Parent / Carers - supporting a young person

Parent and carer information on the College Portal, Online Shop and other key information, can be found on our main parent / carer page.

Encourage your young person to talk

Parents/ carers play a vital role in supporting their young person to navigate adolesence, and we understand how difficult it can be to know what to say and do when your person is experiencing any issues.

Casual and frequent conversations rather than a serious talk about the topics below often work best. Talking regularly and making it part of your daily conversation can help encourage an open and honest relationship and normalise discussion about sensitive issues.

Being armed with the right information and knowing what to say and do is important for parents/ carers, so we’ve collated this list of helpful resources and advice to help you, help them.

Support at college

At Callywith College, we have a dedicated pastoral team who can support holistically with a wide range of issues throughout your young person's time with us and where necessary, signpost to external agencies we work alongside. We have an open-door policy and students can talk to any member of staff, including:

Student Services

Our Student Services team are here to support all students with any non-academic issues they may be experiencing. Student Services can help with mental health, housing and finance, relationships, sexual health, identity, drugs and alcohol, careers advice and more. They are a multi-skilled team of TIS practitioners, youth workers, counsellors, a therapy dog, and safeguarding officers, and they also work closely with a range of external agencies, including Young People Cornwall, YZUP, Intercom, CAMHS, First Light, Early Help and the Police. Student Services is open all day, every day, and students can drop-in to speak to someone at any time. Student Services are based in Temple, T010 and available via studentservices@callywith.ac.uk / 01208 224460. Find out more here.

Personal Development Tutors

All students are assigned a Personal Development Tutor to support them through their studies. They can help with a wide range of issues and are often the first port of call for students who have any questions or worries. Personal Development Tutors work closely with academic and support teams across the college, as well as our students and their parents/carers. They provide regular one-to-ones with students to review their progress and check on their wellbeing and are, also, responsible for the delivery of our personal development programme, which helps prepare students for adult life. They also help students access the wider support that is on offer across the college, including our Academic Services and Student Services provision. Our Personal Development Tutors are integrated across the college in all curriculum areas and available to talk to you directly if you have any concerns or questions about your young person. Find out more here.

Academic Services

Our Academic Services team are here to ensure students' transition from GCSE into post-16 education is as smooth as possible and ensure that they feel supported and confident in their studies. Whether students are feeling overwhelmed by deadlines, struggling to write an essay, experiencing difficulty planning a piece of coursework or finding it hard to prioritise your workload, Academic Services can help. Academic Services are based in the Learning Centres in Temple and Garrow buildings and can be contacted via academicservices@callywith.ac.uk. Our Academic Services Team have put together a useful guide on supporting your young person in their studies here. Find out more about Academic Services and learning support on offer here.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

We support a wide range of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at Callywith College. If a young person has an identified SEND or medical condition that requires specific equipment or adaptations to the college environment, we will endeavour to work with the young person to ensure their specific needs are met. If you would like to discuss our SEND provision further, please contact learningsupport@callywith.ac.uk. Find out more here.

Safeguarding

At Callywith College we recognise our duty to ensure arrangements are in place for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and we carry out this duty through our teaching and learning, pastoral care and extended activities. Visit our Safeguarding page for more information or email safeguarding@callywith.ac.uk

Mental wellbeing

Watch our Online Parent / Carer Information Evening (Thursday 14th March 2024) video below:

Supporting a young person video

Giving your young person opportunities to open up is one of the biggest things parents/ carers can do to support their wellbeing. You may not be able to fix everything, but the power of making them feel seen and heard by simply listening can make them feel more able to cope. Casual and frequent conversations about how they are and what’s on their mind shows them you are interested and there to help. However, we know that talking is not always easy and it can feel difficult to know what to say, when to say it and how to say it. There is a lot of support and information available online including psychoeducation, advice and guidance on self-care as well as how to support someone.

We’ve collated some helpful links below, however you can also contact our Student Services team directly to speak to someone if you are concerned about your young person via studentservices@callywith.ac.uk or 01208 224460.

