Hello!

My name is Elliot Mather and I work within the Pastoral Team here at Shakespeare Primary School. My role is Family Support Manager, and I am also one of 7 Safeguarding Leads within school. I work alongside Heather Hay, our Family Support Assistant, who is also one of our Safeguarding Leads.

Our role in school is to provide support, advice and information to families in our school community. We can help with any worries or questions you may have in relation to your child’s behaviour, development and wellbeing, as well as considering ways to support any personal circumstances that may be impacting you or your child/ren.

We are also here as someone to talk to if you need it. We can provide support over the phone, but where possible we always prefer a face to face meeting and a nice cup of tea!

Support we offer includes:

• A safe space to have sensitive conversations.
• Advice and support in promoting positive behaviour at home and at school.
• Children new to the school who need help settling in.
• Bereavement.
• Promoting self-esteem and confidence.
• Promoting a positive attitude to learning in school.
• Support both children and parents/carers to stay safe online. Educating pupils on their digital footprint
• Advocating for families in multi-agency meetings, or in discussions with partner agencies.

Our other duties include:-

• Offering Early Help Support
• Assisting with attendance management
• Providing information and signposting to other services in the local community, supporting with referral forms if needed.
• Liaising with external services and partner agencies.

Advice and support is confidential and consent driven, although any concerns relating to the safeguarding of children will always be dealt with in accordance with the school’s safeguarding and child protection procedures.

We are both in school daily, and you can find us on the gates in a morning and after school, or you can call the school office on 01253 872887 to make an appointment.

We may not have all the answers, but we work closely with a range of specialist services that can provide targeted support where more specific needs have been identified.