Auchinleck Academy Partnership Working
At Auchinleck Academy we work closely with a range or partners and agencies to ensure that our young people get the support that they need in order to achieve their full potential, and to feel safe, healthy, nurtured, included and respected in our school.
Here is some information about the partners who contribute to Auchinleck Academy’s wider support team and work together with us in order to ‘Get it Right for Every Child’:
Mental Health Nurse – Angie McDonald 
My name is Angie McDonald, I came into post in August 2018 as the Mental Health Nurse for Auchinleck Academy. My role focuses on Early Intervention- this means supporting young people with their mental health at the earliest point to prevent on-going difficulties. Within my role I offer 1:1 counselling sessions for young people in need, group work, information sessions, staff training, mental health promotion and supporting with transitions to secondary school.
Auchinleck Mental Health Nurse Newsletter 1 – (Sept 2018)
Auchinleck Mental Health Nurse Newsletter 2 – (Sept – Nov 2018)
Auchinleck Mental Health Nurse Newsletter 3- (Feb 2019)
Auchinleck Mental Health Nurse Newsletter 4 – (April – May 2019)
School Nurse – Nicole Hamilton 
I am the new school nurse for Auchinleck Academy. Every Tuesday lunch time , there will be a drop- in clinic within the school.
The drop- in is available to all pupils, the school nurse can help with physical, emotional and sexual health. I will be based within the campus cop’s room at the school office. Please feel free to just pop in and say hello. Looking forward to meeting you all!
Home Link Worker – Ashley Robertson 
As a Home Link Worker I aim to provide a range of supports that assist children and young people to cope with the issues that affect their ability to engage positively with education. This includes the promotion, delivery and integration of the key objectives in relation to those identified within the Play & Early Intervention Action Plan and the Community Plan including initiatives that will assist in building confidence and resilience to the barriers that have a negative impact on their learning. I facilitate and develop supportive links between the school and the home. This is paramount in this role to secure positive outcomes for children, young people and families as we work towards closing the poverty related attainment gap.
School Community Worker – Mary Gladwell 
As a School Community Worker, I work as part of the wider team in Auchinleck Academy to support our young people. I provide the following learning opportunities which include:
- The Princes Trust Award
- Dynamic Youth Award
- Saltire Award
- Enterprise
- Volunteering in the community
- One to one support
- Group work
I encourage the development of young people’s personal learning journeys, which include the planning, participation and reflection of their journey. I aim to inspire young people to recognise the skills and strengths that they have and to believe in their abilities and in doing so to increase confidence, self-esteem, and resilience, by using transferable skills throughout their learning.
Yipworld Programme Manager – Gordon Armstrong 
I am a Programme Manager/Careers Adviser working for Yipworld, a local community regeneration organisation which has been supporting pupils at Auchinleck Academy for some years now. We feel that our relationship with Auchinleck Academy is an extremely positive one- pupils who have been identified as having issues in their school or home lives, and are therefore potentially at risk of not achieving a positive destination upon leaving school, are referred to us by the school to take part in fun, interactive, and above all meaningful work during school time.
The work that we do with these pupils helps them to make plans for their future, by identifying the skills that they have, the positive qualities which they possess, and the things that they enjoy doing both inside and outside of school, and to help them to identify opportunities for work, study or training upon leaving school.
Campus Police Officer – Alison Baillie 
My main role is to provide a friendly approachable service to both staff and pupils and to assist with any issues that arise on a day to day basis. Within my role I have developed various workshops on important topics such as drugs/alcohol, online safety, hate crime etc. which are delivered mainly during PSE classes. I also lead a Positive Choices group to help divert young people from offending behaviour, and I assist with the MVP- Mentors of Violence Prevention programme within the school, which supports young mentors deliver workshops to their peers. I am also one of the 4 coaches for the Girls 5 Netball teams.
My Main Aims Are
- Keeping the school community safe
- Working positively with neighbours and the local community
- Promoting positive behaviour
- Crime prevention and raising awareness of issues including; domestic violence, knife crime, road safety for young drivers and active citizenship
- Development of learning and skills through engagement in curriculum activities
Auchinleck Academy Careers Adviser – Gillian McMahon 
I work for Skills Development Scotland* and in close partnership with the school we ensure that every young person will leave confident about their career choices and aware of the career options that are available. I am based in school and throughout the year pupils can access one-to-one coaching sessions to explore options, discuss ideas, set actions and develop their Career Management Skills.
Career Management Skills you tube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDJu8O7Lxr8
I organise Group Sessions and talks on a variety of topics which will not only improve the young person’s Career Management Skills but raise awareness of the labour market and the opportunities available to them. I welcome appointments with parents/carers where we can discuss issues and your child’s ideas to help them develop their Career Management Skills.
The websites below also provide advice and information
UCAS— https://www.ucas.com/
My World of work— https://www.myworldofwork.co.uk/
PlanitPlus— https://www.planitplus.net/
Apprenticeship.scot— https://www.apprenticeships.scot/
Focus point—http://www.focuspoint.org.uk/
SDS—http://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/
*Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is Scotland’s national skills body. We contribute to Scotland’s sustainable economic growth by supporting people and businesses to develop and apply their skills. We work with our partners to provide services that deliver the very best outcomes for Scotland’s people, businesses and the economy.
Link to website
Active Schools Co-ordinator– Barry Holmes 
Active Schools aims to provide more and higher quality opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity before school, during lunchtime and after school, and to develop effective pathways between schools and sports clubs in the local community.
Active Schools has worked with schools for over 10 years providing opportunities for children and young people to get involved, and stay involved, in sport and will continue to make a significant contribution to a world class sporting system in Scotland.
The 4 key priorities of Active Schools are:
- Extra Curricular
- Specific Groups (Girls / ASN )
- School to club links (Community Sports Hub / Local clubs)
- Workforce (Volunteer / paid work opportunities)
East Ayrshire Active Schools are also involved in many other aspects of sport and activity as part of the Young People Sport and Diversion team such as primary and secondary school sport competitions, and assisting the other strands of the team in events and national initiatives.
Community Worker – Young People, Sports and Diversion Team, Vibrant Communities – Heather McCormick,
Heather is the Community Worker for the wider Auchinleck and Cumnock areas of East Ayrshire. Her remit includes 1 to 1 support in Auchinleck Academy and support to community groups in peripatetic youth work. She is responsible for Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament and is the main contact for East Ayrshire Children & Young People’s Cabinet.
She also supports the following initiatives:
- National Election Coordinator for MSYP
- Mentors for Violence Prevention
- White Ribbon Campaign
- 16 Days of Action
- Youth Achievement
- East Ayrshire Youth Work Network
- Drongan Youth Group
- Various voluntary groups – community support.
- Community Worker to Yipworld and Auchinleck Community Development Initiative
- Coordinating Children and Young People’s Cabinet Meetings
- Violence Against Women Local Campaigns
- And various pieces of work with local partners
- Support and Supervision of Sessional Staff
- Seasons for Growth
- Alcohol Truth Training
- Assessor for Youthlink Scotland Cash for Communities Grants
- Peer Education
This list is not exhaustive but is a snapshot of the variety of work that Heather is involved in.