National and Local Services - Here for you
Parents Mental Health Support | Advice for Your Child | YoungMinds
Mental Health Support | Self Harm, Anxiety, Depression | The Mix
Mental health help for all ages from preschool to students (happymaps.co.uk)
How to support 11-18 year olds with their mental health - Mind
Understanding Mental Health Problems.pdf
Am_I_OK.pdf
How_to_help_a_friend.pdf
SAMH_5ways_Leaflet_A4_2023.pdf
Starting_the_mental_health_conversation.pdf
UnderstandingDepression.pdf
Supporting a child with depression | Charlie Waller Trust
Depression and Low Mood.pdf
SAMH_Service_Publication_Anger-2020.pdf
Spotting unhealthy perfectionism | Charlie Waller Trust
Coping with self-harm resource
Microsoft Word - Suicidal feelings (2020)
How to support-someone-who-feels-suicidal-2017.pdf

Health & Wellbeing

Your Body - The Mix
Periods – Brook

Prevent

It can be hard to know what to do if you’re worried your young person is expressing extreme views or hatred, which could lead to them harming themselves or others. Working with other organisations, the police protect vulnerable people from being exploited by extremists through a Home Office programme called Prevent. Act early and share your concerns in confidence.
ACT Early | Prevent radicalisation

Gender and identity

Stonewall
Intercom Trust | Providing help against homophobic and transphobic prejudice, crime and discrimination.
Kids & Young People - Mermaids (mermaidsuk.org.uk)
Gender Identity & Mental Health | Guide For Parents | YoungMinds
Parents - Mermaids (mermaidsuk.org.uk)
Gender identity | NSPCC

Bullying

Online safety

Young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline often whilst managing conflicting pressures. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. Technology is developing at such a rapid pace it can be incredibly difficult to keep up with the latest social media platforms or know how to start talking to your young person about what they’re doing online. The links below have lots of helpful information for parents/carers to feel more confident and informed about what their young person may be experiencing online.

Social media advice hub | Internet Matters
Social media guides - UK Safer Internet Centre
Social Media & Mental Health | Guide For Parents | YoungMinds
A parent’s guide to being social online (thinkuknow.co.uk)
Online safety Archives - Educate Against Hate
Parents and carers | CEOP Education (thinkuknow.co.uk)
Online and mobile safety | Childline
Online Reputation
Instagram-checklist.pdf
Parental-control-instagram.pdf
Snapchat_checklist
Parental-control-snapchat.pdf
Tiktok_checklist
Parental-control-tiktok-privacy-and-safety-settings.pdf
Facebook-checklist.pdf
Parental-control-facebook.pdf
Internet-Matters-Guide-Whatsapp-Infographic.pdf
Parental-control-whatsapp.pdf
Parental-control-youtube-app.pdf
Internet-Matters-Tips-Things-you-need-to-know-about-cyberbullying.pdf
Internet-Matters-online-safety-Age-Guide-14plus.pdf
Internet-Matters-Guide-Digital-Resilience-14-years-old.pdf
Internet-matters-ScreenTimeGuide-KeyStage4-V2.pdf
Internet-Matters-Guide-Gaming-advice-Teens.pdf

Exam Stress

Bereavement

Bereavement helplines
Grief & Loss | Parents Guide To Support | YoungMinds
Supporting bereaved children and young people | Child Bereavement UK
7 tips for helping children cope with grief | Barnardo's (barnardos.org.uk)
Grief and bereavement - The Mix
Bereavement support for children and families | Winston's Wish (winstonswish.org)
Bereavement and young people - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Helping teenagers cope with death - Cruse Bereavement Support
Understanding grieving teenagers | Child Bereavement UK

Sleep

Hunrosa | NHS Commissioned & Private Sleep Consultancy
Sleep Problems | Mental Health Support | YoungMinds
Sleep - Support for Parents from Action For Children
Children - The Sleep Charity

