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Safeguarding

Ensuring the safety and well-being of students at Park House School is our top priority and therefore we have policies and procedures which surround the issue of safeguarding young people.

Safeguarding means that we aim to ensure the well-being of students both emotionally and physically, and will take steps in order to ensure that young people are not at risk, either from themselves or from others.

The steps that the school might take are:

  • meeting with the young person to explore the issue
  • meeting with the parent/s or guardian to explore the issue
  • liaising and meeting with other agencies or professionals who are involved with the young person or family (for example, CAMHS, Early response hub or School nurses among many others)
  • making a referral to Social Services and liaising with them.

Social Services are first and foremost a preventative agency – they seek to support families to get back on track and make change happen in their lives to ensure that young people are kept safe. It is with this in mind that the school might refer to Social Services: to seek support for the family and young person. Unless the risk is presented by the parents or guardians, the school will either consult with them about the referral or inform them that a referral is taking place.

Please click here for a copy of our safeguarding policy.

The Prevent Strategy

Prevent aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Prevent is part of the safeguarding work that Park House undertakes. There is also a section within the safeguarding policy which addresses the concept of anti-radicalisation.

What to do if you feel that a young person is at risk:

If you are a student at the school:

  • Tell a member of staff about it if you’re in school;
  • Tell your parents or guardian about it if you’re at home;
  • Make a online report using the schools “Report IT” facility Here
  • Report using the worry postbox in the MFL corridor 
  • Call Childline (0800 1111), The Samaritans (08457 909090) etc.

If you are a parent/ Carer: 

West Berkshire’s FREE Wellbeing Support

SAFE

SAFE! Support for Young People Affected by Crime (“SAFE!”) supports young people aged 5 up to 18 in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire who have been victims of crime and who are finding it hard to recover from their experiences. The crimes experienced by young people referred to the project can include severe bullying, robbery, hate crimes, sexual assaults, violent offences, or witnessing domestic violence. These young people report feeling unsafe in their key environments (their home, school, town and/or neighbourhood) and some have become virtual prisoners in their homes. SAFE! works with them to help them to feel safe again, recover their confidence and develop their resilience.

Contact Number 0800 133 7938 

http://www.safeproject.org.uk/

Time to Talk

A free, confidential counselling charity for young people aged between 11 and 25, who live, work, study or are registered with a GP surgery, in West Berkshire.

Website - t2twb.org

Contact Number – 01635 760331

Emotional Health Academy

The Emotional Health Academy (EHA) is West Berkshire’s support for mild to moderate mental health in children and young people. Our goal is to help children and young people as early as possible and to stop emotional health problems from getting worse.

The Academy is made up of a team of Emotional Health Workers who work in schools and offer parenting workshops, and Primary Mental Health Workers who assess and support young people as well as providing Emotional Health Worker supervision. The Primary Mental Health Workers accept referrals from the Emotional Health Triage only.

Help can be accessed through the Emotional Health Triage service.

Emotional Health Triage (EHT) is the way that West Berkshire services work together to make sure children and young people get the right emotional and mental health support when they need it. It is a front door to many different early help services around emotional and mental health. One potential support option is the EHA but there are many other organisations and avenues for support which may be recommended.

BEDs

We’re a multi-disciplinary team made up of child and adolescent psychiatrists, dieticians, family therapists, nurses, psychologists and psychotherapists. We work closely with young people and their families or carers to develop a package of care tailored to their individual needs. We also provide advice and training to GPs, schools and social care services. We see young people aged 8-18 with an eating disorder and who have preoccupying worries and difficulties with eating and concerns about their weight and shape.

Call: 0118 904 3010  Email: BEDSchildrenadmin@berkshire.nhs.uk

Bounce Back for Kids

Bounce Back 4 Kids (BB4K) is a support programme developed by PACT that uses therapeutic techniques to support children who have been affected by or witnessed domestic abuse. The programme works with children and their parents or carers to heal from trauma through a series of therapeutic support sessions.

Contact 0300 456 4800 Website – www.pactcharity.org/bb4k/

Berkshire Women’s Aid

We provide confidential support, information, outreach services and refuge accommodation for women and their children who are affected by domestic abuse and violence.  We work throughout Bracknell, Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham, and we are affiliated to the Women’s Aid Federation of England (WAFE).

Call Our Helpline Now: 0808 801 0882 helpdesk@bwaid.org.uk

Autism Advisor

Support for families and carers following a diagnosis of Autism by:

Listening to parents concerns and answering questions

  • Providing guidance and information for families

  • Sign posting to other services and voluntary organisations.

  • Managing and delivering training programmes for parents

Contact name – Kelly Evans 

E-mail - Kelly.Evans1@westberks.gov.uk

Swings and Smiles

Swings & Smiles offers play sessions for children with special needs and their whole family at our centre in Thatcham. We have specialist play resources to enable children with a wide range of disabilities to play with siblings and other family members in a secure and safe environment. Families are welcome from any towns or counties. We currently running play sessions out and about in the local area.

Family’s must contact and register through the website: office@swingsandsmiles.co.uk.

Home-Start

Home-Start is a local community network of trained volunteers and expert support helping families with young children through their challenging times. We are there for parents when they need us the most because childhood can’t wait.

Contact number – 01635 760310

Website www.home-startwestberks.org.uk

Online Support 

SHOUT - 24 hour UK confidential text messaging service - text about anything that is worrying you to trained volunteers and clinical specialists

Website www.giveusashout.org  Text 85258

Kooth - free online counselling and emotional wellbeing support for young people 11 to 18 years of age.

Website www.kooth.com

Supporting mental health and wellbeing

Good mental health and wellbeing is the most important thing for everyone in Park House School, both students and staff. While we do not control all the things that shape mental health beyond school, we will always consider the impact of the decisions we make on the wellbeing of staff and students.

In the curriculum we directly teach our students about their emotional health. Our PSHE curriculum throughout all years focuses on developing resilience, understanding social and emotional learning, healthy habits and mental illness.

We aim to teach students to understand and love each subject for its own sake. We do not see GCSEs and A Levels as requirements to jump through examination hoops, but seek to make education an enjoyable and enriching experience.

In ensuring excellent behaviour we have a consistent whole school approach with clear routines of behaviour, well communicated social norms and familiar routines bringing a sense of calm. The key emphasis in our approach to behaviour is to allow young people to self-regulate, so they develop the skills of capable adulthood.

If you have any concerns about the mental health of a young person at PArk House School, then please contact his or her Head of Year or our safeguard team. In addition, this web page below has a list of helpful contacts. Some of these are local to Newbury, while others are nationwide, but all offer information and support.

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