroom to understand radicalisation, its warning signs, and crucially where they can get further support.
If you or your family are experiencing a mental health crisis, require immediate help, or are concerned for your own safety or the safety of a child, the following 24/7 services are available:
- 999 – If you have immediate concerns for the safety of a child, contact the police on 999
- SHOUT: text the word SHOUT to 85258 to be connected via text to a trained crisis support worker.
- Samaritans: Call 116 123 for emotional support from anywhere in the UK, at any time.
- Childline: If you are supporting a child under 19, they can call 0800 1111 for free, confidential support that does not show on the phone bill.
- NHS Services: Call 111 (or 111.nhs.uk) to access urgent NHS mental health services and advice.
