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People struggling with their mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak will be offered additional online support and practical guidance to help them cope, Mental Health Minister Nadine Dorries has announced today.
In recognition of the unprecedented challenges which the outbreak and extended periods of self-isolation can pose, Public Health England has published new online guidance setting out principles to follow to help people to manage their mental health during this difficult time, such as:
Parents and carers will also benefit from tailored advice on how to support children and young people with stress during the coronavirus outbreak, which includes providing clear information, being aware of their own reactions and creating a new routine.
Today’s guidance has been developed in partnership with leading mental health charities and clinically assured by the NHS. It also includes steps that those living with serious mental health problems can take, including seeking support from their mental health teams.
Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said:
The last few weeks have been anxious and unsettling for everyone. We have to take time to support each other and find ways to look after our mental health. It is great to see the mental health sector working together with the NHS to help people keep on top of their mental well-being. By pulling together and taking simple steps each day, we can all be better prepared for the times ahead.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have long been advocates for mental health, through their respective patronages and The Royal Foundation’s Heads Together campaign. In 2019, Their Royal Highnesses helped to launch Public Health England’s mental health platform, Every Mind Matters.
Minister for Mental Health Nadine Dorries said:
When I discovered I had coronavirus I felt anxious and scared.
For those who already suffer with anxiety or other mental health issues this may present new and difficult challenges.
It’s imperative that we stay home if we are to beat coronavirus and save lives. I know how important it is that people have support to look after their mental health and this guidance will be of huge value.
The government has also announced a £5 million grant for leading mental health charities, administered by Mind, to fund additional services for people struggling with their mental wellbeing during this time. This could include telephone and online support services for the most isolated and vulnerable in our communities.
Public Health England has updated its world-leading Every Mind Matters platform with specific advice on maintaining good mental wellbeing during the outbreak. People can also complete a ‘Mind Plan’, a quick and free tool that has already been completed over 1.8 million times.
Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director at Public Health England, said:
During these challenging times, it is natural for all of us to feel worried or anxious, but there are things we can all do to help ourselves and others, to prevent these feelings from becoming more serious.
We should continue to check up on friends, family and neighbours by phone or online and pursue the activities we are able to do from home and in line with guidance. By adopting a new routine, setting goals, eating healthily and maintaining physical activity, we can stay in good mental health today and tomorrow.
The government and NHS England recognise that the mental health impacts of the coronavirus outbreak are significant and are working closely with mental health trusts to ensure those who need them have access to NHS mental health services.
This includes issuing guidance to trusts on staff training, prioritisation of services and how to maximise use of digital and virtual channels to keep delivering support to patients. NHS Mental Health providers are also establishing 24/7 helplines.
Mind will use their existing links with other charities, including grassroots, user-led organisations, to reach vulnerable groups who are at particular risk during this period. This is expected to include older adults, people with an underlying health condition and anyone experiencing unstable employment and housing conditions.
Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind and co-ordinating a group of mental health charities, said:
We are facing one of the toughest ever times for our mental wellbeing as a nation. It is absolutely vital that people pull together and do all they can to look after themselves and their loved ones, when we are all facing a huge amount of change and uncertainty. Reaching out to friends and family is critical, as well as paying attention to the impact our physical health can have on our mental health – from diet and exercise to getting enough natural light and a little fresh air.
Charities like Mind have a role to play in helping people cope not only with the initial emergency but coming to terms with how this will affect us well into the future. Whether we have an existing mental health problem or not, we are all going to need extra help to deal with the consequences of this unprecedented set of circumstances.
Claire Murdoch, NHS mental health director, said:
The NHS is stepping up to offer people help when and how they need it, including by phone, facetime, skype or digitally enabled therapy packages and we also have accelerated plans for crisis response service 24/7.
We are determined to respond to people’s needs during this challenging time and working with our partners across the health sector and in the community, NHS mental health services will be there through what is undoubtedly one of the greatest healthcare challenges the NHS has ever faced.
Notes to editors:
With the country in ‘lockdown’ and many people feeling understandably anxious about their health, employment, family and friends, it is more important than ever to share helpful advice resources for managing everyone’s mental health and wellbeing.
