Wellbeing & Community
Our Designated Family Liaison Officer is: Miss L Morris. She can be contacted by email: contact@hurst.bexley.sch.uk or telephone: 020 8303 2688.
Childline - Online, on the phone, anytime - tel: 0800 1111 or visit childline.org.uk/kids
childline poster primary schools english.pdf
Our School Nurse is available for parents to speak with and advice given is confidential.
The School Nursing Service for schools in Bexley has now transferred from Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust to Bromley Healthcare.
Our School Nurse is Marie Rogan. Marie is based at the Bexley 0-19 Service Lakeside Health Centre, Yarnton Way, Thamesmead and can be contacted on 0300 330 5777 or via email: bromh.bexleyschoolnursing@nhs.net
Managing Specific Infectious Diseases in School
Please click here for condition specific advice - as provided by Public Health England
Scarlet Fever (November 2022)
Signs and symptoms of scarlet fever • Scarlet fever is a common childhood infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A streptococcus (GAS). The early symptoms of scarlet fever include sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. • After 12 to 48 hours the characteristic red, pinhead rash develops, typically first appearing on the chest and stomach, then rapidly spreading to other parts of the body, and giving the skin a sandpaper-like texture. • The scarlet rash may be harder to spot on darker skin, although the 'sandpaper' feel should be present. Patients typically have flushed cheeks and pallor around the mouth. This may be accompanied by a ‘strawberry tongue’. As the child improves peeling of the skin can occur. • Scarlet Fever Factsheet: includes some useful information and images
Advice from UK Health Security Agency (December 2022)
Please click here for guidance
Chicken Pox (December 2022)
Please click here for information on chicken pox as provided by the UK Health Security Agency
5 Ways to Protect your under 5's this winter - click here (November 2022)
Welcome to e-Bug - click here (November 2022)
Private Fostering in Bexley
Click here for information on private fostering (January 2024)
Top Tips for Supporting Children Who Are Experiencing Bullying
Funded Childcare
15 hours free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds. Please click here for details
Urgent Mental Health Support - 24/7 Crisis Lines
Every mental health trust in London has put in place a 24/7 crisis line for people of all ages - children, young people and adults. Please click here for full details.
Top tips for good mental health and wellbeing
Youth Mental Health Ambassador, Dr Alex George has shared his ‘top five tips’ for young people’s good mental health and wellbeing. This is live on the Department for Education’s YouTube channel.
Ahead of the February half-term and as national restrictions remain in place, he has given advice to young people on how to improve their mood and look after themselves by eating well, getting plenty of sleep and natural light during the daytime.
As an A&E doctor, Dr Alex will use his clinical expertise to champion and shape government work to improve support for young people in schools, colleges and universities, as well as his personal experience having lost his brother to suicide last year. He will also sit on the new Mental Health in Education Action Group, which will focus on how to support young people’s wellbeing when they return to school and university.
Free Confidential Support for Anyone in Bexley
Coronavirus Advice
Where to find the latest information? Click here for updates on COVID-19.
How to wash you hands
Action for Happiness Calendars
Please click here for Action for Happiness Monthly Calendars
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Self-care Top Tips for Young Parents and Carers
What can I do with my child today? Is what I’m planning good enough? Should it be more fun? Or more educational? Am I letting them down? Do they have enough other children to play with? Are they watching too much TV? What if I don’t end up leaving our home today at all? Am I a bad parent?
Young children’s needs can demand a lot of attention, and at times your nerves can feel frayed, and your emotions fragile.
It’s easy to forget that as a young parent or carer you need to look after yourself in order to look after your children. This is true for all adults, but if you are one of the first of your group of friends to be juggling parenting responsibilities, it may be a little harder for you to think up ways to do this. But if you don’t look after your own needs as well as your child’s, you can start to feel stressed and overwhelmed, and this won’t be good either for you or your child.
Here are some tips that may help you to feel happy and positive, and find time to look after yourself. You can also discover over 90 self-care strategies on our self-care resource for On My Mind.
Public Health England launches Every Mind Matters campaign
Most families have experienced upheaval in their daily lives during the pandemic. With children and young people now back at school or college, the new Public Health England (PHE) Better Health – Every Mind Matters campaign provides NHS-endorsed tips and advice to help children and young people’s mental wellbeing, and equip parents and carers with the knowledge to support them.
