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In every family there are times where life can be a tough. Either tough for a family as a whole, or a challenge for an individual child.
It could be that a family member is unwell, there has been a family separation or bereavement. There could be other factors causing pressure within the family, such as financial hardship. A child could be struggling with friendships in or out of school, with ill health or lacking in confidence. Often in families it can also be a challenge setting appropriate boundaries, following through with these and enforcing routines. Perhaps you or your child is struggling to ensure their attendance or time keeping is in our 'green zone'.
Mental Health issues affect children and young people as well as adults, with more than 850,000 children in the UK having been diagnosed with a mental health condition.
Monkhouse Primary School seeks to ensure that every member of our community is happy, cared for and achieves. We are all aware that positive mental health is key to being happy and achieving and we are committed to ensuring that an ethos of positive mental health is at the heart of all that we do.
Our aim is to increase the awareness and understanding and reduce stigma amongst children, staff and our wider community of issues involving the mental health and wellbeing of young people and to provide support at an early stage to any child who is or appears to be suffering from mental health issues.
At Monkhouse Primary we promote positive mental health. We offer a community of support, and will ensure that:
We are passionate about making a difference to the lives of young people and we actively promote the values of resilience, self- awareness, kindness and compassion. Our committed staff sets a whole school culture of positive mental health and wellbeing, values that everyone understands, believes in and is prepared to strive for.
At Monkhouse Primary School, we offer the following strategies to support your child:
Whatever issues our children or their families face, we are committed to supporting everyone to making a real positive difference to their lives. We believe that a resolution to any issue begins with a conversation and so we encourage all our children to talk openly about issues that they may be facing and equip our staff to be mindful of children’s emotional and mental well-being.
What is Operation Encompass?
The purpose of Operation Encompass is to safeguard and support children and young people who have been involved in a domestic abuse incident. Following an incident at home, children will often arrive at school distressed, upset and unprepared for the day.
North Tyneside Council, the police and nominated Key Adults ( Laura Baggett) in school will be working together to make sure that school staff are made aware of an incident early enough to support pupils in school.
Why is Operation Encompass being introduced in North Tyneside?
Operation Encompass was initially launched in Plymouth in February 2011 to address a shortcoming in the early sharing of information with schools. Since then several pilots have been set up across the UK, including Gateshead and South Tyneside, and has proved to very successful in providing appropriate support in a timely manner. Pilots across the UK have reported positive outcomes for many children and young people.
North Tyneside Council, Northumbria Police and all schools in the borough will be taking part in the scheme, to help provide additional new support which will benefit children and young people in North Tyneside and improve multi-agency sharing of information.
How will it work?
Schools across North Tyneside will nominate two members of staff who will be known as Key Adults. All Key Adults will attend specific training to the role in preparation for Operation Encompass.
Each morning a police officer will review all domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of school but which might have had an impact on a child attending school the following day. Where children were present, witnessed or involved in a domestic abuse incident and aged between 4 and 16 years old, the officer will send this information to Children’s Social Care Front Door Service
Staff from the Front Door Service will send this information in a secure format to the identified Key Adult. The Key Adult will check their emails every day and the staff in contact with those pupils will then be in an informed position to support them in a way that is right for the child.
This information will be shared on school days during school term and, when incidents occur on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or over a holiday period, the police will contact the Front Door the following Monday.
All parents will be sent a letter from their child's school informing them about Operation Encompass.
When will Operation Encompass be launched in North Tyneside?
Operation Encompass launched in June 2016.
For more information about Operation Encompass, please contact your school or visit http://www.operationencompass.org/
NT Harbour Domestic Abuse Support Service
Provides refuge accommodation for women, outreach for male and female over 16 years old, an IDVA service and group work. Access to the service is 24hrs a day by telephone with face-t-face contact between the hours of 9am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 11am to 4pm Saturday. Telephone (0191) 251 3305, 0300 0202 525 or visit www.myharbour.org.uk
Acorns project
Counselling, support and advice for children and young people, aged 6 - 18years old, who have witnessed domestic abuse. Telephone (0191) 200 6302 (office hours only) or visit www.acornsproject.org.uk
Victims First Northumbria
Support and advice to victims of crime throughout Northumbria. Telephone 0800 011 3116 or visit www.victimsfirstnorthumbria.org.uk
Police
The police can take action against an abuser and give advice on home security and other matters. In an emergency ring 999, at other times ring 101 and ask for the crime desk or visit www.northumbria.police.uk
Housing
For housing advice and help with re-housing contact a customer service centre in person or by phone during office hours. You can ask for an appointment to see either a female or male officer in private if you wish. For emergency accommodation (out of hours) telephone (0191) 200 6800.
The Domestic Abuse Partnership
Aims to raise awareness and understanding of domestic abuse. Telephone (0191) 643 7383
Barnardo’s Domestic Abuse Services
Domestic Abuse Services work together with other agencies to provide help and support for men who want to change their abusive behaviours. Simply call (0191) 284 7198 to find out more about how we can offer you help and support. You don't have to commit to anything by calling, you can just have a chat and find out if this is the right support for you.
Harbour offers a counselling service to those who have experiences violence or abuse. For more information click the links below:
Social Media
Safeguarding both adults and children is about preventing the risk of harm from abuse or exploitation or having the ability to reduce it by raising awareness and supporting people in making informed decisions. The police have created a number of guides to support families in this area.