Update sent 24th February 2022

Dear Parents and Carers,

I am writing to inform you of two matters regarding Covid-19. 

The first being to inform you that we have had a member of staff testing positive for COVID-19 today.

The second being the Government guidance published today outlining its plan for living with COVID-19.

As of today, Thursday 24 February, the Government will remove the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test. Adults and children who test positive will continue to be advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least 5 full days, and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received 2 negative test results on consecutive days. 

In addition, the Government will:

No longer ask fully vaccinated close contacts and those aged under 18 to test daily for 7 days, and remove the legal requirement for close contacts who are not fully vaccinated to self-isolate.End self-isolation support payments, national funding for practical support and the medicine delivery service will no longer be available.End routine contact tracing. Contacts will no longer be required to self-isolate or advised to take daily tests. Staff, children and young people should attend their education settings as usual. This includes staff who have been in close contact within their household, unless they are able to work from home.End the legal obligation for individuals to tell their employers when they are required to self-isolate.

The information below comes from the updated guidance Covid-19:people with COVID-19 and their contacts. I hope this information helps to clarify what to do if you have a positive lateral flow test or you begin to display symptoms of COVID-19. This information can be found via this weblink https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-people-with-covid-19-and-their-contacts/covid-19-people-with-covid-19-and-their-contacts   

If you have COVID-19, stay at home and avoid contact with other people

If you have COVID-19 you can infect other people from 2 days before your symptoms start, and for up to 10 days after. You can pass on the infection to others, even if you have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. If you have COVID-19 you should stay at home and avoid contact with other people.

You should:

• not attend work. If you are unable to work from home, you should talk to your employer about options available to you. You may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay
• ask friends, family, neighbours or volunteers to get food and other essentials for you
• not invite social visitors into your home, including friends and family
• postpone all non-essential services and repairs that require a home visit
• cancel routine medical and dental appointments. If you are concerned about your health or you have been asked to attend an appointment in person during this time, discuss this with your medical contact and let them know about your symptoms or your test result
• if you can, let people who you have been in close contact with know about your positive test result so that they can follow this guidance

Many people will no longer be infectious to others after 5 days. You may choose to take an LFD test from 5 days after your symptoms started (or the day your test was taken if you did not have symptoms) followed by another LFD test the next day. If both these test results are negative, and you do not have a high temperature, the risk that you are still infectious is much lower and you can safely return to your normal routine.

How to safely return to your normal routine before 10 days

If your day 5 LFD test result is positive, you can continue taking LFD tests until you receive 2 consecutive negative test results.

Children and young people with COVID-19 should not attend their education setting while they are infectious. They should take an LFD test from 5 days after their symptoms started (or the day their test was taken if they did not have symptoms) followed by another one the next day. If both these tests results are negative, they should return to their educational setting if they normally attend one, as long as they feel well enough to do so and do not have a temperature. They should follow the guidance for their educational setting.

From today up until the end of this term our safety measures at school will be as follows:

• Face coverings – we kindly ask that you still wear a face covering whilst you are on school site. 
• Staff members are continuing to wear face coverings whilst on the doors in the morning and at the end of the day. 
• We ask that you follow the above advice if your child/children have Covid-19 symptoms and or tests positive for Covid-19, this is to reduce the spread within our school, prevent illness in staff and other pupils. We do have staff members and pupils in school who are vulnerable to this disease.
• Please continue to notify the office of a positive Covid-19 test.
• If your child presents as unwell and not fit to remain at school, you will be contacted to come and collect your child, if your child is displaying Covid-19 symptoms, staff will ask you to responsibly follow the above advice.

Within school we will continue to:-

• Ventilate all classrooms and any occupied rooms
• Maintain regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces
• Children will frequently wash hands throughout the day
• Staff will continue to wear face coverings at their discretion

Our Covid-19 Risk Assessment is currently being updated with the change in Government guidance.

Yours Sincerely,

Michelle McKay

—
Head of School

Covid-19 School Email Address

If your child is attending the National Lockdown Provision in school and needs to self-isolate or has a positive test please send an email to this new covid-19 email address. When we return we will use this for the whole school. 

covid-19@hellingly.e-sussex.sch.uk

LFD and PCR Testing

DOMESTIC ABUSE

Here are some considerations and suggestions to consider during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Check in with someone who you are personally worried about. If making a phone call to a suspected domestic violence victim or survivor, always assume that the perpetrator could be listening in. The same goes for instant messaging services.

If you suspect that the victim or survivor isn’t able to talk because of being overheard, give them a readily thought out line to end the call, e.g. if it is not safe to speak right now then please repeat after me “I’m sorry there is no one called Tina here, you must have the wrong number.”

If it is safe to talk when you call, arrange a codeword or phrase that the victim can use if interrupted, e.g. If you need to end the call at any point please say “no, I’m not interested in taking part in your survey.”

Advise to save useful phone numbers under a pseudonym e.g. IDVA, health visitor, friend.

