Pastoral Care & Wellbeing

These links are helpful to supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health for children, young people and empowering their parents and carers.

Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Archives – Essex Local Offer

Mental health and Wellbeing – Suffolk County Council

Online Workshops – Lincolnshire Young Minds

Young Minds is an online information and advice site for young people and parents, which includes a parent phone helpline. Young people experiencing a mental health crisis can text YM to 85258 for Crisis messenger service, for free 24/7 crisis support.

ChildLine

Kooth is an online counselling and well-being platform for children and young people. Message or chat with a counsellor and access helpful resources online. Supports with stress and anxiety, and other common issues with friendships or family relationships, bullying, self-harm and lack of self-worth.

STEM4

NSPCC

Shout 85258

Childnet is a charity that empowers children, young people, and their support network with safer online lives. Information for parents.

Internet Matters is an online guidance site for parents on digital living. Practical advice on the steps parents can take to keep children and young people safe on social media, gaming and around the web.

Health for Teens is an online information site for young people aged 11-19 to learn about their health. A comprehensive range of physical and emotional health topics for teenagers, including healthy eating, body image, managing stress, advice on relationships, puberty, sexuality and much more. Resources include video clips, audio and quizzes.

Chat Health is a confidential instant text messaging service for young people aged 11-19 to contact a qualified health professional for advice about physical or emotional health.

All Sorts Youth To listen to, connect and support lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and exploring (LGBT+) children, young people and their families through youth work, and challenge exclusion, prejudice and discrimination in all areas of their lives.

The Essex Child and Family Well Being Service is free for families in Essex with children and young people aged 8 – 9. Working together to find solutions to family problems, which may include linking up with a Family Mentor who could provide family support for up to 10 weeks.
T: 01206 505250 or E: families@community360.org.uk

Anxiety and Depression

These links are helpful for those suffering from anxiety and depression.

Positive Penguins – This is aimed at 8-12 years old to understand their feelings and to challenge negative thinking.

SAM – This is a self-help app for anxiety for older students.

Suicide and Self Harm

These links are helpful to those with suicidal feelings and those self-harming.

Samaritans

Charlie Walker Memorial Trust

National Self-Harm Network

Calm Harm

You can talk to any member of staff. All staff at School are trained in safeguarding matters. You can be confident that staff will listen to you and take any action necessary to keep you (or another student) safe, whilst doing everything we can to respect your wishes. You may wish to contact a member of the safeguarding team directly. Go to the main school office and ask to speak to the Safeguarding Lead.

For Senior School Safeguarding:

Mrs Amanda Gwynne – Assistant Principal Pastoral and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): a.gwynne@gosfieldschool.org.uk

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSL) –

Mr Rod Jackson Principal: r.jackson@gosfieldschool.org.uk

Mr John Cooper Vice Principal: j.cooper@gosfieldschool.org.uk

For Prep School Safeguarding:

Mrs Heather Bougeard, Head of Prep School, DDSL and EYFS: h.bougeard@gosfieldschool.org.uk

Call the main School switchboard on 01787 474040 and ask to speak to the Safeguarding Lead (Amanda Gwynne). For pastoral or welfare issues which are not safeguarding concerns, please contact the relevant Form Tutor or Head of House.

The Safeguarding Lead and deputies, together with Form Tutors, will endeavour to ensure that particularly vulnerable students remain safe during longer holiday periods by passing on information and concerns to parents/carers, other family members or outside agencies as appropriate before the holiday period begins. During term-time, within normal School opening hours, there will always be a member of the safeguarding team who can be contacted, but this will not be the case at other times. Students and parents should be aware that School staff will not usually check or respond to email during evenings and weekends and when on holiday. Students and parents should not expect an immediate response to any concerns communicated via email and therefore should not use this channel of communication if the issue is urgent.

If you believe somebody is in immediate danger, phone 999. To speak to somebody about a child protection issue: • Social Care (daytime) 0345 603 7627 • Social Care (eve/weekend) 0345 606 1212 For serious mental health concerns: • EWMHS referrals 0300 300 1600 • EWMHS (out of hours) 0300 555 1201 Please be aware that you can visit the Accident and Emergency Department of hospitals in the event of a mental health crisis.

The following contacts may also be useful for advice and help

• Samaritans 116 123
• Essex Police (non-emergency) 101
• ChildLine 0800 1111
• NHS Direct 111

Safeguarding is defined as: • protecting children from maltreatment • preventing impairment of children’s health or development • ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care • and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes A “child” is anybody under the age of 18. However, we do not treat our students differently after their 18th birthday. Although referrals to outside agencies will be different for students aged 18 and over, the support available in School remains the same.

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/ NCA-CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre) offers advice to young people and their parents about on-line safety

https://educateagainsthate.com/ offers advice to parents about radicalisation

This term refers to protection from physical, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect. Young people can be affected by violence in the home, even if it is not directed at them, and by issues such as addiction in the family. Please tell us if a student is suffering difficult conditions at home, so that we can support them. Other sources of help and information

https://www.essex.gov.uk/report-a-concern-about-a-child outlines help available from Essex Children’s Services, including early intervention and making a request for help

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/ national charity to prevent child abuse and support survivors