Worries and Concerns

At Venture we have an open door policy and hope that you will come and talk to us if you have any concerns.

What do I do if I feel a member of staff or learner has treated me unfairly?

If you feel you have been unfairly treated by a member of staff or another young person you can speak to any of the people below:

• Your From Tutor or a member of your class team
• A member of staff in your network of support
• One of the school DSL's - Emily (Principal), Jennie (in the office), James, John, Rachel, Emma Day or Luke 
• Our Family Footings Facilitator
• Or any other member of staff that you trust

What will happen to my complaint?

• You will be listened to.
• If appropriate, the complaint will be passed on to a member of the Senior Leadership Team (Emily Hopkins-Hayes, James Bowater, John Anderson or Jennie Nicholls)
• The person you have made the complaint about will be asked what happened.
• If you wish, we will arrange for you to meet with the member of staff/pupil you have made the complaint about to see if we can sort it out. The person you spoke to first will also be with you at this meeting.

What will happen if I feel things have not been sorted out?

• If you wish to continue with your complaint you can arrange to speak to Emily Hopkins-Hayes, who will meet you as soon as possible.
• If you wish, another adult can be invited to this meeting.
• After this meeting Emily will see if any further action is required.

Who else can I speak to about my complaint?

If you still feel that things have not been sorted out, you can contact one of the people below. He or she will listen to your complaint and then let you know as soon as possible whether further action is required.

• LAB Member responsible for Safeguarding - Guy French, via the school office
• Chair of Governors – Guy French,  via the school office
• The Group Director - Kevin Rodger

If you would prefer to seek help somewhere else then here is a list of useful websites that can help you:

CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) – If someone has acted inappropriately online towards you or someone you know, you can report it directly to CEOP. Click CEOP  for advice or to report a problem.

Childline: www.childline.org.uk  Free phone number: 0800 1111 National organisation offering online support and telephone support to young people in distress. Top Tip: If you do not get along with the person you speak to over the phone, hang up and re-dial- they don’t mind.

Samaritans: www.samaritans.org.uk call free any time, from any phone on 116 123. The Samaritans is a national organisation which offers 24 hour telephone and face to face emotional support to people in distress. Their website offers useful information about a range of mental health issues.

Young Minds: www.youngminds.org.uk Young Minds promotes good mental health for young people. The website has a wealth of information about different mental health issues which affect young people, including a range of information and leaflets which can be downloaded.

Depression: Ups and downs are a normal part of life for all of us, but for someone who is suffering from depression these ups and downs may be more extreme. Feelings of failure, hopelessness, numbness or sadness may invade their day-to-day life over an extended period of weeks or months, and have a significant impact on their behaviour and ability and motivation to engage in day-to-day activities. Depression Alliance: www.depressionalliance.org/information/what-depression

Self harm: Self-harm describes any behaviour where a young person causes harm to themselves in order to cope with thoughts, feelings or experiences they are not able to manage in any other way. It most frequently takes the form of cutting, burning or non-lethal overdoses in adolescents, while younger children and young people with special needs are more likely to pick or scratch at wounds, pull out their hair or bang or bruise themselves.

Self Injury: www.selfinjury.org.uk Online user led organisation to raise awareness of self injury and to support young people who self injure (site recommended by Royal College of Psychiatry).

A self harm network: www.nshn.co.uk A self harm network offering online support and information for people who self harm (site recommended by Royal College of Psychiatry).

Drugs and Alcohol: Talk to frank: www.talktofrank.com National drugs helpline for advice, information and support about drugs, 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week.

Drug and Alcohol Help Guide: https://www.rehab4addiction.co.uk/article/44/student-addiction-treatment-guide Guide for Students and someone to chat to online.

Royal College of Psychiatrists: www.rcpsych.ac.uk Royal College of Psychiatrists website has information pages to view online and 36 fact sheets available, covering issues around growing up, parental mental illness and mental health difficulties within adolescence. This includes Mind Ed, which is a free e-learning resource to help adults to identify and understand children and young people with mental health issues.

Bullying: Kid Scape: www.kidscape.org.uk Helpline for parents who are worried about their children being bullied.

If you require additional support or information, please contact the school and we will be happy to help. You can call us on 01564 792514 or email at admin.venture@macintyreacademies.org