Government Advice
The government has published detailed and useful advice that covers steps we can all take in looking after our mental health and wellbeing, as well as specific advice for those with additional mental health conditions. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-public-on-mental-health-and-wellbeing/guidance-for-the-public-on-the-mental-health-and-wellbeing-aspects-of-coronavirus-covid-19
The government has also produced specific advice for supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing
Support and Resources
Every Mind Matters has a dedicated area of the website that covers coronavirus and mental wellbeing: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
Anxious Minds is inviting people to join their online Recovery Centre on Facebook, which already has over a thousand members. There’s a poster with additional information and services.
That discomfort you’re feeling is grief: an insightful article interviewing an expert on grief
Support for Children and Young People
Kooth is a web based confidential support service available to young people. Kooth provides a safe and secure means of accessing mental health and wellbeing support designed specifically for young people.
Kooth offers young people the opportunity to have a text-based conversation with a qualified counsellor. Counsellors are available from 12noon to 10pm on weekdays and 6pm to 10 pm at weekends, every day of the year on a drop-in basis. Young people can access regular booked online counselling sessions as needed. Outside of counselling hours young people can message our team and get support by the next day. Visit www.kooth.com to find out more.
Young Minds – what to do if you’re anxious about coronavirus – simple and clear advice alongside helpline service.
Service Changes Information Hub
We are working hard to bring you all the updates and changes to NHS, social care and community services due to Coronavirus.
To make things easier, our online Service Changes Information Hub brings together the rapidly changing information about local services into one easy to access place.
The hub includes information about hospital visiting, changes to opening hours for local pharmacies, changes to dental services and sources of support, all of which are all vitally important to residents at this time.
If you spot something that you think should be included, please let us know as we are updating the content regularly.
Go to our Service Changes Information Hub
Our work during Coronavirus
How we are working
Our office at The Parks Sports Centre is closed until further notice, but our team are working from home.
You can contact us by:
Providing information
We are still here to help you find the information about local health and social care services you need. You can find out information through:
Gathering feedback
We have now postponed all of our engagement events and visits to services until further notice. We still want to hear your feedback about health and care services, you can do this by contacting us online or sharing your experiences of local services on our feedback centre.
We will post regular updates on our website. and we will be using our Facebook and Twitter pages to share useful local and national information.
Please follow us on Facebook HealthwatchNT and Twitter @HWNTyneside
Volunteering
Coronavirus volunteering with VODA
North Tyneside VODA is scaling up its Good Neighbours volunteering project to help address the needs of our local communities across North Tyneside. They are working with North Tyneside Council and local community groups to identify people who require support whilst they are self-isolating due to infection or as a precautionary measure.
Find out more about how you could get involved
Volunteer with Northumbria NHS
Looking after your wellbeing
The Coronavirus pandemic may cause you to feel worried, anxious, or scared. Read these seven steps to looking after your wellbeing while staying informed and find links to mental health support:.
Seven steps for wellbeing from Healthwatch England
Advice from Mind on Coronavirus and your wellbeing
Subscribe to Healthwatch North Tyneside enews
Hello everyone,
I wonder how we’re all finding it at home? I’ve almost finished a new crochet blanket – for those who don’t know I LOVE to crochet thanks to the lovely Woollies who got me hooked a couple of years ago. My children are embracing online learning with lots of breaks ha… I wonder where they get their distraction gene from hmmmm. We’re all good and I hope you are too.
I’m just about finding my feet in terms of work….I have been contacting tutors to see what we can offer online to keep the engAGE momentum going. Wonderful volunteers are putting their thinking caps on too. If you have any ideas please let me know.
For example I was emailed the following link from an engAGEr -thanks Andrea! Click on this link and it takes you to a whole load of ideas – virtual tours of museums (Art Appreciation anyone?), online learning (creative writing perhaps!), music…wellbeing….meditation….ALL sorts of ideas to try if you fancy.
https://chatterpack.net/blogs/blog/list-of-online-resources-for-anyone-who-is-isolated-at-home
I’m going to learn to touch type!
or reach for the stars!
If you use facebook please check out our new group called engage@HOME. This is a place where people can post useful information, have a chat etc….it’s a work in progress!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1052521121770207/
Take good care, chat soon,
Charly Mulvaney
https://www.facebook.com/LinskillEngage/
Older engagement worker
Linskill and North Tyneside Community Development Trust, Linskill Centre, Linskill Terrace, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE30 2AY
Monday to Thursday 9-3pm and Friday 9-12 noon
T: Currently only available on email of via the facebook page – thank you.
