Coronavirus: Advice for Students, Parents & Carers

Government and NHS Guidance

The Department for Education has launched a new helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education. Staff, parents, carers and young people can contact the helpline as follows:

Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)

The links below offer the latest guidance relating to Coronavirus COVID-19 from both the UK Government and the NHS:

NHS Guidance for everyone

DfE guidance on educating children at home

DfE guidance on closure of educational settings

DfE guidance on safeguarding

Guidance about Mass Gatherings

Covid-19: guidance for households with possible Coronavirus infection

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Beating The Isolation Blues -NHS Advice

Mentally Healthy Schools (Anna Freud Centre)

The Anna Freud Centre has published a range of resources to help support the mental health of children, young people, school staff and parents.

Toolkit 1

Toolkit 2

Shaping Futures

This organisation is linked to Liverpool University to encourage young people across the city region to access Higher Education. They provide a range of useful information and support.

8 week Information & Guidance Programme

As well as NHS staff heroically saving lives on the frontline, their website is also a great source of support for the mental health needs of the nation. Visit the site below for further information. 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/improve-mental-wellbeing/

 https://youtu.be/cyEdZ23Cp1E

Young Minds offers support and Information on child and adolescent mental health. Services for parents and professionals.

Phone: Parents' helpline 0808 802 5544 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm)

 Website: www.youngminds.org.uk

 Further helplines for conditions such as Stress, Anxiety and Depression can be found on the following link to the NHS:

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

 Specifically for Covid- 19

https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/supporting-your-child-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

 https://youngminds.org.uk/starting-a-conversation-with-your-child/activities-and-conversation-starters-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

PAPYRUS is the UK Charity for the prevention of young suicide. For PAPYRUS HOPELINEUK call 0800 068 4141 (open 10am-10pm weekdays, 2pm-10pm weekends and bank holidays).

https://papyrus-uk.org/

Online Safefy

The Breck Foundation

Internet Matters – this is the main online safety advice site for parents in the UK. Internet Matters has a wealth of information for parents including simple tutorials on how to set up the internet filter on your broadband, settings for all devices, advice and guidance, and much more, the link is below; 

www.internetmatters.org/

Common Sense Media – a huge site which allows you to search on a game or app to learn more about it. It also includes books and TV shows too

www.commonsensemedia.org/

 Think you know website is also a great source of support, which sends out tasks and activities that families can complete together to get adults and children addressing concerns around staying safe online. 

 https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

  https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/what-is-live-streaming/

 https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/what-is-the-internet-of-things-iot/

 https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/Has-your-child-shared-a-nude-selfie-subtitled/

 www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/Support-tools/home-activity-worksheets/

 Net-aware is brilliant in terms of understanding the apps kids are using

 https://www.net-aware.org.uk/

 The video below gives some useful, simple advice and guidance for parents and carers regarding children and their online activities during the pandemic.

http://aacoss.org/parents/

For the Students - The following links are useful for students and offer advice around issues such as sexting and other online pressures. 

 https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_13/Need-advice/

 https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_13/help/

 https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_13/Need-advice/Online-friends/

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/14_plus/Need-advice/receiving-unwanted-nudes/?utm_source=Thinkuknow&utm_campaign=46e6250b3e-TUK_ONLINE_SAFETY_AT_HOME_07_04_20&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0b54505554-46e6250b3e-55402997

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/14_plus/Need-advice/Selfies-and-sexting/

Safeguarding

This link is for the Police force’s campaign to support those who are the victim of domestic violence. Please spread this message so that they can continue to protect those who are in most need of help. 

https://www.openthedoorcheshire.org.uk

Local Children’s Safeguarding Board

 If you wish to report a safeguarding concern about a child, please contact

 0151 907 8305 / 0151 5117722 (Office Hours Mon-Thurs, 9am – 5pm, 9am – 4.30pm Fri)

0345 050 0148(Outside Office Hours and throughout Weekends)

 NSPCC

 Children's charity dedicated to ending child abuse and child cruelty.

Phone: 0800 1111 for Childline for children (24-hour helpline)

0808 800 5000 for adults concerned about a child (24-hour helpline)

 Website: www.nspcc.org.uk

 Your local foodbank supported by The Shaw Education Trust is:

 Widnes: Trinity Methodist URC Church, Peel House Ln, Widnes WA8 6TJ Phone: 0151 422 0031 

Runcorn: 53a, Operations Centre, Russell Rd, Runcorn WA7 4BH Phone  01928 577679