Support for Families during the Coronavirus
We, at Bradfields Academy, recognise that this is a worrying and stressful time for our families. We would like to thank all of our families for supporting the government directive of keeping students safe in the family home whilst we provide child care for the children of those families who are designated as Critical Workers and have to send their children in for this work to continue.
We appreciate that there is a Government Directive to stay indoors apart from the most essential trips out and this can cause additional stress and worry for families. With this in mind the Wider Pastoral Team have been gathering detail of support that is available to families should the need arise.
There are also details about how to contact members of our therapy team should the need arise.
Food
Medway Foodbank - For families who are struggling to afford food, proof of financial difficulties will need to be provided, the following are charities which may be able to support. Foodbank times, day and locations are available from https://medway.foodbank.org.uk/
2nd Chance Support Charity – Food aid project where food is available at a lower price. www.mrs.plus This is located in Chatham. Telephone number 01634 408840 / 01634 403340
Financial Difficulties
Citizens Advice Bureau - Tel: 01634 383760 - www.medwayadvice.org.uk & https://medwayeag.co.uk/
Stepchange – Tel: 0800 1381111 - www.stepchange.org/debt-info/coronavirus-affecting-finances.aspx
Christians Against Poverty - Tel: 0800 3280006 - www.capdebthelp.org
All Saints Community Project Trust – 01634 845419
Mortgages - Contact your mortgage lender to negotiate a payment holiday, if you are unable to afford to pay due to impact of coronavirus.
ACAS – You can check your rights to sick pay if you get coronavirus on this website. This provides free advice for employees and employers. www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus
Energy
Advice available from the following:
Citizens Advice - www.medwayadvice.org.uk
Step Change - www.stepchange.org/debt-info/coronavirus-affecting-finances.aspx
All Saints Community Project Trust -Tel: 01634 845419
Pre-Payment Meter - If you cannot top up your prepayment meter tell your supplier immediately. Suppliers contact details are on their website or your bill. Individual energy suppliers are managing this in different ways but help is available. Tell your supplier if you cannot afford to pay for any extra energy you are using because you are having to stay at home. This includes if you are ill with coronavirus or following stay at home guidance. If you have run out of credit and need gas or electricity urgently then contact your supplier to ask for temporary extra credit. You will need to pay this back when you next top up.
Support
Employment and Benefits Support Website - These pages have additional information and will help answer lots of the questions that are being asked. Visit the new Employment and benefits support site (link is external) regularly to keep up to date with the latest guidance and messages. Please note, this PDF was correct on Wednesday 15th April 2020, and may change regularly: Download PDF.
Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Resources - Download PDF
Family Action – Helpline for families under pressure www.family-action.org.uk - Tel: 0808 8026666
Kent Autistic Trust – Family Support - Tel: 405168
National Autistic Society – Tel: 0808 8004104
Support Available For Young People in Medway - There are simple things you can do to make you feel better. A Better Medway have put together some useful information and links to where you can find tools to help you during this difficult time. Download PDF.
Medway Carers – Tel: 0300 303 1555 - www.carersfirst.org.uk/medway - Parent / Carer Telephone Surgeries are available, check out website for details
Crisis Team – Text service for those feeling depressed and needing to talk - text: 741741
SATEDA - SATEDA's Support2Court team continue to be available to assist women who need a protective civil order or help with child arrangement orders. There is also support for those who feel alone due to the lockdown via our peer support team. They are providing support & advice via phone, or Zoom for those with access to a smart phone, tablet or laptop. Please download the PDF to find out more: Download PDF.