Discuss whether they have planned contact with professionals, friends or family who can raise the alarm if they need emergency help.

Local community beat officers or health visitors could be a source of contact during this time. Is there a regular contact, or can this be introduced?

During lockdown, people are permitted to leave the house for a number of specific and restricted reasons, such as buying food and for medical appointments. How can these limited freedoms provide opportunity for safe contact between the victim and others?

Consider useful apps e.g. Hollie Guard which can also offer reassurance and the Bright Sky app is currently available in English, Urdu, Punjabi or Polish and is free to download.

Share information and plans with multi agency partners of the families that you are concerned about and ask the police to flag in case of a 999 call.

For those people who are experiencing domestic abuse, it is important to know that you are not alone. At this time of writing, you are unable to leave your home, but you can still access support through one of the helplines.

Remember, if you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call 999 and ask for the police!

Silent Solutions: This is a system for victims of domestic abuse who may be afraid of escalating harm if they are overheard when calling 999. When somebody calls 999, an operator will ask which emergency service is required. If the caller is unable to signal to the operator, the call will be forwarded to an operating system. If 55 is pressed by the caller, the system will detect this and the call will be transferred to the relevant police force as an emergency.

The National Domestic Violence Helpline – 0808 2000 2471Women’s Aid – The website has live chat Mon-Fri 10am-Midnight, or there is an email address to contact.

Respect – the helpline for male domestic abuse victims – 0808 801 0327

The Mix – free information and support for under 25s in the UK – 0808 808 4994

National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline – 0800 999 5428

Samaritans (24/7 service) – 116 123

In an Emergency situation, contact 999

STAYING SAFE ONLINE

As a school, we have set work and projects to be completed at home, during this current coronavirus pandemic. This also includes a number of online tasks, through Purple Mash, which I have been pleased to see so many children engage with. In addition to this, we understand that many parents and carers may choose to supplement these activities through support from online companies and in some cases individual tutors. 

As part of our commitment to safeguarding, please can we take this opportunity to remind you of the importance of securing online support from a reputable organisation/individual who can provide evidence that they are safe and can be trusted to have access to children. Also, when using websites for resources or videos through YouTube, we recommend checking the content is suitable before allowing your child to view them.

Furthermore, below are some online resources, offering support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online. These sites have been recommended in the Governments latest guidance to schools.

https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/safe-remote-learning-hub

Internet Matters – for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online

London Grid for Learning – for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online

Net-aware – for support for parents and careers from the NSPCC

Parent info – for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online

Thinkuknow – for advice from the National Crime Agency to stay safe online1

UK Safer Internet Centre – advice for parents and carers

LOOKING AFTER YOUR OWN MENTAL HEALTH

As well as thinking about the children or young people in your care, it is important to take care of your own mental health and wellbeing. Children and young people react, in part, to what they see from the adults around them. When parents and carers deal with a situation calmly and confidently, they can provide the best support for their children and young people. Parents and carers can be more supportive to others around them, especially children, when they are better prepared.

See guidance on how to look after your mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic or visit Every Mind Matters for clear advice and actions to take care of your mental health and wellbeing

HELPING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE COPE WITH STRESS

There are some key points you can consider about how to support your child or young person, including:

Listen and acknowledge: Children and young people may respond to stress in different ways. Signs may be emotional (for example, they may be upset, distressed, anxious, angry or agitated), behavioural (for example, they may become more clingy or more withdrawn, or they may wet the bed), or physical (for example, they may experience stomach aches).

Look out for any changes in their behaviour. Children and young people may feel less anxious if they are able to express and communicate their feelings in a safe and supportive environment. Children and young people who communicate differently to their peers may rely on you to interpret their feelings. Listen to them, acknowledge their concern and give them extra love and attention if they need it.

MindEd is a free online educational resource on children and young people’s mental health for all adults, which can support parents and carers through these exceptional circumstances.

Provide clear information about the situation: Children and young people want to feel assured that their parents and carers can keep them safe. One of the best ways to achieve this is by talking openly about what is happening and providing honest answers to any questions they have. Explain what is being done to keep them and their loved ones safe, including any actions they can take to help, such as washing their hands more often than usual. Use words and explanations that they can understand. There are resources available to help you do this, including the Children’s Commissioner’s Children’s Guide to Coronavirus, or the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) have produced a storybook developed by and for children around the world affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).

Make sure you use reliable sources of information such as GOV.UK or the NHS website – there is a lot of misleading information from other sources that can create stress for you and your family. It will not always be possible to provide answers to all the questions that children and young people may ask, or to address all their concerns, so focus on listening and acknowledging their feelings to help them feel supported.

Be aware of your own reactions: Remember that children and young people often take their emotional cues from the important adults in their lives, so how you respond to the situation is very important. It is important to manage your own emotions and remain calm, listen to and acknowledge children and young people’s concerns, speak kindly to them, and answer any questions they have honestly. For further information on how to look after your own mental wellbeing during the pandemic, see the guidance on how to look after your own mental health and wellbeing or visit Every Mind Matters.

