Safeguarding & Wellbeing
It is the foundation upon which our Ambitious culture is built and the most vital expression of our commitment to being a Caring and Equal community. We are dedicated to maintaining a safe, vigilant, and supportive environment where every child is protected and empowered to flourish, both personally and academically.
Our Safeguarding Ethos: The Child at the Centre
Our approach to safeguarding is simple but powerful: we put the child at the centre of everything we do. We foster a culture where students are listened to, and we hear what they say.
Every member of our staff is trained to the highest standards in recognising and reporting safeguarding issues and understands their statutory responsibilities. We work proactively and collaboratively with other professional agencies to meet the needs of our most vulnerable children, taking timely and appropriate action to ensure they are safe from harm. Our robust Code of Conduct and Behaviour Policy, which includes clear procedures for dealing with bullying, ensures all adults and students work together to maintain our secure and respectful environment.
Wellbeing: The Foundation for Success
We believe that for students to succeed academically and personally, they must first feel safe, healthy, and valued. The aims of our Success Curriculum are intrinsically linked to our commitment to student wellbeing. In line with the Children Act 2004, our whole-school approach is designed to ensure every student can:
- Be Healthy: By supporting their physical, mental, and emotional health.
- Stay Safe: By protecting them from harm and neglect through robust policies and a vigilant culture.
- Enjoy and Achieve: By providing a stimulating and secure environment where they can excel in their learning.
- Make a Positive Contribution: By encouraging active and respectful participation in our school and the wider community.
- Achieve Social and Economic Wellbeing: By preparing them with the knowledge, skills and confidence for a successful future.
Our Dedicated Safeguarding Team
While every member of staff has a responsibility for safeguarding, our provision is led by a team of highly trained and experienced senior staff. They act as the central point of contact for any safeguarding concerns and ensure that all procedures are followed with rigour and compassion.
Important Contacts and Resources
This information is for students, parents, and carers. If you have any concerns about the safety or welfare of a child, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
| For Immediate Concerns at UCC | To speak with a member of our Safeguarding Team during school hours, please call the main school office on 01768 210 206. |
| Out-of-Hours & Direct Referrals | To report a concern directly to the Cumbria Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP), please call their 24/7 hotline on 0333 240 1727. |
| Our Safeguarding Policy | To view our comprehensive Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy, please click here. |
| Information for Visitors | All visitors have a duty to promote the safety of our students. Our visitor guidelines can be found here. |
Promoting Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing
We place a huge importance on proactively supporting our students’ mental health and developing their resilience. We believe these are vital life skills that enable students to manage challenges and optimise their wellbeing.
In-School Support The first point of contact for any student with a worry is their Form Tutor. For more immediate support, our Health Hub is open every school day, providing a safe, confidential space for students to talk with a trusted adult.
External Support and Resources: We work in partnership with a range of specialist external services. Below you will find a short video about Kooth, a free, safe, and anonymous online mental wellbeing community for young people, which is widely recommended to our students.
Information & Support
ADHD
ADHD and You
Helpful information for anyone with ADHD and their families.
ADDISS
An information and support service for anyone with ADHD and their families.
ADHD Foundation
Tel: 0151 541 9020
Offers support and advice to anyone with ADHD and their families.
ADDitude
A website providing information, webinars, and resources for young people with ADHD, their families, and professionals.
Advice
What to do if your child tells you they’re struggling? Click here
For some tips on how to talk to your children about mental health click here
An online mental wellbeing community for individuals in the farming or agricultural community which offers free, safe and anonymous support. Individuals can access this as often as they want as a source of advice. To register for this see above link. Resources offered include articles, discussion boards, a message and live chat service with a member of their team and a daily journal facility.
- RABI (Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute)
- Provide confidential support to past and present farmers as well as agricultural workers and their dependents. Counselling for those aged over 18 is available free of charge via their free-phone 24/7 helpline 0800 188 4444. Alternatively, they can be reached via email at: help@rabi.org.uk
Barnardos
UCC can make referrals to the Barnardos link service who work in school supporting students.
You can also visit their website; https://www.barnardos.org.uk/
Bereavement
Mrs Higgins runs a drop in service for any student affected by bereavement. This enables students to discuss their difficulties and find out about options of support available to them in the wider community. Mrs Higgins will also liaise with parents and teaching staff around this where appropriate.
Parents are also able to refer their child to Child Bereavement UK, which helps families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves. They support children and young people (up to the age of 25) and can be contacted via their helpline, the number for which is 0800 028 8840. There is more information available about this service at: https://www.childbereavementuk.org/
Cancer Support
The Osborne Trust
Supporting children and young people across the UK whose parent have a cancer diagnosis, are receiving cancer treatment, have seen a cancer recurrence, died from cancer and beyond.
Hope Support Services
Helping young people aged 5 to 25 when a loved one has a serious illness via a safe, monitored Facebook group to meet and share with peers in similar situations or through secure online one-to-one support sessions with Hope’s qualified and experienced professionals. They also sign post to other local services where necessary to provide help source optimum support.
Cancer Care Map
An online resource which aims to help people living with cancer find care and support services in their local area. It is run by cancer charity, The Richard Dimbleby Cancer Fund.
Every Life Matters
Every Life Matters is offering a free online course for parents and carers on how best we can support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. This can be accessed through Eventbrite
Furthermore, students who experience issues with self-harm can access a support group via https://www.selfharm.co.uk/.
Families in Mind
If you are concerned about your child’s wellbeing, especially if this is impacting their attendance at school, you might want to consider engaging with the Families in Mind programme available from Carlisle and Eden Mind to support parents.
Details of this, and Kooth can be found at the following links:
https://cemind.org/our-services/children-and-young-people-services/
Kooth
All UCC students also have access to Kooth which is an online counselling service. Children and young people can access free counselling online via Kooth at home and in school.
They also offer great resources for parents/carers;
FAQ Guide to Kooth for parents and carers
Young Muslims and mental health
Contact: parents@kooth.com
LGBTQIA+
UCC is a very inclusive school, we run a #notinourschool initiative against any kind of prejudice.
Ms Bardy also runs the EDI group that meets weekly, and more recently the Gay Club.
And we’re constantly researching different support resources for students and parents, some of which can be found below;
LGBT HQ Cumbria – https://www.lgbthq.org.uk/
Fflag – Support for parents and families – https://www.fflag.org.uk/
Mermaid – Supporting the LGBT community and their families – https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/
Outreach – Cumbria’s main service provider – https://www.outreachcumbria.co.uk/
Our Time
They offer help for children of parents with a mental illness.
Self Harm
ALUMINA
Providing free online self-harm support for 10-17 year olds. Alumina offers a free online 7 week course for young people struggling with self-harm. Each course has up to 8 UK based young people – all accessing sessions from their own phones, tablets or laptops. Courses take place on different evenings of the week, run by friendly, trained counsellors and volunteer youth workers. Students can self-refer and no-one sees or hears attendees during sessions. They aim to help teens find their next steps towards recovery, wherever they are on their journey.
Step by Step
Offering free counselling for young adults (11 to 25)