MIND – Mental Health - https://www.mind.org.uk/
Challenging Behaviour Foundation - www.challengingbehaviour.org.uk
Medway Safeguarding Partnership - https://www.medway.gov.uk/mscb/info/5/mscb-1/65/mscb
A Better Medway: Staying Well and Feeling Good at Home - Download JPEG
Paramount Foundation - Online Courses - Download Image
The Children's Society - Criminal exploitation: A guide for parents - Download PDF
National Trading Standards - Wash your hands of coronavirus scams! - Download PDF
Childnet International - Online Resources for Parents & Carers - Download PDF
Kent and Medway Children and Young Peoples Wellbeing and Mental Health Services and All-age Eating Disorder Service:
- Out of Hours Mental Health: 0300 555 1000 (Mental Health Direct Line)
- In Hours Mental Health: 0300123 4496 (Kent SPA) or 0300 300 1981 (Medway SPA)
- Kent & Medway All-age Eating Disorders Service: 0300 300 1980
Child-Friendly Guides to Coronavirus & Social Stories
Below are some links to child-friendly guides to coronavirus and social stories to help explain what is happening at the moment in the UK, with the coronavirus pandemic.
Children’s guide to coronavirus - Download PDF
Mencap Easy read guides - Download PDF
NSPCC Information and Advice - The NSPCC has created a new webpage with information and advice for Parents or Carers who are worried a child or young person may be struggling with their mental health or has anxiety about Coronavirus. The webpage includes information on: talking about feelings and worries; keeping in touch and balancing screen time; ways to create structure and routine; and helping to give children a sense of control. Read more information and advice on the links below:
- Talking to a child worried about coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Tips on How to have difficult conversations with children
Lewisham Virtual School - Autism: Understanding School Closures - Download PDF
Mindheart - Coronavirus Slides for Children - Download PDF
ASERT - Coronavirus Social Story - Download PDF
Carold Gray - Coronavirus Social Story - Download PDF
The Autism Educator Social Story - Download PDF
Dave the Dog Coronavirus Book - Download PDF
Social story regarding coronavirus -www.autism.org.uk/services/helplines/coronavirus.aspx
Coronavirus: A Book for Children - Nosy Crow have made a free information book explaining the coronavirus to children, illustrated by Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler. Download the Book.
Social Skilled Kids: Understanding Social Distancing - Download PDF
Wellbeing
In times like these, we can often forget how important it is to try and maintain our own happiness and wellbeing. It’s not only important for ourselves, but also our family, friends, colleagues and many of those who depend on us. Staying positive and trying to implement little things like physical exercise, a healthy diet or getting a good night’s sleep, can have big results. We hope to help everyone to think about some of the positive steps they can take to establish and keep good mental wellbeing.
The below detail is linked to each of Mind’s Five Ways to Wellbeing – Connect, Be active, Take notice, Learn, and Give. Please find below the PDFs the resources.
- Wellbeing - Week One - Connect - Download PDF
- Wellbeing - Week Two - Be Active - Download PDF
- Active Coping Calendar - Download Calendar
- Wellbeing - Week Three - Take Notice - Download PDF
- The 90 Day Gratitude Journal - Download Journal
- Wellbeing - Week Four - Keep Learning - Download PDF
- Wellbeing - Week Five - ‘Giving... your time, your words, and your presence - Download PDF
- Wellbeing - Week Six - Connect - Download PDF
- Wellbeing - Week Seven - Take Notice - Download PDF
- Wellbeing - Week Eight - Kindness - Download PDF
- The Power of Kindness Calendar - Ages 7 to 11 - Download PDF
- The Power of Kindness Calendar - Ages 11 to 18 - Download PDF
- My Kind Acts Activity Book - Download PDF
- The Power of Kindness Calendar - Download PDF
- 50 Random Acts of Kindness - Download PDF
- Wellbeing - Week Nine - Learn - Download PDF
- Wellbeing - Week Ten - Improving Sleep - Download PDF
- Wellbeing - Week Eleven - Wellness Week
- Day 1 - Get Active - Download PDF
- Resources for Building Resilience - Download PDF
- Day 2 - Empathy - Download PDF
- Day 3 - Healthy Eating - Download PDF
- Day 4 - Resilience - Download PDF
- Worries and Anxieties Resources and Activities - Download PDF
- Resources for Dealing with the Effects of Lockdown - Download PDF
- Day 5 - Have Fun - Download PDF
- Day 1 - Get Active - Download PDF
- Wellbeing - Week Twelve - Connect / Mindful activities - Download PDF
- Mindfulness Colouring - Download PDF
- Wellbeing - Week Thirteen - Walking - Download PDF
- Wellbeing - Week Fourteen - Give - Download PDF
- Not a Superhuman - Download PDF
- Wellbeing - Week Fifteen - Download PDF.
