Keeping Students Safe and Healthy
Below is a list of very useful links of support that can be accessed outside of the school environment.
If you would like to discuss anything in particular please contact the Head of Year for your year group.
Heads of Year for 2026-27:
Year 7: Mrs Denyer
Year 8: Mr Wilson
Year 9: Mr Rogers
Year 10: Ms Stevens
Year 11: Ms Shabbir
to email them please email: contact@paca.uk.com and your email will be forwarded on.
SAFEGUARDING CONCERNS
If you have any concerns about your child or another pupil, always let someone know. Please make contact with:
FrontDoorForFamilies (Social Care) Phone: 01273 290400
Out-of-hours: 01273 335905 (Emergency Duty Service)
Childline 0800 1111
Safeguardingresourcehub: range of services for pupils and parents
Sussex Police 101 Emergency 999
Hate incidents and anti-social behavior: report directly to a specialist Casework Team: 01273 292735 communitysafety.casework@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Guidelines and advice on Keeping Safe online
PACA’s Pastoral System: to help support your child through school.
At PACA every part of a child’s well-being plays a part in helping them achieve their potential.
Tutors are supported by the Heads of Year and a variety of specialist teams in school. These include the Aspiration Centre for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (click here to find out more), the Education Welfare Officer, for children with attendance and punctuality issues. They are all supported in turn by the Senior Leadership Team.
Safeguarding at PACA
Portslade Aldridge Community Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young adults.
All members of staff, students and volunteers are expected to share this commitment. We have robust systems in place with regards to safeguarding. It is vitally important that all referrals are addressed promptly and dealt with sensitively.
All staff receive training annually on child protection and safeguarding within the Academy. We, therefore, have a wide network of support staff who students can talk to.
The members of staff include:
- Tutors
- Heads of Year
- Senior Leadership Team
- Aspirations Team
If you have any child protection concerns please contact:
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Christopher Mellett Christopher.Mellett@paca.aldridgeeducation.org Ext 3253
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mark Poston Mark.Poston@paca.aldridgeeducation.org Ext 3246
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Emma Rudd Emma.Rudd@paca.aldridgeeducation.org Ext 3249
Hate Incidents and Anti-Social Behaviour
A duty phone line, 01273 292735, is staffed on weekdays between 09:00 and 17:00, an answer machine is in operation out of office hours or the team can be emailed direct on communitysafety.casework@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Hate incidents and anti-social behaviour can also be reported directly to the police by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.
Equality objectives
a) We will constantly try to understand who our pupils and staff are, and how they feel in our Aldridge Education communities.
b) We will take steps to identify those pupils and staff who have spent too long underrepresented or left behind; we will actively and openly promote them so that all can identify their status in the scenarios related to Aldridge Education.
c) We will try to ensure all are included in the work of Aldridge Education through planning and preparing for different and diverse groups and cohorts of staff in everything we do as Aldridge Education.
d) We will endeavour to actively direct our Aldridge Education resources to help mitigate the greatest injustices we can perceive among our pupils and staff.
e) We will use every opportunity to try to eradicate assumptions, bias and one-sided perceptions that might exist in our work as Aldridge Education.
Aldridge Talks Podcast - to help students understand topics being taught in PHSE:
https://www.aldridgeeducation.org/Aldridge-Talks/
If you would like to find out more about what is taught in PSHE at PACA please email: contact@paca.aldridgeeducation.org
EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
If you are worried about yours or someone else’s mental health or would like information about how mental health services work to support children and families in the city visit:
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Young Minds
- Winstons Wish
- Cruse
- YMCA DownsLink Group
- The Mix Coronavirus support and advice: 0808 808 4994
- Shout - self-harm and other mental health services
Useful Websites/ Numbers
If urgent support is needed call specialist CAMHs on 0300 304 0061 between 8.30am and 4.30pm. Outside of these hours please seek support from the Royal Alexander Hospital.
