Online Safety

Responsible use of Social Media and Mobile Phones

In today's social media age, children now have access to each other more than ever via social media and their mobile phones and devices.  As a school we strongly encourage clear boundaries on using phones and the Internet. Parents and guardians should not allow their children to play age inappropriate video games or to attend age inappropriate events.

Parents and guardians, as bill payers, have a responsibility for how mobile phones are used and can install controls on phones enabling them to filter which games, apps and websites their child can use, as well as monitor their usage. Be open and transparent with your child and discuss how they use their phone to help them understand what is appropriate and what is expected of them. 

We regularly publish information for parents and carers about the use of the Internet and social media and hope the links below are helpful to you:

• https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/ask-the-awkward
• www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents
• www.saferinternet.org.uk
• https://parentinfo.org/
• https://onlinesafetyalliance.org/
• https://swgfl.org.uk/resources/checklists/tiktok/
• https://www.childnet.com/blog/helping-your-child-with-whatsapp/
• Supporting young people to report nudes images: Report Remove | NSPCC Learning

Operation Encompass

At The Charles Dickens School we work in partnership with Kent Police and Children’s Services to identify and provide appropriate support to pupils who have experienced domestic violence in their household; this scheme is called Operation Encompass.

The purpose of Operation Encompass is to safeguard and support children and young people who have been involved in or are witness to a domestic abuse incident. Domestic abuse impacts on children in a number of ways. Children are at increased risk of physical injury during an incident, either by accident or because they attempt to intervene. Even when not directly injured, children are greatly distressed by witnessing the physical and emotional suffering of a parent.

Encompass has been created to highlight this situation. It is the implementation of key partnership working between the police and schools. The aim of sharing information with local schools is to allow ‘Key Adults’ the opportunity of engaging with the child and to provide access to support that allows them to remain in a safe but secure familiar environment. 

In order to achieve this, the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub will share police information of all domestic incidents where one of our pupils has been present, with the Designated Safeguarding Lead(s) (DSL).  On receipt of any information, the DSL or DDSL will decide on the appropriate support the child requires, this should be covert dependent on the needs and wishes of the child.  All information sharing and resulting actions will be undertaken in accordance with Kent Police and MASH Encompass Protocol Data Sharing Agreement.  We will record this information and store this information in accordance with the record keeping procedures.

The purpose and procedures in Operation Encompass have been shared with all parents and governors. Further information can be found by clicking on the following link: https://www.operationencompass.org

At The Charles Dickens School our Key Adult (DSL) is Mrs Kettle, our Safeguarding Managers are; Miss Aubry and Miss Tyler.

Kent Family Hub

Get the local support and services you need, with Kent Family Hub.

You might be a parent, carer, child, or young person. With Kent Family Hub, you can find advice, support and services to help throughout your family journey, from newborns to 19-year-olds, or up to 25-year olds with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

link: https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/kent-family-hub

LADO Education Safeguarding Advisory Service (LESAS)

What we do

Our role is to provide statutory LADO function for the whole of the children’s workforce and support education settings (early years settings, childminders, schools, and colleges) in Kent who work with children aged 0 to 18 to meet their safeguarding responsibilities and respond to safeguarding concerns.

The LADO Education Safeguarding Advisory Service (LESAS) consists of qualified Social Work England registered social workers and education professionals, all of whom have extensive knowledge of safeguarding children - both in children’s social care and in a variety of education or other services. Our team has a thorough understanding of key local and national legislation and statutory guidance related to allegations against members of the children's workforce and education safeguarding practice.

link: https://www.kelsi.org.uk/child-protection-and-safeguarding/LADO-Education-Safeguarding-Advisory-Service

For parent resources

link: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/category/parents/

 

Bereavement support

Cruse Bereavement Support - East Kent with Swale Area

Contact us

• Phone 0300 011 3300

• Online Email

About the service

Cruse Bereavement Care is the leading national charity for bereaved people. We offer support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone die, and work to enhance society’s care of bereaved people.

Cruse offers face-to-face, group, telephone, email and website support. We have a Free phone national helpline and local services throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our website Hope Again provides support for young people. Our services are provided by trained volunteers and are confidential and free.

Cruse provides training and consultancy for external organisations and for those who may encounter bereaved people in the course of their work.

For help and support and for details of your local Cruse service: www.cruse.org.uk

National helpline 0808 808 1677

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – 9.30am – 5pm

Tuesday – 1pm – 8pm

Saturday & Sunday – closed

Email - helpline@cruse.org.uk

For children and young people www.hopeagain.org.uk

 

KENT & MEDWAY SPECIALIST BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT SERVICE

CHUMS offer specialist bereavement support to children and young people from 3½ up until their 26th birthday in Kent and Medway.

Specialist support is needed when a child or young person is experiencing complicated grief or traumatic bereavement. This might mean that it is extra hard for them to manage the death and so it is having an enduring negative impact on everyday life. This might be because of the way the person died or because various other factors are disrupting their ability to grieve. Children and young people who need specialist support are likely to be experiencing difficulties such as:

• Prolonged periods of being low and withdrawn

• Anxiety that prevents them from doing things they would normally do

• High levels of frustration that impact on relationships and daily life

• Struggling with thoughts or images about the death

• Being unable to tolerate thinking or speaking about their bereavement.

link: https://chums.uk.com/kent-bereavement-service/

The Kent Resilience Hub has pulled together a variety resources that will help parents and carers support their children and young people’s emotional growth and mental health. Understanding how your child is growing emotionally and preparing for the challenges they might face can help you make positive changes to promote resilience and respond in a helpful way if your child is struggling to bounce back when life gets challenging.

link: https://kentresiliencehub.org.uk/

  FGM support organisations

link: https://www.kent.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fgm/fgm-support-organisations/

Catch 22

Catch22 has vast experience of delivering effective Child Exploitation, Missing and Gang services throughout the UK.  The model implemented in Kent Gangs and County Lines mirrors our provisions in other areas of the country and adopts the existing processes and structures of the CSE and Missing Service. Kent Gangs and County Lines have supported the setting up of our new National County Line Rescue and Recovery service by sharing their knowledge and resources in order to help establish the service efficiently as well as work closing with them with Young People who move between areas. 

link: https://kentandmedwayvru.co.uk/project/catch-22

Drug and alcohol support for young people under 25

Friendly advice, practical help

Whether you're looking for advice for yourself, or for someone else, we work with you to make sure you get the right support.

link: https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/local-hubs/kent/services/drug-and-alcohol-support-for-under-25s

Beech House
Sexual Assault Referral Centre

We offer free, confidential healthcare and compassionate support to people of all ages in Kent and Medway that have experienced sexual assault or rape in their lifetime.

Our telephone 0330 223 0099 is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Call to speak with a nurse for support and to discuss your options for making an in-person appointment and/or referrals.

link: https://beechhousesarc.org/

Oasis

Love shouldn't hurt

We're a domestic abuse charity supporting adults and children to live free from fear.

link: https://www.oasisdaservice.org/

The BeYou Project

The BeYou team are here to support you. We offer a safe, welcoming and inclusive space where LGBTQ+ young people can meet, socialise and find the support they need.

Everyone is welcome whether you're lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or questioning your sexual or gender identity, or you know someone who may need support or advice.

We look forward to meeting you!

link: https://thebeyouproject.co.uk/