Drugs and alcohol

Substance misuse is one of the most common risks to a young person’s health, wellbeing, and development. Despite this, we know that drug and alcohol misuse among teenagers and young adults is widespread. Many young people are likely to experiment, test boundaries and take risks during adolescence, and smoking, drinking, and trying drugs are some of the most common ways in which they may do this. We also know that parents/carers can often feel unsure about what to say and do when it comes to talking to their young person about substance misuse. There is lots of helpful advice on the links below which can support you help your young person develop a healthy and informed relationship with drugs and alcohol. However, if you think your young person may be using alcohol or drugs to help them cope with difficult feelings or mental health issues, you should speak to your GP or YZUP for professional advice. You can also speak directly to our Safeguarding Officer if you have any concerns or questions by emailing nettiel@callywith.ac.uk

Drink and Drugs | Facts & Information | The Mix
Drugs & Alcohol | Mental Health | Guide For Parents | YoungMinds
Drug and alcohol information for parents | Change Grow Live Cornwall at YZUP - With You
Drinkaware
Addiction & Substance Use - ACAMH

Careers and the future

As a parent/ carer, you are often expected to have all the answers, but in a constantly evolving world, it can be a struggle to keep up-to-date with the latest career opportunities available. We know that young people enjoy the autonomy and independence that comes with studying at college, however, when the time comes to make key decisions about their future, they will often turn to those closest to them to help make those big decisions. Therefore, we’ve collated a list of helpful websites and resources in our Careers Hub Parent / carer area that will help you support your young person when it comes to planning their next steps. You can also contact careers@callywith.ac.uk if you’d like to speak to someone at college.

Living independently / preparing for adult life

LifeSkills | Developing work and life skills (barclayslifeskills.com)
About Us | Turn2us
Learn more about Citizens Advice - Citizens Advice
Home - Shelter England
Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change (cn4c.org.uk)
University: A Fresher's Survival Guide | Student Blog | YoungMinds

Relationships, sex education and sexual heatlh

We believe it's vitally important to provide a safe space for students to discuss and learn about relationships. Some may be navigating their first relationships and others may not even be thinking about relationships yet. We know that many young people have positive experiences of relationships, however there are some groups of young people who seem to have less positive relationship experiences. We know it can also be difficult for parents to know what to say and do when it comes to talking to their young person about relationships and sex. However, parents/carers can play a vital role in encouraging open and honest conversation with their young person about relationships, sex and sexuality. There are lots of helpful links below. It’s important to be honest and give them as much information that is suitable for their age.

Setting boundaries for teenagers | Relate
How to talk to your children about sex and relationships
Talking to children and young people about relationships, sex and sexuality - Better Health Channel
Support for Parents | Lets Talk About It
Sexual Health Cornwall - Sexual Health Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Brook Cornwall – Brook
Sex & Relationships Education Hub | Contraception, STIs & More | The Mix
Sex and consent – Brook
How Do I Get Over Them? - BISH (bishuk.com)
What’s needed for a healthy relationship? – Brook
Loves me, loves me not... - faceup2it
Home | Relate

Young Carers

A young carer is someone under the age of 18 who helps to care for a family member, relative or friend. Young carers often do a lot of helpful things, such as cooking and preparing meals; helping with the shopping; house cleaning; managing medicines or money; giving personal care; helping with mobility; looking after siblings; giving emotional support and much more. You can find out more about support available for young carers using the links below. The college also have a young carers group which is delivered with support from Barnardos. To find out more information, please contact moirab@callywith.ac.uk

Kernow Young Carers | Barnardo's (barnardos.org.uk)
Young carers | Barnardo's (barnardos.org.uk)
About Us - Caring as a Young Carer | Carers Trust
Cornwall Young Carers — Cornwall Carers Service
Facts About Young Carers | The Children's Society (childrenssociety.org.uk)
What is a young carer and is my child one? - Support for Parents from Action For Children

Useful contacts

Multi-Angency Referral Unit (MARU) - 0300 123 1116
NHS 111
Non-emergencey enquiries -101
Police
Early help
Help@Hand - social prescribing platform