Charity No: 1119143
Company No: 04827255
Good afternoon,
I hope that you are all well,
Please if possible could you share the below information through service websites/social media channels/ online forums/ newsletters to ensure that young people and families are aware of Kooth support at this time across North Tyneside:
Kooth Support Statement: Covid-19
As schools and services across the country begin to contingency plan in the event of the current closures, 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- 25 years in North Tyneside 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.
Kooth may need to be accessed whilst young people are at home, therefore if you are able to share information on service websites/ social media platforms this would be greatly appreciated.
Supporting documents
Please see:
-Kooth Supporting Letter including the ‘Online Statement’ on page 2 which includes the Kooth video link to` share.
Thank you for raising an awareness of Kooth at this time and I look forward to hearing from you.
Take care and speak soon.
Kind Regards
Alex
Alex White
Integration & Participation
QTS Accreditation
T: 0203 984 9337
M: 07535088122
The Thought Report: Sign Up for expert insight, high-level research and astute opinion on mental health
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak VODA is scaling up its Good Neighbours volunteering project to help address the needs of our local communities across North Tyneside. We are seeking volunteers who can commit a small amount of time to supporting their communities during these difficult times. We are working with North Tyneside Council and local community groups to identify people who require support whilst they are self-isolating due to infection or as a precautionary measure.
We have developed three temporary volunteering roles to help meet demand. Tier 1 roles that do not involve face to face contact with potentially vulnerable people including shopping and making up isolation packs. The Tier 3 role will involve face to face contact with vulnerable people, handling money and having access to medication. These roles will require volunteers to have an Enhanced DBS check.
All volunteers will be supported by VODA. Read more and access the role descriptions here.
VODA has developed new online resources including a series of animations aimed at supporting volunteering during the COVID-19 emergency. These can all be found on our website. We will be adding further pages including details of the response of the North Tyneside VCS to COVID-19 in due course.
Good afternoon,
For those who don’t recognise my email address I work in the Community Development team at Linskill and I am emailing to pass on the following email, shown below my signature, from our Chief Executive Simeon Ripley.
Some of you will have received this information in other ways for example if you are a member of the Linskill Centre newsletter as well as attending a community activity and completed a registration form – I’m very sorry for any duplication.
I hope this email finds you all safe and well. We are hoping to look creatively at how we can reach people and hope to get some info out very soon using email but also our facebook pages.
https://www.facebook.com/LinskillEngage/
https://www.facebook.com/battlehillmultiuse
Keep in touch, especially of you need any help with anything – we can signpost you to organisations who are out helping with food shopping, prescription collecting etc. If you would like a friendly phone call in the coming days or weeks please let me know…the Linskill Doors are temporarily closed but our team are still here for a natter.
Chat soon,
Charly Mulvaney
Older engagement worker
https://www.facebook.com/LinskillEngage/
Linskill and North Tyneside Community Development Trust, Linskill Centre, Linskill Terrace, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE30 2AY.
Monday to Thursday 9-3pm and Friday 9-12 noon
Charity No: 1119143
Company No: 04827255
Latest Update from Linskill Trust
In line with the latest government instruction it is with sadness the Trust is announcing the temporary closure of the Linskill Centre, Battle Hill Multi-Use Centre and the Royal Quays Community Centre.
We have endeavoured to keep the doors open for as long as possible to serve our community, but the health and safety of our people and guests is paramount. It is now time to close the doors, to reduce the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
As a Trust we will work with local and regional partners to support those most vulnerable within our community over the coming weeks and will share the details of these as soon as possible. Linskill Nursery will remain open to care for children of Key Workers.
The Trust would like to thank all staff, customers and our community for their ongoing support. When the time is right, we look forward to welcoming you back.
Regards
Simeon Ripley
Chief Executive
We are living through extraordinary times, but it is more important than ever to remind ourselves that we will get through this together and that we can all play an active role in looking after one another and protecting our own mental health.
For those of us living with mental illness, or caring someone who is, the present uncertainty may present its own challenges.
That’s why we are getting in touch to share tips and ideas from our advice team and our members on how to look after yourself and others and to remind each other that our community remains strong.
To start with, we’d like to hear how you are looking after your mental health at the moment. Send us your tips, ideas and photographs and we will share a selection in our next email.
This week, we have launched a new area on our website dedicated to advice and information related to Covid-19.
It includes advice to carers, and information about what is happening to our support groups.
You can also read Peer’s blog on managing your mental health at this time.
Take care,
Louise at Rethink Mental Illness
