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Covid-19 Advice for Parents and Carers

Thank you to Retune who have created and shared this song dedicated to every Key Worker out there.

Additional Information: 21/05/2020:

Please see updated documents for support services in Hertfordshire:

Information for Children and young people about MH and EWB during Coronavirus – Updated  - It’s really important that you will either share the information for children and young people directly with pupils or parents via email, google classrooms, PSHE lessons, and discuss them on pastoral check up calls or put it on the school website and highlight the information in newsletters. 

There are three helplines that are available for families and children and young people which could help to support emerging problems.

  • Herts Mind Network have launched a new early intervention and prevention helpline for children and young people aged 10-17 in Herts. For opening hours and more information please visit the website https://www.hertsmindnetwork.org/young-peoples-helpline. Helpline number is 01923 256391

  • The Educational Psychology Service (ISL) have also expanded their 'quick queries' Contactline service across Hertfordshire. The Contact line is available Monday to Friday from 2:00pm to 4:30pm for all parents/caregivers, young people (aged 16 -25), school staff and professionals.

Other helpful information for sharing with Children, young people and families:

The webinar addressed questions that have been raised by young people.  The webinar panel included Professor Jim McManus, Herts Director of Public Health; Councillor Tim Hutchings, Cabinet Member for Public Health; Simon Newland, Education Operations Director, Hertfordshire County Council; and Liz Shapland, Deputy Education Services Director, Herts for Learning.

A full list of questions and answers submitted during the Q&A, will available on this website in due course, along with British Sign Language translation.

Free online courses by Families in Focus for Hertfordshire parents:

  1. Handling Anger in Your Family: Quality, evidence based course providing proven & practical strategies to reduce anger in your family. Funded by Hertfordshire County Council & free for parents living in Hertfordshire & caring for children from 5 years to 11 years.
  2. Complete Guide to Parenting CHildren with SEND: A Complete Guide to Parenting Children with ALL SpecialEducation Needs & related conditions inclusive of those awaiting diagnosis/assessment. This course is free for all parents living in Hertfordshire and caring for a primary aged child inclusive of those awaiting diagnosis or with a diagnosis of all Special Education Needs, Autism, ADHD etc.

Additional Information:  30th April 2020:

Spot the signs new signposting guide this is a fully-funded programme offering training and workshops to children and young people (CYP), parents/carers and professional's working with CYP click here.

Supporting young people in Welwyn Hatfield, Join an online youth project in Welwyn Hatfield call us today click here for further information.

Free 70 day lockdown wellbeing programme for families: https://www.zumos.co.uk/

This document provides a wealth of information  for children and young people on how to look after their emoational wellbeing and mental health.Please share this resource with children and young people - Looking after your mental health and wellbeing during Coronavirus - Information for Children and Young People

Coronavirus bereavement resources:

Coronavirus Bereavement - Helping a child when someone they care about has a serious coronavirus illness or has died: a guide for parents, carers and professionals -  This guide has been created to help parents and carers support a child after the death of someone special to them. It includes information about bereavement after Coronavirus and how the restrictions in place because of it can affect bereaved children generally. It can also be used by professionals to help them know how they can support bereaved children and families they come into contact with. Many of the organisations linked here have advice for professionals too.

Coronavirus Bereavement - a guide for adults - Helping you manage bereavement and grief during the COVID-19 outbreak. This guide has been created in response to the extraordinary events and circumstances that are happening in the UK and around the world because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) that are affecting howpeople grieve. It has been created to help support you if a loved one has died because of coronavirus, or they have died during the resulting lockdown because of other reasons that also affect the ways that you can mourn and grieve

Additional resources: 17 April 2020:

Apps:

Catch it: Uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help users learn how to manage feelings like anxiety and depression. Users can record and rate their mood, helping them to keep track of progress and identify triggers to their symptoms.

Stress & Anxiety companion: helps users handle stress and anxiety on-the-go. It provides tools like breathing exercises, relaxing music and games. Goals is to help users change negative thoughts to help them better cope with life's ups and downs.

Safer Places:  Today, Safer Places launched a new live chat service to support those experiencing, or at risk of abuse

  • The new service enables anyone experiencing abuse to chat directly with a member of the Safer Places team.
  • The measures announced to tackle coronavirus (COVID 19) have seen day to day life change dramatically and undoubtedly made it harder for people to access support services as survivors are isolated with abusers with small windows of opportunity to speak. This new service will give survivors the opportunity to access support discreetly.
  • The service provides survivors with information and supports individuals to make choices about how to increase their safety, the safety of their family and make decisions about their future. Research tells us that more and more of us go online to find information and look for answers. Safer Places online chat service is available both day and night and enables those who feel safer seeking support online to chat to a qualified professional to get confidential support and advice when, where, and how they want it. 
  • Janet Dalrymple, CEO of Safer Places said:
  • "Safer Places provide life changing and life saving support services across Essex and Hertfordshire. Our new Live Chat service will allow us to reach more people affected by abuse and give survivors the opportunity to safely access non-judgemental support and advice. Coronavirus (COVID 19) is impacting upon us all and we are seeing a dramatic rise in the numbers of those wanting to access our services and how they wish to do so. It can be incredibly difficult to talk about abuse - and making a call can be difficult, now more than ever with abusers in the home. That's why we have worked around the clock to create our Live Chat service. Our qualified expert staff are now available by phone and live-chat every day, day and night. We want to reassure everyone in the communities that we serve that we are here for you, when you need us and how you need us, our support is led by you".

