Safeguarding & Support

Safeguarding & Wellbeing

We know that sometimes you might need or want some extra support from the college. We offer a range of support services to help you keep on top of things and make the most of your student experience.

The Safeguarding and Wellbeing team are here to support you with anything that might be impacting your ability to achieve and enjoy your time at college. The team provides a safe place to talk and offer a one to one, non-judgemental service to all students.

• Our on-site student mentors are trusted members of staff that can offer students individualised 1:1 support
• The college’s Mental Health Practitioner is here to help you if you’re struggling with low mood and anxiety that might be impacting your sleep, appetite, and ability to cope
• The Safeguarding and Wellbeing team can refer you to local services and/or signpost you to National support services
• Our Student Welfare Officers provide support to Looked After Student, and are a point of contact for other helping professionals
• The Safeguarding and Wellbeing team respond to student welfare emergencies

Safeguarding and Wellbeing Contact Information

The Safeguarding and Wellbeing Team is available Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. You can contact us via:

• Phone (for safeguarding emergencies during working hours): 07970 393393

• Email: Wellbeing@croydon.ac.uk or safeguarding@croydon.ac.uk

Please note: The emergency phone number is only monitored during working hours (Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm) and is not available out of hours, at weekends, or on public holidays.

If you are concerned about a learner’s immediate safety or there is a safeguarding emergency outside of college hours, please call 999.

Out of Hours Safeguarding Contacts

If you need to raise a concern outside of our normal working hours, you can contact your local authority’s social care services:

Croydon residents:

• Croydon Social Care Service: 0208 726 6400

• Main Council Number (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm): 0208 726 6400

• Urgent Child Protection (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm): 0208 255 2888

• Out of Hours: 0208 726 6400

Bromley residents:

• Bromley Child Services (Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5pm): 020 8461 7373

• MASH Email: mash@bromley.gov.uk

• Out of Hours: 0300 303 8671

Lambeth residents:

 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm): 0208 255 2888

• Main Council Number (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm): 020 7926 5555

Lewisham residents:

• Lewisham Child Services (Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5pm): 0208 314 9181

• MASH Email: MASHagency@lewisham.gov.uk

• MASH Phone: 0208 314 6660

• Out of Hours: 0208 314 6000

Online Support and Self-Help Resources

Support is also available online for both parents and young people:

• CAMHS Resources – Self-help guides

• NHS Advice for Talking to Teenagers

• NHS Mental Health Advice for Parents and Guardians

• NSPCC – Keeping Children Safe Online

• UK Safer Internet Centre – Internet Safety Guidance for Parents and Carers

Additional Support 

Samaritans – United Kingdom & Ireland – All Ages
A charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide. Whatever you’re going through, a Samaritan will face it with you. They’re there 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, waiting for your call. You do not need to have any credit or call allowance – the call is free.

Website: www.samaritans.org
Email: jo@samaritans.org (response within 24 hours)
Phone: 116 123

Childline – United Kingdom – Children and Young People Up to Their 19^th Birthday
You can talk to a counsellor on the phone or access the online counseling service. Childline deals with any issues which cause distress or concern; some of the most common issues include child abuse, bullying, mental illness, parental separation or divorce, teenage pregnancy, substance misuse, neglect, and psychological abuse.

Website: www.childline.org.uk
Phone: 0800 1111 (FREE)

Sexual violence and abuse

We take allegations of sexual assault very seriously. If you have been affected and would like to talk to somebody, please email us on: safeguarding@croydon.ac.uk

You talk, we listen, we act

The Prevent Duty is the Governments strategy to help reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism, and to intervene and help people who may be at risk of being radicalised, supporting terrorist organisations, or becoming terrorists. If you see or hear anything that worried you, or you are suspicious of something that could identify a terrorist threat in the UK, trust your instincts and report it by calling the Anti-terrorism hotline on 0800 789321. Your call could be vital. Help and advice is always available from the Safeguarding and Wellbeing team.

Meet the Safeguarding and Wellbeing Team

Online safety information for students and parents

Now, more than ever, we need to support our students to stay safe and well online. See below a range of helpful websites for parents and students to ensure safety online over the coming weeks.

The UK Safer Internet Centre offers excellent advice for parents on keeping their children safe online. This includes information on the common dangers as well as safety controls and tools, including those that can be used on social media. There is a similar guide for young people. Here you can find 5 top tips for staying safe online as well as links to other resources, including the safe use of apps such as Instagram and Snapchat.

CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection command) is an organisation designed to protect young people from online sexual abuse. Their website has a section where young people or parents/guardians can make a report if they or someone else may be suffering from grooming or online sexual abuse. This can range from people feeling pressured to talk about sex online, being asked to provide images to being asked to meet up in person. As well as being able to make reports of things that have happened, you can also contact CEOP for advice on what to do if you have concerns that something may happen.

Advice on these issues is also available on the Think U Know website. If you are not ready to talk to CEOP or want advice on online bullying and harassment that is not sexual in nature, the best contact is Childline on 0800 1111.

There is a wide range of apps that students use socially. It is important that students and parents understand how they work, the safety features and the dangers of the technology. The guides below show some of the most common apps that young people are using currently.

How to set up the parental controls offered by your internet provider

BT Internet
Sky Broadband
Talk Talk Homesafe
Virgin Media

Other Parental Control links

YouTube How to turn on Safety Mode
Google Activate Safe Search
4OD Parental Control
BBC IPlayer Parental Guidance Lock
ITV Player PIN number protection
Sky Go Parental Controls

Website / Software Guidance

Ask.FM Factsheet
Facebook Parents’ Guide
Google + Parents’ Guide
Instagram Parents’ Guide
Snapchat Parents’ Guide

If you or someone else are at risk of imminent danger or harm call emergency services on 999. If you feel unable to keep yourself safe and you need immediate help, especially if you think you are at risk of acting on suicidal feelings, or you have seriously harmed yourself and need medical attention make your way to the closest A&E department.