Please take a look at the 'Young People' section of this website if you would like to guide your child towards their own support / reading.
Useful contacts:
Caerphilly Social Services: Here you will find the contact information you need if different for adults, children and emergencies alongside links to websites for support.
Young Minds Parents Helpline: Detailed advice, emotional support and signposting if you're concerned about a young person's mental health (up to the age of 25). 0808 802 5544 from 9:30am - 4pm, Monday - Friday.
Advicelink Cymru: Advicelink Cymru offers quality assured advice on welfare benefits, debt, employment, education, housing, immigration and discrimination.
Young Carers
At St Martin's School we are aware that some of our pupils are young carers. A Young Carer is a child under 18 who regularly helps to look after a family member or friend who is disabled, ill, has mental ill health or addiction problems.
Children may engage in:
Practical tasks (cooking, housework and shopping)
Physical care (lifting or helping someone use the stairs)
Personal care (dressing, washing, helping with toilet needs)
Managing the family budget (collecting benefits and prescriptions)
Managing medication
Looking after younger siblings
Helping someone communicate
When completing one or more of these tasks becomes a necessity, then we would classify a pupil as a young carer. Research suggests there are at least 800,000 young carers in the UK but many do not realise they are a young carer.
We know that young carers may need a little extra support to enjoy and do well at school. At St Martin's School we are committed to ensuring that all pupils who are young carers are identified, and supported effectively.
We can offer additional pastoral support, small group workshops and access to opportunities outside school. We link up with the local Young Carers Service to offer our pupils more support both within school and outside of school.
We have a lead professional, Lois Banks (Assistant Headteacher- Wellbeing), whohas responsibility for ensuring all young carers are able to enjoy school and make good progress.
If you think your child might be a young carer, or could be affected by any of the issues we’ve highlighted, please let us know by emailing Lois: banksl@stmartins.caerphilly.sch.uk
Alternatively, you can ring Reception and ask to speak to Lois.
Any information that is given to us will be treated sensitively and no information will be shared without your knowledge.
Help with home utilities:
Nest: If you’re worried about your energy bills, call Nest and speak to one of their friendly advisors. They can offer free and impartial advice on: saving energy and water; money management; making sure you’re on the best energy and water tariff; whether you are entitled to any benefits to boost your income. FREEPHONE: 0808 808 2244
Welsh Water: Help for low-income families.
Welsh Water: Help with water bills for those who use more water due to medical conditions.
Western Power Distribution: The Priority Services Register (PSR) provides extra help and additional support during a power cut for elderly, very ill or disabled people, or those who rely on power for medical equipment.
Fuel Poverty Charities: This is a list of different charities you can contact if you need help with fuel bills.
Discretionary Assistance Fund: The Discretionary Assistance Fund provides 2 types of grant that you do not need to pay back.
Useful documents / websites to support you and your child
Parenting - Give it Time: Free practical tips and expert advice for all your parenting challenges produced by Welsh Government experts.
Antibullying Resources: Advice for parents and carers
Social Media Privacy: A simple poster, outlining how accounts can be made private / be blocked on different social media.
Supporting children's transition to secondary school: A guide for parents and carers.
NHS Advice for parents: Find advice and support for parents who have children or teenagers with mental health problems.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS): You will find lots of advice here, plus a link to a page with contacts if you need help in a crisis.
Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families: From here, you will find links to many topics to help support a child who is suffering from poor mental health or wellbeing.
Clic Parenting Hub: This group is for parents and carers, helping you access mental health support online for yourself and your child. It requires you to set up an account.
Conflict and separation: Advice and guidance for parents and carers in conflict or separating.
Dove's Parenting Teens: The evidenced-based resources on this site have been specifically designed to encourage young people to develop and maintain a healthy body image during the transition to adulthood.
Relax Kids: A site to support parents, teachers and all those working with children with our unique range of meditation, mindful and relaxation products, resources, toolkits, classes and training.
The Dark Web explained: The Dark Web Explained consists of a short informational film with a factsheet. The resource can help you to: understand what the Dark Web is; know why and how some young people might access the Dark Web; feel confident having conversations and supporting your child if you know they are accessing the Dark Web.
Young Minds' Parents A-Z Guide: This A-Z guide gives you advice on how to help your child with their feelings and behaviour, as well as mental health conditions and life events. It'll also show you where you can get help.
Girls on Board: An approach to help parents support their daughters through friendship issues.
Charlie Waller Foundation: Provides mental health training, resources and consultancy with a focus on children and young people.
The Proud Trust: On these pages, you will find some helpful information which will hopefully help you in supporting the LGBT+ children and young people you are in contact with. These resources cover a range of different things such as exploring LGBT+ identities, LGBT+ inclusion and how to support young people coming out as LGBT+. You’ll also find information and biographies of LGBT+ people within ‘LGBT+ Icons’.
The Sleep Charity: They are one of the leading, independent expert voices on sleep issues in the UK and are here to help everyone get a better night’s sleep. Whether it’s advice, education or support for children, teenagers, adults, workplaces or professionals, they are on hand with expert knowledge, resources and accredited training.
Adoptive parents, special guardians, kinship carers or foster carers: You play a vital role in supporting a child or young person who has had a unique start in life. Some children who are fostered, adopted or looked after by connected carers will need extra help to feel safe and secure. This can be both rewarding and challenging for you as a parent or carer. Whatever your situation, resources and services are available to help.
Galop: Support for LGBTQ+ people surviving abuse aged 13+.
Survivors UK: Support for men, boys and non-binary survivors of sexual violence aged 13+.
Welsh Women's Aid: Welsh Women’s Aid is the national charity in Wales working to end domestic abuse and all forms of violence against women.
Respond: support for survivors of trauma with a learning disability aged 13+.