Connect regularly: If it is necessary for you and your children to be in different locations to normal (for example, due to staying at home in different locations or hospitalisation) make sure you still have regular and frequent contact via the phone or video calls with them. Try to help your child understand what arrangements are being made for them and why in simple terms. Support safe ways for children and young people to maintain social interaction with their friends, for example via phone or video calls.

Create a new routine: Life is changing for all of us for a while. Routine gives children and young people an increased feeling of safety in the context of uncertainty, so think about how to develop a new routine, especially if they are not at school:

• make a plan for the day or week that includes time for learning, playing and relaxing
• if they have to stay home from school, ask teachers what you can do to support continued learning at home. The Department for Education have published a list of recommended online educational resources for home schooling
• encourage maintaining a balance between being on and offline and discover new ideas for activities to do from home. The Children’s Commissioner guide signposts to some ideas to help fight boredom
• children and young people ideally need to be active for 60 minutes a day, which can be more difficult when spending longer periods of time indoors. Plan time outside if you can do so safely or see Change4Life for ideas for indoor games and activities
• don’t forget that sleep is important for mental and physical health, so try to keep to existing bedtime routines
• it may be tempting to give children and young people treats such as sweets or chocolate but this is not good for their health, especially as they may not be as physically active as normal. See Change4Life for ideas for healthy treats

Limit exposure to media and talk more about what they have seen and heard: Like adults, children and young people may become more distressed if they see repeated coverage about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the media. A complete news blackout is also rarely helpful as they are likely to find out from other sources, such as online or through friends. Try to avoid turning the television off or closing web pages when children or young people come into the room. This can peak their interest to find out what is happening and their imagination can take over. Instead, consider limiting the amount of exposure you and your family have to media coverage.

Young people will also hear things from friends and get information from social media. Talk to them about what is happening and ask them what they have heard. Try to answer their questions honestly and reassure them appropriately.

FOR MORE GUIDANCE ON SUPPORTING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLES MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC FOLLOW THIS LINK:-

HELPING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE COPE WITH STRESS

JOB-SEEKERS ARE URGED TO USE THE LOCK-DOWN TO PLAN AHEAD

Eastbourne employment charity, People Matter, has managed to remain operational during the Coronavirus pandemic, providing information, advice and guidance to job-seekers.  

Our experienced and qualified advisers offer a range of free advice and support services to all job-seekers in Eastbourne and surrounding areas. Our Working for You team works with local employers to match skills, experience and attributes of job-seekers with the person specification and job description of vacant posts.

Since the charity was set up, we have helped over 11,500 people with CV writing services, careers advice, job applications, business start up and mock interviews. Our website (www.people-matter.org.uk) has more details about us and our services. 

Following the enforced closure of its offices in Saffrons Road in mid-March because of Covid-19, People Matter’s experienced team of advisers have been working remotely to continue supporting job-seekers.

This scheme has now operated very successfully for more than a month, with a number of clients finding their way to the charity via social media channels, local media and the Job Centre.

Job-seekers – or someone on their behalf if they don’t have the means to do so – are encouraged to email reception@people-matter.org.uk, and their query will be responded to. Alternatively, they can call 07843 190738 and receptionist, Nadine will take their details and ask an adviser to return their call.

The team are encouraging people to get on the “front foot” early before what is sure to be an upsurge in demand as the country emerges from lock-down. Whether it’s creating a new CV or sharpening up an existing one, People Matter’s experienced team can help.

Anyone over the age of 19 – or aged 18 if on Universal Credit – can access People Matter’s services free of charge.

Other Resources

Wellbeing

https://czone.eastsussex.gov.uk/media/6164/covid-19-coronavirus-wellbeing-easy-read-guide-final.pdf –

Understanding Covid-19

https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/help-resources/resources/coronavirus-easy-read-guides – Coronavirus Easy Reads Guides

Citizens Advice Wealden

COVID-19 Update:

Currently all our drop-in sessions have been suspended.

Crowborough, Hailsham & Uckfield offices are closed.

If you need advice please call the advice line on 0300 330 9022

We provide free, confidential, independent and impartial advice and campaign on big issues affecting people’s lives.

Our goal is to help everyone find a way forward, whatever problem they face. 

We are an independent charity and are part of the Citizens Advice network across England and Wales.

People come to us with all sorts of issues. You may have money, benefit, housing or employment problems, you may be facing a crisis or just considering your options.

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination wherever we see it.

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 using:

online digital support, including advice and information, online counselling and a telephone helplineface to face interventions, such as support for groups at risk outside the home and one to one supportreintegration into education, including assessments and the delivery of support pathways back to education

See Hear Respond accept referrals from any source either through the Freephone number 0800 151 7015 and via the online referral hub.