Safeguarding
Quick Links to Support
Meet the Safeguarding Team
Key Documents
Key Information
At E-ACT West Walsall Academy, we are committed to safeguard the well-being and welfare of all our students by exercising our duty of care to keep all students safe – both on the Academy site and out in the wider community:
- All staff within the Academy know that safeguarding and child protection is everyone’s responsibility.
- All staff are aware of, and fully understand, their statutory responsibilities with respect to safeguarding.
- The Academy aims to ensure that appropriate action is taken in a timely manner to safeguard and promote children’s welfare.
- All staff are appropriately trained in recognising and reporting safeguarding issues.
- All staff provide an open door policy to ensure that all students feel supported at all times and can speak to any member of staff regarding their concerns and we aim to support all barriers to learning through our inclusive approach.
- The Academy works with a wide range of external agencies such as Walsall’s MASH Team (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub), WPH Counselling, Early Help, Black Country Women’s Aid and Black Country Food Bank, Police Community Support Officers and School Intervention and Prevention Officer and EYES – to ensure that we provide a holistic approach for each students when needed.
Visiting the Academy
Everyone visiting the academy and working with our students must be aware that:
- A disclosure of abuse or harm can be made at any time (lesson times, break times, after school etc.).
- Their role is to listen and note carefully any observations which could indicate abuse.
- They should not attempt to investigate once the initial concern is raised.
- They should involve a member of the safeguarding team immediately using their purple card or contact details below.
- If a member of the safeguarding team is not available, the headteacher should be contacted.
- Before outside agencies are invited into the academy, staff are required to ensure that all relevant DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks and identification has been seen.
- If you have a concern that a student is being harmed or at risk of harm or you receive a disclosure (intentionally or unintentionally) you must contact one of the safeguarding team members immediately.
Staff Training
All staff receive level 1 training on child protection procedures and also attend various safeguarding training sessions throughout the academic year. Students have access through the curriculum on information about safeguarding including how to keep themselves safe online.
Safeguarding and the overall welfare of students is at the centre of all that we do at our academy. We recognise that all students have the right to be safe and protected from abuse and there are no exceptions to this. All staff concerns and allegations as well as student disclosures of abuse are taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately by following our safeguarding policy.
Everyone visiting the academy and working with our students must be aware that:
- A disclosure of abuse or harm can be made at any time (lesson times, break times, after school etc.).
- Their role is to listen and note carefully any observations which could indicate abuse.
- They should not attempt to investigate once the initial concern is raised.
- They should involve a member of the safeguarding team immediately by speaking to any member of staff, who will gain a member of the safeguarding team promptly.
- If a member of the safeguarding team is not available, the headteacher should be contacted.
- Before outside agencies are invited into the academy, staff are required to ensure that all relevant DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks and identification has been seen.
- If you have a concern that a student is being harmed or at risk of harm or you receive a disclosure (intentionally or unintentionally) you must contact one of the safeguarding team members immediately.
Supporting students with their safeguarding concerns
The well being and safety of each student is very important to us and we want to support students to understand and be aware of their surroundings and how they can have immediate access to live chats and information. Safeguarding and child protection is a vital part of the process of looking after our students, protecting individual students identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm.
If there are any concerns that a student may be at risk of abuse or neglect, in almost all circumstances we will talk to our parents/carers about our concerns and we will also explain if we need to refer our concerns to outside agencies. We will inform parents/carers if we need to make a referral, but in some circumstances we may need to make the referral without consulting. We will only do this if we genuinely believe that this is the best way to protect a student and the fact that we did not have consent from a parent/carer to the referral will be recorded.
Tootoot makes it simple for students to report anything from bullying to a mental health concern. Tootoot makes it easier for our students to speak up and gives them confidence that their concerns are being taken seriously. Heartlands students have their own login with their password to report any concern using a computer or their mobile phone.
Within the academy, all students are informed every morning of key messages which include how to report a concern. Another way of reporting a concern is to speak to any member of the safeguarding team or another member of staff that the student feels comfortable with. This is then followed through by the safeguarding officers.
