Moving beyond C-19: a Virtual Ring Binder
Welcome
The period of the coronavirus lockdown throughout April and May 2020 has been unprecedented in any of our lifetimes, and the closure of schools to the vast majority of children during that time has presented new challenges. The response from hundreds of professionals from a wide range of settings has been to come together to share ideas, resources, and expertise in supporting our young people and their families across Cornwall. We have seen genuine multi-agency, inter-professional collaboration where every conversation and meeting has had one sole focus – supporting the young people and families of Cornwall during this extraordinary time.
The need to follow the latest guidance on ‘staying alert and safe (social distancing)’ means that we are all living and working in unusual ways. Many of us are operating without certainty and, often, without access to our usual support networks – whether that’s through work or at home through friends and family.
This can create feelings of stress and anxiety; during what is already an unpredictable time. You may experience feelings of fear, irritability, insecurity or being unsettled. You may also feel like you have a lack of control, experience trouble sleeping or eating, and are excessively checking for symptoms. Social distancing and/or shielding may also make you feel bored, frustrated or lonely, which can heighten these feelings further.
Remember that it’s OK not to feel OK at the moment and there may be ideas to support you in these pages.
This 'Virtual Ring Binder' draws together the fruits of that collaborative labour so that the inter professional expertise is available to all workers in their support of young people, wherever they may work as lockdown starts to be eased and we move into the next phase.
Most of these resources are freely available but some organisations encourage a voluntary donation to help continue their work.
We hope this resource provides useful and supportive information. However, please note that signposting to some of these organisations is not an endorsement of them by Cornwall Council. This is a live document and will be updated as we go along.
Pooky Knightsmith
A prolific speaker, lecturer, trainer and author, Pooky develops and shares practical, evidence-informed approaches to promoting mental health – arming health and education staff with the skills, information and knowledge they need to support the children in their care.
Through her website and youtube channel as well as her work with Creative Education* Pooky provides powerful, accessible:
- Training, including online training, for schools; parents and carers and young people
- Bitesize CPD / Sharing Top Tips ideas for all.
*Search for Creative Education to see listing. - Creative Education Access : Headstart Kernow
Whole School Approach - Pooky has been working with Headstart Kernow and secondary schools on developing a Whole School Approach to EHWB.
Education professionals
Parents/carers
Families
Free to Hub Members - sign up here
Cost for some of Pooky's resources and some Creative Education online courses
Lisa Cherry
Training (including live online training), podcasts and resources around trauma, resilience and recovery.
Resources include a free download: Trauma in the Classroom: Removing the Barriers to Learning for Children and Young People in Emotional Distress
Education
Costs may apply
Beacon House
Beacon House is a specialist, innovative, creative, therapeutic service for young people, families and adults. They produce some outstanding free resources available on their website.Forexample:
The Three Rs: Reaching the Learning Brain pdf
Education
There are free resources available
Creative Education (Dr. Pooky Knightsmith)
Pooky has joined her husband Tom's education training company, Creative Education. Pooky is providing excellent online training modules on emotional wellbeing and mental health as part of Creative Educations's new e-learning platform, YouCan. Discover a wealth of practical, engaging online video courses empowering everyone who works with or cares for children to develop their skills – anywhere, anytime.
Alongside subscription options (including the excellent £5 a month for individuals) Pooky has made some courses 'free for ever' and some will be made available 'free for a week'. (Sign up to the newsletter to hear about the 'free for a week' courses)
The five free courses are:
- Support a Safe & Successful Return to School using the SWAN framework (which has been used as the framework behind the Recovery Reflective Toolkit created by the Educational Psychology Service and HSK)
- Make a Success of Remote Teaching
- Be the Adult a Child Needs During Lockdown
- Stay Mentally Well During COVID19
- Use Simple Self-Soothe Strategies (for adults and children)
Education Professionals
Parents
Free and paid for content
Child Bereavement Network - Support for children and families
Are you a service provider looking for information to help you support children in your area? CBN supports professionals working with bereaved children and young people, with information updates, key resources and networking opportunities.
Free downloadable resources
Short films including some Newsround videos
http://www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk/help-around-a-death/covid-19.aspx
https://www.childbereavementuk.org/coronavirus-supporting-pupils
Professionals
Parents/carers
Children and young people
Free
Bloom
Bloom is a consultation model for professionals offering an holistic approach, across services, to support children and young people's emotional, social and mental wellbeing. It is designed to provide a rapid and responsive to referrals to children and young people from 0 -18, working within the Tavistock i-Thrive model. Its core purpose is helping young people to thrive. Within each Bloom Professionals Consultation meeting are a CAMHS Clinical Psychologist and a Primary Mental Health worker who, with other professionals including a professional nominated by the young person’s parent/carer, carefully consider what appropriate support/services might be available to support each young person for whom Bloom has received a referral from the Early Help Hub.
