Wellbeing

STUDENT WELLBEING

The beginning of the year finds us back at home and engaging in remote learning again.

Although we are all experiencing the same storm, we are not all in the same boat and everyone will be responding to this situation in different ways.

If you are struggling, please remember that you are not on your own and that there is always someone that you can talk to whether that is a member of staff, your family, a friend or someone from one of the many support services available.

Learning Managers are available whilst school is closed. If you would like to arrange a chat, please let your form tutors know through GC and they will pass it on to Mrs Hart and Mrs Shilcock.

Below are some of the local and national support organisations that you can contact if you need anything or want to talk to someone.

There are also many things that you can do to help look after yourself.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/newsbeat-52411394

Top Tips for Positive Mental Wellbeing

Have you had your daily dose of happiness chemicals? – click here to find out more

• • Talk about the way you feel and build healthy relationships with people.If you are having a tricky time, talking about how you feel with someone you trust can often help. Spending time around positive and supportive people, means you are more likely to have a better self-image, be more confident and feel able to face difficult times.
  • Sleep well.Poor sleep can impact your mental wellbeing. Negative feelings are likely to be exaggerated and you might find you are more irritable and less confident. Teenagers need more sleep than adults – 9.5 hours a night is ideal!
  • Eat well.Eating healthily has a positive impact on your physical and mental health. Eating healthily and regularly as well as drinking plenty of water can help you to feel more healthy and happy.
  • Physical activity.Physical activity is good for mental wellbeing, particularly if you exercise outdoors. Being active can help reduce low mood and anxiety and boost your self-confidence. It also releases endorphins – ‘feel-good’ hormones that can help improve your mood.
  • Do something you enjoy.Doing something you enjoy can improve your confidence and help you stay well. Make time to do things you like away from technology, whether it’s seeing your friends, drawing, crafting or playing sport.
  • Identify mood triggers.Keeping a mood diary for a week can help you work out what affects your mental wellbeing and notice changes in your mood that would be difficult to spot otherwise. For example, you may realise that being on social media for a long period of time or eating certain foods has an effect on your mood.
  • Look after yourself during difficult times. Everyone has times when they face challenging situations. If you are experiencing a difficult time, or are unwell, it’s important to look after yourself. Try to get enough sleep and eat regularly. If you are finding it difficult to cope on your own, don’t be afraid to ask someone you trust for help.
  • Learn to accept yourself.One of the most important steps in staying mentally healthy is to learn to accept yourself. If you value yourself, you are more likely to have positive relationships with other people and find it easier to cope with difficult times in your life.
  • Relax!It’s important to make time to relax, even if you don’t feel under stress. This may mean spending time listening to music or walking the dog. Learning a relaxation technique, such as breathing exercises, yoga or mindfulness, can also help you relax and reduce stress levels.

  LOCAL SUPPORT:

  Kooth is an anonymous, confidential, safe, online wellbeing service offering counselling, information and forums available for young people in Herefordshire.

  We understand that there are challenging times ahead, but I would like to let you know that Kooth is still here for virtual support, and although there are now new lockdown restrictions in place, Kooth will continue to operate as normal throughout this period so please do continue signposting your students to the service.

  The service is available every day of the year during the following times:

  Between 12 noon to 10pm (Monday to Friday) or

  Between 6pm to 12 midnight (Saturday and Sunday)

  Young people can log on to kooth.com on their smartphone, laptop or tablet.

  Kooth frequently asked questions  VIEW HERE

  Strong Young Minds -01432 269245 or e-mail symproject@thecldtrust.org

  www.thesymproject.org

  Hereford Foodbank-01432 352674

  West Mercia Women’s Aid

  http://www.westmerciawomensaid.org/  If you are worried or frightened by your partner or ex-partner, a family member or someone close to you 24hr helpline 0800783159If you are worried or frightened by your partner or ex-partner, a family member or someone close to you, please ring our Helpline for support, advice and information about your options

  https://www.wmrsasc.org.uk/   WMRSASC is a free, confidential and non-judgemental support service for survivors who have experienced any form of sexual attack, whether physical, verbal or emotional.

  Addaction Herefordshire offers information, advice and support for people with drug and alcohol issues every weekday, and on alternative Saturdays. There is a young people’s service for those aged 11+. Our recovery-focused service has bases in Hereford as well as outreach via partner organisations. We aim to support people to overcome their issues and develop the skills necessary to go on to live a fulfilling life in recovery. We also support the families of people with substance misuse issues.01432 802 487

  https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk

  HOPE support services. Hope is a registered UK charity that since 2009 has been supporting young people aged 11 to 25 when a close family member is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, such as cancer, Covid-19 or other disease.  https://hopesupport.org.uk

   

  SUPPORT FOR YOUNG CARERS

  The BBC estimates that there are about 700,000 young carers in the UK

  You’re a young carer if you’re under 18 and help to look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem.

  If you’re a young carer, you probably look after one of your parents or care for a brother or sister.

  You may do extra jobs in and around the home, such as cooking, cleaning or helping someone get dressed and move around.

  You may also give a lot of physical help to a brother or sister who’s disabled or ill.

  Along with doing things to help your brother or sister, you may be giving them and your parents emotional support, too.

