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Samuel Whitbread Academy

Parental Support

Please find a list of support websites and agencies in the local area. 

If you need any further help please contact your child’s Head of Year or pastoral support officer.

Parent Info is a free service for schools. Here you'll find a collection of articles, tips, expert advice and resources designed to help parents keep up with what their children are doing online.

Help and Advice

NSPCC
Website: www.nspcc.org.uk 
Adult helpline: 0808 800 5000
Young person's helpline (Childline): 0800 1111

Childline
Website: www.childline.org.uk

Family Lives
Online advice and information on all aspects of family life with support groups/workshops.
Free 24-hour confidential helpline: (08088) 002222
Website: www.familylives.org.uk

Relate for parents and families
Useful information and advice for parents, or anymore in a family to help with the most important relationships – the ones you have with your family.
Website: www.relateforparents.org.uk

Dad talk
An online community where you can share ideas, find out information and talk about the issues of being a dad.
Website: www.dadtalk.co.uk

Marie Collins
The Marie Collins Foundation is the UK charity enabling children who suffer sexual abuse and exploitation via internet and mobile technologies to recover and live safe, fulfilling lives.
Website: www.mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk

Netmums
A social networking site connecting parents with each other with help from experts on specific issues through private on-line messages or conversations.
Website: www.netmums.com

Families United Network/Family Voice
Offers support to Bedfordshire families who have a child with a disability, special need or additional needs.
Website: www.familiesunitednetwork.co.uk

Shelf Help Reading Well
The Reading Well books have been chosen by young people and health experts to help you with difficult feelings and experiences that can affect your wellbeing.  The books have information and advice as well as personal stories about dealing with anxiety, depression or stress and experiences such as bullying. Shelf Help list

School Nursing Service
The  5-19 School Nursing Service works in partnership with children, young  people and their families in Bedfordshire to ensure that children’s health and wellbeing needs are supported within their school and their community. They lead on the delivery of the 5-19 Healthy Child Programme and play a key role in addressing public health issues such as emotional health and wellbeing, sexual health, obesity and other health related issues.
Website: www.sept.nhs.uk/our-services/bedfordshire-and-luton/bedfordshire-community-health-services/childrens/school-nursing-service/

TeenIssues
It's hard to be a teen.We knew this when we established TeenIssues and recruited experts on all matters teen-related to contribute to the site.It is our hope that TeenIssues can address all of the perils and pitfalls that come with being a teen, and become the premier resource offering teens interesting features, practical advice, and basic answers to all of their own questions.
Website: www.teenissues.co.uk

Apps

Click on the below links to find lists of useful mental health apps.

www.blackcountryminds.com/help-advice/helpful-apps/

www.liverpoolcamhs.com/websites-apps/

Autism Advice

Autism Bedfordshire 
Website: www.autismbeds.org

Really Flexible Care 
Website: www.reallyflexiblecare.co.uk

The National Autistic Society 
Website: www.nas.org.uk

Young Carers (Central Bedfordshire Council)
Website: www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Bullying

Bullying
Website: www.bullying.co.uk

Anti-bullying Alliance (ABA)
Brings together more than 65 organisations with the aim of reducing bullying and creating safer environments in which children and young people can live, grow, play and learn. 
Website: www.anti-bullying.org

Beatbullying
Beatbullying is the leading bullying prevention charity in the UK and provides anti- bullying resources, information, advice and support for young people, parents and professionals affected by bullying. 
Website: www.beatbullying.org.uk

Counselling Services

Bedford Open Door 
Website: www.bedfordopendoor.org.uk

CHUMS Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Service
Tel: 01525 863924
Website: www.chums.uk.com

Hear2Listen 
Website: www.hear2listen.org.uk

Relate Bedfordshire and Luton 
Website: www.relatebedsandluton.org.uk

Sorted Counselling Services 
Tel: 01582 891435 appointments (Mon-Thur)
Email: admin.sorted@talktalk.net

Cyber Safety

CEOP
Website: www.ceop.police.uk

Childnet International
The UK's safer internet centre
Website: www.childnet-int.org

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) 
Website: www.ceop.police.uk

Internet Watch Foundation 
Website: www.iwf.org.uk

National Online Safety
#WakeUpWednesday Children are using smart devices from a much younger age than ever before. Therefore it's essential we talk to our children about how to use them safely. There are many positive benefits to the new technology at our disposal these days - but there are plenty of downsides too. As a parent or carer, it's important you understand these risks and how you can take steps to protect your family against them.
Website: www.nationalonlinesafety.com

Safe4Me
Child Centered Policy. An initiative from colleagues in West Mercia who have produced a range of materials aimed to promote self-help and signpost support for families and young people around cyberbullying.
Child Centered Policy

Thinkuknow 
Website: www.thinkuknow.co.uk

NSPCC
Childline’s new tool helps young people remove nude images shared online.

