Resources

Covid-19 / Coronavirus Resources

Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19), a number of services have had to make changes to how they provide support to people. If you or someone you know are currently accessing support from a service the service should be in touch with you shortly, or please suggest contacting them directly for up-to-date information.

We are also compiling a list of local service updates and changes in response to the current situation:

• For updates from young people's services click here.
• For updates from adult services click here.
• For service information specifically for professionals click here.

(If you would like to update us about changes to your service please contact us on keepyourhead@centre33.org.uk)

The First Response Service supports people experiencing a mental health crisis so if you need urgent support please call 111 and choose option 2. The First Response Service provides 24-hour access, seven days a week, 365 days a year, to mental health care, advice, support and treatment.

The following resources may be useful for those you work with, and this page on the children and young people's site has additional wellbeing tips...

General advice and information

• Mencap - An easy-read guide to the Coronavirus.

• Amaze - An information pack for parents.

• Mental Health Foundation - Information about the Coronavirus.

• Children's Commissioner - An online guide for children that answers questions about the Coronavirus, suggests tips for staying safe and protecting other people, and tips on how you can make the best of your time at home.

• Learn Together Cambridge - Cambridgeshire County Council Learn Together - The Schools Improvement Service and Early Years team have collated resources for schools to use to support learning during the period of school closures. You can find the resources here: https://www.cambslearntogether.co.uk/school-improvement/coronavirus-help-pack-for-schools/home-learning-opportunities In the document downloads section at this link you will find guides to support you with directing parents and children to free, high-quality resources.

Managing mental health and wellbeing

• Young Minds - Looking after your mental health while self-isolating. 

• BACP  - Guidance around managing anxiety.

• Learn.4mentalhealth - A tool to explore how you are feeling, tips for activities you could try to help you cope, wellbeing plans and staying safe plans.

• Young Minds - Advice on what to do if you're anxious about the coronavirus.

• Mind - advice on how to cope if you're having trouble sleeping, and practical things you can try to improve this.

• Anna Freud links - Supporting schools & colleges: A guide to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of pupils and students during periods of disruption,  Managing the transition back to school: a guide for schools and colleges, Coronavirus toolkit #6: resources for building resilience. Emerging Evidence #1: Coronavirus and children and young people's mental health. There are also a number of videos, for school staff, and parents; Coronavirus Q&A: Helping parents and carers to support children and young people, Emerging evidence: Coronavirus and children and young people’s mental health, Coronavirus research bite #3: Talking to children and young people about the pandemic, which may be useful. Hold Still  -The Duchess of Cambridge has launched Hold Still, a community photography project, in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, to capture the spirit, the mood, the hopes, the fears and the feelings of the nation as we continue to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. The closing date will be the 18th June, 2020

• Emerging Minds - Reading list of resources for supporting children and young people with their mental health, from other reliable resources and grouped by age and need. Emerging Minds have also produced a webinar series in collaboration with Mental Elf. Exploring what research can offer to help best supportr children & Young people's mental health during this time.

• Mental Health Foundation - information on how to look after your mental health during the Coronavirus outbreak.

• Anna Freud - Self care tips and activities.

• Become - Coronavirus advice for people in care, or care leavers.

• Mind - General information and advice around Coronavirus and your wellbeing, as well as information specifically for young people.

• BBC Newsround - a video for children and young people on 'advice if you're worried about the Coronavirus'.

• Every Mind Matters (NHS) - Information about anxiety: what it is, what can cause it, and tips on how to help reduce it (including videos on 'reframing unhelpful thoughts' and 'tackling your worries').

• Every Mind Matters (NHS) - 12 tips and advice on how to look after yourself while staying at home.

• Centre 33 - Have a look at these posters created by Centre 33 that give information and tips on:
  • how to manage your worries
  • how to look after yourself if you're feeling low
  • 5 ways to look after your wellbeing during the lockdown
  • the benefits of exercise on improving our mood
  • the importance of sleep and ways to improve it
  • Activities to calm a worried mind and stressed body

• Centre 33 have also created some short videos containing information and tips on how to look after yourself at this time. Topics include anxiety, low mood, sleep, and wellbeing plans.

• The Hertfordshire Partnership (NHS) - a wellbeing pack for children and young people on 'looking after yourself during COVID-19'. It includes information, advice, activities, colouring pages, and links to other useful resources and services.

• Anna Freud Centre - a professionals guide to, 'helping children and young people to manage anxiety: a practical guide to supporting pupils and students during periods of distruption'.

