FAQ &
CONTACT US
Brian Jackson Colleges
How old are the students at the Fresh Futures Colleges? Age 13-16. (Years 9, 10, and 11)
Who can refer for a place at a Fresh Futures college? Mainstream schools or the local authority.
What types of learners do you have? WE specialise in social, emotional, mental health (SEMH) and behavioural difficulties
Do you follow the national curriculum? We deliver a number of accredited qualifications ranging from GCSE, Functional Skills, BTEC and AQA unit awards, as well as offering a wide variety of vocational courses which include mechanics, construction, hair and beauty, BUMPY, boxing and food technology. The school also outsource a number of other activities such as bush craft, on-track karting, music and much more.
What other support is in place for your pupils? Emotional health and wellbeing support, attendance and behaviour support, drug and alcohol support services available for young people, school nurse and careers advice.
For further information, please visit the Brian Jackson College website
Wellington House – [email protected]
Vision House – [email protected]
Wellington House – 01484 431962
Vision House – 01924 408306
Child Accident Prevention eLearning
Who can access the training? Anyone with an interest in developing their knowledge on child accident prevention. There are no eligibility criteria for accessing this training. To access the training please go to the Kirklees Safeguarding Children’s Partnership website and register (if you are not already a registered user) https://www.kirkleessafeguardingchildren.co.uk/
Is the training free? Yes! There is no cost to access this training.
How long does the training take? Approximately 30 – 40 minutes. Although it doesn’t need to be completed in one sitting. Once you have logged in and booked on the training you can complete the modules over a period of time.
Do I get a certificate to prove I have completed the training? Yes. On completing both the pre & post evaluation and training you will receive a certificate.
01484 415465
Child Contact Centres
How are sessions arranged? Arrangements are by referral. The referral can be made by a social worker, solicitor, family mediator, CAFCASS Family Court Advisor or other appropriate professional. Arrangements will vary depending on which type of contact session is taking place.
I don’t have a solicitor. Can I self-refer? Yes, we do accept referrals from parents or family members that do not have legal representation, subject to safeguarding checks. For self-referral we will require each parent or carer to complete and sign the referral form. If one referral form cannot be filled in by both parties then we require EACH parent or carer to complete their own separate referral form. Referrals will be accepted at the discretion of the family time service manager.
What happens once a referral is submitted? When a complete referral is received, it is assessed by the family time service manager who will confirm if we can accept. We may need to ask some follow-up questions or request further information. Once a referral is accepted we will arrange payment of the referral fee, and each adult party will be booked in for an introductory meeting with a family time worker. After the introductory meetings the family time arrangements will be booked in and confirmed.
Are all referrals accepted? No. Following receipt of the referral form(s) and any other information, we will make a decision as to whether we are able to offer a service. We use the guidelines issued by the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC), in order to make such decisions, and there may be occasions when we are not able to offer a service, such as when there are on-going criminal investigations or pending safeguarding investigations by the Court. Should this be the case we will provide information to the parties as to why this decision is made.
How long will I have to wait before contact starts? Following completion of introductory meetings, and once we are satisfied that it is appropriate to commence, we aim to arrange the first session at the first available opportunity. This will dependant on a number of factors such as centre capacity and parent/carer and child availability.
How much will it cost and who pays? Unfortunately, we are not currently able to offer a subsidised service. It needs to be mutually agreed by the parties as to who will cover the cost. Please request a referral pack for information on fees.
Do I have to meet my former partner when I go to the centre? Not if you don’t want to. We implement staggered arrival and departure times and the family time staff will support with the handover of your child so you don’t need to meet your former partner.
Is there anything I need to do? As this is a special time for children to spend with the parent they no longer live with, please keep all disagreements out of the family time centre. Make this a happy time for them.
Does the centre make any reports about us? During Supervised and Assisted sessions an observation record is completed by the family time worker. These are typed and shared with parents. Parents can then choose to share the records with professionals such as a solicitor Cafcass, or Court.
01484 519988
For further information, and to access all required documents, please visit:
Child Contact PageCommunity Friends
Who is the service for? We accept referrals for any adult living in Kirklees who is lonely and isolated.
How does this service help people who are lonely and isolated? Our volunteers offer an hour a week to visit clients in their homes, in this time they can offer company, a listening ear, a walk, a game of cards… it can vary week to week but essentially their main role is to build a friendship and for the visit to be of benefit to the client. We are proud to have helped to create many long lasting friendships that really make a positive difference.
How many people can I be matched with? Initially our volunteers are matched with 1 or 2 people but depending on your other commitments we are happy to match you with more people on discussion. Our main priority is to ensure our clients have regular contact and our volunteers are happy with their matches and we do not ask you to give more time than you are able.
How long do the matches last? Our clients are not given a time limit, our matches are all long term.
Can I be matched with someone close to where I live? We will always try and match you with someone who lives locally to you, this is not always possible but we will always discuss with you to ensure you are happy with the match.
01484 415465
Fundraising
Please visit our ‘Fundraising for Us’ and ‘Ways to Give’ pages for further information.
If you have any other questions about how you can get involved with fundraising or supporting the charity in different ways, then please contact a member of the fundraising team who will be happy to help you.
01484 519988
For further information, and to access all required documents, please visit:
Fundraise For UsNational Healthy Start
I currently receive paper vouchers do I need to reapply to continue receiving my entitlement? Yes! The voucher scheme has now been replaced with a card system. You will need to reapply online to continue receiving your healthy start entitlement. If you’re currently receiving paper vouchers for Healthy Start, these will stop once you complete the online application. You can still use your Healthy Start vouchers until their expiry date. You can find the expiry date printed on your vouchers.
