The Mandeville School

Safeguarding

At the Mandeville School, the health, safety and well-being of our school community is of upmost importance to us. We understand that Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and our motto of Believe, Achieve, Succeed, encompasses the school's belief that every student should leave school having had a safe and fulfilling experience whilst at TMS.

Our Culture of Safeguarding is underpinned by the core values of;

• Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone
• No concern is too small
• Creating a culture of vigilance
• All concerns raised are treated professionally and sympathetically

To promote a safe environment for students, our selection and recruitment policy includes checks on staff and volunteers’ suitability, including DBS checks, as recommended by Buckinghamshire County Council as governed by current legislation.

 In accordance with our responsibilities under section 175/157 of the Education Act 2002 and “Keeping Children Safe in Education“ 2024, we have a Designated Safeguarding Lead,  Mr Sulemana Iddrisu, who is a member of the Senior Leadership Team, and has received appropriate training for this role (in his absence, his deputy is the Lead Practitioner of Safeguarding Mr Chris Penson.  All staff in contact with children receive safeguarding training on a regular basis.

Should you have any concerns about the wellbeing of a young person at The Mandeville School please contact the Safeguarding team on the main school number (01296 745400) or by email at safe.guarding@mandeville.school

Should you wish to report a concern about a child to Buckinghamshire Social Care First Response Team, their number is 01296 383962 (open between 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday to Friday)  

TMS Behaviour Annex

Speak Up

Any student feeling concerned or wanting to report bullying can email SpeakUp@Mandeville.school. This link is on all school computer desktops! 

Reporting Concerns

If you are worried about your safety, or of another student at the school you can talk to any member of staff, not just those listed below. If the member of staff has any concerns, they will speak to any of the individuals below, or you can go straight to them yourself.

Site users and visitors are expected to comply with the school's Child Protection Policy and the rules and regulations of the school.

• Safeguarding Policy
• IAT Behaviour Policy

Our Safeguarding Team

Counselling

Since September 2022, The Mandeville School has hosted its own in-house counselling service, run by School Counsellor Ellie Souter.  

About Our Counsellor 

Ellie is a qualified Integrative Arts CYP (Children & Young Persons) Counsellor, who delivers onsite counselling sessions to students from Year Seven to Sixth Form. As part of the service, Ellie assesses a student’s suitability for counselling and manages her own waiting list and timetable. As part of her role, Ellie also networks closely with other departments in the school including the Safeguarding, Attendance and SEND Departments to ensure that students receive the very best care possible. Ellie is a Registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and follows their Ethical Code of Conduct. By doing so, you can be reassured that your child is in good hands, should they ever need to access counselling at TMS.  

As an Integrative Arts Counsellor, Ellie combines many different therapies in a “pick n mix” approach, to provide a completely bespoke counselling experience for your child. This may include a combination of: Person Centred Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Mindfulness, Systemic Therapy and Creative Therapy (such as sand tray work and clay therapy).  

Counselling aims to support many different issues including:  

• Anxiety
• Low Mood
• Self-Worth 
• Gender Identity
• Disordered Eating
• Family & Relational Issues
• School Avoidance/Refusal
• Traumatic Experiences
• Self-Harm
• Suicidal Thoughts & Ideation
• Bereavement & Loss (Counsellor Specialism)

What is Counselling?  

Counselling is a form of talking therapy which offers students a safe and confidential space to explore anything which may be impacting their mental health, either in or outside of school. Counsellors are trained to listen carefully to students and provide them with emotional support with whatever they choose to discuss in their sessions. Despite common belief, counsellors are not there to give advice or to offer you solutions but to guide you in finding those solutions for yourself.   

 How Often Do Students See a Counsellor?  

Students who receive counselling are offered weekly 45-minute sessions, which take place in a regular slot every week. Some students eventually move to having fortnightly or monthly sessions, to suit their needs. 

Initially students are offered eight sessions to see how they get on. This can be reduced or extended to suit the individual needs of the student. Reviews take place with students in session approximately every six sessions. This is an opportunity for the counsellor and student to reflect on their progress and to see what is working and what outstanding work needs to be done.  

 What Support Do Counsellors Get?  

Counsellors receive regular counselling to help them manage their own wellbeing – this is known as Supervision. Ellie receives supervision every month so that she can discuss her client's work in a safe and confidential space with another counsellor. This allows her to reflect on her own practice and ensure that she is delivering the best counselling service for your child.  

 How much is Counselling?  

Depending on the area you live in, most private counsellors charge around £30+ per hour. However, counselling at TMS is free.  

 Will I Get Updates on My Child’s Progress? 

Unfortunately, not. For counselling to work effectively, it is important that students are given a confidential space to talk about their issues. Ellie is not allowed to give updates on client progress and will only share information outside of the session, if there is a safeguarding concern or if your child asks for it to be done with a trusted adult. This is in line with BACP’s Ethical Code of Practice.  

 I Am Concerned About My Child’s Mental Health. How Can I Arrange Support For Them?  

If you are concerned about your child or young person, please contact their Head of Year or Form Tutor. This can then be passed onto our Lead Practitioner for Safeguarding, Mr. Penson. Unfortunately, not all issues may be suitable for Counselling. If this is the case, we will look at offering your child other support. This may include MHST, Mentoring, Additional Check Ins or a CAHMS Referral.  

If your child needs to be seen by Ellie, they will be added to her waiting list to be seen. Please note that students are seen on a priority basis and sometimes there can be a wait for a slot to become available. If necessary, TMS can put in place other support whilst you wait for a counselling place to become available.  

Help & Advice