Children and Young People's Wellbeing

Recognising the collective trauma and heightened anxiety following the dreadful situation in Ukraine, we have gathered the following resources to help support children and young people.

This YouTube video 'Supporting our children in traumatic times', presented by Dr Tina Rae, talks about 11 things we can look out for and do right now to help support children and young people worried about the worsening situation in Ukraine. Also see her blog page for more useful advice.

Useful webinars:

Talking about War and Conflict with Children - a webinar course.

How to Talk with Children and Young People About War - Understanding and Supporting our Refugee Children - hosted by Dr Tina Rae.

Podcast: Talking to your children about the Ukraine War

As parents and families we are likely to have been shocked about the devastating situation in Ukraine. Our children will be having conversations with us and others and trying to make sense of what is happening. So how do we talk to our children, who may be different ages and temperaments about this war; in a manner which helps them make sense of what is happening whilst not disproportionately increasing anxieties?

In this podcast episode Dr Beth Mosley (Consultant Clinical Psychologist) both mother and mental health professional, talks with Dr Kelsey Odgers (Clinical Psychologist) and Kelly (mother of two) about these dilemmas and some of the mistakes they might have made as parents during this time.
In their discussion they cover: Right place, right time, right pace to talk. What does this actually look like? How we manage the exposure and time spent on news stories? And, how do we turn feelings into helpful actions.
This recording was made for our Mental Health and You podcast series. Listen to 'Talking to children about Ukraine War' Podcast 
Listen to the free Mental Health and You podcast series Or search for ‘Mental Health and You’ on Apple Podcasts.

Ukrainian refugee resources for settings:

Ukraine Refugees Support Plan

Ukraine Talking About War Plan

'Welcome to our school Ukraine translated notices for refugees'

Useful websites and articles:

The British Psychology Society - Supporting children to manage anxiety over war and conflict

The Education Hub - help for teachers and families to talk to pupils about the Russian invasion

Newsround - advice if you're upset by the news

Childline - worries about the world

Supporting refugees | Suffolk County Council

Refugees, war and conflict | Suffolk County Council 

How to deal with Childhood Trauma - Anna Freud

The UK Trauma Council website has a range of information and resources to help you support refugee and asylum-seeking children who have experienced trauma.

How to deal with Childhood Trauma - Anna Freud Centre

More information can be found on Suffolk County Council | Refugees, war and conflict.

• Psychology and Therapeutic Service (PTS) Supporting Return to Education (Secondary)
• Psychology and Therapeutic Service (PTS) Supporting Return to Education Settings (Nursery & Primary)
• Looking after your mental health and wellbeing and that of the children and young people you support
• Emotional Wellbeing Gateway website
• The Source Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Advice and Resources
• Express Yourself Toolkit - Anna Freud Centre for children and families, has created this toolkit for children, staff and parents. 
• Kooth - Provides free online emotional wellbeing support to 11-25 year olds in Suffolk.  
• ChatHealth Text Service for 11-19 years olds - Confidential help from a school nurse about any thing, such as advice on health and wellbeing worries, sexual health and bullying.
• PACT Parents and Carers Together - Provide free support to parents and carers of children or young people with a mental health issue.
• What Matters Island worksheet
• Barnardo's phoneline service via the Emotional Wellbeing Hub helpline number - offering general wellbeing information and guidance to families contacting the Hub.

Supporting Suffolk Schools with Mental Health: 

Kooth are delivering online workshops for Year 7 students to support them as they start secondary school. 

Kooth the online emotional wellbeing service for 11- to 25-year-olds, are delivering a workshop for school classes to join via their teacher (these are not for individual young people to sign up).
The workshop will include:
• Defining what is physical health vs. mental health
• Exploring feelings and experiences of moving to secondary school so far
• Self-care ideas and tips for managing the transition
• How to access additional help and support via Kooth

Please find below the new schedule for professionals webinars (inc school staff)

These sessions will take place on:

Tuesday 15 November 9.30am - 11am on Zoom

• Register your interest here.
• Join the webinar here.

Monday 12 December  11am - 12.30pm on Zoom

• Register your interest here.
• Join the webinar here.

Please ensure you register for the workshop of choice. If you need to use the Zoom meeting ID, it is the number at the end of the web link.
For further details contact Sarah Clark, Engagement Lead for Suffolk.
Email: sclark@kooth.com

Download free Kooth resources

Five Tips for people with Anxiety

• Five Tips for Children with Anxiety (pdf. 388KB)
• Five Tips for Young People with Anxiety (pdf. 510KB)
• Anxiety in Children and Young People
• The Source Anxiety Advice for Young People 

Watch the below YouTube video titled 'Keep Cool', where Young people share and explore how they keep cool when experiencing anxiety:

Training

• How to manage anxiety on the return to school
• Managing Anxiety Workshop Part 1
• Anxiety Workshop Part 2 

Anxiety Support Services

• Emotional Wellbeing Hub
• Kooth
• The Source - for young people in Suffolk 

Suffolk Mental Health Support Teams have developed a  poster, to support all children and young people, who may be experiencing anxiety related symptoms during the pandemic.

