Safeguarding, Welfare and Mental Health

Here at Rawlins, our number one priority is to make sure that you are safe, that you have an awareness of the risks in today’s society and that you know where to go for support if it is needed.

While you will learn about important and pertinent issues in your lessons and through the tutor programme, this page of the website is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can find information on here about out of school support as well as support in school.

Who can I talk to in school if I have a problem?

There are a lot of people you can talk to in school if you need support with an issue:

• Your tutor who you will see every morning
• Another trusted adult such as one of your teachers, a teaching assistant or another support worker
• Your Head of Year
• A Pastoral Manager
• The Safeguarding team (Mr Schober and Miss Meek)
• The Careers team (Mrs Cooper and Mrs West)
• Staff in The Hive
• Email helpme@rawlins.embracemat.org

Please remember that no member of staff can promise confidentiality, but they will always discuss next steps with you.

I’m being bullied in school. Where do I go to get help?

If you feel that you are being bullied or you know someone who is being bullied, you must report this to a member of staff or your parents, who can pass the information on to the school. We do not tolerate bullying at Rawlins. Please see our anti-bullying charter which has been put together by our Antibullying Ambassadors.

There are also websites that can offer you support as well as the courage to come forward and talk about your experiences:

anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk

bullying.co.uk

I feel sad/stressed/anxious and want to talk to someone who can help me feel better.

Everybody gets sad or stressed or anxious at different points in their lives, but if these feelings are ongoing, it is important to seek support. If you cannot talk to your parents or a member of staff, there are websites where you can get free support. However, we would encourage you to make sure you do talk to someone who knows you so support can be put in place in your day to day life.

• Call Childline on 0800 1111
• Live chat: https://www.kooth.com/
• Text: Shout to 85258
• Find information: https://www.healthforteens.co.uk/leicestershire/?setlocation=true

Where can I get welfare support outside of school?

In addition to those listed above, the following are excellent sources of support on a variety of different issues:

• Young Minds – support with mental health: https://youngminds.org.uk/
• Relate – relationship support: https://www.relate.org.uk/
• Anxiety UK – support with anxiety: https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/
• Beat – support with eating disorders: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/
• Talk to FRANK – support with drug/alcohol misuse: https://www.talktofrank.com/
• On my mind – helping young people makechoices about their wellbeing: https://www.annafreud.org/on-my-mind/
• Harmless – support with issues surrounding self harm: Home – Harmless

I feel like I might be at risk online. Where can I go for support?

First of all, well done for recognising this risk. The internet can be very informative and is becoming a significant part of our lives, but there are dangers associated with the internet too. If you feel that there are issues with your online activities, or the online activities of someone you know, you should talk to a parent or a member of staff in school. Please see our dedicated Online Safety Page here for more support.