The NSPCC’s service for children and young people, Childline, has launched the Report Remove tool with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to help young people remove nude images of themselves from the internet.
Website: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/news-opinion/2021/childline-tool-remove-nude-images-online/

Drugs and Alcohol Services

ADFAM 
Website: www.adfam.org.uk

ASC (Alcohol services for the Community) 
Website: www.alcohol-services.co.uk

Aquarius
Website: aquarius.org.uk

CAN (PLAN B) 
Website: www.can.org.uk

National Drugs Helpline (FRANK)
Tel: 0800 776 600 (24 hrs free advice)
Website: www.talktofrank.com

NHS choices 
Website: www.nhs.uk

LGBTQ

Family Friends of Lesbian and Gays (FFLAG) 
Website: www.fflag.org.uk

Stonewall
The lesbian, gay and bisexual charity. 
Website: www.stonewall.org.uk

Educational Action Challenging Homophobia (EACH)
Educational Action Challenging Homophobia (EACH) is a charity and training agency helping people and organisations affected by homophobia. The website gives guidance, contact details and a freephone helpline. 
Website: www.eachaction.org.uk

Mental Health

CHUMS
Website: www.chums.uk.com

Mencap
Mencap is a learning disability charity that provides information and support to children and adults with a learning disability, and to their families and carers.
Website: www.bedfordmencap.org.uk or www.mencap.org.uk

MentalHealth
Dedicated to finding and addressing the sources of mental health problems.
Website:  www.mentalhealth.org.uk

Papyrus
Prevention of Young Suicide
Website: www.papyrus-uk.org 

Rethink
Rethink Mental Illness helps millions of people affected by mental illness by challenging attitudes and changing lives.
Tel: 0845 456 0455
Website: www.rethink.org

Young Minds 
YoungMinds is the UK’s leading charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people.
Young person’s helpline: 020 7336 8445
Parent helpline: 0808 8025 544
Website: www.youngminds.org.uk

Sexual Health Advice

Brook Advisory Centres 
Website: www.brook.org.uk

The Grove Pregnancy Crisis and Post Abortion Centre 
(Care Confidential for pregnancy and post abortion support).
Website: www.careconfidential.com

Family Planning Association (FPA)
Website: www.fpa.org.uk

Single Parents

Special Educational Needs

Autism Bedfordshire 
Website: www.autismbeds.org

Bedford and District Cerebral Palsy Society
Website: www.bdcps.org.uk

Bedford Garden Carers 
Website: www.bedsgardencarers.org.uk

British Institute of Learning Disabilities
Website: www.bild.org.uk

CEREBRA
Website: www.cerebra.org.uk

Change 
Website: www.changepeople.co.uk

Disabled Living Foundation 
Website: www.dlf.org.uk

Dunstable and District Disabled Sports (DADDS)
Website: www.dadds.moonfruit.com

Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities 
Website: www.learningdisabilities.org.uk

Learning Disability 
Website: www.learningdisability.co.uk

Mencap 
Mencap is a learning disability charity that provides information and support to children and adults with a learning disability, and to their families and carers. 
Website: www.bedfordmencap.org.uk or www.mencap.org.uk

National People First 
Website: www.peoplefirstltd.com

On Track Education Services Ltd
Website: www.ontrackeducationservices.co.uk

Really Flexible Care 
Website: www.reallyflexiblecare.co.uk

Remploy (employment opportunities) 
Website: www.remploy.co.uk

12 The Disability Resource Centre
Website: www.drcbeds.co.uk

The National Autistic Society 
Website: www.nas.org.uk

Youth Inspired 
Website: www.youthinspired.org.uk