Dear Parents/Carers
Please find details of support services and emergency numbers for use, should you require them, during the Christmas period.
These can also be found on the academy website in the Safeguarding section.
The academy is closed from 12.30pm on Friday 17th December until Tuesday 4th January 2022. Staff will not respond to any emails during this time.
If you require support or are concerned about the welfare of a child, please use the numbers below to report this.
If you believe a child is at immediate risk of harm please contact the police on 999 immediately.
May I take this opportunity to wish you a very happy and safe Christmas.
Safeguarding Contacts Postcard
We have also provided the information below for ease of access, and for those who do not have computer access.
If out of school hours:
Wolverhampton; 01902 555392 (Out of Hours: 01902 552999)
Dudley; 0300 555 0055
Sandwell; 0121 569 3100
Support for Online and E Safety concerns;
https://www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre/
Thinkuknow is the education programme from NCA-CEOP, a UK organistion which protects children both online and offline; https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/14_plus/help/CEOP/
Support for mental well-being and advice/guidance
Wolverhampton City Council Bulletin. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKWCC/bulletins/2934a06
Samaritans can help if:
· You are having a difficult time
· You are struggling to cope
· You are worried about someone
· You have got to deal with something difficult
https://www.samaritans.org/ or 116 123
Childline is a free, private and confidential service where you can talk about anything. Whatever your worry, whenever you need help, they can offer help for you online, on the phone, anytime; https://www.childline.org.uk/ or 0800 1111
ONLINE Counselling support; https://kooth.com/
Police; https://www.police.uk/west-midlands/
Base 25 Counselling, advice and guidance on all matters;
01902 572040
Food banks
A support that can be accessed directly in Bilston:
Excel Church
Wolverhampton Street
Bilston
WV14 0LT
(01902) 402273
[email protected]
www.excelchurch.org.uk
Covid-19 Update
Daily testing for contacts of COVID-19
From Tuesday 14 December, a new national approach to daily testing for contacts of COVID-19 is being introduced (including until the end of this term). All adults who are fully vaccinated and children aged 5 to 18 years and 6 months, identified as a contact of someone with COVID-19 – whether Omicron or not – should take a lateral flow device (LFD) test every day for 7 days instead of self-isolating. Daily testing by close contacts will help to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Daily testing for contacts of COVID-19 will help protect education settings by reducing transmission and will also help keep pupils in face-to-face education.
Once notified by NHS Test and Trace as a close contact, all eligible staff, pupils and students should take an LFD each day for 7 days and report the results through the Online Reporting System and to their setting. If they test negative, they can continue to attend their education setting. Outside of the education setting, they should continue to follow the advice set out in the Sunday 12 December press release. This approach should also be adopted over the winter break and on return in January.
If they test positive, they should self-isolate and order a PCR test to confirm the result. If the PCR is positive, they must self-isolate for 10 days. If the PCR test is negative, they no longer need to self-isolate but should continue to carry out the remainder of the daily tests, and only need to isolate if it is positive.
All staff and secondary aged pupils and students should have access to a box of 7 LFD tests from their education setting. If your setting requires additional test kits sooner than they would be available through the standard ordering process, or will run out of test kits imminently, you can contact 119 to request an emergency replenishment. For primary aged children LFD test kits are available through the usual routes (community test sites, local pharmacies or online).
Yours sincerely
Miss S Woodbine
Assistant Principal for Safeguarding & Student Services