Working Together in Early Help : SEND Themed Events

Our Families First "Working Together in Early Help" events are a great opportunity to meet up and network with other local professionals and at the same time learn from new services across Hertfordshire. They are held twice yearly across the county and our summer events will be focused on SEND support.

More information will follow, but in the meantime, you can book your place here:- www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/earlyhelpevent

Easter Happy Programme

Hertfordshire County Council is once again launching its free Easter activity camps for children and young people in Hertfordshire.

Fully funded holiday activity camps return for the Easter break, providing eligible children and young people with the chance to meet friends, learn new skills and enjoy nutritious food.

The HAPpy programme is funded by Hertfordshire County Council and the Department of Education (DfE) via the government’s Holiday Activity and Food programme and coordinated by Herts Sport and Activity Partnership and the Hertfordshire Community Foundation.

Bookings are now open via the Herts Sport and Physical Activity Partnership’s website:  https://bit.ly/HBL1BookHAPpy

Hertfordshire schools are now giving out booking codes to families of eligible children. Parents/carers who have not received the code should contact their school office or email haf@herts.ac.uk.

Healthier Together Spring 2024 – newsletter

We thought we would share a very informative spring newsletter from the Hertfordshire and West Essex (HWE) Healthier Together website which can be accessed on the following link:  HWE Healthier together spring newsletter.

The HWE Healthier Together website provides parents and professionals information on a range of childhood illnesses, all in one place. It is developed by trusted health experts. The newsletter is designed to keep professionals up to date on changes and improvements to the website, including new pages and seasonal health topics, to help with signposting the healthier together website to families.

Our Spring edition includes information on:

• Pharmacy First
• Measles
• Managing allergies and hay fever
• Asthma friendly schools
• Eating well
• Exercise and physical activity.
• Childhood vaccination
• Health for young people
  • Mental wellbeing
  • Exam stress

The last page is a spring poster that can be printed and displayed in receptions and waiting rooms. This can also be sent to you separately if you email hweicbenh.cypteam@nhs.net.

We hope you find it useful. Please share amongst your teams. We would love to hear your feedback on our newsletter. Please email us at hweicbenh.cypteam@nhs.net with any comments or suggestions.

 

It’s Not Just “Fussy” Eating: Raising Awareness of ARFID

The 4.5% of children and teenagers* labelled as “persistent picky eaters” could have an undiagnosed eating disorder, according to NHS experts.

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder unlike Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia because individuals are not concerned about their body image or trying to lose weight. There is currently no solid data for how many people in the UK have ARFID as it is very often conflated with “fussy” eating. However, in a systematic review** of 30 studies, the estimated prevalence of ARFID in child and adolescent samples ranged between 0.3% and 15.5%.

ARFID is characterised by a limited range of food intake by eating only “safe” foods and avoiding entire food types, leading to difficulty meeting nutritional and energy needs, weight loss and health problems. This can be for reasons including sensory sensitivity, fear of negative consequences from eating, and/or a low interest in eating.

With Eating Disorder Awareness Week currently underway, the NHS-backed psychoeducational website, Be Body Positive, is urging parents, carers and health professionals to find out more about ARFID, listen to people’s stories with empathy, to offer support and avoid judgement. Be Body Positive, which is in partnership with Barnardo’s, also encourages people who have concerns to seek support from their GP should they have any concerns about diet and nutrition.

NHS specialist eating disorder dietitian, Paola Falcoskihas developed self-guided modules on ARFID for Be Body Positive. These include evidence-based resources from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Therapy, as well as resources for parents, carers, schools, and health professionals.

Paola said: "ARFID is a complex eating disorder that requires a multifaceted approach to treatment, but recovery is possible. People deserve the right support in navigating their journey towards recovery."

Tahlia David, who had eating difficulties since childhood, was finally diagnosed with ARFID when she was 20 years old. Tahlia's experience with ARFID began at a very young age, but like many others, she was initially dismissed as a “fussy” eater before eventually being misdiagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa as a teenager due to significant weight loss.

For Tahlia, the impact of ARFID extends far beyond the dinner table to emotional, psychological and physical symptoms which make day-to-day life difficult. Tahlia has an above-average sense of smell and taste; she finds certain textures fear-provoking; she can’t eat different foods if they are together on her plate and she has an intense fear of food poisoning which causes distress and nausea long after mealtimes. This has impacted on Tahila’s social life and, as she was misdiagnosed as a teenager, she missed out on vital treatment earlier, when her symptoms were less severe and her physical and mental health were less impacted.

Tahlia said: "Growing up, I felt misunderstood and isolated because of my eating habits. It wasn't until I was properly diagnosed at 20 that I understood why I struggled with eating. Knowing that ARFID exists has been a validating experience, connecting me with a community of people who share similar challenges."

Tahlia's story highlights the importance of ARFID awareness, particularly in educational and medical settings where early intervention can make a significant difference in treatment outcomes. 

Tahila added: "Schools and GPs should be more aware of ARFID and other eating disorders that develop early. Words and attitudes matter.”

For further information and resources, connect with Be Body Positive on Instagram, TikTok (@bebodypositive_nhs), or X, previously Twitter (@BBP_NHS), or visit the official website www.bebodypositive.org.uk.

