How to access help
How to access support during a critical incident
The Critical Incident Support Service can be accessed as soon as a critical incident occurs, or when you believe a situation may escalate and additional support would be helpful.
Support is available to help you manage the immediate impact, coordinate next steps and ensure proportionate, trauma‑informed responses for your school community.
Making contact
The Service is accessed by phoning the Critical Incident Support Line, which operates as a pager system to ensure countywide coverage.
When you make contact, a Critical Incident Specialist Support Lead will respond and guide you through the next steps.
You do not need to have all the answers before calling. The purpose of the initial contact is to help you think clearly and decide what support is needed.
What happens when you contact us
Once contact has been made, the Critical Incident Specialist Support Leads will:
- Listen and provide immediate emotional containment and reassurance
- Offer practical advice on managing the first hours and days following an incident
- Help you think through communication, routines and staff support
- Guide you through the process of alerting or liaising with other key services, where appropriate
- Agree the level of support required
Support may be provided at two levels:
1. Immediate advice and guidance
- Telephone or MS Teams support
- Advice tailored to your setting and circumstances
- Access to resources, templates and signposting to other services
2. In‑setting support (where appropriate)
- Allocation of a team trained in trauma management and psychological support
- Support for staff and pupils as the setting begins to process the impact of the incident
- Ongoing liaison with school leaders as needed
Partnership working
The Critical Incident Support Service works closely with professionals in other agencies, including:
- Health services
- Police
- Voluntary and specialist organisations
This ensures schools receive co‑ordinated and appropriate support, without unnecessary duplication or additional pressure on staff.
Contact details
If you would like to access support, seek advice, or discuss a situation:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01263 739064 / 01603 222041