- Weekly Recipe to try at Home - Download PDF.
- Wellbeing - Week Sixteen - Download PDF.
Below are some further resources to help families with their wellbeing:
COVID19 – Staying Mentally Well - Click here for the website - which walks you through simple steps you can take to try to look after your emotional wellbeing.
Simple Self-Soothe Strategies - Click here for the website – which introduces you to five simple strategies for relaxation and self-soothing which can be used by adults or children.
Keeping Our Teeth Healthy - Download PDF
Feelings Match-Up - Download PDF
Expressing Feelings - Key Stage 2 - Download PDF
Keeping Well and Managing Feelings - Key Stage 2 - Download PDF
A Better Medway - Family Wellbeing Challenge Calendar - Download PDF
A Better Medway - Coronavirus and Your Wellbeing - Download PDF
CALM - Campaign Against Living Miserably - for people in the UK who are down or have hit a wall for any reason. Call 0800 58 58 58 (Daily, 5pm to midnight) Free, anonymous webchat with trained staff or Visit the CALM website
E-Safety
On our website, we have guidance for Parents & Carers on e-safety. This can be found by clicking on this link: E-safety Guidance.
Below, we have also provided some further resources from other companies:
Care First - COVID-19: Social Media, Technology and Young People - Download PDF.
15 Apps Parents & Carers Should Know About - Download Image.
Talking to your Children about Healthy Internet Use - Download PDF.
Social media and teenagers: A practical approach - Download PDF.
CyberLand - www.cybergamesuk.com - Now is your chance to become a defender of CyberLand and protect the virtual city from attack! CyberLand includes a range of exciting games that will help you learn useful cyber skills whilst having fun. Download the PDF for more information.
- Download PDF.
ParentInfo - The Hidden Benefits of Playing Video Games in Lockdown - Visit Website
Tips for Parents & Carers from Dragonfly Education
Some ideas and support for those self-isolating
We have provided further detail on how to supporting children's needs at home. Please click the link below to access this information:
Supporting Children's Needs at Home
What can you try?
1. Set up a routine
The key here is to make it a routine – not a schedule. Be flexible, but with boundaries. That means getting up at the same times and having things that you do in a regular order…it doesn’t mean timing every second of the day with military precision! Make the routine visual, factor in free time without screens and when they’re doing schoolwork, do some of your own work/jobs/chores alongside them.
2. Try new things
Introduce them to the things you love and share stories with them – make it an opportunity to connect. Watch documentaries and nature programmes (who doesn’t love a bit of ‘Blue Planet’?!); cook together and measure out ingredients, create exercise routines together, play board games and card games, show them how you manage the household budget and divide up money to cover bills, food and other things.
3. Keep it simple
Read to them. Yes – even the older ones! It ignites a love of reading, creates a bond between you and it’s soothing and calming. Get them starting a gratitude journal, drawing or doodling and colouring – all activities that support mental health. When you are working on things together, or working side by side, begin conversations. Sitting next to someone without the requirement to make eye contact can encourage them to open up! It also helps if you share something first.
Therapeutic Services at Bradfields
We know how important the therapy services that Julie, Justine and Emma provide are. During these uncertain times Julie and Justine are making regular contact with the students that are usually seen. They will also be providing materials for the students to use.
They wanted families to know that they are available for anybody who would like to touch base, have a chat or need additional advice. There contact details are:
- Julie Burton - Play Therapy: julie.burton@fortistrust.co.uk
- Justine Staley: justine.staley@fortistrust.co.uk
This invitation is extended to all families and not just those of students currently accessing the therapy services.