We have been running Camhs In Reach parent workshops to help support parents to support children, here are the presentations that have already been delivered. 

If you have accessed any of the training, please can you complete the following questionnaire

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Ug4_TzS3ZEGUCRtgHRR5k3xv2reJrNpOhOVggqU7d91UQTZLVE9ENU42V1dLSjE5UzlISzFLOFBNTi4u

Camhs In Reach workshop on Resilience

Please read the following newsletter from the Camhs Schools In Reach Service

It’s normal for children to feel worried or anxious from time to time – such as when they’re starting school or nursery, or moving to a new area.

But for some children, anxiety affects their behaviour and thoughts every day, interfering with their school, home and social life. This is when they may need professional help to tackle it.

What makes children anxious?

Children can feel anxious about different things at different ages. Many of these worries are a normal part of growing up.

From the age of around 6 months to 3 years it's very common for young children to have separation anxiety. They may become clingy and cry when separated from their parents or carers. This is a normal stage in a child's development and should stop at around age 2 to 3.

It's also common for preschool-age children to develop specific fears or phobias. Common fears in early childhood include animals, insects, storms, heights, water, blood, and the dark. These fears usually go away gradually on their own.

There may also be other times in a child's life when they feel anxious. For example, many children feel anxious when going to a new school or before tests and exams. Some children feel shy in social situations and may need support with this.

When is anxiety a problem for children?

Anxiety becomes a problem for children when it starts to get in the way of their everyday life.

If you go into any school at exam time, all the children will be anxious, but some may be so anxious that they don't manage to get to school that morning.

Severe anxiety like this can harm children's mental and emotional wellbeing, affecting their self-esteem and confidence. They may become withdrawn and go to great lengths to avoid things or situations that make them feel anxious.

Symptoms of anxiety in children

• Signs to look out for in your child are:
• Finding it hard to concentrate
• Not sleeping, or waking in night with bad dreams
• Not eating properly
• Quickly getting angry or irritable, and being out of control during outbursts
• Constantly worrying or having negative thoughts
• Feeling tense and fidgety, or using the toilet often
• Always crying
• Being clingy
• Complaining of tummy aches and feeling unwell

For further information and advice please visit the following sites :

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/children-and-young-adults/advice-for-parents/anxiety-in-children/

https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/a-z-guide/anxiety

https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/age-6-12/mental-health-conditions-in-children/anxiety/strategies-to-support-anxious-children

If you are concerned about your child suffering from anxiety, try some mindfulness activities such as Cosmic Yoga, or meditation activities, like breathing.  

You can make a referral yourselves to The Exchange, or contact the school ALNCo on millerj67@hwbcymru.net and we can make a referral for you. The Exchange is a counselling service, that helps support your child, to talk about their feelings. The service focuses on developing psychological resilience for children and young people, offering one-to-one counselling, play therapy, group work for children and young people. 

http://exchange-counselling.wales/

Or try some of the following breathing activities to help your child to relax.

Early Help Hub

Please visit the Swansea LA website for further information - click here

We want to ensure that children and families in Swansea have access to the right support at the right time from the right person regardless of age and location. We have designed the Early Help Hubs based on demand and 'what matters' to families. We have worked together to develop our services so that the children, young people and families in Swansea can be supported to live happy, healthy and safe lives with help from the right support, at the right time if and when they need it.

The Early Help Hubs work within a joined-up approach using the signs of wellbeing framework to work with individuals and families supporting wellbeing using a locality based hub structure and a single point of contact for professionals.

The Early Help Hub model builds on and increases the previous family support provision, formally known as Team Around the Family (TAF), Family Partnership Team and Evolve. By co-locating and bringing these services into one structure we can ensure that support is available regardless of age or location, that it is integrated with partners and utilises community assets to provide:

• Child or early years work;
• Youth work;
• Whole family work.

All staff within the Early Help Hubs work using the Team Around the Family (TAF) approach so more staff can support this offer across primary and secondary education. There will be development of school and community support from staff across the early help hubs, which will be available across Swansea regardless of age or location.

Ultimately the Early Help Hubs will include multi-agency representation providing a single, integrated resource for family support.

We have developed a single referral form which is called the 'practitioner request for information, advice and assistance from EHH' or 'SPOC'. This form should be used to record professionals discussions with children, young people and their families and clearly identify what matters to them along with information in respect of their personal circumstances, any identified risks or issues as well as the strengths and safety already in place and any barriers to the family achieving their identified personal outcomes. 

There is guidance on how to complete the 'practitioner request for information, advice and assistance' included on the form and a place to identify whether your referral is in respect of wellbeing issues or safeguarding.

Wellbeing

The Early Help Hubs will be the main point of contact for partners seeking advice and support where they have worries about the wellbeing of children, young people and their families. The Early Help Hubs will be able to assess all enquiries within the hub and provide the appropriate guidance, signposting or support based on the need. The Hubs will have multi-agency partnership links to assist with ensuring the correct support for the family is accessed at the right time.

To download the referral form, please click below