Family Support, Well Being & Safeguarding
Family Support, Well Being & Safeguarding
We take safeguarding very seriously. If you have any concerns about a child's safety, please contact us immediately.
Safeguarding Contacts
Mrs Dearn - Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mr Abbey - Safeguarding Officer/Deputy DSL
Mr Heather - Deputy DSL
Everyone has the right to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. Children, young people and vulnerable adults have the legal right to be protected from harm to enable them to grow and develop in a safe, healthy and nurturing environment.
Safeguarding children is everyone's business. Everyone who comes into contact with children and families has a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
If a child is in immediate danger, you should contact the police by dialling 999
If you have concerns about a child or young person suffering from harm, neglect or abuse, but believe they are not at immediate risk, call Sandwell Children’s Safeguarding Partnership on 0121 569 3100
Childline | Childline – For free and confidential advice
NSPCC – If you're worried about a child, it can be hard to know what to do. We've got information and advice on different types of child abuse, how to spot the signs and what you can do to help keep children safe.
Family Support, Well Being and Safeguarding
St James Church of England Primary School remains fully committed to the health and well being of our children. Staff at St James endeavour to deliver these shared values:
- All children and young people need to be, and have a right to be safe from abuse and neglect.
- All work will be underpinned by the principles of the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child.
- Agencies and their staff have a shared responsibility to work together and safeguard children and young people, and to promote their welfare.
- Children and young people’s well being and safety will be at the heart of all our work.
- The views of children, young people and their families will be utilised to influence our work.
- All children and young people are unique and all our work will consider and address issues, diversity and vulnerability.
- Prevention, proactive and promotion strategies will be an important aspect of our work to safeguard children and young people.
Extra Familial Harm
Our well-being practice is very much shaped by our approach to understanding contextual safeguarding, and how these issues can impact on our children and their wider families.
Through our long established relationship with West Midlands Police, we receive information regarding the current contextual issues presenting themselves within our local area. This allows us to communicate these concerns to our parents via parent workshops, face to face or through links to eLearning opportunities.
In addition to multi agency work with Police, our well-being team attend Neighbourhood Safety meetings and have formed positive working relationships with key agencies such as Housing, ASB Team, Local Counsellors, Youth Workers, Public Health and many more to ensure that we are fully aware of the risk factors within our local area.
Family Support
Linda Bains – Child & Family Support Worker
Craig Abbey – Lead Parent Support & Safeguarding Officer
To contact our Family Support Team call 0121 552 5491
Linda Bains is a key member of the Well-Being team, offering family support where needed to overcome barriers for children and their families.
The Well-Being team are able to signpost to a large variety of agencies. Referrals to external agencies are completed on behalf of families where needed. Here are a few examples of the key agencies the Well-Being Team are able to offer support via:
- financial support through Wellfare Rights
- housing support through well-established links with the local neighbourhood officers
- targeted family support and parenting support through the local Family Hub
- support through Black Country Women’s Aid
- links with local after school provision via the Lion Farm Action Centre
- Black Country Food Bank and Citizens Advice
Uniform support is also available through the following link CLICK HERE.
Please feel free to make contact with our Well-Being Team. We are able to support with a large variety of issues impacting on family life and preventing consistent school attendance. Life comes with lots of challenges and we will endeavour to do all we can to support and assist you to overcome yours.
Mentoring Support
Mentoring sessions are provided by Mrs Hadley and Miss Howell. Targeting a wide variety of issues such as self-esteem, social skills, bereavement, attitude towards learning/behaviour. These sessions are structured with set targets to overcome barriers to both learning and social, emotional and mental health. As a school, we are extremely fortunate to have a well-being room along with our well-being garden and a log cabin classroom that is used for Forest School mentoring sessions.
Multi Agency Approach
The Well-Being Team at St James work closely with Sandwell Children’s Trust and Strengthening Families Service to ensure that we’re able to meet the needs of our vulnerable families.
Early Help Assessments are offered to parents and subsequently submitted with their consent. Early intervention is key in preventing low level issues becoming significant safeguarding concerns.
Mental Health First Aid
We have a number of staff in school that are qualified Mental Health First Aiders. They are, Linda Bains – Child & Family Support Worker, Cheryl Hadley – SEMH Leader and Chris Sale - Chair of Governors.
Safeguarding Day
The Safeguarding Day has been delivered in school to our pupils in year 6 for the last seven years. Children benefit from interaction with members of key agencies such as Police, Anti-Social Behaviour Team, DECCA and Black Country Women’s Aid.