The poster is aimed at supporting children at Key Stage 2, we advise that these resources are supported by staff. 

Download the 'Feeling worried about Covid 19 Poster'.

Resources

Covid19 Low Mood in Young People (PDF)

• Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust Blog on Low Mood 

Websites 

• Wellbeing Service Low Mood Advice
• MoodWise
• The Source - for young people

Please find below available self-harm resources

Useful information and advice pages for parents and carers:

Self-harm in children and young people advice page

The Source website Self-harm advice for young people

Self-harm leaflets:

I feel like hurting myself - A Self-harm z card for young people with advice and support information.

Self-harm - A guide for parents and carers leaflet - This leaflet has been designed with parents to provide helpful information and suggestions at a time when parents and carers may feel confused, powerless or uncertain about how to make sense of their child’s self-harming. 

Self-harm resources for professionals and educational settings:

Self-harm Toolkit - This is the online condensed version of the Self-harm toolkit guidance which educational settings can find the full version available to download from the Schools Information Portal. (If your setting needs access to the Schools Information Portal, please email jane.stannard@suffolk.gov.uk)

For information and advice around helping children and young people sleep better, go to this Sleep Advice page

Services and organisations that can help with loss and bereavement:

Cruse Bereavement Care booklets - Child Bereavement Care has a number of booklets for helping children understand about loss on their website. They also have a support line for families (0808 808 1677), and offer training webinars to professionals.

Children and Bereavement - This is an advice page is aimed at parents and professionals from the Emotional Wellbeing Gateway website.

Bereavement and Young People - This advice page is also from the Emotional Wellbeing Gateway website, and is aimed at helping parents and professionals to support a young person who is experiencing loss and grief.

When someone dies - This is a bereavement advice page aimed at young people from The Source website.

Traumatic bereavement resources 

The UK Trauma Council, and Anna Freud Centre traumatic bereavement resources - for those supporting pupils and students in schools and FE colleges and those working in clinical settings. 

Anna Freud have produced a booklet to help those working with young children and families who have been bereaved.

Watch the below animation titled 'Traumatic Bereavement: Helping children and young people who are struggling in schools & colleges', by the UK Trauma Council.

Picture of a cartoon character in a wheel chair, happy with arms up in the air

Find booklets, webinars and resources to help support children and young people with SEND.

UCL (Amelia Roberts) webinar

Supporting our most vulnerable students webinar

Supporting Children and Young People with Autism During Uncertain Times (pdf. 710KB)

Websites:

• Suffolk SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service) Website
• Suffolk Local Offer Website

Having an ELSA in your school will mean you are able to offer interventions and planned programmes of support to children experiencing emotional, social and behavioural difficulties.

To find out more information visit Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) Training and Supervision and Elsanetwork.org

(Picture above reads 'We have a vaccine!' and shows a cartoon of a superhero fighting the bad virus character)

ELSA - We have a vaccine - PowerPoint presentation about COVID vaccine for children.

Picture above is of a landscape and reads 'Emotionally Based School Avoidance'.

The Psychology and Therapeutic Service has lots of resources available to support children and young people anxious about going to school.

Go to their EBSA Emotionally Based School Avoidance page.

Also see Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT) Emotional Based School Avoidance YouTube Webinar

Resources and support to help children and young people cope with exams

• Exam Resilience - Module 1
• Exam Resilience - Module 2 Study Skills & Problem Solving
• Exam Resilience - Module 3  Managing Thoughts and Feelings
• Exam Resilience - Module 4 Putting it all together
• The Source for Young People - Planning for exams

These family leaflets were co-produced with Suffolk Parent Carer Network SPCN

Five Tips for going back to school

• Five Tips for Families, going back to school with Anxiety (pdf. 489KB)
• Five Tips for Families, going back to school with Autism (pdf. 519KB)
• Going back to Primary School (pdf. 516KB)
• Going back to Secondary School (pdf. 569KB)

Also see:

• What to do if your child is anxious about going back to school

Five Tips for people with Autism

• Five Tips for Children with Autism (pdf. 490KB)
• Five Tips for Young People with Autism (pdf. 464KB)

Also see these useful websites:

• Suffolk Local Offer

Five Tips for coping with Self-Harm 

• Five Tips for helping Children that Self-Harm (pdf. 472KB)
• Five Tips for helping Young People that Self-Harm (pdf. 478KB)

Also see:

• Self-harm in Children and Young People 
• The Source for young people self-harm advice

Five Tips for people with Challenging Behaviour

• Behind Challenging Behaviour in Primary School (pdf. 700KB)
• Behind Challenging Behaviour in Secondary School (pdf. 816KB)

Positive Self-Talk Rainbows

• Positive Self-Talk Rainbows for Primary School (pdf. 998KB)
• Positive Self-Talk Rainbows for Secondary School (pdf. 1.5MB)

Five Ways to Wellbeing

• Find out about the Five Ways to Wellbeing