Talking to children about Coronavirus and supporting their wellbeing

• BPS - Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2. Advice on dealing with school closures and talking to children about COVID-19.

• Charles Dickens Primary School - Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2. Weekly wellbeing video lessons.

• Place2Be – Guide to helping parents answer questions from their children and to support family wellbeing.

• Anna Freud links - Supporting schools & colleges: A guide to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of pupils and students during periods of disruption There are also three videos, one for school staff, one for parents and one for children and young people which may be useful.

• Liverpool CAMHS - a resource on supporting children during social distancing.

• Young Minds - Talking to your child about Coronavirus and 10 tips from their Parents Helpline to support family wellbeing.

• Covibook – an interactive resource designed to support and reassure children aged 7 and under, designed to help children explain and draw the emotions that they might be experiencing during the pandemic.

• Amaze - information pack for parents on way to support their children.

• Emerging Minds – Advice for those supporting children and young people around COVID-19.

• Emerging Minds - Top tips for supporting children and young people with worries around COVID-19 (all based on the current evidence base).

• Emerging Minds - Reading list of resources for supporting children and young people with their mental health, from other reliable resources and grouped by age and need.

• Mental Health Foundation - Talking to your children about the Coronavirus pandemic.

• Childline - Information about concerns your child may have, and advice on things that may help address the worries.

• Children's Commissioner - An online guide for children aiming to "answer children's questions about Coronavirus, tell children how to stay safe and protect other people and how to help them make the best of their time at home".

• Anna Freud Centre - a professionals guide to, 'helping children and young people to manage anxiety: a practical guide to supporting pupils and students during periods of disruption'. Wellbeing advice all those supporting children and young people: Early years foundation stage to key stage 2.

• UK Government - official advice for parents and carers on looking after the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people during the Coronavirus outbreak.
•  Muddy Faces - Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2.Offer a range of health and wellbeing activities and resources that can be completed outdoors.

Guidance for Carers

• Carers UK - Guidance for carers about supporting someone during the Coronavirus outbreak.

•  NHS - Please click here for information and advice for carers of somebody with an eating disorder.

• Parents or carers of children who are in school year 0-11 (foundation/reception to the end of GCSEs) or P1 to S4 and living in the UK are invited to take part in the The Co-SPACE study which will help with understanding how families are coping during the covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, and what parents can do to help support their children’s mental health.

  Understanding how young people and families are getting on as children get back to school and/or other forms of learning will be really important in understanding so that we can advise what support is needed from professionals and policymakers.

  The Co-SPACE team have put together a document summarising some ideas on how parents/carers can support children and young people as they settle back into school and other forms of education.

Advice around coronavirus and education

• Public Health England have produced an easy read version of their 'Advice on the Coronavirus for places of education'.  You can download it here.

• National Autistic Society – guidance and helpline for parents, young people and staff.

• Amaze - information pack for parents on way to support their children. 

• Anna Freud links - Supporting schools & colleges: A guide to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of pupils and students during periods of disruption There are also three videos, one for school staff, one for parents and one for children and young people which may be useful.

• BBC Newsround - a video for children and young people giving tips on 'how to cope when you can't go to school because of Coronavirus'.

• Anna Freud Centre - Recording of a live Q&A video for School and College staff around anxiety.

• Unicef - Information and advice for teachers on how they can talk to children of different ages about the Coronavirus.

Working during the Coronavirus

•  'Every Mind Matters' (NHS) - 7 tips about things you can try to help you "adjust to working at home, feel more productive and take care of your mental health in these unprecedented times."
• Mind - Coping with going into work during the Coronavirus: tips on how to look after your mental health and wellbeing, help with understanding difficult feelings, and ways to find support.

Local helplines for young people

• Chat Health: A text messaging service in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough that provides support for young people aged 11-19 around a variety of topics such as: emotional health, relationships, self-harm, bullying, alcohol/drug use, healthy eating - text 07480 635 443. ("Texts are usually replied to within one working day and cost the same as a standard text or will come out of your contract message allowance.")

Bereavement Support

• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG (NHS) have created a digital booklet containing information about local services that can provide support for people who have lost a loved one.

Online resources/activities for children and young people

• Covibook – an interactive resource designed to support and reassure children aged 7 and under, designed to help children explain and draw the emotions that they might be experiencing during the pandemic.

• 'Calm Zone' (Childline) - provides information on breathing exercises, activities games and videos that children and young people mind find helpful for letting go of stress and worry.

• 'Mood Journal' (Childline) - an online space for children and young people (up to 18 years old) to record and track their daily mood.