Organisations Offering Support
The Mix
Essential support for under 25s
themix.org.uk
0808 808 4994
Young Minds
Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People
youngminds.org.uk
020 7089 5050
Childline
Get help and advice about a wide range of issues
childline.org.uk
0800 1111
Kooth
Your online mental wellbeing community
kooth.com
Muslim Youth Helpline
Faith and culturally sensitive support by phone, live chat, WhatsApp or email
myh.org.uk
0808 808 2008
PAPYRUS / Hopeline UK
PAPYRUS is the national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide
papyrus-uk.org
0800 068 41 41
Internet Matters
Helping Parents To Keep Children Safe Online
internetmatters.org
UK Safer Internet Centre
Helping children and young people stay safe online
saferinternet.org.uk
0344 800 2382
The Education Hub
Captures all you need to know about the education system
educationhub.blog.gov.uk
0370 000 2288
NHS 111 Online
Get help for your symptoms
111.nhs.uk
111
School Nursing Services
Everything you wanted to know about health
healthforteens.co.uk
Early Help
Help and advice for children, young people and their families
go.walsall.gov.uk
0300 555 2866
Young Carers
Information, advice and a range of services for carers
go.walsall.gov.uk
NSPCC
Keeping children safe online
nspcc.org.uk
0800 1111
Support Line
Confidential emotional support to children and young adults
supportline.org.uk
01708 765200
Victim Support
Supporting victims of crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales
victimsupport.org.uk
08 08 16 89 111
Mind
Making sure no one has to face a mental health problem alone
mind.org.uk
0300 123 3393
Bayo
For the Black community to support your mental health and wellbeing
bayo.uk
0800 772 0220
The Children’s Society
Transforming the hopes and happiness of young people facing abuse, exploitation and neglect
childrenssociety.org.uk
0300 303 7000
Walsall Community Network
15 Community Associations who want to make a difference and support our residents
walsallcommunitynetwork.co.uk
01543 452119
Safeguarding Our Community
At E-ACT West Walsall Academy, we promote a culture that fosters respect, healthy relationships and challenges abuse of all kinds. We have had educational experiences from external agencies, such as Loudmouth Performances for Bully4U and Peer Pressure, and Precious Lives for keeping yourself safe in the community.
We are also working with Step Together which is a government initiative that supports students in and around their community especially in the afternoon. EYES – Empowering Youth Engagement Services are working with us every day. Step Together Parent Letter
Supporting Students with their Physical, Emotional and Mental Health
The health and well being of each student is very important to us and we want to support students to be healthy in mind, body and spirit. To consolidate the learning that we already do through our Personal Development curriculum, this section of our website offers help and advice in key areas. Please follow the links within each section and if you want to obtain further advice, speak to someone in person, or suggest an improvement to this area of the website, please comment using safeguarding@wwa.e-act.org.uk.
Physical & Emotional Health
Alcohol
Most adults drink alcohol from time to time and a little alcohol (when you get to the age of 18) is not a bad thing. Alcohol becomes a problem when people drink too much of it either on the odd occasion or regularly. It is also important to know that alcohol affects your inhibitions and your ability to make good decisions. Also, when under the influence of alcohol you run the risk of being taken advantage of by others. If you or anyone you know needs some help and advice in this area, then the links below are very useful.
Anger
Anger affects your health and can cause high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, colds, flu and problems with digestion.
Anger is sometimes a natural reaction but can be difficult to control. However, we have a responsibility to try.
If you or anybody else needs help or support with this then speak to an adult you trust – we can provide SEMH support in the Academy through the SEND department, or follow the links below.
Bereavement
Most people experience grief when they lose something or someone important to them. If these feelings are affecting your life, there are things you can try that may help.
Support is also available if you’re finding it hard to cope with stress, anxiety or depression. Contact The Den or the safeguarding team for more information.
Support is also available if you’re finding it hard to cope with stress, anxiety or depression. Contact The Hub for more information.
Bereavement, grief and loss can cause many different symptoms and they affect people in different ways. There’s no right or wrong way to feel.
As well as bereavement, there are other types of loss such as the end of a relationship or losing a job or home.
- Some of the most common symptoms include:
- shock and numbness – this is usually the first reaction to loss, and people often talk about “being in a daze”
- overwhelming sadness, with lots of crying
- tiredness or exhaustion
- anger – towards the person you’ve lost or the reason for your loss
- guilt – for example, guilt about feeling angry, about something you said or did not say, or not being able to stop your loved one dying
These feelings may not be there all the time and powerful feelings may appear unexpectedly.
