Derek Kitchin, the head of Wirral Hospitals School, is always on call. He might have spent the Easter break in Spain, but he and the rest of the school's senior leaders are always just an email or text away should their pupils need them.
"We're probably the only school that has a helpline for kids," he says. "It's a 24-hour, 52-weeks-a-year helpline that's there as a last resort. We don't stop what we're doing when we're on holiday. When I got one of those messages while in Spain, I signposted it very quickly to social services."
The helpline is just one part of the school's efforts to protect its students, who primarily have emotional and mental health issues that prevent them going to mainstream school such as autism, eating disorders or self-harm.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