Additional resources: 01 April 2020:

  • Just Talk is a Hertfordshire multi-agency campaign for promoting and maintaining good mental health. Within the Just Talk website, there is a specific Covid-19 page which  is updated on a daily basis containing collated and new resources and information for young people and parents:  https://www.justtalkherts.org/news/looking-after-your-mental-health-during-coronavirus.aspx

  • To view information relating to Safer Places Domestic Abuse Services Click here

  • Herts Educational Psychology Contactline Service expansion information in relation to Covid-19 service provision. The service provides telephone support to parents and school professionals.

  • Public Health Nursing Chathealth is a confidential texting service for all young people aged 11-19 in Hertfordshire. The service continues to support children and young people during the Covid-19 outbreak. Using this service may be a good first point of contact for some young people as nurses can support/ signpost/ escalate as necessary. Chiidren and young people can access it annonymously by texting: 07480 635050. More information can be accessed on the Public Health Nursing page

  • Public Health Nursing also has two websites which provides excellent, age appropriate advice for children, young people and their families. These can be accessed here: Health for kids and Health for Teens

  • The Mental Health Foundation provides useful and sound infromation about how to look after your mental health during the Coronavirus outbreak with responds to a range of issues including: how to look after your mental health if you are working from home, talking to your children about the coronavirus pandemic, random acts of kindness during the pandemic, resources for those living in difficult circumstances during the coronavirus outbreak among other useful information. They highlight the following tips:

  • Try to avoid speculation and look up reputable sources on the outbreak

  • Try to stay connected at times of stress, we work better in company and with support. Try and keep in touch with your friends and family

  • Try to anticipate distress – its normal to feel vulnerable and overwhelmed, it is important to acknowledge these feelings

  • A booklet was shared with us as a creative way of supporting and reassuring children in relation to how they may be feeling about the Covid virus. This resource is mostly applicable to under 7's and the link provides a free access to the same booklet in a number of languages.

  • Every Mind Matters – Information from the NHS about  looking after your mental health and emotional wellbeing during coronavirus including guidance, advice and tips on how to maintain your mental wellbeing if you need to stay at home: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters

  • This website provides additional links and resources that are quality assured and provide supportive guidance about how to support children and young people’s emotional wellbing during Covid-19. It also had other sections with useful apps and videos: https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/coronovirus

  • The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health have published this podcast: Coronavirus, and helping children with autism – ‘Autism, a parents guide’: https://www.acamh.org/podcasts/cornavirus-autism-a-parents-guide/?utm_source=Subscriber&utm_campaign=0401ae5288-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_12_02_03_10_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f59ca1eb20-0401ae5288-119404437

https://uksobs.org/?doing_wp_cron=1585557831.5814399719238281250000

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During a time of uncertainty it can be difficult to look after our own mental health so that we can look after our children's mental health. Children and young people pick up on our own stress and anxiety levels and respond to this so it is really important that we look after our own emotional wellbeing as a way of supporting our children and young people. This may not be easy at a time where there are uncertainties not only around our own physical health but also employment, finances, education and many other usual areas in life. As a way of providing suggestions and ideas on how you can look after your own mental health and emotional wellbeing as well as your child's mental health; we have put together the followng information and resources which we hope will provide some additional support. We will be updating this page weekly with new helpful links.

Hertfordshire services:

  • Public Health Nursing Chathealth is a confidential texting service for all young people aged 11-19 in Hertfordshire. The service continues to support children and young people during the Covid-19 outbreak. Using this service may be a good first point of contact for some young people as nurses can support/ signpost/ escalate as necessary. Chiidren and young people can access it annonymously by texting: 07480 635050. More information can be accessed on the Public Health Nursing page
  • Public Health Nursing also has two websites which provides excellent, age appropriate advice for children, young people and their families. These can be accessed here: Health for kids and Health for Teens
  • Hertfordshire Mind Network provides a crisis helpline for anyone experiencing mental health distress or requiring emotional support and signposting. Professionals, family/ friends can call on someone’s behalf with the individual’s consent. Crisis Helpline number: 01923 256 391 or visit http://www.hertsmindnetwork.org/
  • Hertfordshire Educational Psychology Contactline Service expansion information in relation to Covid-19 service provision. The service provides telephone support to parents and school professionals.
  • Just Talk is a Hertfordshire multi-agency campaign for promoting and maintaining good mental health. Within the Just Talk website, there is a specific Covid-19 page which  is updated on a daily basis containing collated and new resources and information for young people and parents:  https://www.justtalkherts.org/news/looking-after-your-mental-health-during-coronavirus.aspx

National services/ organisations: