Contacts

Remember, if you need someone to speak to, every staff member is available. We are all committed to providing you with the support you need to flourish and meet your full potential during your time at Appleton. Some key staff members include: 

1. Form Tutor 

2. Head of Year 

3. KS3 Pastoral Team in D5 ( Mr Hawkes Y7, MRs Goodheart Y8, MRs Housden Y9)

4. KS4 Pastoral Team in Q2  (Ms Tilbury)

5. Designated Safeguarding Lead next to nurse's office (Mr Stockdale)

6. Deputy Safeguarding Leads (Ms Salisbury in Q2, Miss Green in Q2, Mrs Whitehead in student services, Miss Wright in V3)

7. School Counsellor (Ms Williams in I block group room)

8. Designated Teacher for Children in Care, Young Carers, and Recently Bereaved (Ms Jones)

9. Wellbeing Manager (Ms Benson in V2)

10. Mental Health Lead (Miss Sangha in 601)

Speaking to the pastoral teams and the school counsellors would be the first step to take if you feel like you are struggling and need some additional support. They can assess how to best support you moving forward, which could include regular wellbeing drop-ins, or add you to the waiting list for counselling services if necessary.

If you need help for a mental health crisis or emergency you should seek assistance urgently. An emergency is any time that you, or someone you are supporting feels unsafe and are at risk of hurting themselves (by attempting suicide or other harm) or hurting someone else. You should:

• call 999 for an ambulance,

• go to A&E

• or call your local mental health crisis line.

You can find the urgent mental health helpline for your area here on the NHS website

If you have to wait for assistance, Mind has practical tools to help yourself at the time of crisis

If you feel able to keep yourself/the person you are supporting safe in the short term but need help as soon as possible you can get an urgent appointment with a GP, either by calling your local GP Surgery or by calling 111. It will be with the first available doctor so may not be your regular GP, but they can support you with information, medication and/or referals for additional support.

If you need someone to talk to, there are a number of free, confidential and anonymous helplines that you can call. They are manned by trained volunteers who are there to talk to, and will listen to you without judgement

• Childline is a free, private and confidential service where you can talk about anything. They are online and on the phone at any time. Helpline 0800 1111

• The Samaritans offer a safe space to talk. Call free anytime: 116 123 (UK Wide), or 08081640123 (Welsh Language Line)

• Shout Crisis Text Line is a free and confidential text messaging support service for anyone struggling to cope. Text: 85258 (UK Wide). 

Some other organisations that offer support are:

• Action for Children  - Action for Children provide practical and emotional care and support for children and young people

• Asking for a Friend - free and confidential sexual health service for students aged 16+

• Anna Freud Centre - A helpful video  from the Anna Freud centre that explains we all have mental health 

• Calm  - a free app to aid relaxation, meditation and sleep

• CAVS (Castle Point Association of Voluntary Services) is a local based voluntary run charity that offer help and guidance to individuals as well as families. They address specific local need, including working with vulnerable young people, children and families, social isolation, health and well-being.
  Helpline – 01268 214 000

• Child Bereavement UK helps children, parents and families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies.
  Helpline – 0800 0288840

• Community 360

• Every Mind Matters  

• EWMHS (Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Service)  provides advice and support to children, young people and families who are in need with their emotional wellbeing or mental health difficulties.
  Helpline – 0300 300 1600

• Family Action - Family Action offers support for financial hardship, mental health problems, social isolation, learning disabilities, domestic abuse, or substance abuse and alcohol problems

• Flourish - a youtube channel by an Emotional Health Practictioner to help you achieve good mental health

• Galop - support LGBT+ people who have experienced abuse

• Headspace  - a free app to promote mindfulness and reduce stress and anxiety

• How to Achieve Anything - a talk from Gareth Southgate and Sharky

• Kooth - online mental wellbeing community that provides 1:1 support text-based counselling for students, visit student sign up form

• LGBT Foundation  - LGBT Foundation is a national charity delivering advice, support and information services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) communities

• LGBT Mental Health and Wellbeing

• Looking after your mental health

• Luna Foundation  - supports children and young people who have experienced the loss of a parent or caregiver to suicide

• The Mental Health Foundation 

• Make it Count 

• Mindfullness 

• Mental Health Wellbeing Advice 

• Mind offers services, support and advice to people with mental distress. They also provide information to professionals, carers, family and friends.
  Mind Helpline 0300 123 3393 / Mind Helpline Basildon 01268 284130

• The Mix  - is the UK’s leading digital charity for under 25s, reaching over  6 million young people each year. Whatever issue a young person is facing, The Mix is always there for them – via otheir website, over the phone or via social media. Support is free, confidential and anonymous and can be accessed wherever young people are.

• NHS-approved apps  - A list of NHS-approved apps  to help you with your mental health and wellbeing 

• NSPCC  - offers services to prevent abuses, help rebuild children's lives and support families 

• Off the Grip  - a free app that monitors your screen time

• Refuge  - Refuge are the largest domestic abuse organisation in the UK supporting survivors to overcome the physical, emotional, financial and logistical impact of abuse

• Relate - offers relationship, family, children's and young people's counselling 

• Renew Counselling offer a wide range of high quality, affordable and effective counselling and therapy services. Chelmsford 01245 359353 / Basildon 01268 822800

• Student Minds 

• Switchboard  - provides a one-stop listening service for LGBT+ people on the phone, by email and through Instant Messaging.

• Wellbeing Beating Anxiety 

• Wellbeing Online Activities 

• Winston’s Wish supports bereaved children, young people, their families and the professionals who support them. They support children and young people after the death of a parent and sibling.
  Helpline 08088 020 021

• Womens Aid - domestic abuse support for women and children

• Wysa  - The app offers a private reflective space. It is an online therapy chatbot and can be downloaded as an app on your phone. You can choose areas you are interested in and will be presented with suggested activities for positivity and wellness. 

• Yellow Door (Canvey Island Youth Project) is an independent charity, offering information, advice, advocacy, emotional and practical support, education and counselling, and activities to young people between 11 and 25. They are a local based charity in Canvey Island.
  Information Phoneline – 01268 683431

• Youngminds  offers mental health support for young people, parents and professionals