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Friday 1 May 2020

Welcome to the
Family Information Service
Newsletter

In this edition of the Family Information Service Newsletter you will find FAQ's on children's school meals, support for breastfeeding, important information on children immunisations, free online guides for parents and more. Don't forget to keep scrolling to find new activity and learning ideas for you family!

Warwickshire's Family Information Service are here to help families, parents, carers and professionals with advice and one-to-one support on issues including family relationships, housing, parenting support, health and wellbeing and much more. We are here to help, click here for information on how to contact us.

As always, please keep up-to-date on the latest guidance on Coronavirus (COVID-19) below and adhere to social distancing guidance.

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Follow the latest advice on Coronavirus (COVID-19):

Important updates

Telephone Support for Parents

Warwickshire Educational Psychology Service (EPS) is offering direct access
telephone consultation to parents and carers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This service is available for 4 afternoons each week (Monday to Thursday) for
parents and carers who live in Warwickshire and who feel they may benefit
from consultation with an Educational Psychologist to support them with
concerns that they may have at this time.

More information here

What's new?

Warwickshire Breastfeeding Support During Lockdown

In addition to the feeding support available directly from your Midwife or Health Visitor here is the local support available for families in Warwickshire during this period of isolation which can be found here

Early Breastfeeding Support Service for parents in Nuneaton, Bedworth and North Warwickshire. This service offers support to breastfeeding mums on discharge from the hospital up until their baby is 6-8 weeks. For further information on 01926 626529.

During COVID-19, the Early Breastfeeding Support Service is also running a daily online (Zoom) breastfeeding support group for parents across Warwickshire. Details found here

For more available support groups download the below document.

Download here >

Free online guides to help parents feel more confident

This programme consists of four online guides that have been developed by NHS experts and parents using an evidence-based approach to increase the confidence of parents-to-be, mums, dads, parents-to-be, grandparents and carers.

The four online guides are FREE for Warwickshire residents using the access code BEAR.

All of the guides can be completed flexibly, at your own pace. Each of the guides’ modules takes around 15-20 minutes to complete. Each guide contains several modules.

Frequently asked questions for parents and carers about free school meals

Families whose children are eligible for free school meals are offered meals or vouchers by their school to make sure they continue receiving this support, even if they are no longer attending school, due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

WCC has put together some frequently asked question for parents and carers in order to give more details about free school meals.

Keep up with your child’s immunisations during COVID-19

It’s important that all children continue with their immunisation timetable during COVID-19, to prevent serious preventable diseases from returning to our communities.

You may be worried about visiting your local surgery - when you’ve been advised to stay at home. However, your surgery will have all the necessary precautions in place to keep you and your child safe from COVID-19.

Please do not cancel or delay your child’s immunisation appointments unless you or a member of your household is self-isolating with COVID-19 symptoms.

If you have any concerns call your local surgery or health visitor. Alternatively, text CHAT Health: 07520 615293 and a health visitor will aim to get back to you within 2 hours (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm).

NHS vaccination schedule >

Speech and Language Therapy

Worried about your child’s speech and language development during lockdown?

Why not speak to your health visitor by phone, or use the CHAT Health texting service 07520 615293 anytime (responses Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm)?

Warwickshire’s Speech & Language Therapy service is also still operating throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

Click below to view a video that explains more about how the service is running and resources to support children.

Watch the video here >

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and caring for your baby

You might have particular concerns if you are pregnant or have a baby. The Lullaby Trust has put together advice on coronavirus (COVID-19) and caring for your baby that is currently available.

You will find information on breastfeeding, skin to skin contact, Baby Check app and much more for new mums' worries during Covi-19.

Find out more >

#youarenotalone

This week Warwickshire County Council has launched a national campaign called, #youarenotealone. This is a domestic abuse campaign, backed by National Government, to help bring awareness of this crime and its victims, during the current COVID-19 lockdown.

Like many of us, victims of domestic abuse will have now been locked in their homes for a little over a month. While the rest of the country find innovative and fun things to do to fill the time, victims and their children are left fearing for their lives at the hands of an abusive partner or family member. Warwickshire County Council headed up by Chief Executive, Monica Fogarty, has backed the campaign by releasing a short video message.

You can join us in our solidarity of victims by drawing a heart on the palm of your hand, posting a video or photo on both Twitter and Facebook and including the hashtag #youarenotalone.

Please click here to watch Monica's video.

Daily fun challenges for families via Zoom. Details will be released on the Family Information Service Facebook and Twitter page everyday at 11am and the challenges will start on Zoom at 2pm.

Move over Tom Hardy! Warwickshire County Council Chief Executive reads brand new ‘Warwick Bear’ children’s book by local author – the first in a series of virtual bedtime stories from WCC. Read now.

A superhero bear on a mission to teach families about home safety. Learn more.

Stories read by their authors from Strafford Literary Festvial. Find out more.

Twelve live animal webcams to get you through social isolation. Watch now.

Home learning digital magazine packed with activities. Read now.

Materials to support with home learning, provided by Time to Talk Warwickshire. Find out more.

You might be worried about Coronavirus (Covid-19), how it could affect your life. This might feel difficult or stressful but there are lots of things you can try that could help your wellbeing during this time.

Mental health support >

If you have been forwarded this newsletter and would like to sign up, click here.

Keep up-to-date with Warwickshire Family Information Service

The above newsletter provides you with links to other websites which are not under the control of Warwickshire County Council. Therefore, we have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. Warwickshire County Council does not guarantee, approve, recommend, promote or endorse the information or views expressed on these sites and therefore any reliance you place on such information is entirely at your own risk.