Health and Wellbeing
COVID-19 Message for parents of school children
(The following is an abbreviation of letter circulated in schools on March 29th,
signed by Deborah Harkins, Director of Public Health and Julie Jenkins, Director of Children and Young People’s Services)
With schools open more widely and education returning to something a bit more normal, we want to take the opportunity to thank those of you whose children were at home during the last lockdown, for your hard work, supporting your children with home learning.
It’s wonderful to see children and young people back at school and able to see their friends classmates and school staff once again. Social interacton is an important part of learning for young people.
Schools continue to do everything they can to keep children safe from COVID-19 . Please do continue to be polite to school staff. They don’t make the rules, they’re following public health advice, acting on professional advice and trying to keep everyone safe.
The wider opening of schools was the first step on the Government’s roadmap and as we look forward to the coming weeks and months, further restirctions will be lifted if all goes to plan. We’re on the right path but it’s really important we all do what we can to keep moving in the right direction. The more we can do to stop the spread the safer everyone will be and the less disruption there will be to education.
Please do keep your child at home if they have any symptoms of COVID-19:
- A high temperature
- A new and continuous cough
- A loss or change to the sense of sell or taste
When a child with symptoms attends school, it doesn’t just create the risk of transmission but also interrupts the education of all involved and creates challenges for all as everyone the child had contact with may require to self isolate.
From March 29th we’re back to the Rule of 6, where up to 6 people can meet up, or two households if between them there are more than 6 household members. This applies for outdoors meetings, there will still be no indoors mixing, unless it is between members of a support bubble.
Please think carefully about what you do at the school gate and the way back from school. Please do keep up the good work by avoiding mixing with other households indoors. This applies to your children too – no sleep overs or after school meet ups, please.
Finally, please wear face coverings at drop-off and pick-up while you’re on foot. It is an easy protective measure and can make a real difference. School staff wear them wherever is feasible to do so and it will really support them in their efforts to keep your children safe.
We’re really proud of the efforts our schools and families have taken in Calderdale to help reduce COVID-19 infection. Over 330 people in Calderdale have died of COVID-19. The roll out of the vaccination programme is a vital step towards reducing the impact of the infection but all other measures we have used over the last year are still really important too.
If you or your child have concerns about COVID-19, contact the Healthy Futures Calderdale school nursing team
by phone on 0303 330 9974
by text on 07480 635297 (young people)
or 07507 332157 (parents/carers).
Know the facts about Bowel Cancer
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
Someone dies from bowel cancer in the UK every thirty minutes. Seems unthinkable doesn’t it, especially when bowel cancer is treatable when diagnosed at an early stage.
The problem is that only 9% of patients are diagnosed at that stage.
Beating Bowel Cancer and Bowel Cancer UK have merged and their mission is to ensure that by 2050, no-one will die of bowel cancer. Eating plenty of high fibre foods helps reduce the risk. Red meats such as beef, pork, lamb and veal, processed meats such as sausages, bacon, salami, tinned meats, and packet meats like sandwich ham, are linked to a higher risk of bowel cancer so try to limit how much of these you eat.
If treated early there is a very good chance of recovery – visit Bowel Cancer UK where you will find lots of information and advice.
What can your NHS dentist do for you?
An informative flyer about how the NHS dentists help keep the health of your teeth, gums and mouth.
Looking for some ideas during the Easter break?
The Healthy Holidays programme supports children and families to take part in fun activities and manage the family food budget, bringing together many online resources.
Share your activities and resources using #CalderdaleHealthyHolidays.
Find out more here:
Calderdale COVID-19 vaccination engagement
NHS Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group is working in partnership with Calderdale Council, Healthwatch Calderdale and VSI Alliance, and would like to know your views and experiences of the Covid-19 vaccines.
If you have received a COVID-19 vaccination already, you can feedback about your experience of the vaccination process here:
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/CaldVacFeedback/
Alternatively, you can scan the QR code on the below poster.
If you have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccination, we would like to hear your views on the vaccine and how well informed you feel about it. Please complete the following survey to let us know: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/5OWUYE/
If you have had a positive experience with your vaccination and would be happy to share your story, we would love to hear from you. Please contact megan.russell@vsialliance.org.uk
Have a safe, healthy Easter and Ramadan
With Easter and Ramadan here, many of us will understandably wish to meet with family and friends to join in celebration. Whilst the restrictions are beginning to lift, we are encouraged to continue exercising caution and be mindful of our actions.
Stay safe this Easter and Ramadan and limit mixing as much as possible. If you’re meeting people outside who are not in your household remember to always stay 2m apart.
If you’re indoors, such as in a shop or a place of worship, and there are people there who you don’t live with, please remember to stay 2m apart and wear a mask. Please continue to self-isolate at home without visitors if you have COVID-19 symptoms or a positive test or are told you are a contact of a case to break the chain of infection.
Call to address LGBT+ health inequalities April 19
The AHSN Network invites those who identify themselves as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual or Questioning to share their views and help instigate changes to the health care provision.
Read full article on the AHSN Network website
The AHSN Network and LGBT Foundation have joined forces to launch a nationwide call for innovations to help address health inequalities facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people, many of which have been exacerbated by COVID-19.
These challenges are highlighted in our new compilation of evidence of LGBT+ health inequalities.
From MedTech and digital apps to improvement programmes, changes in practice and new pathways, we are looking for innovations and innovative approaches already in use or in development.
Ground-breaking and inspiring examples of work in this area will be showcased in a report to be published later this year by the AHSN Network and LGBT Foundation, which we hope will support best practice to be spread more widely across health and care services.
Help for children and teenagers to cope with difficult emotions
Open Minds Calderdale are here to help children and young people cope with the difficult emotions of stress, anxiety and frustration.
A lot of these feelings have come about due to the several months of lockdown and disruption of the daily routine.
The following posters may prove useful in helping your child or teenager deal with such feelings of anxiety. They also provide links for further assistance.
Disability Partnership Calderdale newsletter 29 March 2021
The latest Disability Partnership Calderdale has information on the ease of restrictions, the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine, covid vaccination information and a call for the consultations of the walking and cycling routes of your area, reminder of the elections and a list of useful resources.
Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities free Parenting Programme April 22
Are you a parent with children aged 3-18?
Do you want to help shape services for the future?
Come and be part of a study to promote family wellbeing!
The Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities free Parenting Programme for local parents & carers will be run again, starting April 22.
The course will take place in person at Ash Green Children’s centre in Mixenden.
This free, 13 week course aims to help you to
- Build positive family relationships
- Manage anger and stress
- Implement effective discipline strategies
- Gain confidence and communication skills
- Understand your child’s development
- Recognise and value your family and cultural traditions
- Meet others and share ideas
The course is aimed at parents, step parents, grandparents and foster carers who have got a child aged between 3-18.
The programme is part of a research study from the University College London: The Together Study. This means that a researcher would like to talk to you before the programme starts and at three time points after the programme has finished. You will receive a £10 voucher for each questionnaire you complete with a researcher.
Part of the research is that parents are randomly allocated to either the group starting in February or allocated to a group starting in September. (The researchers can explain more about why) – a computer decides who takes part in the group now or in the group later and the decision cannot be influenced.
Halifax Opportunities Trust, Sure Start Children’s Centres & North Halifax Partnership are working with UCL and Race Equality Foundation to offer Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities free Parenting Programme.
For more information please contact Julia Brierley: 07852174007
Programme details – A5 booklet
