View from a Safeguarding Lead
“In terms of building confidence, it has been very positive”
Zoe is the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead at Kings Oak Academy Kingswood. She has responsibility for safeguarding and pastoral care throughout the school and leads on Alternative Learning Provisions. Zoe first commissioned HorseWorld three years ago. She has since placed eight children between the ages of 12 and 14 in the Discovery programme.
Zoe explains how the Discovery programme has helped children in her care
"Our relationship with the Discovery programme started thanks to the impact it had on one particular 12-year-old child. We had significant concerns and at the time they were being educated off-site but working with quiet and gentle horses promoted a feeling of safety.
Now, we’ll make a referral for the HorseWorld Discovery programme for children who are either educated off-site or as part of a bespoke supportive programme. They don’t need to have an Education Health and Care Plan for us to make a referral."
"Some of our students are really nervous or haven’t experienced much of the outdoors and green spaces or animal care. In terms of building confidence, it has been very positive.
After we’ve placed a student, we collect all the feedback and look at the impact that it’s had. We also look at if any useful strategies or relationships have developed during the programme so we can build on this progress. I'm a massive advocate for the programme being extended and available for more children."