We know that the lockdowns and pandemic have been very difficult for our families and have had an impact on mental health and wellbeing. Please see the link below to get help and support.

https://derbyandderbyshireemotionalhealthandwellbeing.uk/

Support for parents/carers

Support for parents / carers of children or young people with anxiety related to the COVID 19 lockdown.

The Anna Freud website has a wealth of information, including advice for families with children who don’t want to leave the house and for whom returning to school will be very difficult.

www.annafreud.org

Keeping Children Safe Online

7.3 Where can I go to get support to help keep my child safe online?

There is support available to keep your child safe online. Below are some useful links to help parents and carers:

• Thinkyouknow (advice from the National Crime Agency to stay safe online)
• Internet matters (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
• Parent info (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
• LGfL (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
• Net-aware (support for parents and carers from the NSPCC)
• Let’s Talk About It (support for parents and carers to keep children safe from online radicalisation)
• UK Safer Internet Centre (tips, advice, guides

Updated information for parents and carers on Covid 19.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers

Supporting Children's Mental Health during this time.

Helping children and young people cope with stress

Here are some key points to consider about how you can support your child or young person:

Listen and acknowledge: Children and young people may respond to stress in different ways. Signs may be emotional (for example, they may be upset, distressed, anxious, angry or agitated), behavioural (for example, they may become more clingy or more withdrawn, they may wet the bed), or physical (for example, they may experience stomach aches). Look out for any changes in their behaviour.

Children and young people may feel less anxious if they are able to express and communicate their feelings in a safe and supportive environment. Children and young people who communicate differently to their peers may rely on you to interpret their feelings. Listen to them, acknowledge their concerns, and give them extra love and attention if they need it.

Provide clear information about the situation: All children and young people want to feel that their parents and caregivers can keep them safe. The best way to achieve this is by talking openly about what is happening and providing honest answers to any questions they have. Explain what is being done to keep them and their loved ones safe, including any actions they can take to help, such as washing their hands regularly.

Use words and explanations that they can understand and make sure you use reliable sources of information such as the GOV.UK or NHS website – there is a lot of misleading information from other sources that will create stress for you and your family.

It will not always be possible to provide answers to all the questions children and young people may ask, or to allay all their concerns, so focus on listening and acknowledging their feelings to help them feel supported.

Be aware of your own reactions: Remember that children and young people often take their emotional cues from the important adults in their lives, so how you respond to the situation is very important. It is important to manage your own emotions and remain calm, listen to and acknowledge children and young people’s concerns, speak kindly to them, and answer any questions they have honestly.

See further guidance on how to look after your own mental wellbeing during the outbreak.

Connect regularly: If it is necessary for you or your children to be in a different location to normal (for example, staying at home in different locations or hospitalisation) make sure you still have regular and frequent contact via the phone or video calls with them. Try to help your child understand what arrangements are being made for them and why in simple terms.

Create a new routine: Life is changing for all of us for a while. Routine gives children and young people an increased feeling of safety in the context of uncertainty, so think about how to develop a new routine – especially if they are not at school:

• make a plan for the day or week that includes time for learning, playing and relaxing
• if they have to stay home from school, ask teachers what you can do to support continued learning at home. Online educational resources and activities to support children’s learning are available from the BBC
• children and young people need to ideally be active for 60 minutes a day, which can be more difficult when spending longer periods of time indoors. Plan time outside if you can do so safely or see Change4Life for some ideas for indoor games and activities
• don’t forget that sleep is really important for mental and physical health so try to keep to existing bedtime routines
• it may be tempting to give them treats, such as sweets or chocolate, to compensate for being housebound, but this is not good for their health, especially as they will not be able to be to run around or be as active as they normally do - see Change4Life for ideas for healthy treats

Limit exposure to media and talk about what they have seen and heard: Children and young people, like adults, may become more distressed if they see repeated coverage of the outbreak in the media. A complete news blackout is also rarely helpful as they are likely to find out from other sources, such as online or through friends.

Try to avoid turning the television off or closing web pages when children or young people come into the room. This can pique their interest to find out what is going on – and their imagination can take over. Instead, consider limiting the amount of exposure you and your family get to troubling media coverage.

Young people will also hear things from friends and get information from social media. Talk to them about what is going on and ask them what they have heard about. Try to answer their questions and reassure them in an age-appropriate manner, avoiding too much detail.

Dear Parents and Carers,

The government have announced that all schools will close for most children at the current time.

We will keep posting learning and activities for your children on the school website class pages and also using ClassDojo. 

Please keep checking back on the website, ClassDojo and the school text messages for more information.

If you need to contact the school please use the normal school number during the school day.

We thank you again for your understanding and support at this time.

Many Thanks

Katrina Haines

Assistant Head

Stay at home if you have coronavirus symptoms

Stay at home if you have either:

• a high temperature – you feel hot to touch on your chest or back
• a new, continuous cough – this means you've started coughing repeatedly

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.

You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you're staying at home.

Testing for coronavirus is not needed if you're staying at home.

How long to stay at home

• if you have symptoms, stay at home for 7 days
• if you live with other people, they should stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person got symptoms

If you live with someone who is 70 or over, has a long-term condition, is pregnant or has a weakened immune system, try to find somewhere else for them to stay for 14 days.

If you have to stay at home together, try to keep away from each other as much as possible.

Read our advice about staying at home.

Urgent advice:Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service if:

• you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home
• your condition gets worse
• your symptoms do not get better after 7 days

Use the 111 coronavirus service

Only call 111 if you cannot get help online.

The closure of schools and the COVID-19 pandemic (Coronavirus) as a whole has the potential to be an anxious and uncertain time for parents and carers. It is therefore important to notify you of the option to access free online counselling to support your mental health and wellbeing. Requiring no referral, the Qwell service is available for all parents and carers with children at primary school in Derbyshire, as well as those parents whose children are still under the age of 18. The service provides access to counselling support from 12-10pm on weekdays and 6pm-10pm on weekends, and 24/7 access to online forums where concerns can be shared and discussed and finally relevant articles.

To access support, please visit www.qwell.io and sign up.

The closure of schools and the COVID-19 pandemic (Coronavirus) as a whole has the potential to be an anxious and uncertain time for parents and carers. It is therefore important to notify you of the option to access free online counselling to support your mental health and wellbeing. Requiring no referral, the Qwell service is available for all parents and carers with children at primary school in Derbyshire, as well as those parents whose children are still under the age of 18. The service provides access to counselling support from 12-10pm on weekdays and 6pm-10pm on weekends, and 24/7 access to online forums where concerns can be shared and discussed and finally relevant articles.

To access support, please visit www.qwell.io and sign up.

If you would like your child to do something active during the school closures and they have access to an electronic device, you can use any of the following links:

Supermovers: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/supermovers/ks2-collection/zr4ky9q

Go noodle:
https://family.gonoodle.com/

Daily challenges with Derby County Community Trust
If you are on Facebook search for – DerbyCountyCommunityTrust

I will try and upload more throughout the closure period. These activities can be done on your own but also as a family as a little bit of fun.

Thanks

Mr Moon

For children
There has been a lot written for adults. The
Children’s Commissioner has provided something
that staff, parents and carers might use with
children to help them to understand.

https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/publicati
on/childrens-guide-to-coronavirus/