Rewind – The aim of the session is to educate young people around issues of identity, belonging and racism. The session looks at what their identity is and why it is important and touches upon the subject of extremism.
Sandwell ASB - The ASB Team deliver a presentation covering the definition and examples of anti-social behaviour, the consequences and feelings for the victim and perpetrator. It also includes a group exercise where the students design a dream park which they then destroy with ASB.
Police - The police will tailor the session for the young people and schools need. But will often explore social media and the online world, as well as issues like theft, robbery and knife crime, plus some safety tips and advice for keeping themselves safer.
DECCA - The DECCA session for year 6 looks at alcohol and cannabis. It explores what the two drugs are, what the effects are, what the risks are and also what the law says about both drugs. The session also looks at what to do in an emergency and where someone may go for help and support.
Black Country Women’s Aid – The Women’s Aid session covers the topic of Healthy Relationships. It looks at understanding different relationships, recognising healthy and unhealthy traits in relationships and also looks at what consent is.
Operation Encompass
Operation Encompass - In every force, in every school, for every child
What is Encompass?
Operation Encompass is a Police and Education early intervention safeguarding partnership that supports children and young people exposed to Domestic Abuse. It aims to ensure Schools are notified in a timely manner of any Domestic Abuse incident where child/ren are present or registered at the address. This early notification should mean that, in the majority of cases, schools are alerted in readiness for the children arriving at school the first working day following an incident.
Key Agencies
Black Country Women’s Aid
Black Country Womens Aid
Black Country Women’s Aid is an independent charity which has supported survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence in the West Midlands for 30 years.
Need help? Call us on 0121 553 0090
CAMHS
Sandwell CAMHS is a specialist mental health service commissioned to provide interventions to those children, young people and their families who are experiencing/most vulnerable to mental health problems and present with concerns that are severe and/or complex in nature. CAMHS support young people aged between 5-18 years of age with a GP registered in the Sandwell area.
Kooth
Kooth is an online counselling and emotional well-being platform for children and young people, accessible through mobile, tablet and desktop and free at the point of use.
For more information about Kooth click here: Kooth
Kaleidoscope
The Kaleidoscope Plus Group - Primary Mental Health Workers
Primary Mental Health Workers (PMHWs) work with children and young people, families and carers and professionals providing support where there are emotional or mental health concerns.
Barnardos
We know parents want the best for their children. That’s why we run our Family Hubs and Family Centres, to help support parents and carers to ensure every child has the best start in life.
What are Family Hubs and Family Centres?
Our Family Hubs and Family Centres are fun and friendly safe spaces for parents, parents-to-be, carers, and children to learn, develop, and find support.
We created our Family Hubs and Family Centres to help parents and carers make new connections, access information, and find the most appropriate support for them and the children in their care.
Sandwell School Health Nursing
Other Helpful Mental Health Support Services
- Black Country Healthcare NHS 24/7 Mental Health Helpline for advice, Crisis Support or Mental Health Service signposting for Adults or CYP Services - 0800 008 6516
- Specialist CAMHS – 0121 612 6620 (Sandwell) or 01902 444021 (Wolverhampton)
- Samaritans – www.samaritans.org - Call 116123 open 24/7
- Sandwell Healthy Minds (16+) Call 0303 033 9903 or www.sandwellhealthyminds.nhs.uk
- Wolverhampton Healthy Minds (16+) Call 0800 923 0222 or www.wolverhamptonhealthyminds.nhs.uk
- Shout - https://giveusashout.org/ - Text SHOUT to 85258 open 24/7
- Winston’s Wish Child Bereavement Support - www.winstonswish.org – Helpline for Parents and School Staff call 08088 020 021 Mon-Fri 9-5pm
- Edwards Trust Bereavement Support - Edward's Trust | Helping children and families facing loss and surviving bereavement. Call 0121 454 1705 Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 9.00am – 5.00pm, Weds 9.00am – 8.00pm
- Beat (Eating Disorders) - www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk – Various Helplines, WebChat and Support Groups available (including for Students, Young People and Parents)
- Young Minds – www.youngminds.org.uk
Advice for Parents
For any additional information please visit Sandwell Family information Service Hub: Family Information Service Hub
Team
Mrs Hadley
Lead Adviser Wellbeing & SEMH
Miss Howell
Behaviour Support Mentor
Mr Abbey
Lead Parent Support and Safeguarding Officer
Mrs Bains
Family Support Worker
Team
Mrs Hadley
Lead Adviser Wellbeing & SEMH
Mr Abbey
Lead Parent Support and Safeguarding Officer
Mrs Bains
Family Support Worker
