Advice and support for students, parents and carers
We are often sent information and useful contacts that can help to support students and their parents when navigating some common teenage issues. This page is frequently updated as new resources are released, so do check back here regularly for the latest information and advice. Please remember that if you have any concerns, you should not hesitate to contact your/their Form Tutor or Head of Year in the first instance. We have a team of five counsellors spread across the full 5 days and we can also give you contact details of other professionals that can support you outside school.
For any other concerns about wellbeing or safeguarding please contact one of the school’s two safeguarding leads:
Mr Martin Farrell (mfarrell@royallatin.org)
Dr Marcella McCarthy (mmccarthy@royallatin.org)
Additional Safeguarding Leads:
KS5 – Mr Jason Skyrme (jskyrme@royallatin.org) and Mrs Carly Flanagan (cflanagan@royallatin.org)
KS3 & 4 – Mr George West (gjwest@royallatin.org) and Mrs Claire Weight (cweight@royallatin.org).
If an issue which concerns you is not covered here, do get in contact with me directly and I will source some information on it for you, and add it to the page.
Marcella McCarthy
Deputy Headteacher
Cost of Living: RLS Responds
Please click here to view our feedback regarding how we intend to support families with managing the cost of living.
- http://www.youngminds.org.uk/ – we provides young people with tools to look after their mental health. We empower adults to be the best support they can be to the young people in their lives. And we give young people the space and confidence to get their voices heard and change the world we live in.
- https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk – We provide free, confidential support to people experiencing issues with drugs, alcohol or mental health
- https://www.mind.org.uk – A guide to taking the first steps, making empowered decisions and getting the right support for you.
- ‘Coping with Self Harm’ – guide for parents who are coping with their child’s self-harm
- https://www.papyrus-uk.org – We provide confidential support and advice to young people struggling with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person through our helpline, HOPELINEUK.
- https://www.selfharm.co.uk – Alumina is a free, online 7 week course for young people struggling with self-harm.
- https://harmless.org.uk – provides support, information, training and consultancy about self harm to individuals who self harm, their friends, families and professionals with a view to promoting health and recovery, reducing isolation and distress, and by increasing awareness and skill in intervention.
- https://www.childbereavementuk.org/ – helps children, parents and families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies. We support children and young people up to the age of 25 who are facing bereavement, and anyone affected by the death of a child of any age.
- https://www.nhs.uk/ – NHS bereavement support
- https://www.mind.org.uk/ – Provides information on bereavement, where to go for support, and suggestions for helping yourself and others through grief.
- https://www.cruse.org.uk – Cruse Bereavement Care is the leading national charity for bereaved people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- https://www.ataloss.org/ – provides the UK’s signposting website for bereaved people, ensuring they and those supporting them find information and services appropriate to their loss
- https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ – our mission is to end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders.
- https://eating-disorders.org.uk/ – support for people with anorexia, bulimia, binge and compulsive eating, body image issues, intractable weight struggles and the people who serve them.
- https://seedeatingdisorders.org.uk – are a group of ordinary people with first-hand experience of eating disorders, who make a difference to those people whose lives are blighted by this devastating illness. We are not a clinical service, but will do our very best to support, advise and signpost sufferers, carers and loved ones appropriately, giving them the tools to cope on a daily basis.
- https://www.familylives.org.uk/advice/ – advice on all aspects of family life from bonding with your new baby, dealing with tantrums, positive discipline, bullying, communicating with teens and divorce and separation.
- NSPCC Positive Parenting – guides share practical advice and tips for positive parenting techniques that work well for children
- https://parentinfo.org – Parent Info is a collaboration between Parent Zone and NCA-CEOP, providing support and guidance for parents from leading experts and organisations.
E-Safety
Collaboration with National Online Safety We welcome all parents to join our partnership with National Online Safety by creating an account here. When you are set up, you’ll be able to set ‘Parent/Carer’ as your user type. You can access National Online Safety online via any device including via their new smartphone app. To download the app:
Download for Apple: hubs.ly/H0BwQjL0Download for Android: hubs.ly/H0Bx0tp0 Please do look to have open dialogues about the content your child is accessing and the potential dangers they bring. The dangers aren’t going away and we all must help them develop their digital wellbeing in a way that allows them to understand and manage the risks themselves. Family digital monitoring/restrictions It is more important than ever that parents have the ability to restrict and monitor usage of their children’s devices/online activity. Please can you help us develop healthy digital habits by ensuring you have the relevant controls on your children’s personal devices at home. All of the three major providers give you the ability to do this as well as gaming consoles:
Apple: Screen Time
Google: Family Link
Microsoft: Family Safety
Playstation: Parental controls
Xbox: Xbox family settings
Nintendo Switch: Parental controls Other support and guidance
- www.ceop.gov.uk – Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP)
- www.thinkuknow.co.uk – CEOP website for children and parents.
- www.getnetwise.org – regulalrly updated feeds on the challenges surrounding the internet
- www.saferinternet.org.uk – Online safety site for teachers, parents and children.
- www.childnet.com – work in partnership with others around the world to help make the internet a great and safe place for children.
- www.digizen.org – Help to make the internet safe for young people.
- www.nspcc.org.uk – source of support for parents and young people if you have concerns about abuse and well being, including e-safety
- http://www.childline.org.uk – a free, private and confidential service where you can talk about anything. We’re here for you online, on the phone, anytime.
- https://www.themix.org.uk – The Mix is here to take on the embarrassing problems, weird questions, and please-don’t-make-me-say-it-out-loud thoughts that people under 25 have in order to give them the best support through our digital and phone services.
- Sexwise is run by the Department of Health and Social Care. It offers advice from the sexual health charity FPA.
- Health for Teens is aimed specifically at young people and is very accessible in style. It includes a wide range of advice about growing up and relationships with an emphasis on issues of consent.
Buckinghamshire Sexual Health and Wellbeing (bSHaW) offers a free, confidential service, including specific advice for under 18s. - Brook.org offers advice tailored specifically to young people, and is recommended on the Government’s sexual health information website.
- NHS England’s sexual health advice page offers specific advice on sexual health for young people.
The National sexual health helpline can be called free on 0300 123 7123. Your call will be treated with sensitivity and in strict confidence.
- Switch Bucks – Switch Bucks is an alcohol and drug service for young people in Buckinghamshire. We can provide drug and alcohol support wherever you, the young person, feel most comfortable
- http://www.drinkaware.co.uk – an independent UK-wide alcohol education charity
- https://alcoholeducationtrust.org/ – are a leading early intervention charity that supports young people aged 11 – 25 in making more informed life choices
- https://wearetheloop.org – provides drug safety testing, welfare and harm reduction services at nightclubs, festivals and other leisure events
- https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk – We provide free, confidential support to people experiencing issues with drugs, alcohol or mental health
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