The new advice available on the Every Mind Matters website has been developed in partnership with leading children and young people’s mental health charities, including Young Minds, The Mix, Place2Be and The Anna Freud Centre. It is designed to help parents and carers spot the signs that children may be struggling with their mental health and support them, and also provides advice that can help maintain good mental wellbeing. The site also provides tools to help young people build resilience and equips them to look after their mental wellbeing.
Barnardo’s ‘See Hear Respond’ service
See Hear Respond is a service provided across England by Barnardo’s and other national and local community-based organisations in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
The programme has been created to help children and young people in England who are experiencing harm and increased adversity during this period by providing support to those who are not being seen by social care or other key agencies.
Working with its partners, Barnardo’s aims to reduce the likelihood of harm and ensure other support and protective networks are in place.
See Hear Respond accept referrals from any source either through the Freephone number 0800 151 7015 and via the online referral hub.
WellChild, the national charity for sick children,
Please visit https://www.wellchild.org.uk for more information.
The NSPCC Helpline is there to offer support to adults and children. If you have any worries about a child's safety or wellbeing, adults can contact the helpline either online click here or by phone 0808 800 5000.
18 or under? Childline offers free, confidential advice and support whatever your worry, whenever you need help. Childline telephone number is: 0800 1111.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Children and Young people’s well-being will be significantly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. This pandemic is resulting in massive and widespread changes to daily life and will have consequences for children and young people’s well-being. For young people with mental ill-health the effects of the virus may be particularly challenging. COVID-19 may result in heightened feelings of anxiety and worry and could exacerbate low-mood and other mental health conditions.
There is one in particular, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This anxiety disorder is sometimes misunderstood by our misuse of the expression. The pandemic is resulting in this anxiety being exacerbated. Please click here for a short “fact”
Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
Transforming Children's Mental Health - The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families' vision is a world where children and families are supported effectively to build on their strengths and to achieve their goals in life. They promote resilience and wellbeing in children, young people and families. Please click here for their website.
Mind Bexley
Please click here for Mind Bexley's website.
Young Minds
YoungMinds exists so that young people have the strongest possible voice in improving their mental health.
Please click here for the Young Minds website.
Diabetes
Please click here for important information on diabetes and the signs to look out for.
diabetes 4 ts campaign july 2020.pdf
Diabetes UK 'Type 2 Awareness' Campaign - click here for more information
Slapped Cheek Syndrome
Please click here for information on Slapped Cheek Syndrome.
Sickness and Diarrhoea
Please click here for information on how to prevent the spread of sickness and diarrhoea.
Constipation Advice
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust have produced a handy leaflet on childhood constipation. Please click here for their flyer.
Handwashing Advice
Please click here for handwashing tips/advice.
Headlice
Advice on Tackling this Scratchy Subject - click here for the Bug Busting Method
Further information can be found by visiting the NHS Choices Website (click here)
Flu Vaccine
The children's nasal spray flu vaccine is safe and effective. It's offered every year to children to help protect them against flu.
Flu is caused by the influenza virus. It can be a very unpleasant illness for children. It can also lead to serious problems, such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
Children can catch and spread flu easily. Vaccinating them also protects others who are vulnerable to flu, such as babies and older people.
Visit NHS.UK for further information and advice
PACEY Childcare
Click here for information on registered childminders.
Play2Learn Childcare Funding
Click here for information on eligibility for funded childcare
Sun Safety
Click here for the Soltan Sun Ready - Sun Safety website
Social Clubs for Adults
Youth Action Diversity Trust - Parent Courses
Bexley Voluntary Service Council
Volunteer Work
Click here for information on the North West Kent Countryside
Click here for Volunteer Centre Bexley
PACEY Childcare
Click here for information on registered childminders.
Sun Safety
Click here for the Soltan Sun Ready - Sun Safety website
Social Clubs for Adults
Youth Action Diversity Trust - Parent Courses
Bexley Voluntary Service Council
Volunteer Work
Click here for information on the North West Kent Countryside
Click here for Volunteer Centre Bexley