  It can be hard work being a young carer. Sometimes other children don’t understand your responsibilities and you have less free time than others.

  Many young carers cope well with caring, especially if you have support from other family members and it’s important to look after yourself. You have the right to be looked after too and there are lots of places and people you can go to get help.

  There is support for you if you think you are a young carer and would like to talk to someone.  You can speak to a member of staff at school and they will arrange for Mrs Hart or Mrs Shilcock to talk to you. If you would like to talk to someone about being a young carer at the moment you could email one of your teachers and they will pass it on to Mrs Hart.

  In Herefordshire you can also follow the link below to access young carers support workers

  https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/info/200147/social_care_and_support/416/carers/2

  You can find information using theses links too

  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/support-and-benefits-for-carers/help-for-young-carers/

  https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/looking-after-yourself/young-carers/

  The most important thing is to know that you aren’t alone and that you can talk to someone.

   

  NATIONAL WEBSITES

  YOUNG MINDS– www.youngminds.org.uk

  ANXIETY UK-support@anxietyuk.org.uk

  HEALTH for TEENS  www.healthforteens.co.uk

  MIND MIND-info@mind.org.uk

  NSPCC  www.nspcc.org.uk

  CHILDLINE 0800111   www.childline.org.uk

  PAPYRUS https://www.papyrus-uk.org/

   

  APPS YOU MAY FIND USEFUL

  CALM (https://www.calm.com/breathe)

  HEADSPACE (https://www.headspace.com/headspace-meditation-app)

  FLORA (https://flora.appfinca.com/)

  Coronavirus – information for teenagers

  https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/how-teenagers-can-protect-their-mental-health-during-coronavirus-covid-19

  Information for parents and carers

  Coronavirus – helping your teenager to cope

  https://www.barnardos.org.uk/blog/how-help-your-teenager-staying-home-during-lockdown

   

  SAFEGUARDING

  If you have, any safeguarding concerns about a student or their family please phone:

  MULTI AGENCYSAFEGUARDING HUB- 01432 260800 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
  POLICE: Non-emergency 101 or if an emergency 999

   

  The Early Help Hub – The Right Help at the Right Time. This is a brand new service to support children and families with the right help to address the needs of the family. If you or your family need advice, guidance or support with any issue, including relationship difficulties, financial worries, domestic abuse or emotional and mental health wellbeing, we can help you to access the right help at the right time. This will help you to work through the difficult times and support you to get your family back on track.

  Call the Early Help Hub team on 01432 260261 (available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, closed on bank holidays or visit their webpage Family support – Herefordshire Council

• If staff have a concern about a student please report on MyConcern 

  Keeping your child safe online –

  Online safety and reporting https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

   

  A checklist for parents and carers

  As a parent/carer you’ll probably know how important the internet is to children and young people. They use it to learn, play, socialise and express themselves in all types of creative ways. This may be through sharing photos and videos, blogging, gaming, or even developing their own apps. It is a place of amazing opportunities.

  By following this simple checklist, you can start to protect them and decrease the risks they face:

  • The technology children use in their daily lives can seem daunting. You might worry about the risks they can face online, such as bullying, contact from strangers, as well as the possibility of access to inappropriate or illegal content. To help them stay safe, it’s important that you understand how your child uses the internet.
  • I have asked my child to show me sites they use – By doing so, your child is including you in their online life and social activity. Show an interest and take note of the names of their favourite sites. You can then re-visit these when you are alone. Take your time and explore the space, find out how to set the safety features and learn how to report any issues directly to the site.
  • I have asked my child to set their profile settings to private – Social networking sites, such as Facebook, are used by children to share information, photos and just about everything they do! Encourage your child to set their privacy settings to private. They need to think about the information they post online as it could be copied and pasted anywhere, without their permission. If it got into the wrong hands, somebody may wish to use it against them or worst of all try to locate them in the real world.
  • I have asked my child about their online friends – We know that people lie online about who they are and may create fake identities. It is very important children understand this. Whether they are visiting a social network or a gaming site, the safety messages are the same. Children and young people must never give out personal information and only be “friends” with people they know and trust in the real world.
  • I have set appropriate parental controls on my child’s computer, mobile and games console – Filters on computers and mobiles can prevent your child from viewing inappropriate and possibly illegal content. You can activate and change levels depending on your child’s age and abilities. You can also set time restrictions for using the internet or games. They can be free and easy to install. Call your service provider who will be happy to assist or visit CEOP’s parents’ site for further information. Explain to your child why you are setting parental controls when you talk to them about their internet use.
  • My child has agreed to tell me if they are worried about something online – Sometimes children get into situations online where they don’t feel comfortable or see something they don’t want to see. By opening up the communication channels and talking to your child about the internet, their favourite sites and the risks they may encounter, they are more likely to turn to you if they are concerned about something.
  • I know where to get help if I’m concerned about my child – The CEOP Safety Centre provides access to a range of services. If you are concerned that an adult has made inappropriate contact with your child you can report this directly to CEOP. You can also find help if you think your child is being bullied, or if you’ve come across something on the internet which you think may be illegal.
  • Visit the Safety Centre at ceop.police.uk/safety-centre