Bloom is operating in a revised form as Covid-19 (revised Bloom) Consultation model during the pandemic.
Please use the CAMHS referral form
Education Professionals
Parents, carers and families
Children and young people
Free
Carnegie Centre for Excellence in Mental Health
The Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools exists to strengthen the mental health of the next generation by supporting schools to make a positive change at all levels of the UK's education system, thereby improving outcomes and life chances.
Their support for schools includes:
Providing support and guidance for schools, including professional development for staff working in schools.
-
A Masters in MH education
-
Mental Health Awards for Schools
-
Professional Membership for School Mental Health Leads.
-
Research to ensure that interventions are evidence-based
-
Best practice publications
-
National Hub for Supervision in Education
Education Professionals
Some costs may apply
Penhaligon’s Friends Training: School Bereavement Champions
Due to Covid 19, the lockdown and social distancing, grief may present as more complicated and prolonged for those bereaved from either Covid19 or any cause of death. The topic of death and dying is talked about in the media daily and is likely to be causing more anxiety for children than it has done before.
www.penhaligonsfriends.org.uk/bereavement-champion-training-school
Dates to be confirmed
School Bereavement Champions (where these have been identified or an opportunity to so.)
Free
Cornwall Council: Guidance for parents/carers on transition
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Guidance for parents/carers whose child is moving up from Early Years to Reception
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Guidance for parents/carers whose child is moving up from Year 6 to Year 7
-
Guidance for parents/carers/young people transitioning to Post-16
Parents/carers
Families
Education Professionals
Post 16 years
Free
Dr Karen Treisman
Karen is a clinical psychologist workig in the fied of trauma recovery, She the Director of Safe Hands, Thinking Minds and a trainer, speaker and author of some excellent resources. Including some fabulous downloadable worksheets and resources
Parents/carers
Families
Education Professionals
Adults
Free
Hinton House Books
Independent publisher of books and resources to help everyone in education, therapy & social care improve the mental health & emotional well-being of young people. Authors include Tina Rae, Karen Treisman, Sue Jennings, Margot Sunderland.
Hinton House are now also offering online training based on their publications.
Education Professionals
Available for purchase
Child Bereavement Network
Advice and guidance for schools
Education Professionals
Free
Kernow Young & Young Adult Carers
Kernow Young & Young Adult Carers is an Action for Children service and is committed to working with children, young people and young adults (25 yrs and under) to make the caring role a more positive experience by offering support, information and guidance, activities and trips, short breaks, school groups, social groups training and educational sessions. Virtual support is currently available.
Who are young & young adult carers?
A young & young adult carer is a child or young person (aged 25 and under) who provides care and support for a family member who may be affected by ill health, a disability, mental ill health or substance misuse.
Training is also available for schools.
https://www.kernowyoungcarers.org/
If you’d like to make a referral to this Service contact the Family Information Service on 0800 587 8191
Up to 25 yrs
Free
The Start Now online Wellbeing Action Plan
The Start Now online Wellbeing Action Plan has been created with young people in Cornwall. The YP worked alongside Dr Pooky Knightsmith. It intended for YP from Y6 upwards.
The WAP is divided into a number of sections:
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Things that support my wellbeing
-
Things to avoid when you're feeling low
-
Triggers, challenges and early warning signs
-
Getting help and support
-
My one minute safety plan
Plus:
The wellbeing toolkit - Lots of ideas and activities to support wellbeing.
What am I feeling? - To help YP understand emotions and feelings.
Using the WAP
Working with a trusted adult or on their own young people can create and print their own (personalised) plan by choosing which sections they would like to complete. They can write their own ideas or select from a list of suggestions made by other young people to help get them started.
The action plan can be used without logging in but if the YP wants to keep their plan and review it they can create a secure log-in.
The toolkit provides ideas and downloadable activities to support the action plans but can used independently. Content will be added regularly.
YP aged 10-16
School support staff
parents and carers
Free
Penhaligon’s Friends: Supporting Children about Bereavement
Support and resources for parents
Parents/carers Families
Free
Charlie Waller Memorial Trust
A selection of short webinars. In the sessions our trainers explore strategies for maintaining positive mental health, paying attention to our own wellbeing and supporting those around us.
CWMT also have excellent free resources for parents and carers and young people
School staff
Parents and carers
Young people
Free
ELSA Support
ELSA Support is a website which provides downloadable resources that support the teaching of emotional literacy or emotional intelligence by ELSA’s. A lot of the resources on this website are perfectly suitable for all teaching professionals to use and there is also a parent section with resources suitable for parents to use. The interventions are ready to go, all you need to do is print them out and deliver the lessons, they do work.
ELSAs pastoral staff
Some free resources / others paid for
Emotionally Based School Avoidance
Good Practice Guidance for Schools and agencies & information leaflets for parents, children and young people.
