Children and Young People

Children and young people need their Teenage booster to protect against polio, tetanus and diphtheria MMR vaccine to protect against measles, mumps and rubella MenACWY vaccine to protect against meningitis and septicaemia HPV vaccine to protect against types of cancer.

The immunisation teams will be holding clinics over the summer holidays for year 8 children and older who have missed their immunisations in school. Please contact your local immunisation team to make an appointment or to check your child’s immunisations to ensure they are fully protected. For more information, visit www.merseycare.nhs.uk/imms

ChatHealth, a confidential text messaging service for young people in St Helens, is now available.

Brought to you by the School Nursing Service (part of the 0-19+ Service in St Helens), young people, aged 11-19, can access confidential advice and support from school nurses via text - 07312 263250, on a range of health and wellbeing issues including:

Anxiety                                                         Bullying

Exam stress                                                 Exercise

Feelings and emotions                                 Friendships

Healthy eating and lifestyle                          Mental wellbeing

Nutrition and diet                                          Puberty

Relationships                                               Self-harm

Sexual health and wellbeing                        Sleeping

Stress                                                           Wellbeing

This new service, a winner of the NHS Innovation Challenge Award, provides advice, information, and guidance, as well as signposting to other local services if needed. It does not replace face-to-face services, but it does make it easier for a young person to get in touch with a school nurse confidentially and anonymously. It also offers a way to get in touch for those who feel reluctant to talk about difficult or sensitive issues.

How ChatHealth works

ChatHealth is available between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday (including school holidays and excluding bank holidays) and is accessed by texting
07312 263250.

Anyone sending a text outside of these hours will receive an automated message with advice on where to get help if they require it urgently. When the service reopens, the sender will then receive a reply to the message.

ChatHealth is confidential, anonymous, and non-judgemental*.

* Unless a young person gives permission, the team will not pass on any information shared - except in extreme circumstances e.g., the health, safety, or welfare of the individual or someone else who is at significant risk.

For more information about ChatHealth visit:

http://www.wchc.nhs.uk/chathealth

YMCA St Helens provide a Young Peoples Listening Service for young people aged 12 to 18, which is taking referrals now offering one to one support for young people aged 12-18 who would benefit from mental health focussed support and/or someone to talk to.

Their aim is to listen and to empower young people to know how to improve their mental health, including supporting them to reflect upon and become more aware of their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, promoting wellbeing techniques whilst supporting the young people to gain a more positive mental wellbeing and emotional resilience. (Poster and flier attached below).

These one to ones are then complimented by a weekly “peer support group” offering a chance to come together with their peers, to support each other and further explore mental health issues and ways to develop support networks and self-care skills. 

For more information or to make a referral 

Telephone: 01744 415226

email: [email protected]

CAMHS hold an on-line drop in on the last Wednesday of the month. This is an opportunity for parents and carers to meet senior CAMHS managers, find out more about the service, and ask any questions they may have. 

To be sent a link to the  next drop-in contact Dennis Dewar:

Telephone (01925) 664850 or Email [email protected]

Please let Dennis know if you are interested but unable to attend on-line or at the scheduled time.

All parents and carers of young people supported by CAMHS are welcome to attend

Shout is a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope with mental health. They offer support, advice and signposting.

If you need support text REACH to 85258

The group want to identify what would allow you to feel part of the community and help to introduce other young people from BAME communities in St Helens.

“individuals will be encouraged to express their own identity and culture in their own unique way”

“aims to reduce social isolation and enhance wellbeing in the community”

“really exciting opportunity for young people to speak out about the issues that matter to them”

For more information, please email [email protected]

Are you pregnant or have a child aged 0-5 years?  If so then download the CATCH app.  You’ll find useful health information from the NHS, national charities and organisations, along with details of local services and support.

The Common Approach to Children’s Health (CATCH) is a health information app aimed at parents and carers from pregnancy to age five. CATCH eases the sense of information overload which parents and carers can experience during pregnancy and a child’s early years. It does this by providing articles from the NHS, as well as national charities and organisations, in one place together with details of local services and support. Everything in CATCH is approved by local clinicians so there’s no worry that the information is not trusted and reliable.

St Helens Council Youth Services have been consulting with members of the St Helens Youth Council to create an online Mental Health Toolkit –aimed at educating young people about the importance of self-care. 
 
#GrowYourHappy  is an easy to read, navigate, fun, pressure-free online space, full of swipe able recommendations, resources, support services and mood-boosting content. 

St Helens Youth Council were provided with funding from the Violence Reduction Partnership (Merseyside Police) to create something which could educate and help young people in St Helens.

The Youth Council were keen to create something which could help provide other young people in St Helens with the space to improve their mental health whilst providing supportive resources, education about self-care and options to empower and ‘help themselves’ should they need it.
 
The young people came up with the concept to create a mental health and wellbeing toolkit (box) but rather than a physical box, to create a digital one - so that all young people could access it and take what they would want from it.   Sneak-peak With a full campaign launched to coincide with the return of school’s in September, International Youth Day is an ideal opportunity to showcase the Youth Council’s creativity and hard work online, and raise some initial brand awareness and engagement with self-care during the summer.

Check it out for yourself

https://yaz.sthelens.gov.uk/pick-a-subject/growyourhappy/

If you're pregnant or had a baby in the last year at Whiston Hospital or in St Helens St Helens Maternity Voices Partnership would love to hear from you.

What was good? What could have been better? St Helens Maternity Voices Partnership will use your feedback to help shape maternity service across St Helens.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/9CGQL3Z