Safeguarding

Cost of living support

*Get in touch with us to let us know if you’re struggling with your finances

We know everyone is feeling the pinch this winter and we want to support those families in our school community who are impacted the most. If you’re struggling with your finances, please do get in touch to let us know, as there may be things we can suggest which will help. We want to do everything we can to help you and your child through this difficult winter.

*Contact your local Citizen’s Advice Bureau

Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB)

You don’t have to be a UK citizen to get support from your local CAB, you just need to be a resident of the local area. The CAB can help you with:

• Getting benefits or other financial support organised
• Accessing support for essential costs (food, bills, rent)

Visit the Citizens Advice’s website or contact your local branch to book an appointment.

*Check you’re paying the right amount of tax

Make sure you’re on the right tax code. If you aren’t you might be due a refund. Use the Money Saving Expert’s free tax code calculator to find out.

*Claim any benefits you’re entitled to

Use one of these benefits calculators to determine whether there are any benefits you could be claiming:

• Turn2us
• Policy in Practice
• Support for migrant families – use this calculator if you are a migrant family, or if you have no recourse to public funds

You may be able to get benefits paid early if you’re already feeling the squeeze - this is known as ‘a short-term benefit advance’ - you will need to contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) office that’s dealing with your claim.

*Check you’ve received all the government’s cost of living payments

The government’s cost of living payment is available for those receiving certain benefits or tax credits. You don’t need to apply for these – if you’re eligible the money should go straight into your account.

If you think you’re due a payment but haven’t received one – report a missing payment to the government here.

Be aware of scams! If you receive any emails, texts or phone calls asking you to fill in an application form or asking for your bank details to receive a cost of living payment, do not talk to them or send a reply. Get more information on cost of living scams on the Money Saving Expert’s website.

*Find out what help you can get with your energy bills

Take a look at these resources from Simple Energy Advice, the British Gas Energy Trust and the Money Saving Expert website.

*Let us know if your child is entitled to free school meals (FSM)

If your child is eligible for free school meals (FSM) you need to get them registered. This will allow them to get a free meal at school. KCC Free School Meals

*Get free or low-cost food

If you’re worried about not having enough food to feed your family, you’re not alone. There are a number of places offering support.

• If you have a child under 4, and meet the eligibility criteria, you may be entitled to healthy start food vouchers
• Find a local foodbank with these websites: The Independent Food Aid Network, the Trussell Trust
• Use food waste apps and websites like Olio (for free food and household items from your local community) and Too Good To Go (for low cost food from local restaurants)

*Further information

• Contact StepChange, if you’re struggling with debt
• Contact Shelter if you’re having issues related to housing
• Get free household goods on Freecycle
• Contact the Salvation Army for emergency assistance
• See if you’re eligible for grants from Turn2us
• Single parents can get support from Gingerbread

Please do contact the police or DAVSS if domestic abuse becomes an issue for you or for someone you know. 

Other sources of information and support can be found here:

How to get help and support

Domestic abuse- Information for parents and carers

Women's Aid support

NSPCC Support page

 

Mental illness and suicidal thoughts can affect anyone, of any age, of any background, at any time. Like with physical illnesses, people don’t choose to have a mental health problem. And they need the appropriate care to get better.

Mental illness and suicidal thoughts are common issues for young people.

Signs and symptoms of mental health issues

It can be difficult to know if a child is suffering as they often keep it to themselves.

All children are different but some of the common signs of mental health problems in children include:

• becoming withdrawn from friends and family
• persistent low mood and unhappiness
• tearfulness and irritability
• worries that stop them from carrying out day to day tasks
• sudden outbursts of anger directed at themselves or others
• loss of interest in activities that they used to enjoy
• problems eating or sleeping

It’s important a child or young person gets the right help for mental health problems, suicidal thoughts or self-harm.