01484 415465
Room Hire
Do the rooms have a projector? All our meeting rooms have a flat screen tv with HDMI adapter
What are the cost of meeting rooms? We have various prices for meeting rooms including hourly, half day & full day. Contact our reception team for further information
Do you have refreshment facilities? We have a range of refreshments you can pick from. We have Tea & Coffee for £1.10; Tea, Coffee and Biscuits for £1.60 or Tea, Coffee Biscuits and Cakes £2.10. We also have Fresh cold-water coolers in each meeting rooms.
Do you have disabled access? Yes! All of our buildings have disabled access.
01484 519988
Safety in the Home
Is this service free? Yes! For those eligible, this service is free and commissioned by Thriving Kirklees.
Can anyone be referred? No – To access this support you must live in Kirklees and have a child under 2 years old. In addition, you must also be on low income or in receipt of benefits, including Income Support, Income Based Support and Allowance, Job Seekers Allowance, Disability Allowance, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Universal Credit, Child In Need Plan, Child Protection Plan
My child is over 2 years old – Can I still apply? No. The safety gates we provide are only suitable for families with children up to the age of 24 months, as per the guidance within the safety standard. When your child reaches this age, it is not advised to use this provision. This is because the safety equipment can present as more of a hazard than a preventative measure. As children develop, they will eventually learn how to open the safety gate and potentially use it unsafely which then increases the risk of an accident.
Can you leave the safety equipment, or does it have to be fitted by you? No, we cannot leave any safety equipment we supply uninstalled. This is to ensure it is fitted correctly following the manufactures guidelines and considering the guidance within the safety standard.
What happens when I know longer require the safety equipment? Once your safety equipment has been installed and signed for it becomes yours to keep. It is your responsibility to ensure safe use and maintenance. If you move home, you are obliged to take the equipment with you. We are unable to take down any equipment and re fit it elsewhere. If your child/ren is at an age where you no longer require the equipment it is up to you to decide what you do with it – If you would like to donate it to someone else or a charity, please take into consideration the quality of the equipment, ensuring it is still fit for purpose.
01484 415465
Safety Rangers
How do I book my class on? Schools attend by invitation only, however If your school is interested in attending a session, enquiries can be made by contacting the team on the details below. The attached booking form must be completed and can be sent to the email address detailed. Sessions are allocated on a first come, first served basis. If a session you wish to attend is unavailable, you will be placed on a waiting list and contacted as a priority for the next available session.
Is it free to attend a session? Safety Rangers is completely free – the only cost your school could incur will be travel to & from the fire station (unless you have the means of a school bus etc.). Fresh Futures work with several coach companies to ensure reasonable costs for schools attending Safety Rangers. If you would like Fresh Futures to arrange your transport for the day, please state this on the booking form.
01484 415465
Supporting Fresh Futures
What is the best way to collect money and donations for a sponsored event? The best way to get people to donate money is to set up an online sponsorship page with JustGiving. You can set up your own page by following this link: https://www.justgiving.com/nationalchildrenscentre Please contact our fundraising team to discuss any fundraising ideas or fill out the register your event form and we will contact you to offer any advice and support.
What is the best way to make a one off or regular donation? The easiest way to donate is by using the online form on our website. This is a simple, quick, and secure way to ensure that your donation reaches us immediately. You can donate a single one-off amount or set up a regular amount as a monthly gift. You can also send a cheque donation or Postal order by post (please do not send money through the post), or you can donate over the phone by contacting our fundraising team. Please do not send any bank or card details by email, these will be deleted immediately, and we will not be able to process. Don’t forget if you are a UK Taxpayer, we could claim 25% HMRC Gift Aid on your donation, meaning we receive and extra 25p for every £1 donated. Please see our Gift Aid section on the website for more details.
How do I know you have received my donation? When you donate online you will see a thank you message to say that we have received your donation. If you donate by post or over the phone, then you will receive a thank you acknowledgement email or letter as soon as possible upon receipt of your donation.
Can I request the money goes to a certain area of your work? We aim to reach the children, young people and families that need us the most, so we really like your donations to be ‘unrestricted’. This means that your donations are not restricted to a particular project, and we can respond quickly to the needs of those we support.
Can I use your charity logo? If you would like to display our charity logo to promote your fundraising activities, then please contact the fundraising team who will be able to arrange to send this across to you electronically. Please remember to always include our Registered Charity Number 288125 wherever our charity logo is displayed
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Volunteering
Will it cost me money to volunteer? We reimburse agreed out of pocket expenses for volunteers, and provide a handbook, relevant training, advice, and support throughout your volunteering journey.
How long does the onboarding process take? Some of our volunteers require a DBS Check, which Fresh Futures will pay for. We also require 2x character references for volunteers. Once we have received the completed documents from you, the process will usually take around 1-2 weeks, depending on training dates.
Will I have any training before starting my role? Yes. All volunteers are required to attend a training session before starting. We can also provide a ‘taster session’ for some of our services where you can get a feel for the role and decide if it is for you before committing to volunteering longer term
01484 415465
Fresh Futures Anchor
What does the Fresh Futures Community Anchor Service do? The Community Anchor exists to build a network of sustainable local groups and support local services to best serve their communities in line with needs highlighted by social prescribers and community members.
What area’s do we cover as Fresh Futures Community Anchor? We cover the Batley, Birstall & Spen Area in North Kirklees.
Does the Community Anchor work still do hardship work with individuals? The Anchor service itself is about supporting the groups that provide services to individuals, however Fresh Futures still do work with individuals in many other ways and can signpost.
Who can access the Anchor Service at Fresh Futures? Any groups in the Batley and Spen area that need any support (volunteer recruitment, funding opportunities, training, space) can utilise the Anchor Service.
Which other organisations are Community Anchor Leads? Support 2 Recovery, Local Services 2 You, Denby Dale Centre and Valleys Anchor Network.
07849 398734