Contact will be running a series of parent workshops over the summer covering sleep, encouraging positive behaviour, money and handling meetings. 

See flyer here for full details and booking links.

The sessions will be: 

Understanding Sleep - 18th August

Encouraging Positive Behaviour - 19th August 

Money Matters - 24th August 

Handling Meetings - 25th August 

This page sets out some of the key information regarding Short Breaks and play and leisure for the summer holidays of 2021. 

Our booklet on activities, playschemes and days out here.

We will add more information as it becomes available. 

LA booklet on the programme of activities for the summer break here - this is the summary of all the key information about different schemes available over the summer, covering different age groups and different levels of additional needs. 

Summer Uni - a programme of activities for young people aged 11 - 25 here

Below are a series of resources focusing on children with SEND that you may find useful for keeping your children entertained, calm and happy at home. 

This short film on the value of play from the British Psychology Society/ Division of Educational and Child Psychology looks at the importance of play and the way in which play helps children to manage their emotions and stress. 

BBC Bitesize SEND toolkit has a wide range of useful resources for both activities and wellbeing, including music, fun activities, adapting physical activities, Makaton, BSL and supporting reading. There are a range of specific resources for children with specific special needs and disabilities including hearing impairments, visual impairments, Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Learning Disabilities.

Home Learning activities for children with Autism and/or Learning difficulties - these resources have been produced by Enfield Advisory Service for Autism in conjunction with Russet House school.

There are some useful SEND specific resources (as well as a wide range of other materials) on Twinkl - although this is no longer completely free to use there are normally options to download some items free of charge. 

You can also find a range of other inclusive / SEND focused activities for children on The Sensory Projects website.

Music Therapy Tree have provided accessible music therapy resources, suitable for children with autism and learning difficulties in the new Self-Isolation support area of their website. 

Kids TV 123 - a YouTube channel with lots of educational songs e.g. numbers, phonics

GoNoodle - music and mindfulness

Cosmic Kids - Yoga and mindfulness for children

Stop Breathe Think - mindfulness and meditation for children 

The Singing Walrus - fun educational songs with accompanying worksheets and flashcards 

Just Dance - dance along to your favourite songs and follow the movements on the screen

Barefoot Books - animated singalongs and activity packs 

The Learning station - 'brain break' action songs

Singing Hands on YouTube has a wide range of videos of songs signed in Makaton.

PBS Kids Music Games - educational games and activities related to music. 

imoves - a range of fun activities to keep children happy, healthy and focused including Worry Monster, Pilates and meditation for mental health and well-being

Tate Paint - a tablet-friendly online paint game  

Great Ormond Street The Power of Play has a range of fun games and activities provided by their team of play experts. 

This article gives a good list of different activities that you might like to try at home and out and about.

If you have concerns about your child's online safety, see our list of useful sources of information here. 

Further to our Short Breaks and play and leisure videoconference last week, you can see the Q&A document from this session here.

Following our videoconference last week on supporting your child with anxiety and mental health issues: 

• You can see the Presentation from the videoconference here.
• You can see the Q&A from the session, along with links to additional resources here.
• Some additional resources and sources of support can be found here.
• Information about a set of free web-based materials for children and young people with complex needs and/or learning disabilities here

The Summer Uni are offering a programme of activities for young people aged 11 - 25 (up to 19 for young people without SEND). 

You can see the details of the 'Together Unlocked' programme here and register here

The programme includes mainstream activities which should be suitable for young people with learning difficulties or minor disabilities (email the team at SUregistration@enfield.gov.uk to discuss your child's additional support needs) as well as some activities which are specifically for children with SEND. The SEND specific sessions are: 

Strike Back - Martial Arts Workshops - a chance to try Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Chi Kung and meditation workshops plus mindfulness workshops to help improve mental wellbeing. Taking place at Ponders End Youth Centre 10 am to 1 pm on Monday 26th and Wednesday 28th July, Monday 2nd and Wednesday 4th August, Monday 9th and Wednesday 11th August and Wednesday 25th August. 

Dance 4 Fun - a fun dance course teaching new skills, techniques and moves in routines which will be performed to parents and friends at the end of the week - Wednesday 4th and Friday 6th August 10 am to 1 pm venue tbc. 

Drama for all - these fun drama workshops take a new look at mindfulness, giving young people tools to manage everyday challenges though acting and improvisations. Wednesday 11th - Friday 13th August 11 am to 3.30 pm age 11 - 16 

Eat Fresh - plant-based food and cooking - this course aims to teach young people about plant-based cooking and how to eat a healthy balanced diet and guide and inspire them to produce delicious healthy meals. Thursday 19th and Friday 20th August 2 - 4.30 pm, venue to be confirmed. 

You will need to register your young person for the scheme before booking on activities. Booking opened Friday 9th July at 5 pm. 

Resources to support wellbeing, provide support for children or adults who are anxious, and general support in dealing with the current situation.

The Coronavirus pandemic may be a source of great anxiety both for adults and children, and may be especially difficult for individuals with existing mental health issues or those who find the situation hard to understand.

If you need someone to talk to you can contact the Samaritans round the clock - telephone 116 123  - and see the flyer here for more information and other ways to contact them. 