If you are concerned about your child please let us know at school so that we can help and you can also find lots of useful information and sources of help below:

NSPCC - suicidal thoughts

NSPCC - self harm

NHS - CAMHS information for parents and carers

YoungMinds

Selfharm.co.uk 

HopelineUK

Samaritans

 

Stop abuse together

The government has launched an advice and support site to help keep children safe from sexual abuse. The site includes advice for parents and carers on spotting the signs of sexual abuse and speaking to your child about relationships and safety. It also signposts to sources of further support for children, adults and professionals including the NSPCC helpline and Childline.  

Stop abuse together

Harmful Sexual Behaviour Prevention Toolkit

A toolkit designed for parents, carers, family members and professionals, to help everyone play their part in keeping children safe. It has links to useful information, resources, and support as well as practical tips to prevent harmful sexual behaviour and provide safe environments for families.

HSB Toolkit

‘Stop It Now!’ are a child protection charity working to prevent child sexual abuse by making sure adults know what they can do to keep children safe.

‘Stop It Now!’ Resources linked to HSB

Stop It Now information and resources

The internet is amazing. Children can play, learn, create and connect - opening up a whole world of exciting possibilities. But with the digital world changing all the time, how can you make sure your child’s staying safe?

We all know that it can sometimes be challenging to keep up to speed with what children and young people are doing online.

Online Safety

• Advice on online security can be accessed at www.getsafeonline.org/
• Make the most of the parental controls on your children’s internet enabled devices and games consoles to help restrict access to inappropriate content. They can also help you manage how much time your child spends online.
• Do your research and select the tools which are most suitable to you, your child and the technology in your home. Find more information on parental controls at: www.internetmatters.org   www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/a-parents-guide
• Set up filters on internet search engines to limit the likelihood of your children accidentally coming across inappropriate content when searching online.
• Ensure your child understands that parental controls are in place to protect them, not restrict them; some children will actively work around parental controls if they feel constrained without knowing why.
• Read any parental guidance and safety recommendations for games, apps or websites before allowing your child to use them. 

• The following guides provide balanced information to help you make informed decisions:
  • www.net-aware.org.uk,
  • www.askaboutgames.com/
  • www.commonsensemedia.org

• Be aware that parental control tools and filters are not always 100% effective and you can’t rely on them alone to protect your child online. It’s important to monitor and supervise your child’s online activities; where possible access should take place in a family area, but this will depend on the age and ability of your child.

Dialogue

• Maintain an open mind and positive attitude when talking with your child about the internet. Take an active interest in your child’s online activities and engage in their online world with them.

• Ask your child which games, apps, websites or tools they like to use and why; playing together with your child can often open opportunities to discuss safe behaviour online.
• Ask your child if they know where to go for help; do they know where to find safety advice or information about privacy settings and know how to report or block users on their games and websites.

• Make sure your child knows that they should come to you, or another trusted adult, for help if something happens online that makes them feel scared, worried or uncomfortable.
• Talk to your child about being kind online and encourage them not to retaliate or reply to cyberbullying and to keep any evidence; you may need to show your child how to take screenshots on their device.
• Have a look at the following links for useful tips on talking to children about online safety in an age appropriate way:
  • www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/have-a-conversation
  • www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/talking-your-child-staying-safe-online/

      

You will find a wealth of information and sources of support from the below:

• Think U Know - Information from CEOP about online abuse and exploitation
• Internet Matters - Information from BT, Sky, Talk Talk and Virgin
  • Parents pack - posters, banners and presentations to use with parents
  • Digital resilience toolkits
  • Leaflets 
  • What the experts say
• Childnet - Information for parents and carers
  • Family agreements and conversation starters
  • Supporting Young People Online Leaflets
  • Keeping under fives safe online Leaflets
  • Music, TV, Film and the Internet Leaflets
  • Parents resource sheet
  • Screen time boundaries
  • Digital Wellbeing guidance
  • Critical thinking
  • Live Streaming
• UK Safer Internet Centre parents advice
• The Parent Zone - guidance for parents and professionals working with families
• Parent Info - Excellent resource to include on school/setting websites
• NSPCC Online Safety - NSPCC Online Safety advice
  • O2 and NSPCC
  • Talking to your child
• Barnardo's Follow me
• Barnardo's Be Safe guide for parents and children about sexual exploitation
• Parents Protect - Lucy Faithfull Foundation
• Get Safe Online
• Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI)
• Vodafone Digital Parenting
• EE Digital Living resources - for schools and parents and carers
• NWG and UK Safer Internet Centre leaflet: Online: Onguard - A Guide to Becoming a Safer Parent Online 
• KSCB and Trading Standards Leaflet for Parents and Carers (PDF, 221.6 KB) August 2015
• Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health - Screen Time guidance

 

Substance misuse is one of the most common and yet preventable risks to a young person’s health and development. All drugs have the potential to cause harm some can be addictive and using drugs in combination can increase risk.

Alcohol and tobacco are strongly addictive; both legal and illegal drugs and their use amongst teenagers and young adults is widespread. Smoking, drinking and trying drugs is one of the most common ways in which young people do this.

If you are concerned about underage drinking or drug taking you will find sources of information and support from the below:

NSPCC

YoungMinds

Family Lives

NHS

Talk to Frank

The Young Person's Service from Addaction is available via phone on 01795 500881 or via email at yadmin@addaction.org.uk

 

Keep your child safe on WhatsApp

 

What are the risks?

• Bullying, particularly in group chats
• Seeing content of a sexual nature, or showing violence and hatred
• Settings that allow messages to disappear after 24 hours or 7 days. This could make it harder to track bullying, and your child might share things they wouldn’t otherwise because it’ll disappear
• Sharing their live location, particularly with people they don’t know in person
• Spam or hoax messages
• Being exposed to strangers through group chats

WhatsApp says the minimum age to use it is 16, but younger children can still use it easily.

 

6 steps to help your child use WhatsApp safely

 

1. Keep their personal information and location private

By default, WhatsApp shows profile photos, status and when you last used it to all users.

Encourage your child to only share this information with their contacts, and be careful about who they talk to on the app, as anyone could pretend to be a child online.

To check and change these settings:

• On an iPhone, open settings in WhatsApp (the cog icon), then Account > Privacy. Tap the setting you want to change, then choose who it should be visible to
• On Android, tap the 3 dots in the top-right of the home screen, then > Settings > Account > Privacy. Tap the setting you want to change, then choose who it should be visible to

WhatsApp also has a feature that you can use to share your ‘live location’ with others. Tell your child to keep this turned off, or to only share their location with people they trust.

To check this:

• On an iPhone, go to phone Settings (the cog icon) > WhatsApp > Location, and tap to change if you need to
• On Android, go to privacy settings as above, then scroll down to ‘Live location’, and tap to change if you need to

 

2. Remind your child to be careful about what they share

It’s easy to forward messages, photos and videos to others on WhatsApp. Even if your child sets a message to automatically disappear or deletes it after sharing it, the person they send it to could still screenshot it, forward it to someone else, or save it.

So before they share anything, tell them to ask themselves: “Would I want others to see what I’m about to send?”

 

3. Remind your child they can leave group chats

If they see something they’re not comfortable with in a group chat, or are in a chat with someone they don’t know and are uncomfortable with, they should leave the group. To do this:

• On an iPhone, go into the group chat, tap the group subject, then > Exit group > Exit group
• On Android, go into the group chat, tap the group subject, then > Exit group > Exit

 

4. Make sure your child knows how to report and block people

When they first receive a message from an unknown number, they’ll have the option to report it.

If someone in your child’s contacts is upsetting them or making them uncomfortable, they can report or block them at any point (WhatsApp won’t tell the user they’ve been blocked/reported).

To do this:

• On an iPhone, open settings in WhatsApp, go to Account > Privacy > Blocked > Add New…, then find the contact they want to block, and tap the contact
• On Android, tap the 3 dots icon, then Settings, then tap Account > Privacy > Blocked contacts, tap the icon in the top right showing a person and a plus sign, search for the contact they want to block, then tap the contact to block them

To report issues like offensive or abusive content or spam:

• On an iPhone, open the chat with the user you want to report, tap the contact then then tap Report Contact > Report And Block
• On Android, open the chat with the user you want to report, then tap the 3 dots icon, then > More > Report

 

5. Encourage your child to watch out for spam and hoax messages

These can appear to come from contacts, as well as people they don’t know. Tell your child to watch out for messages that:

• Ask them to tap on a link, or specifically to click on a link to activate a new feature
• Ask them to share personal information like bank account details, date of birth or passwords
• Ask them to forward the message
• Say they have to pay to use WhatsApp
• Have spelling or grammar errors

 

6. Let us know about any bullying they experience

Look for signs they your child may be being bullied, like being afraid or reluctant to go to school, feeling nervous, losing confidence or becoming distressed and withdrawn, or losing sleep.

Andrew Tate

You may have seen this name pop up in the news, or you may have heard about him from your children. Find out who he is, why he’s in the news, the risks he poses and how to talk about him at home.

Who is Andrew Tate?

• Social media influencer with over 5 million followers on Twitter
• Former professional kickboxer
• Previous Big Brother contestant

Why is he in the news?

In 2022, Andrew Tate was banned from YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok due to his controversial and misogynistic (hatred and discrimination against women) posts.

In December 2022, he was arrested in Romania along with his brother on suspicion of human trafficking, organised crime and rape.

How does this affect our children?

Andrew Tate, sometimes referred to as the ‘king of misogyny’, is a famous and influential figure on social media, even after being banned. He draws a lot of attention to his extreme wealth, luxury lifestyle and possessions, such as his expensive cars.

Children may still see his content (as other people can still share his posts) and may believe that acting and thinking like he does will lead to fame, fortune and success.

He promotes ideas such as:

• Men are more important and more powerful than women
• Violence against woman is okay
• Men shouldn’t show emotion

He has said things like:

• “I think the women belong to the man”
• “[Women are] intrinsically lazy”
• “[There is] no such thing as an independent female”
• “Depression isn’t real”
• “The hallmark of a real man is controlling himself, controlling his emotions, and acting appropriately regardless of how he feels”

We know children are talking about Andrew Tate, and boys in particular are being influenced and ‘groomed’ by his views, with concerns that his power and influence could lead to radicalisation and violence against women. Girls are also in danger of accepting that what he says about women is true (i.e. that they’re worth less than men).

What can we do as parents?

1. Read recent news articles about Andrew Tate, if you’re not already familiar with him (you can find some in the ‘Sources’ box below).
2. Ask your child what they’re getting up to online – show genuine interest, don’t judge them or tell them what they should and shouldn’t be doing. Children are more likely to share if they feel you’re interested, rather than trying to check up on them.
3. Have open discussions about Andrew Tate – don’t tell your child how to think, but question their thinking and understanding. Ask if they believe what Andrew Tate says, for example his comments that women “belong” to men, and how that might make the women in their lives feel, or they themselves feel. The charity Bold Voices have a great toolkit to help with this, which you can find in the ‘Sources’ box below.
4. Be role models – encourage your child to be open with their emotions. Teach them that it’s okay to cry if you’re sad. Show respect for women and girls, and encourage your child to model this behaviour.

 

Sources Andrew Tate’s appeal to Birmingham schoolboys ‘looking for direction’, BBC News Parent Toolkit, Bold Voices How to talk to your children about Andrew Tate and online misogyny, Evening Standard How to talk to children about Andrew Tate and other toxic views online, The British Psychological Society ‘We see misogyny every day’: how Andrew Tate’s twisted ideology infiltrated British schools, The Guardian