5.7) The school seeks support from outside agencies where necessary/available (e.g. local support groups, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, police, children's services)

Rating description:

• Fully met: The school has access to and seeks support from outside agencies where necessary/available (e.g. local support groups, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, police, children's services).
• Partially met: The school has access to and seeks support from a selection of outside agencies but does not make full use of all support that might be available or needed.
• Not yet met: The school does not access outside agencies to support in anti-bullying.

Why is this important?

External organisations bring specialised expertise and resources that can address complex cases of bullying and its impact on pupils. Engaging these agencies helps to ensure that pupils receive the appropriate care and support they need, while also enhancing the school’s capacity to handle more serious or persistent issues. Collaboration with external partners strengthens the school’s overall approach to safeguarding and promoting pupil wellbeing.

Top Tips:

• Build connections with your local community so that you can be aware of the various sources of support that might be available.
• Seek opportunities to attend events, fairs or knowledge sharing opportunities locally and regionally. If you are part of an academy trust, use your connections to other schools or academies to find out what external agencies they might be using, and whether you may also be able to access them. 

Resources & Examples: 

Resources

• There are many types of support that might be available to you in your local area, including:
  • CAMHS services
  • Safeguarding services
  • Police and youth justice support
• On a more national level, there are organisations that can provide support with:
  • E-safety and  online bullying
  • Restorative approaches 
• In our suite of e-learning courses, we have two short courses on: 
  • Mental health and bullying for professionals  
  • Restorative thinking and positive relationships for parents/carers

Examples

Please note that examples from primary and other school settings may still include some useful hints and tips you can adapt and apply for a secondary setting.

• Secondary School Case Study - on using a targeted youth mentor with Year 10 boys
• Secondary School Case Study - on working with a behaviour and inclusion consultant to improve pastoral practice
• Primary School Case Study - on using an external agency to improve peer support

See below for quotes and pieces of advice from other schools: 

• "We have a JIGSAW4U worker in school one day a week who supports children who have been through difficult times in their lives and works with them to build self-esteem. She also holds a drop-in session where children can stop for a chat if they need someone to chat to."
• "[Following incidents of online bullying] Two PCSO were invited into school to talk to Year 5 and 6 classes [...] Other agencies and charities were contacted to give advice on the best way to support specific children. These include LCSS, The SAFE Project, and Horizons."

Back to 5. Responding and intervention page

Note: the resources listed at the bottom of this page (below) have all been referenced in the text above.