FAQ

Below are a a number of our most frequently asked questions, if your issue isn’t listed then please get in touch. ritalin Australia

My System Is Offline?

If your system has a notice stating: “This System Is Offline” it means your subscription to SHARP has expired or the invoice has not been paid/ignored by your establishment. If you wish to keep using your schools system please contact us immediately!

Why do I have to click Accept to gain access to the reporting system?

Prior to entering the confidential reporting system you must accept or decline the terms and conditions of the reporting system. The information supplied will be used to stop the harm you have suffered or the harm you have seen – However, All organisations in this country are subject to the Data Protection Act which outline how your information can be used and stored.

By accepting the terms and conditions prior to submitting any information, you are agreeing to those principles and as a result ALL Referrals received through the sharp system will also come under the Data Protection Act principles. If you ‘decline’ then you will not have access to the confidential reporting system.

Who can order The SHARP system?

Any individual school can contact us directly and order the system.
Local Authorities and private companies can also contact us with funding plans to cover numerous schools.

View the “Contact” page for our contact details.

Can the SHARP system be used outside Secondary Schools?

Yes, the system can be used in any other educational establishments – Primary, Specialist schools, PRU’s, Colleges and the Universities.

With regard to Primary schools – the system is ideal for year 6 and could be used in Citizenship lessons and support other lessons. It is not recommended to go lower than year 5 due to the video content. It also shows the students what is available as support during the transition period.

With regard to Colleges and the Universities – the system is ideal to support the students when faced with the new challenges and changes they face in further education.

Who deals with any Community issues or information received?

The SHARP system is a school reporting system.
Any information received which is not part of the schools remit can be passed on to the local police liaison officer or local police station who will deal with the matter.

Who controls the system?

It’s your system – so you control the system, you decide when and how many times you change the video clips to deliver the messages you wish to get across to the students.

How do you measure if the system has been successful?

The system could be measured in many ways – by how many hits on the school home page it received, or it could be measured by how many referrals have been received, or it could be measured by how many information reports that have been received or it could be measured by the ‘good feel’ factor it creates around the school as the students know it is there to be used as and when needed.

But for us, if it stops ONE person from being bullied, or ONE person from not doing any wrong as they have thought about the consequences, or has given ONE person the confidence to speak out when something is wrong… then the SHARP system has achieved everything it was designed to do…

A CONFIDENTIAL way to stop YOU or a FRIEND or SOMEONE from suffering.

How well the SHARP system works in your school depends on how well you promote the system within your school – simply put, if the students don’t know it is there then they won’t use it

Do the schools have to create new Admin procedures and protocols?

No, the system sits within existing schools procedures and protocols.
The system supports and supplements existing reporting systems – it does not replace them.
It uses the modern communication tools the youth of today use to communicate.

Can the local community use the system?

Yes – the schools are the heart of the communities and are the future communities. What affects one – also affects the other.

Any issues outside the schools remit will be dealt with by the local police liaison officer or local police station.

Can Parents use the system?

Yes – Any parent of a student at your school can use the system to raise concern regarding any issues faced and make contact with the school as a support mechanism.

Can I change the photograph on the home page?

Yes – a nominated person at your school will be given a user name and password to access a Admin Panel which allows them to change the name of the person as and when its is required.

Can I change the name of the person on the home page?

Yes – a nominated person at your school will be given a user name and password to access a Admin Panel which allows them to change the name of the person as and when its is required.

Who deals with the Referrals at the school?

You can nominate any staff member to be the point of contact for any referrals received from the system.

The referrals are treated like any other you receive at the school, just like if a student knocked on your door and reported a problem – no difference.

All we are using are the modern communications that the youth today use on a daily basis.

How do I link the system to my school?

We will supply you with a webpage link which your IT Manager can add to your school web page. This will only take seconds to do.

You can also add a link to the staff and student desktops so that it can be accessed from every computer in your school. This wil give access to your SHARP system from home and from within school

Is there any ongoing costs?

Yes – There is an Annual hosting fee of £40.00 per year per school. This covers support by us for any issues or requests you might have and it also covers the hosting of the system and access to the video library.

How much is the SHARP System?

Any primary and secondary school area can purchase the system for a one off fee of £340.00. There is also Annual hosting fee of £40.00 per year

Colleges and Universities must contact us directly for a quote as the fee is dependant of the number of users of the system but will be kept as low as possible

What is a Referral?

A Referral is what we call any message that has been sent through the SHARP confidential reporting system.

Will anyone else have access to the Referrals?

Nobody will have access to any of the information sent through the confidential reporting system which are known as referrals.

All information will be delivered to the email address you supply when creating your system.

Can you restrict access to the system?

No – the main core of the system is the confidential reporting system.
If people have to log on and use user names then they would no longer remain anonymous if they declined to supply their details.
However, you do have total control on how you deal with any referrals coming through the system.

Are there any negative’s to the system?

To date – there have been no negative comments of the system reported.

Are there any benefit’s to the system?

The SHARP System promotes inclusion, safeguarding, e-safety and provides additional opportunities for students to report their concerns.

It is a support tool which students, parents, teachers and local residents can use to address issues and concerns regarding the school.

It creates a ‘good feel’ factor around the school as students know they can use the system as and when needed.

Do you need to have a Police Officer at the school to use the system?

No, any person can be the point of contact for the SHARP system. For example Head Teacher, Learning Mentor, Pastoral staff or head of Year group.

How can I promote the system in my school?

Every school is different in its own way, a combination of the following will help to promote the SHARP system in your school :-

  • Show system in each year group Assemblies.
  • Show system to staff first, to raise awareness.
  • Inform students via school internal email system.
  • Advertise system on Plasma TV Screens around the school.
  • Inform Parents via letter regarding the system.
  • Show students how to access the system at the end of IT lessons for the first few weeks.
  • Link SHARP system to school home web page.
  • Have icon of SHARP system on staff desktop in school.
  • Have icon of SHARP system on students desktop in school.
  • Use SHARP system as part of Year 6 induction days.
  • The SHARP system to be embedded as part of the school support system.
  • Use the SHARP system during parent evening and open days.
  • Use Schools Bulletins to raise awareness.
  • Post posters around the schools highlighting the system.
  • Stick stickers on the monitors in the ICT room, to remind students of the system.