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Safeguarding

Safeguarding

At West Bromwich Collegiate Academy, the safety and wellbeing of all of our students is of the highest importance; we have a collective responsibility to ensure that our children have all the support they need to flourish through their education. Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust has an outstanding safeguarding team that is responsible for all of the schools within the Trust. They work to ensure that children have the best opportunities and provide support to families when needed.

It is our responsibility to provide a secure environment for our children, where they are free to learn without barriers. All of our staff will complete statutory safeguarding training each year and will take part in additional training across a wide range of safeguarding areas such as: Domestic Violence and Abuse Support, Female Genital Mutilation, Child Sexual Exploitation, Forced Marriage and Honour Based Abuse.

Safeguarding and Coronavirus

It is important that your child remains safe and indoors over the next few weeks. The Government have instructed that children should stay at home, unless they cannot be cared for if they are the child of a Key Worker. If this is the case, there is provision for them to be looked after at school, but this must be arranged with a member of the Senior Team.

All children should be accessing and completing the work that has been set for them by their teachers. They should be studying for around five hours per day. This can include some gentle exercise, reading, puzzles and wellbeing activities, in addition to the lessons that are set via the Student Portal.

We know that it may be easy to allow your child to play computer games or watch YouTube for extended periods of time, but this will not be beneficial for their mental wellbeing or education. We expect students to complete the work that has been set.

Students may struggle with the anxiety of the situation we are currently facing and have questions we can’t always answer. Here are a few services that may help with their anxiety and stresses.

¡  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/anxiety-disorders-in-children/ ​

¡  https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/anxiety-triggers#triggers​

¡  https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/your-feelings/anxiety-stress-panic/about-anxiety/​

Safeguarding Support for Students and Families

We will be doing our best to contact families to check on all students at some point while the Academy is closed.
This may be from a withheld telephone number; please do your best to answer as it will avoid us from having to make welfare home visits.
The safety and welfare of all our children is our priority. If you are concerned about a child please contact a member of our Safeguarding Team, or alternatively, Sandwell Children’s Trust. If you know that a child is in immediate danger, please contact the police by calling 999. 

Mrs Jones: 0121 295 8557
Miss Gardner: 0121 295 8555
Mrs Martin: 0121 295 8548

Or email: [email protected]

Can we please respectively remind you that these telephone numbers are for emergency reasons only, for example: if you are struggling to feed your children due to this difficult time or are worried about the mental well-being of a child.
Students are also encouraged to email their teachers for support with work during this period of school closure.  Students should contact teachers using their WBCA email addresses.

 

To report a concern about a child (any child in Sandwell – they do not have to attend WBCA), please contact:

Sandwell Children’s Trust

0121 569 3100

Here are some useful websites which can help and support the health and wellbeing of our young people and families.

Various services will continue though they may change over the coming weeks. Please check individual websites for updates.

Food Banks

Food banks are open in our local towns. Please see individual websites for opening times and days.

Wednesbury Baking Bread
Walsall Street
Wednesbury
WS10 9BY
https://www.breakingbreadfoodbank.co.uk/

West Bromwich Community Church
Victoria Street
B70 8EX
https://westbromwichfoodbank.com/

Great Barr Food Bank
St Bernard’s Church
Broome Avenue
Birmingham
B43 5AL
https://greatbarr.foodbank.org.uk/

Physical and Mental Health Advice Support Services for Students