KICKSTART ACADEMY
Early Help Support
Life can be difficult and challenging at time, and we are here to support our young people and their families.
What is early help?
Early help is a way of accessing extra support when you, your child or your family needs it, at the earliest possible stage, rather than waiting until things get worse.
It is designed to give you the right help, at the right time. You can receive support from a wide range of services and organisations that can work together to provide the right support for your family’s needs.
Our Learning Community Trust early help offer connects families with other multi-agency initiatives to support the family. This early intervention can usually prevent issues from escalating and causing further difficulties in the future. We offer universal and targeted/specialist services to help create a brighter future for your child/ren and family, promoting overall welfare.
Some of the ways we can support our young people and their families
- School attendance support
- Education mentor and counsellors
- LCT food hubs – find out more on the trust’s website click here
- Uniform
- Young carers
- BeeU
- Kooth
- PODS
- SENDIASS
- PEGS
- Families with English as an additional language
- Bullying
- Students with special educational needs
- Signposting to other agencies for support
Kickstart Academy is committed to providing safe, caring and stimulating environments for all students. This allows our young people to re-engage with learning and either return to mainstream schooling or achieve success whilst remaining with us. During this time, the learning needs of each individual student are accurately assessed to support personalisation of learning.
Students who are entitled to a Free Meal School meal will have lunch provided. We also provide a free breakfast, a snack at breaktime and water throughout the day to all students.
Across all Kickstart pathways we provide a high standard of pastoral care and safeguarding. All students also have access to our SENDCo to support any additional needs. We offer a careers programme and work closely with career agencies who support students to explore options and make decisions regarding post-16 pathways.
Kickstart Food Bank
We support students and families with emergency food and toiletries. Our food bank is in the foyer at Kickstart Endeavour. Students are free to take a carrier bag of items when they most need this.
It is important that our students have the essentials to keep themselves sheltered, fed, clean, clothed, warm and healthy.
Kickstart Swap Shop
We have a well-established clothing swap shop positioned in the foyer at Kickstart Endeavour.
We want those clothes to go to a loving home where they will be worn and cared for. We believe shopping for preloved items should be just as enjoyable as any other form of retail therapy.
Each item that enters The Swap Shop, is approved by us, ensuring it meets our high standards.
Students can also access The Swap Shop to find items for a relative’s birthday, a Mother’s Day gift and a Father’s Day gift. Wrapping paper is provided so that students can wrap their gifts with love.
If you would like to make any donations, please contact us on 01952 951413
Early help is a way of accessing extra support when you, your child or your family needs it, at the earliest possible stage, rather than waiting until things get worse.
It is designed to give you the right help, at the right time. You can receive support from a wide range of services and organisations that can work together to provide the right support for your family’s needs.
Universal offer:
- A comprehensive, student focused, personal development curriculum (relationships, sex and health education, British values, citizenship, careers and workskills, Duke of Edinburgh and online safety education)- offered to all students to develop critical thinking skills and self-advocacy – examples of skills relating to Prevent and safeguarding. This accelerates personal development of students to prepare them for next steps.
- Transition into school ‘behaviour & attitudes’ and ‘personal development’ assessment to review support requirements and for teachers to plan and evaluate well-being, behaviour or learning interventions.
- A full and robust PSHE/Life Skills programme, including statutory safeguarding topics and mental health and well being. Additional ‘Spotlight On’ safeguarding themed weeks as part of the EDI calendar. Impact of this is assessed through data analysis of student surveys.
- An engaging enrichment offer, with a wide, rich set of experiences on offer- competitive football and school clubs- promote a sense of belonging and friendship.
- Extensive range of opportunities for students to have their views understood, including student voice, student surveys, being part of the student council, all creating opportunities for staff to listen to students.
- Robust induction process and transition arrangements.
- Family Liaison Officer, EWO and personal tutors to offer pastoral and attendance support (GROW model).
- Access to external safeguarding groups to deliver engaging information sessions about safeguarding topics, such as Loudmouth and West Mercia Police.
- School events- Prevent week, British Values week, EDI calendar.
- Access to free period products to combat period poverty.