Internet Safety
CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre)
Click here to see the CEOP website
Whether you are a child, teenager, parent, carer or teacher, the thinkuknow website has information for you that could keep you safe online.
Operation Encompass
PACA are part of Operation Encompass. This is a joint project with Sussex Police which started in September 2018. The project provides early reporting to schools of any domestic abuse incidents involving children (incidents in which a child was present, ordinarily resides at the incident location or with an involved party).
We know that children and young people can be significantly affected through witnessing or being exposed to domestic abuse and this operation will allow our school to better support our pupils/students and their families. A nominated member of school staff, known as a Key Adult, will be trained to liaise with the police. Our Key Adult is Mr Mellett (DSL) and the Deputy Key Adult is Mark Poston (DDSL). They will be able to use information that has been shared with them, in confidence, to ensure that the right support is available should it be required by a child/young person and/or their family. We are keen to offer the best support available to our students and we believe this is going to be extremely beneficial for all those involved.
- Additional information about Operation Encompass is available at via their website.
- Information about a wide range of local services for families is available on familyinfobrighton.org.uk.
If you have any concerns or questions then please contact our Key Adults and we will be happy to discuss this further.
Other useful Links
Ann Freud mental health leaflet
Parents guide to help keep children safe online
Parent Guides | Skips Safety Net
Health Area: Bereavement
| Winston's Wish | https://www.winstonswish.org/ | This site is for young people like you, who know exactly what it is like to have someone important to them die. |
| Cruse Bereavement Care | http://www.cruse.org.uk/ | Cruse Bereavement Care is here to support you after the death of someone close. |
Health Area: Bullying
| Kidscape | https://www.kidscape.org.uk/ | With advice and practical skills to learn on how to deal with bullying. |
| Child Line | https://www.childline.org.uk/ | If you are worried about anything, it could be something big or something small, don't bottle it up. It can really help if you talk to someone. |
| Bullying UK | http://bullying.co.uk/ | With general and specific advice on all types of bullying. |
| ConnectSafely | http://www.connectsafely.org/ | Connect Safely is everyone engaged in and interested in the impact of social media and mobile. |
Health area : Relationships and sexual health
| NHS Choices | http://www.nhs.uk/pages/home.aspx | Lots of easy to access information on a range of sexual health and relationship issues and services. |
| Brook | https://www.brook.org.uk/ | Brook is the UK's leading provider of sexual health services and advice for young people under 25. They specialise in working with young people to promote their sexual health in the wider context of health and wellbeing. |
| FPA | http://www.fpa.org.uk/ | Providing help to parents talk to their children about growing up, support health professionals, campaign for better sexual health services and fight for the rights of all young people to have appropriate relationships and sex education. |
| Disrespect NoBody Campaign | Disrespect Nobody | The Disrespect NoBody campaign builds on the Government's previous This is Abuse campaign, and is aimed at preventing abusive behaviours within relationships. |
| Mankind | https://www.mankind.org.uk/ | Mankind is a national charity that provides help and support for male victims of domestic abuse and domestic violence. |
Health area : Emotional Health and Wellbeing
| Beat | https://www.b-eat.co.uk/ | Provides helplines, online support and a network of UK-wide self-help groups to help adults and young people in the UK beat their eating disorders. |
| Brighton & Hove Wellbeing Service | https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/children-and-education/local-offer/bhiss-schools-wellbeing-service | The BHISS Schools Wellbeing Service works to promote mental wellbeing in schools and reduce stigma around mental health. |
| YoungMinds | Mental Health Support For Young People | YoungMinds | Offers information to young people and children about mental health and emotional wellbeing. |
| NSPCC | https://www.nspcc.org.uk/ | Offers advice and information on female genital mutilation. |
| Child Line | https://www.childline.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx | If you need someone to talk to, you can talk to Childline about any problem you are worried about. They are available 24 hours a day and can talk to you in confidence. The number won't appear on your phone bill. You can call them for free on 0800 1111 or visit their website. |