Body Image
Does any of this sound familiar? “I’m too tall.” “I’m too short.” “I’m too skinny.” “If only I were shorter/taller/had curly hair/straight hair/a smaller nose/longer legs, I’d be happy.”
Don’t put yourself down? There’s a lot of information out there focusing too much on people’s appearance. As a teen, you’re going through lots of changes in your body. It’s not always easy to like every part of your looks, but when you get stuck on the negatives it can really bring down your self-esteem. Most people wish at least one part of their body was different but if it is getting you down then the links below are a good place to start.
Healthy Eating
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best. It doesn’t have to be difficult either.
- The key to a healthy diet is to do the following
- Eat the right number of calories for how active you are, so that you balance the energy you consume with the energy you use. If you eat or drink too much, you’ll put on weight. If you eat and drink too little, you’ll lose weight. The average teenage boy needs around 2,500 – 3,000 calories a day and the average teenage girl 2,000 – 2,500 calories.
- Eat a wide range of foods to ensure that you’re getting a balanced diet and that your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs.
A number of people suffer from eating disorders which can and must be treated. These include: anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating. All of these can be treated. You can speak to an adult about your concerns or use the links below for help and support.
Depression
Depression is more than simply feeling unhappy or fed up for a few days.
We all go through spells of feeling down, but when you’re depressed, you feel persistently sad for weeks or months, rather than just a few days.
Some people still think that depression is trivial and not a genuine health condition. They’re wrong. Depression is a real illness with real symptoms, and it’s not a sign of weakness or something you can “snap out of” by “pulling yourself together”.
The good news is that with the right support, most people can overcome it.
If you or anybody else needs help or support with this, then please speak to an adult you trust or follow the links below.
Divorce
For young people and children, divorce can be stressful, sad, and confusing. At any age, you may feel uncertain or angry at the prospect of Mum and Dad splitting up. If this is a problem either you or a friend is going through, then you do not have to deal with it alone. With divorce rising, there are certainly a lot of people feeling the effects. Don’t bottle up your feelings. Speak to someone and share the problem. The webs link below could be helpful.
Drugs
There are a vast number of drugs out there that people use. The majority of them can be found in a chemist or prescribed by the doctor. However, there are also dangerous and illegal drugs about that damage and kill thousands of people every year. These drugs are illegal for a reason but people still show an interest in them. If you are concerned about yourself, a friend or anyone you know, then you will find some great advice in the webpages below.
Smoking & Vaping
Unless you have been living on a desert island, you will know about the dangers of smoking and vaping. Regardless of that, some people still choose to smoke. If you, a friend or family member smokes and needs help and advice on quitting, the links below will help. If people need more convincing, just show them some of the pictures.
Mental Health
Mental Health
Everyone has mental health – some people call mental health ‘emotional health’ or ‘well-being’ and it’s just as important as good physical health. Everyone’s mental health is different. We all have times when we feel down or stressed or frightened. Most of the time those feelings pass, but sometimes they develop into a more serious problem. This can happen to anyone.
Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is the way you feel about yourself. Lots of things can lower our self-esteem, such as a relationship break-up, not doing well in an exam or putting on weight. None of these things makes us worth less, but it can feel that way.
If your self-esteem is low, it’s important to learn how to improve it. The best way to improve your self-esteem is to “treat yourself as you would treat a valued friend”, in a positive but honest way.
Staff are always willing to lend an ear and the links below also provide help and guidance.
Stress
Stress is a feeling of strain and pressure. Small amounts of stress are good and useful. Positive stress can help us perform better, for example in exams or sports for example. It can help with our motivation. Too much stress, however, may lead to problems in the body that could be harmful.
Stress can be caused by what is happening to us and around us, but also by how we see a situation or how bad it might be.
We get stressed when we do not think we have the ability to cope with a situation. The important thing to know is we never have to cope alone. Help is available both in school and via the links below.
Child-on-Child Abuse
Child-on-child abuse occurs when a young person (under 18 years old) is exploited, bullied and/or harmed by their peers, who are the same or similar age. Child-on-child abuse can include physical and sexual abuse, sexual harassment and violence, emotional harm, bullying (including cyberbullying) and teenage relationship abuse.