- Access to free breakfast through Magic Breakfasts and free school meals to support those who do not meet the threshold for support.
- C-card – sexual health support through the school nurse.
- Behaviour support and pastoral manager.
- SENDCO for SEND support.
- Wider safeguarding team to offer advice (including SLT).
- CPOMS for referrals, audited and supervision provided to ensure quality and closing the loop.
- PEEPS.
- Site risk assessments completed regularly- including CSE site RA with parent involvement.
- Parents evenings and progress reviews, including access to website.
- Therapy room.
- Policies– Safeguarding, Attendance, Trips, mental health and well being, safeguarding information for visitors.
- Internal comms and screens to extensively promote safeguarding themes and services available.
- Run, tell, hide and other processes to keep safe in an emergency.
- Online safety (Lightspeed package).
- Single access point, CCTV – strong visitor compliance.
- Clear signposting to support through website and student portal.
- Governor safeguarding reports and link governor.
- Standard safeguarding agenda item at SLT, and team meetings.
- Annual audit by T&W.
- HR team and Office Manager with responsibility for overseeing job descriptions which include the promotion of student welfare. Staff named in Safer Recruitment. DBS process.
- Staff induction which includes face to face induction with DSL and mandatory safeguarding level 2 training and KCSIE update training.
- Internal and external audit of Single Central Record.
Universal referrals to: Future Focus
Support for those who meet the T&W vulnerable threshold:
- Staff who have received training to understand ACEs, trauma informed approaches and restorative approaches.
- Counselling in school by a trained and qualified counsellor.
- Designated teacher for those who are looked after.
- Senior mental health lead.
- Internal mental health and well being audit.
- Positive behaviour support plan.
- Pastoral Support Plan/ suicide intervention plan.
- Harmful sexual behaviours- support plan for reporter and reported.
- Student risk assessments.
- Educational psychologist.
- Single sex student voice forums.
- LGBTQ+ group.
- Subscriptions to The Safeguarding Network and NSPCC.
- DSL link with HR and LADO for low level concerns or allegations about staff.
- Internal food bank.
Safeguarding team will make a referral to:
- Early Help student self-referral and mental health.
- External counselling (IAPT, Axis, BeeU, MIND).
- Foodbank.
- Telephone and on-line support (NSPCC, Childline, Samaritans, Papyrus, NHS, Calm)- mental health, self-harm, suicide.
- Young/Young Adult Carers.
- Climb- Child Exploitation pathway.
- Steer Clear.
- CRUSH- healthy relationships.
- Young Minds, Kooth, The Mix.
- Mind- suicide bereavement service.
- Cranstoun referral- alcohol and drugs/ domestic abuse- victims and those engaged with abusive behaviour.
- Women’s Aid- DA.
- PEGS- child to parent abuse.
Support for those who meet the T&W complex threshold:
- Early Help Assessment to be discussed with parents for new concerns.
- CIN Plan in place.
- Support in place from more than one agency listed in vulnerable category.
- Harmful sexual behaviours– support plan for reporter and reported- Brook Traffic Light Tool is Amber or red.
- Safeguarding team (DSL, DDSL, safeguarding officers) to lead child protection actions and record/refer appropriately.
- Enhanced and specialist training for safeguarding team.
- External supervision for safeguarding team to discuss challenging cases, reflect on emotional responses, and seek support which helps prevent burnout and emotional exhaustion.
- CSE lead.
Safeguarding team will make a referral to:
- Bee U.
- St Giles- Child Exploitation pathway.
- Family Connect.
- Crisis team, MPFT.
- Channel (Prevent).
- Strengthening Families- parenting.
- Recharge/Telford Stars.
- Housing Solutions- Wrekin Housing Group, Bromford Housing, Man in Place.
- CATE consultation.
Support for those who meet the T&W acute threshold:
- Child protection required urgently.
- CP plan in place.
- Allocated social worker.
- Safeguarding team (DSL, DDSL, safeguarding officers) to lead child protection actions and record/refer appropriately.
- Enhanced and specialist training for safeguarding team.
Safeguarding team will make a referral to:
- Family Connect
- Police