West Sussex Educational Psychology Service
school leaders, pastoral staff
free to download
Guidance for schools in Cornwall
"Supporting children’s emotions and behaviour on return to school".
Date 24/06/2020 Dr Jacqui Piper Together for Families
school leaders, pastoral staff, school staff
Louise Michelle Bombèr
Louise is the Clinical Lead and the Director of TouchBase Centre CiC in Brighton.
Louise is running a series of webinars on returning to school - see her eventbrite page - accompanied by a short and accessible 'New Guide for Transition Back to School'
She is also the author of number of books including her recently published "Know Me to Teach Me" about the power of relationships in the classroom.
Louise advocates a Trauma Aware approach to behaviour and inclusion.
The book is terrific read packed full of insight and practical tools. It simple, accessible functional and incredibly powerful.
School staff
Some costs: webinars / books
The Start Now online Wellbeing Action Plan
The Start Now online Wellbeing Action Plan has been created with young people in Cornwall. The YP worked alongside Dr Pooky Knightsmith. It is intended for YP from Y6 upwards.
The Wellbeing Action Plan
The WAP is divided into a number of sections:
- Things that support my wellbeing
- Things to avoid when you're feeling low
- Triggers, challenges and early warning signs
- Getting help and support
- My one minute safety plan
Plus:
The wellbeing toolkit - Lots of ideas and activities to support wellbeing.
What am I feeling? - To help YP understand emotions and feelings.
Using the WAP
Working with a trusted adult or on their own young people can create and print their own (personalised) plan by choosing which sections they would like to complete. They can write their own ideas or select from a list of suggestions made by other young people to help get them started.
The action plan can be used without logging in but if the YP wants to keep their plan and review it they can create a secure log-in.
The toolkit provides ideas and downloadable activities to support the action plans but can be used independently. Content will be added regularly.
C&YP
pastoral staff
parents and carers
Therapeutic Stories: Adventures of The Little Elf
Nottinghamshire Educational Psychology Service
Nottinghamshire EPS has developed and collated these resources to support adults in their work with children and young people. You will find key guidance documents and practical resources on their website
- The Little Elf who missed his Birthday Party
- The Little Elf and the Flowers of Hope and Bravery
Primary pastoral support staff
Tina Rae
Dr Tina Rae is a trainer and prolific author of many excellent books on C&YP wellbeing/ mental health (search Hinton House for more details)
There are a number of excellent videos online including Tina's own youtube channel.
She has contributed to The Recovery Curriculum including her excellent podcast "Resourcing Recovery through Nurture"
School leaders
Pastoral staff
All staff
Some webinars / podcasts
paid for resources
paid for online training
We Heart CBT
WeHeartCBT is a collection of resources created by a CYP Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner. The resources are aimed at supporting children and young people who are struggling with low mood and/or anxiety related mental health difficulties. Resources are made for mental health professionals, schools and families and are evidence based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) strategies.
Pastoral staff
Student support staff
Parents and carers
Fabulously free
Growing Through Grief - Activities and Ideas
Dr Pooky Knightsmith
"When someone significant in a child's life dies, we find ourselves wanting to help but often don't know how. The activities I've created here are to help you bridge that gap and help you to help a child. I’ve developed these exercises so you can pick and choose. Use whatever feels like a good fit for you and the child and adapt it to work for you"
School leaders, school staff, parents and carers
Nurture UK
nurtureuk is dedicated to improving the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people and removing barriers to learning by promoting nurture in education.
Resources, training, Boxall profile.
Have some excellent transition resources
school leaders
pastoral staff
MH leads
parents and carers
Back To School - A guide for teachers
Preparing for an autistic pupil's return to school
Here we provide some suggestions for school leaders, teachers and teaching/classroom assistants to help prepare for and manage the transition back to school for autistic pupils, following the easing of some of the Government’s Covid-19 lockdown measures.
Autism Champions
School Leaders
Creating Opportunities for Connection Experiencing Being Held in Mind
There are many ways to reduce the rupture of emotional connection during social isolation, the following ideas have been compiled from many contributions from TIS UK trainers and practitioners across the country.
TIS practitioners
School staff
Kernow SEMH
Penny Hermes - Consultant
- We offer a wide range of training for SENCOs, Teachers, Senior Leaders, Teaching Assistance and Lunchtime staff, whole school staff and Parent Support Advisors .See In School training page for more detail.
- Individual pupil consultation when a pupil is showing challenging behaviours
- Outdoor learning
About Penny Previously an Advisor for Cornwall Council's Behaviour Support Service. Team Teach Tutor. Forest School Level 3 leader. Headstart Kernow Practitioner. Safeguarding and SEN Governor. Previously a Thrive trainer
School staff.
Costs involved - see website for details