You may also find it useful to attend our forthcoming videoconference on supporting your child with anxiety and mental health issues, taking place on Friday 16th July 21- see flyer here.

Videos to help you support your child

Our Voice worked with Enfield Educational Psychology service and Mental Health Support teams to produce a set of six videos to help you create a sense of safety, calm, control, connectedness and hope in your child, and to look after your own wellbeing during this pandemic. 

For more information and to view the videos (and links to support materials) see our website here.

General support for children with SEND

The BBC Bitesize SEND Toolkit includes a wide range of resources for supporting children with special needs and disabilities (as well as home learning support and fun activities) with managing emotions, keeping calm, mindfulness and Mental Health support. 

Educational Psychology Service Family Telephone support line

If you would like help and advice with supporting your child's emotional wellbeing and mental health (or your own) or managing behaviour at home you can contact the Enfield Educational Psychology Service's Family Support Helpline. The helpline also provides help with supporting your child's learning at home, concerns about their general learning, development or well-being, access to information and resources and signposting to other services. 

The Good Thinking Guide

The Good Thinking Guide produced by the Health London Partnership contains useful resources for managing your own wellbeing and that of your children, including dealing with anxiety, stress, sleep problems and low mood. It includes information about a variety of resources available including helplines and apps which you may find useful.   

A collection of top resources to do with your kids and help them manage their wellbeing here. 

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)

have a variety of useful resources which you can download from their website. These include specific guides and resources for dealing with Coronavirus anxieties and supporting our own and our children's mental health, for parents, younger and older children and young people. 

They also have a wide range of different more general resources and tools for parents or carers and children. Topics include anxiety, self-esteem issues, self-harm, sleep, building resilience, managing stress, positive parenting, ADHD, controlling anger, Autism, problem-solving managing emotions and melt-downs, depression, adolescence, online safety, OCD, eating disorders,  Tourettes, supporting children when someone close has a terminal illness or dies, Pathological Demand Avoidance and mindful colouring. 

Thrive Enfield

Thrive Enfield have created a variety of different guides to help support parents, children and young people during this difficult time: 

Wellbeing support - how to look after yourself and your children

Let's Beat Coronavirus - information for children - a child-friendly guide to the situation and staying healthy

Going to school - a child-friendly guide explaining why some children are at school and others aren't 

Staying home - a child-friendly guide about staying at home, what will change and what won't

Support for parents - caring for children without a break, caring for your teenagers, looking after yourself, feeling isolated, working from home and links to useful resources on these topics. 

Supporting primary aged children - a guide for parents looking at how to talk to children about the situation and support them if they are worried, supporting home learning and useful resources

Supporting secondary aged children - a guide for parents on how to talk to young people about the situation and support them if they are worried, hopeless or angry, supporting young people with learning, and useful resources. 

Healthy Enfield

Healthy Enfield has a useful Mental Health and wellbeing section which has a variety of tips and resources to support your mental health including Are you OK? - a guide to your mental health during Coronavirus.  

Children's Mental Health week resources

The website for Children's Mental Health week (1st - 7th February 2021) has a section for parents and carers here, which contains a useful selection of resources for supporting your child's mental health and helping them to express themselves, which you may find useful. It includes games and activities to do with your child, like the 'Squiggle game' and 'Draw your feelings' as well as a section on other resources which you may find useful. 

Mental Health Support for young people 

Kooth is a web-based confidential support service available for young people which provides a safe and secure means of accessing mental health and wellbeing support. Kooth offers young people the opportunity to have a text-based conversation with a qualified counsellor, available 12 noon to 10 pm weekdays and 6 pm to 10 pm at weekends, on a drop-in basis. Young people can access regular booked online counselling sessions as needed. Outside hours young people can message the team and get support by the next day. 

Resources from the Mental Health Foundation

The Mental Health Foundation has some useful general resources for supporting your mental health including: 

How to look after your Mental Health

How to overcome fear and anxiety

How to look after your Mental Health Using Mindfulness

How to sleep better 

Look after your Mental Health using exercise 

Healthwatch 

Healthwatch has put together a useful list of links about Coronavirus including a section on Mental Health Support, and Mental Health support for young people. 

Other resources 

Play is a great way for children to deal with their emotions and manage stress and worry. This short film on the value of play has been created by the British Psychology Society/Division of Educational and Child Psychology.  

We were joined yesterday by the MACE team for an important presentation on how to protect our vulnerable children and young people from exploitation. 

Presentation here. 

Links to the videos from the presentation are here.

Social media checklist - useful guides to help you set up settings for different apps your children might be using

Our Voice members enjoyed a presentation from Steve Dodds, Senior Estate Planning Consultant at Estate Planning Solutions, and a useful Q&A session, at our webinar on Tuesday 9th February, and again on 12th May and 15th June. 

You can see the presentation here. 

Please note that this course is now fully booked and a waiting list is in place.

Our Voice and the Enfield Psychology Service would like to offer parents and carers an opportunity to have confidential space and time away from their busy lives to reflect and feel empowered in their busy parenting/family journeys. 

A small group of parents will meet every Thursday for 6 weeks starting after the Half Term Break, where they will be guided in one-hour structured sessions online to explore their strengths and the rich resources they have developed over the years. 

There will be an additional celebration session (either online or in-person depending on circumstances at the time).

For full details see our booklet here.