Early Help for Children and Families
By providing early help for our children and families we aim to support them as soon as a problem emerges. We aim to support the child and the family at the different stages of development and throughout their time here at St John's C of E Academy.
Gloucestershire Family Information Service (FIS)
Advisors give impartial information on childcare, finances, parenting and education. FIS are a useful source of information for parents and professionals. They support families, children and young people aged 0-19 years of age (25 for young people with additional needs) and professionals working with these families. They can help link parents up with other organisations that might be able to help or provide the information themselves e.g. parents could ask them about holiday clubs for your children across Gloucestershire.
Contact the FIS by emailing:
familyinfo@gloucestershire.gov.uk or telephone: (0800) 542 0202 or (01452) 427362. FIS also have a website which has a wealth of information to support many issues such as childcare and support for children with disabilities. www.glosfamilies.org
GSCB (Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children’s Board)
Important information for parents and professionals across Gloucestershire in relation to keeping children safe and avenues of support, including Early Help options.
E-Safety
Technology is constantly changing. How can we keep our children safe whilst still enjoying the benefits of the internet?
The links below give parents helpful advice on this subject.
Children or young people with multiple needs (vulnerable) or multiple needs (complex) requiring
multi-agency input or assessment
Within Gloucestershire, Early Help Partnership (co-ordinated by Families First Plus) provides multi-agency support for children and families. A phone call to discuss a possible referral is helpful before making written referral. Parents must consent to a referral. Christ Church actively seeks support when appropriate.
Early Help Partnership/Families First Plus:
cheltenhamearlyhelp@gloucestershire.gov.uk
01452 328161.
These teams are made up of Early Help Co-ordinators, Community Social Workers and Family Support Workers. They work together from one base so they can recognise and respond to local needs and act as a focal point for co-ordinating support for vulnerable children, young people and their families.
Support provided includes:
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Support for school and community based lead professionals working with children and families collaboration with social care referrals that do not meet their thresholds, to co-ordinate support within the community
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partnership working to support children with special educational needs in school
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advice and guidance from a social work perspective on a 'discussion in principle basis'
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signposting children with disabilities and their families to access activities and meet specific needs;
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advice and guidance to lead professionals and the provision of high quality parenting and family support services to families.
Emotional Health and Wellbeing
If you are concerned about your child’s emotional health and wellbeing, please speak to your child’s class teacher so they can help support your child in school. You can also contact the school nurse for further advice.
Telephone 0300 421 1795
E-mail GlosSchoolNurseLocalityTeam@glos-care.nhs.uk
Website School Nursing
For more information about emotional health and wellbeing, you can also visit the following websites:
Childline
Beat Bullying
Young Minds
Caring for Communities and People (CCP)
CCP is based in Cheltenham and aims to support individuals and families in a variety of ways. The details below have been taken from their website. Their contact details are:
01242 228 999
or visit Cheltenham 1st Stop, 301-305 High Street, Cheltenham, GL50 3HW
For Cheltenham Advice & Inclusion Service, call 01242 694530
Their Purpose:
CCP exists to improve the lives of children, young people, families and vulnerable adults who have multiple and complex needs. Our priority is to those who have been excluded or have excluded themselves from mainstream services.
We work in partnership with the person and other agencies to create a sustainable and portable package of care and support networks, which enable them to realise their aspirations and reach their full potential in life.
Their Mission:
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Promote and support healthy living
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Help maintain a safe and stable home environment
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Encourage and support learning and achievement
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Promote respect and positive social behaviour
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Encourage personal economic sustainability
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Provide both crisis and preventative services
Drug Concerns
Drugs education is covered in the school curriculum.
The Life Education Bus visits annually as part of the provision of PSHE/SMSC in school.
www.infobuzz.co.uk/: Info Buzz provides individual targeted support around drugs & emotional health issues, development of personal & social skills, and information & support around substance misuse.
www.onyourmind.nhs.uk – provides advice on drug/alcohol misuse.
Domestic Abuse
If you, or someone you know, is affected by domestic abuse there are a number of things you can do. You can:
Call the police (999 in an emergency or 101 for a non-emergency situation).
Contact GDASS on 0845 602 9035for practical local support.
- GDASS can help you and your children stay safe in your own home.
- GDASS can help you access specialist legal advice.
- GDASS can help you with other agencies (e.g. Benefits and Housing).
- If you cannot stay at home, GDASS can help you find a Place of Safety.
- GDASS can help you and your children move on.
Contact a help line:
National Domestic Violence Helpline (0808 2000 247).
National Centre for Domestic Abuse (0844 8044 999).
Men’s Advice Line (0808 801 0327).
CARP: 0845 602 9035 (providing advice for victims of domestic violence)
At St Johns Church of England Academy we recognise that by supporting families in need as early as possible we may help to avert a more serious incident or situation arising for the child in our care.
Our school will support all children by:
- Providing a supportive caring ethos where children are treated as individuals and their difficulties treated sensitively and they are kept safe
- Listening and responding to children’s concerns
- Talking to children and asking if everything is all right for them
- Building up positive relationships with parents so they feel able to ask for help and school feels that speaking with them would help matters for the child.
- Providing opportunities for children to express their concerns
- A Thrive Practitioner
- Monitoring the use of Pupil Premium spending and keeping a reserve for support that may need funding
- Talking to each other as a staff to ensure we have a full picture of any difficulties a family might be facing.
- Liaising with external professionals e.g. social worker, CYPS
- Finding suitable, accessible parenting courses
- Providing Safeguarding training
- Offering preventative signposting
- Using the PinK Safeguarding Curriculum (available through GHLL), Child Sexual Exploitation screening tool, listening to the voice of the child to identify Female Genital Mutilation
- Response to radicalisation
- Suicide prevention
- Holding ‘ Team Around the Child’ meetings
- Working with the Multi-Agency Working Hub (MARAC MASH and Social Care) referral processes and considering permanency for the child/young person.