| SelfharmUK | https://www.selfharm.co.uk/ | A project dedicated to supporting young people impacted by self-harm, providing a safe space to talk, ask any questions and be honest about what's going on in your life. |
| Shout | https://giveusashout.org/get-help/resources/Sussex-Mental-Healthline/ | Shout is mental health support for people who live in Sussex |
| Harmless | http://www.harmless.org.uk/ | Harmless is a user led organisation that provides a range of services about self-harm including support, information, training and consultancy to people who self-harm, their friends and families and professionals. |
| National Self Harm Network | http://www.nshn.co.uk/ | Supports individuals who self-harm to reduce emotional distress and improve their quality of life. They support and provide information for family and carers of individuals who self-harm. They seek to raise awareness of the needs of people who self-harm, dispel myths and combat discrimination. |
| PAPYRUS HOPELineUK | Supporting-Your-Child-A5-Booklet-English-2023.pdf | PAPYRUS exists to give young people hope and to prevent young suicide. We provide confidential support and advice to young people and anyone worried about a young person. We run a national helpline, HOPELineUK, including text and email services. |
| Samaritans | http://www.samaritans.org/ | A confidential listening service with phone line 116 123, email and drop in services. |
| Find Get Give | Home - Find Get GiveHome - Find Get Give |
Mental health and wellbeing information, advice and services for young people & parents and carers. |
Health area : Drugs and Alcohol
| FRANK | http://www.talktofrank.com/ | Frank is a national website of up to date information about drugs, risks, effects and harm reduction. |
| Rise Above | http://riseabove.org.uk/ | Rise Above is where you will find interesting and useful stuff from the web and beyond to get us all talking about the things that matter to us. You'll find inspiring and useful stories, videos, games and advice. |
| NHS Choices | http://www.nhs.uk/pages/home.aspx | Lots of easy to access information on a range of drugs and alcohol issues and services. |
| think drink drugs | http://thinkdrinkdrugs.co.uk/ | Drug and alcohol facts, support services and latest information for Kent and Sussex. |
| Drinkaware | https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/ | An independent charity which aims to reduce alcohol-related harm by helping people make better choices about their drinking. |
| DASH | http://wheretogofor.co.uk/young-persons-drugs-alcohol-sexual-health-education-workers-dash/ | The DASH workers work with young people up to the age of 18 around sexual health, drugs and alcohol on a one to one basis providing information, advice and support. |
| RUOK | Getting help from ru-ok? | ru-ok? works alongside under 18s whose lives are affected by substance misuse in Brighton & Hove. |
Health area : LGBTQ+
| Stonewall | Homepage | Stonewall | Help and advice for all relating to LGBT. |
| IntersexUK (ISUK) | http://www.intersexuk.org/about | IntersexUK (ISUK) is a human rights organisation working to achieve equality for, and the protection of Intersex bodied people. |
| Gendered Intelligence | http://genderedintelligence.co.uk/ | Gendered Intelligence work predominantly with the trans community and those who impact on trans lives; we particularly specialise in supporting young trans people aged 8-25. |
| Allsorts | https://www.allsortsyouth.org.uk/ |
Allsorts Youth Project listens to, supports & connects children & young people under 26 who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or unsure (LGBTU) of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. |
Health area : E-safety
| Child Exploitation and Online Protection | https://ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/ | The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) works across the UK tackling child sex abuse and providing advice for parents, young people and children. |
| Thinkuknow | https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/ | Come in to find the latest information on the sites you like to visit, mobiles and new technology. Find out what's good, what's not and what you can do about it. |
| UK Safer Internet Centre | http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/ | You can find e-safety tips, advice and resources to help children and young people stay safe on the internet. |
| Report Terrorism | https://www.gov.uk/report-terrorism | Reporting online material that promotes terrorism. |
| Let's talk about it | https://www.letstalkaboutit.nhs.uk/ |