Bullying is defined as ‘an on-going issue of name calling, physical abuse, use of force, use of power over someone else and/or ignoring or isolating someone.’ Bullying of any type is unpleasant and unacceptable. You should not have to suffer this and must tell someone straight away. In school there are lots of staff you can speak to, not least your tutor, House leaders or anyone in the Pastoral Office. But we also have BIL which is the Bullying Incident Letter box. If you want to report something anonymously, then use BIL.
In school you can approach any member of staff to speak to, not least your form tutor, Head of Year or Progress Leader. But we also have our Well Being box which is located in the library if you want to report something without having to approach someone straight away or if you want to let us know something anonymously.
The links below will give you advice and help if you or anyone else needs it.
Self-Harm
Self-harm involves somebody intentionally damaging or injuring their body. Often their intention is to punish themselves, express their distress or relieve unbearable tension. Self-harm can also be a cry for help.
Help is available within the Academy by speaking to any member of staff that you feel comfortable with. However, below are some useful links that could help and support you.
Online Safety
Sexting
Sexting is the act of sending sexual messages to someone else by mobile phones or through social networking sites and instant messaging. The biggest problem is that sexting photos and messages can be shared with people and sent everywhere. Research suggests that 88% of self-made pictures and photos are stolen and made available on other websites. This means your picture can be seen by absolutely anyone at all! Be very careful what you send and who you send it to, and never send a photo that you would not want seen in public. If you have any concerns, the following websites are very helpful.
Trolling
An internet ‘troll’ is someone who posts unpleasant comments about people online. They may just want to shock, start an argument or in some cases bully someone. They will say very unpleasant things about a situation or a person which is only meant to cause upset and emotional damage. People have been jailed for this, so be careful what you say online. However, if you or anyone you know is a victim of a troll, either speak to a trusted adult or look at this website:
Location Services
What are they? Your smart phone, android, tablet will probably have location services built in. They are there to make it easier than ever for you to show your friends and family where you are in real time. You can set your phone to update where you are as you move from location to location. This sounds great, but beware. Your friends maybe able to see where you are but so can many others. Before you use location services, make sure your settings are correct so that only friends and family can track you. If in doubt, turn it off.
Sex & Relationships
Sex & Relationships
Intriguing, interesting, embarrassing! Everyone has questions about being in relationships but it’s not always that easy. Who to talk to, how much to say, and how to know if the information you are getting is right. You may have someone you feel you can confide in and you may not but these websites are very helpful in answering all those awkward questions.
Exploitation
Child Sexual Exploiation
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is a type of sexual abuse. When a child or young person is exploited they’re given things, like gifts, drugs, money, status and affection, in exchange for performing sexual activities. Children and young people are often tricked into believing they’re in a loving and consensual relationship. This is called grooming. They may trust their abuser and not understand that they’re being abused.
You can find more information about CSE, including signs of CSE and where to get help from:
Child Criminal Exploiation
Criminal exploitation is also known as ‘county lines’; and is when gangs and organised crime networks groom and exploit children to sell drugs. Often, these children are made to travel across counties, and they use dedicated mobile phone ‘lines’ to supply drugs.
You can find more information about Child Criminal Exploitation, including signs and where to get help from:
Radicalisation
Radicalisation is the process through which a person comes to support or be involved in extremist ideologies. It can result in a person becoming drawn into terrorism and is in itself a form of harm. Extremism is vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.
You can find more information about Radicalisation, including signs and where to get help from:
Modern Slavery
Modern slavery is a serious crime. It encompasses slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking.
Serious Youth Violence
Intriguing, interesting, embarrassing! Everyone has questions about being in relationships but it’s not always that easy. Who to talk to, how much to say, and how to know if the information you are getting is right. You may have someone you feel you can confide in and you may not but these websites are very helpful in answering all those awkward questions.
Food Banks
Breaking Bread Food Bank
Address: 93/94 Walsall Street, Wednesbury, WS10 9BY
Open hours: Wed : 10AM – 3PM, Fri : 1PM – 7PM
07936 744 177
Bloxwich & Blakenall Foodbank
Address:Blakenall Village Centre, Thames Road, Blakenall, Walsall, WS3 1LZ
07747 301 374