Health & Wellbeing Help for Children, Young People, Families & Professionals
Spring is ahead, the light is drawing nearer and vaccinations are pending!
Until then, finding ways to support our emotional health and maintain a positive sense of wellbeing, has never been more crucial to help see us through this time
Remember: HANDS + FACE + SPACE
Tips & Support
Educational Psychology Service (EPS)
If you are a parent/carer of a child in Somerset and would like to speak to a Psychologist with any concerns arising for you, or your family during this time, then The Educational Psychology Service is here for you. Please view link for details of how to access this service - EPS Helpline
Coping with coronavirus: a guide for young people
This guidance was produced with the Mental Health Foundation Young Leaders.
www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus/coping-coronavirus-guide-young-people
24/7 Support for Wellbeing and Mental Health - All Ages
Open 24 hours a day, seven-days a week, it is open to people of all ages who need urgent mental health support. The helpline is the first port of call for mental health help – it is operated by people in your local area who will know how best to support you:
01823 276892
ChatHealth is a new health and wellbeing messaging service available Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm.
- Parents of children 0-4 years: Get confidential help and advice from Health Visiting Team Text 07480 635514
- Parents of children 5-19 years: Just send a text to your School Nurse Team. Text 07480 635515
- Young People 11-19 years: Discreet and quick. If you’re 11-19 you can get confidential advice from your local School Nurse Team. You don’t have to give your name if you don’t want to: Text 07480 635516
Online wellbeing community for young people over 11 years.
Somerset Big Tent brings together local organisation that offer support to children and families. They run weekly virtual hubs for young people and parents: Virtual Hubs Archive - Somerset Big Tent
Teenage Years Leaflet
The leaflet doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, but offers an insight into the reasons behind emotional changes and some suggestions for maintaining a positive relationship.
Download a copy of the leaflet here: Teenage Years Leaflet - FINAL.pdf
These tip sheets from the Triple P Parenting programme have been developed in response to Covid-19 and offer top tips and guides to support parents and families
Top Tips for parenting in uncertain times
Covid-19-guide-Stepping Stones Triple P.pdf
Social Story
Carol Gray has shared her social story to support children & young people's understanding of Pandemics and the Coronavirus - A-Social-Story-Pandemics-and-the-Coronavirus.
Looking After Our Body & Mind
Hand Hygiene
It is still very important that we maintain good hand-hygiene over the summer and beyond so why not re-visit the most effective way to wash your hands to help avoid the spread of infections. For full details go to:
www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-to-wash-your-hands
We all need to learn to look after ourselves better including our physical and mental health particularly in
stressful times. This excellent booklet has been created by Mendip Health Connections and it includes support for -
- Beating Corona anxiety
- Struggling to cope
- Wellbeing plan
- Supporting young people
- Working well from home
- Five steps to helping others and lots more
COVID 19 public info a5 booklet.pdf
Top Tips for School Professionals
These 10 Top Tips for School Professionals offers ideas for nurturing our own mental health & wellbeing. Top Tips for Staff Wellbeing
Mental Wellbeing Lifehacks for coping with covid-19
This resource offers ideas and guidance which can be of help when managing and living within a period of transition. This guide has been written with young people for young people and can be found Here
Training and upcoming events
Please visit our Training Menu page for full details and booking instructions - Training Menu
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Mental Health First Aid Youth - Dates available
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LIFEbeat - Weekly Stress Buster group Sessions: Tuesday's 4 -5 booking required
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Emotion Coaching - Dates available
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MACE Networking Webinar Meetings - Dates available
1st - 7th February 2021 -The theme of this year's Children’s Mental Health Week is
Express Yourself.
Expressing yourself is about finding ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through creativity. This could be through art, music, writing and poetry, dance and drama, photography and film, and doing activities that make you feel good.
Our free resources will help children and young people to explore what it means to Express Yourself. All of the ideas can be adapted for use in school, for home-schooling, online lessons or independent learning.
www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/schools-and-youth-groups/
Take a look at the Anna Freud Toolkit for Children's Mental Health Week 2021. Many of these resources can be used for remote learning, and they can all be used to keep the conversation going once schools return.
Children's-mental-health-week-toolkit
Activities and Ideas
Lockdown Learning: How BBC Bitesize can help you learn on TV and online in 2021
Enjoy an hour with nature and discover the wildlife on your doorstep
www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/
Somerset Outdoor Curriculum support schools and families too with outdoor learning:
There are many benefits to being in an outdoor environment and with many schools extending their provision the Outdoor Learning Curriculum has been developed to support schools to utilise their outdoor spaces (which on average makes up 70% of school’s available footprint for learning) In the current situation this curriculum enables:
- Chance for young people to spread out
- Enjoy the widely researched and documented health and wellbeing benefits of being in outdoor spaces and closer to nature
- Be more active, enhancing pupil learning
- Create opportunities for reconnection and bonding
- Support staff wellbeing
Outdoor Learning Top Tips resources are available Here
Mindful opportunities
'Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony' - Gandhi
Action for happiness create monthly calendars which are packed with actions you can take to help create a happier and kinder world. Click on the link below where you will find current and previous calendars www.actionforhappiness.org/calendars
Together we can create a Happier January 2021- Action 4 happiness january 2021.pdf
Podcasts
What does it take to live a happier life? Learn research-tested strategies that you can put into practice today
The Happiness Half Hour
Hack your happiness: simple strategies proven by science.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p08r2ymx
