The Trust promotes a culture where everyone feels confident about sharing any and all concerns they may have about their own safety and wellbeing or the safety and wellbeing of others.  

Our aim is to safeguard and promote the welfare of children by:

• protecting them 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 robust action to enable all children to have the best outcomes possible.

Are you concerned about a child? Please let us know by contacting

Safeguarding@charternorthdulwich.org.uk  (This email is monitored during school hours)

or contact our school by calling 0207 346 6610 or 0207 346 6677

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If you have an immediate safeguarding concern where a child is at risk of harm please contact the Police on 999.

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If you have any concerns for Social Care please contact the Southwark MASH duty team on 020 7525 1921 or 020 7525 5000 (Out of hours number).

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Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is Ms Pitts, our Safeguarding Link Governors is Ms Karen Robinson (Contact via the Head of Governance: svarcoe@tcset.org.uk)

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For more information on Southwark Safeguarding and contact please see https://safeguarding.southwark.gov.uk/

At Charter North Dulwich we work with a range of external services to get the right support for you and your child. There are details of some ofthe most common ones below. If you think you or your child would benefit from the support of these services you can refer yourself or contact a member of the safeguarding team who can complete a referral on your behalf.

Family Early Help:

What is Early Help?

Early Help means providing support as soon as a problememerges, at any point in a child’s life, from the foundation years through tothe teenage years.

It is the support given to children, young people and theirfamilies where they have additional needs that aren't being met by universalservices (services that are available to everyone, like health and education).These needs may relate to anything from housing and financial support tomedical provision and care.

The overall purpose of Early help is stopping problemsand issues from escalating. It relies on accurate early identification ofdifficulties and early action which is personalised, targeted and evaluated. Itinvolves targeted activity, with specific actions being put into place toaddress a specific issue or combination of issues

It may involve light touch support or more intensiveintervention which is outlined in a support plan. When a plan is aplace it will include with identified actions, responsibilities andoutcomes, which are then reviewed after an agreed period of time.

For more information, please see below:

Southwark

Lambeth

Lewisham

Children’s social care:

What does a referral to Social Care look like?

Once a referral has been completed, the team will screen theinformation to determine the next steps. The referrer and family will becontacted by a member of staff to discuss the concerns and agree next steps.

This screening will determine the level of support orintervention required to ensure children and families receive the right help atthe right time.

Professionals making referrals (school, GP, etc) shouldreceive an outcome within 5 working days.

We would usually seek consent to complete a referral.However, if this would place the child at further risk of harm, or cause unnecessary delay, we would not ask for consent.

Southwark

Lambeth

Lewisham

Young Carers

A Young Carer is anyone aged 5-21 years old who helps tolook after a family member who has an illness or condition. This could be aphysical or mental illness, a learning disability, or some form of addiction.

The team offer, amongst other support:

·      Educational support

·      Meet ups

·      Trips & activities

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Lambeth

Southwark

Lewisham

Change Grow Live (CGL)

CGL is a national charity that offers personalised supportfor the people they work with. They are a drug and alcohol service for peopleunder 25 and also have specialist family support for children impacted bysubstances

CGL

BereavementServices

There are lots of external services that students and their families can turn to for support.

Child Bereavement UK - free, confidential support by phone, or virtual

Hope Again - youth website from Cruse. Information and advice

Winston's Wish - expert teams offer advice and support, asa one-off or ongoing basis

Mental health support

·      The Nest– focus on early intervention and prevention for emotional challenged andmental health issues such asworries, anxieties, and stress. They offer creative and talking therapies,virtual resources and signposting, parent/carer workshops and peer-support.They run a drop-in session Saturdays 10.30-2.30pm

The Nest | Mental Wellbeing Support in Southwark

·      The Well Centre - offers confidential and free support formental, sexual and physical health issues for young people in Lambeth andWandsworth

The Well Centre

·      Groundwork (affiliatedwith the Nest)– early intervention and prevention support for childrenand young people and families. For lower level mental health difficulties eglow mood and anxiety. 1:1 interventions based on self-help and CBT.

Referrals made through our school counsellor.

The Nest - Groundwork

·      CAMHS – the NHS mental health service for children and young people. CAMHS support covers depression,problems with food and eating, self harm and other difficulties.

A referral for assessment is usually made by your GP, but parents/carers and school can also refer children.

Guide to CAMHS | Mental Health Services | YoungMinds

·      School Counsellor – one to one support for students. Managed by experienced and qualified school counsellors, with specialist training in counselling adolescents.

Referrals can be made by students, parent/carerand school

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Care and Support

·      Calm Harm App – funded by teenage mentalhealth charity stem4, to help manage the urge to self-harm Home - Calm Harm App

Housingsupport and advocacy

Citizens Advice

Home - Shelter England

If you have any concerns about a student at Charter North Dulwich, please do not hesitate to contact the safeguarding team on safeguarding@charternorthdulwich.org.uk