Parent/Carer Area

In an uncertain world, it is completely normal for adults and children to feel anxious and worried when they don’t know what is going to happen next.

When we feel anxious we tend to behave differently. For kids, this is likely to mean more anger , more frustration, more boredom and more outbursts.

During highly stressful times, family life can be challenging. It can look like bored children climbing the walls, parental frustration – and plenty of arguments in for good measure!

As staff with our own children at home, we can sympathise with how hard it is at the minute and have found some of the suggestions in ‘9 tips for helping your child manage their emotions and behaviour at home‘ really useful, so we thought we would share it with you 🙂

From the Beacon: Behaviour Support for schools, Teacher and Families.

Keeping us all in touch

Staff in school have been working hard to make sure that we can all keep up to date and keep in touch with other. Please find us on Facebook and like our page.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Education/The-Link-School-Sunderland-106234544387747/

Our Mindfulness Team have also been busy creating our mindfulness page, which shares mindfulness and creative practice for the whole family.

https://www.instagram.com/linkschool2020/?igshid=kzzev55mr3gl

CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

CAMHS resources – A mixture of downloads, website links, apps, videos associated with mental health.

https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/

Supporting your mental health while working from home.

My Whole Self aims to create a healthier working culture built on respect and collaboration. We’re encouraging employers to create a culture where people can be themselves at work. Whether online or in person, bringing your whole self to work is a mindset that’s better for mental wellbeing and better for business.
As more organisations move to online working, human connections are more important than ever. Here are some ways to support your mental health, reduce feelings of isolation, and feel connected with colleagues while working remotely.

Read More about My Whole Self …

Domestic Abuse Update: Below is some relevant advice and information regarding domestic abuse –

Corona Virus Response Fund – Letter from PCC Kim McGuinness…- PDF

Safe Lives Safety planning guide for victims and survivors.PDF

Economic-abuse-and-the-coronavirus-outbreak

Kooth Support Statement: Covid-19

Click hear to see how to sign up – NEW Kooth Sign Up

As schools across the country begin to contingency plan in the event of closures this week, I wished to make contact to highlight the support Kooth.com is able to provide at this difficult time.

Kooth will continue to provide online mental health and wellbeing support to young people aged 11-18 years and up to 25 years for care leavers in Sunderland via any internet accessible device. Kooth provides an opportunity to interact in a supportive way with other young people as well as receive support from a qualified counsellor.

We would like to ensure that young people are signposted to a safe environment where information, advice and guidance is accessible through age appropriate, pre-moderated articles, forums in an aim to reduce some of those anxieties surrounding Covid-19.
Young people can also chat in confidence with qualified counsellors, who are online from 12-noon until 10pm on weekdays and from 6pm until 10pm, 365 days a year.

Click below to read the Primary Kooth Supporting Letter including the ‘Online Statement, Page 2’ which includes the Kooth video link:

Primary Kooth Supporting Letter.PDF

Click below to read the Secondary Kooth Supporting Letter including the ‘Online Statement, Page 2’ which includes the Kooth video link

Secondary Kooth Supporting Letter.PDF

Click below to read the supporting letter for parents/carers:

Parent/Carer Supporting Letter.PDF

Mindfulness

Creative Mindfulness has become very popular amongst the staff and pupils at The Link School. The pupil’s access weekly sessions and drop in appointments are available to those pupils who request them.

Mindful can mean becoming aware of our thoughts, feelings, body sensations and surrounding environment. Mindfulness activities help us deal with our emotions in a range of ways, creating coping strategies that can be used throughout our lives.

Many pupils have voiced that they would like to have access to some of the strategies and activities to use at home and share with their families. As the pupil voice is very important at The Link School, we have decided to offer access to some Mindful activities and links via the school website.

Mindful Music to help us relax. This is great to listen to before sleep or when struggling with our emotions.

This half term the pupils have been listening to relaxing music with nature sounds. Here are some links below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd7e4SNjGBM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE6RYpe9IT0

Tips for relaxation:

A comfortable and calm space
A blanket and pillows
Low lighting
Relaxing music

We will be updating the website with Mindfulness activities every half term. If parents want more information, please feel free to contact the school.

Nicole Hackett/Gaynor Proctor

Child Safety and Cyber Flashing

Cyber-flashing happens when a stranger sends an obscene picture, unsolicited, to your phone via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. It’s a form of sexual harassment and there have been prosecutions for it under existing laws.

The term ‘cyber-flashing’ first hit the news in 2015, after a woman on a train received explicit pictures on her iPhone which had been sent to her via Apple’s file-sharing function (AirDrop).

Cyber-flashing is not new – it has been possible since the introduction of Bluetooth. However, the growing trend for smartphone use among children means that there’s more risk of it happening to them.

It’s also not just an iPhone issue. There are many file-sharing apps that make it possible on Android and Apple phones.

Child Safety and Parent Factsheet on Cyber Flashing. PDF

CTik Tok fact Sheet Information

TikTok is a video-sharing app. Users can upload and share short videos of themselves lip-syncing to songs or acting out comedy sketches, and add special effects. They can gain followers (‘fans’) and browse other people’s videos.

You may have heard of the app by its previous name: Musical.ly. Everything that was on Musical.ly is now on TikTok. If your child previously had a Musical.ly account they will be able to access their content on TikTok.

The age recommendation is 13 and above. However, you don’t have to prove your age when creating an account, so younger children can still use it easily. It’s most popular with under-16s.

Child Safety and Parent Factsheet on Tik Tok. PDF

Digizen

www.digizen.org.uk

Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)

www.iwf.org.uk

Police

In an emergency (a life is in danger or a crime in progress) dial 999. For other non-urgent enquiries dial 101.

Victimsfirst / 0800 011 3116

For more information around the support you can receive around Domestic Abuse click on the PDF links below:

Domestic Abuse Family Court Support – PDF

Information on what Victimsfirst can offer – PDF

FAMILY COURT PROCEEDINGS AND THE IMPACT OF DOMESTIC ABUSE – PDF

School Nursing and Health Visiting Service:

For information for parents and carers relating to the change in provider for the School Nursing and Health Visiting Services in Sunderland please click on the PDF link below:

Change in service provider for School Nursing and Health Visiting Service – PDF

Barnardos spot the signs:

You can read more about Barnardos by clicking on the PDF link below:

Barnardos spot the signs – PDF

How to protect your child online:

You can read more on how to protect your child online by clicking on the PDF link below:

Keeping your child safe online – PDF

Cyber bullying and Internet Safety:

To read more about Cyber bullying and Internet Safety please click on the link below:

Cyber Bullying and Internet Safety – PDF

Link School Safeguarding Update Child Sexual Exploitation:

For information on The Link School’s safeguarding update around CSE please click on the link below:

CSE Update – PDF

Link School Safeguarding Update E Safety:

For information on The Link School’s safeguarding update around E-Safety please click on the link below:

E-safety – PDF

Link School Safeguarding Update Legal Highs:

For information on the Link School’s safeguarding update around Legal Highs please click on the link below:

Legal Highs – PDF

Link School Safeguarding Update LGBTQ:

For information on the Link School’s safeguarding update around LGBTQ please click on the link below:

LGBTQ – PDF

Link School Safeguarding Update Prevent:

For information on the Link School’s safeguarding update around Prevent please click on the link below:

Prevent – PDF