Making safeguarding and mental health provision centre stage at the National Academies Show

Representatives of Oasis Community Learning presented to hundreds of attendees at the National Academies Show, sharing Oasis’s expertise in safeguarding and mental health provision.

Director of Safeguarding Jon Needham, National Safeguarding Lead Jane Daniel and Oasis Academy Aspinal’s Assistant Principal Matt Foster joined other sector experts on a session on how to champion inclusivity in safeguarding. 

The session explored how to understand how protected characteristics can influence the safeguarding needs of pupils, what the social and physical barriers are that hinder the ability to practice inclusive safeguarding, and how to design an inclusive safeguarding code of conduct for schools.

Later Joy Madeiros chaired a discussion with Oasis Community Partnership’s Andrew Smyth, Oasis Academy Blakenhale’s Executive Principal Clare Hoods-Truman, National Mental Health Lead Erin Docherty and Oasis Nurture’s Maryam Mahdavi for a session on The Role of the Academy in a Mental Health Crisis.  The discussion explored how to deliver both academic attainment and a therapeutic environment.

Finally Jon and Erin spoke on ‘Weathering the Storm of the Mental Health Crisis’, where discussions revolved around how to lower the burden of emotional labour that teachers face in supporting children’s mental health, and how mental health, behaviour and attainment are so intrinsically linked.

Speaking afterwards, Jon Needham says “This was a great opportunity to showcase the many different aspects of Oasis’s work for our young people to a wider academy audience.”

“Oasis essentially took the lead on the Safeguarding and Wellbeing stage that showed everyone how seriously we take these crucial issues.  My thanks to all colleagues who contributed to these important discussions.”