Mental Wellbeing
During these challenging times, it's never been more important to consider and care for our mental wellbeing. In this area of the website you will find useful links to resources and advice for parents and carers, to support with home learning. Please feed back to us if you have any ideas or suggestions on how this can be improved at parents@belvedere-inf.bexley.sch.uk
HOME LEARNING, NOT HOME SCHOOLING
You may be worrying about your child’s development and the impact of missing school. Please be reassured by the government’s statement below:
‘No one expects parents to act as teachers, or to provide the activities and feedback that a school would. Parents and carers should do their best to help children and support their learning while dealing with competing demands.’
Parental Mental Health
Stories from the heart and mind: A collection of stories and key messages from parents with mental health difficulties have been collated to help publicise the Bexley Parentcare directory of services and to help parents understand they are not alone in what they might be experiencing and that ‘it is ok’ to ask for help. The stories include the experiences of:
- Anjani – age 27, experiencing post-natal depression
- Kayleigh – age 17/18, depressed with alcohol misuse
- Anne – age 30 has Perinatal Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and anxiety/panic attacks
- Daz and Caz - both aged 35 - mum and dad, both clinically depressed
- Sandra – aged 36, post-partum psychosis due to abuse
- Dean – aged 30, father struggling to cope with how to best support his wife who is low in mood
We would also like to take this opportunity to re-publicise the Bexley Parentcare leaflet, designed to encourage parents who are feeling low in mood to access the directory of services which signposts parents to information on local services and resources that support the mental health and wellbeing of Bexley’s parents and carers. Despite COVID-19 many services are still running but may have moved their support online / via the telephone.
Some of the services included in the directory which we would like to highlight in particular are the following voluntary sector perinatal wellbeing support services:
- Cocoon Family Support offers free peer support groups and low-cost individual counselling for parents struggling with their mental health during pregnancy and early parenthood. They offer support to both mums and dads. Due to Covid-19 they have moved all their support online including their Bexley Perinatal Peer Support Group on a Monday 1-2pm. Further details of these and other services including training for professionals and peer support consultancy are available here.
- Mindful Mums and Being Dad are offering online support sessions for expectant / new mums & dads in Bexley, Bromley, Lewisham and Greenwich. Due to Covid-19 these are currently being offered via Zoom. Mindful Mums is on Wednesdays 11.30am–12.15pm and Fridays 1-1.45pm. Being Dad is on Tuesdays 8pm-9pm. For further information including details of how to join in, please contact mindfulmums@blgmind.org.uk or beingdad@blgmind.org.uk.
We would also like to highlight:
- Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust Specialist Community Perinatal Mental Health Service for women in Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich. This service provides specialist assessment and intervention to women experiencing significant mental health difficulties in pregnancy and up to a year postnatal. Further information including how to refer can be found here.
Axel Scheffler has illustrated a digital book for primary school age children, free to read on screen or print out, about the coronavirus and the measures taken to control it.
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- Feeling calm and connected during COVID-19, Helping Families Team, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. The Helping Families Team have also set up social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. They are posting daily content aimed at helping parents to cope with family life and parenting during social distancing:
- Samaritans Self-Help App Keep track of how you're feeling, and get recommendations for things you can do to help yourself cope, feel better and stay safe in a crisis
- Domestic abuse services:
- Free & confidential support for anyone in Bexley
- Domestic Abuse Services in Bexley – update March 2020 (includes links to local and national support services)
- Support for domestic abuse victims during lockdown, London Borough of Bexley – includes reference to the ‘silent solution’ for 999 calls when you cannot talk
For children and young people:
- What's it like going back to school after lockdown?, Video, Newsround
- Coronavirus: How will schools change to help keep you safe?, Newsround
- Returning to School After Lockdown, Twinkl Original Story (aimed at children in Reception and Yr 1)

Parent Zone
Click here to read the article that prompted the need for this section of the website.
Parent zone provide support and information to parents, children and schools, working globally to help families to navigate the internet safely and confidently. Click the logo to go to their homepage.

The London Borough of Bexley has launched a new helpline for local vulnerable people.
Many will have friends, family, neighbours and other support networks to help, but the Council is there if they need help.
Whether it is someone to get shopping, pick up other essentials, or provide information, guidance and advice, please call.
The helpline is open from 8am to 8pm. The number to call is 020 3045 5398 or apply for help online.
Please also contact the school on emergency@belvedere-inf.bexley.sch.uk if you need advice or support.
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These are difficult times for young and old - please remember you are not alone
How to talk to your child about Coronavirus - Unicef
Looking after your mental health during Coronavirus outbreak
Young Minds - Talking to your child about Coronavirus
Self-help and wellbeing, Coronavirus and your mental wellbeing
Child Wellbeing
Childline - your feelings and worries about the world and Coronavirus
Childline Calm Zone - how to stay calm and deal with your worries
Learning at home during the Coronavirus Pandemic:
Is your child struggling academically or emotionally during the COVID-19 restrictions?
Feel free to get in touch for a chat:
For the full details, download the flier below:
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The Skills Toolkit
Want to learn a new skill while at home?
Find free, high quality digital and numeracy courses in The Skills Toolkit.
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Parents' guide for safe online activity. The number one priority for parents should be to teach their children to protect themselves online and use social media safely. As a parent, you can’t monitor everything your child does all the time, and older teenagers might want (and genuinely need) some digital privacy. Instead, focus on being proactive about their safety while teaching your children how to protect themselves online. Please click on the image below to visit the Safety Detectives website.
StarLine is available to parents and carers of pupils from all schools nationwide. Free, confidential advice is available six days a week by phoning the StarLine team on 0330 313 9162. For more information, visit www.starline.org.uk or follow @StarLineSupport on Twitter.
StarLine will help parents and carers in the following ways:
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By providing access to a team of qualified teachers, education and parenting experts.
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By focussing on providing practical ideas, support and reassurance.
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By offering tips, techniques and resources to enable parents to give their children the support they need to continue learning while schools are closed.
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By supporting family wellbeing and mental health.
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By covering all phases of education and subjects plus behaviour, pupil wellbeing and SEND.The team behind StarLine will also be broadcasting a weekly programme on YouTube. In each episode of StarLive, a guest presenter will share practical ideas for home learning. Further details can be found on the StarLine website.
NHS approved Wellbeing Apps for children
The following link gives you access to a list of NHS approved apps, for mental health support for children to access while at home https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/category/mental-health/
Where can I go to get support to help keep my child safe online?
There is a lot of support available to keep your child safe online. Below are some useful links to help parents and carers:
- Thinkyouknow (advice from the National Crime Agency to stay safe online)
- Internet matters (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
- Parent info (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
- LGfL (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
- Net-aware (support for parents and careers from the NSPCC)
Please also see Year Group Pages/Home Learning for more resources
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Whilst it is extremely important to follow Government advice to stay at home during this period, it can be confusing to know what to do when your child is unwell or injured. Remember that NHS 111, GPs and hospitals are still providing the same safe care that they have always done. Click on the document below for some important advice .
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Sue Rogers and Peter Rogers
Here are stories to help young people explore emotions, thoughts and feelings that may have arisen in them as a result of the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic
Teddy's Birthday is intended to stimulate conversation to help young children explore feelings and emotions.

Pim is finding ‘lockdown’ difficult and is angry because he misses school and his friends.

George is intended only to be used with children who have experienced family bereavement as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