Follow Tahlia's journey @tahliapaiged on X and stay tuned for her upcoming blog on www.bebodypositive.org.uk

References
 *Cardona Cano S, Tiemeier H, Van Hoeken D, et al. Trajectories of picky eating during childhood: a general population study. The International Journal of Eating Disorders. 2015;48(6):570–579.
**Sanchez-Cerezo, J., Nagularaj, L., Gledhill, J., & Nicholls, D. (2023). Whatdo we know about the epidemiology of avoidant/restrictive foodintake disorder in children and adolescents? A systematic review ofthe literature. European Eating Disorders Review, 31(2), 226–246.

 

News from Services for Young People, March 2023

Access to All STEM event inspires young people and connects them with local employers

A successful ‘careers challenge’ event was held at the Hertfordshire Development Centre in Stevenage on Monday 5 February 2024 as part of the Services for Young People (SfYP) Access to All programme. The event gave Stevenage students an opportunity to learn more about careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and connect with local employers. The feedback from the students was positive, with 93% rating the event with 4 or 5 stars.

• Read the full story including feedback from the young people, employers and teachers

Celebrating young people’s achievements during National Apprenticeship Week 2024

Inspiring success stories demonstrate the impact of the support provided by SfYP in helping young people into apprenticeships. 

An apprenticeship is an excellent opportunity for young people aged 16 and over to get practical work experience combined with education. They achieve nationally recognised qualifications while also earning a salary.

• Read the apprenticeship success stories

“I feel happier… less anxious and more confident”

SfYP recently played a crucial role in helping Aaliyah (not her real name) after she was referred to us by her school because of low self-esteem and confidence. Joining our ‘Supporting You’ programme enabled her to make a big difference to her mental health, improving her resilience, self-care skills and sense of belonging.

 Read the case study

 

Become a Safe Space volunteer mentor

Would you like to become a Safe Space volunteer mentor for young people in Hertfordshire and support them to overcome challenges, achieve their goals and reach their potential?

ABOUT SAFE SPACE

Safe Space provides mentoring for young people aged 11-19 (25 if they are care leavers or have a learning disability) who live or go to school/college in Hertfordshire. Mentors are given training before being matched with a young person who would benefit from 1:1 mentoring support to help them reach their potential

See more opportunities by Safe Space

Role of the mentor

As a volunteer mentor you would meet with your young person once a week for up to an hour, at a time and place in the community convenient to you both. Usually the mentoring relationship is for 6 months but can be longer or shorter depending on the need.

Following an initial 2 day training programme and required checks, volunteer mentors are matched with young people based on personality and interests but also by location.

As a volunteer mentor you would gain trust from the young person you are working with and provide valuable support in being able to help them work towards goals, overcome challenges, give advice or just provide a listening ear. (Minimum age 21)

You will be supported by a Mentoring Co-ordinator and ongoing training and support groups are provided.

If you are interested, please download an application form and send to mentoringmailbox@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Also any questions should be sent to mentoringmailbox@hertfordshire.gov.uk

 

Updates from Step2Skills

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 Step2Skills is delighted to unveil the 9^th edition of Step2Skills News, featuring learners and participants from across their range of employment support and skills training services.

Hear about Andrew and Dune’s experiences on a hospitality course, Jonathan’s journey on the Prince’s Trust TEAM programme in Hertfordshire and Beverley’s alternative route into a new career; teaching.

Learn more from Step2Skills teacher, Maria on living with Autism and set your 2024 goals after reading about the importance of fitness and wellbeing from learner, Viviane.

The digital version of the Step2Skills News magazine can be accessed and read at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/step2skillsmagazine.

 

The printed copies are on their way so if you would like some A5 printed copies for your organisation, be it a library, doctor’s surgery, village hall, (the list goes on!) please email me and we’ll get this arranged.

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Are you ready to release your Number Ninja and improve your number skills?

Step2Skills has been busy promoting the Multiply project across Hertfordshire in the last month and you may have noticed posters on buses, in train station and possibly even had a flyer through your door in the last couple of weeks!

If you'd like to improve your number skills, then the Step2Skills FREE Multiply workshops can help! They offer a range of workshops to help with budgeting, supporting your child with their school work and saving money, so there's bound to be something that can help you 📝💻

Download the leaflet

Visit https://numberninja.org/ and Count Yourself In!

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Looking for support into work? The Road to Employment project can help.

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 Places on all of these workshops and courses can be booked on the Step2Skills website at www.step2skills.org.uk/courses.

Sources of health and wellbeing evidence to support your work in Hertfordshire

Play this short film to introduce the five sources of health and wellbeing evidence in Hertfordshire:-

Webpage: Evidencing the need: health and wellbeing evidence sources (arcgis.com)

Download the Families First Funding Guide

BeeZee Families are Choosing Healthier Snacks

We know lots of families can find it hard to encourage children to choose healthier snacks.

But we’re here to help! Our team of nutritionists deliver Beezee Families, a FREE heathy lifestyle programme to support families across Hertfordshire.

This is Parent Mail. It’s a FREE resource that we share with parents twice a term to tackle the biggest challenges face in making healthy choices. Please share the attachment with parents you work with via email / regular newsletters and on social media.

We also have FREE healthy lifestyle programmes beginning April 22nd to help families to build healthy habits around food and physical activity. Sign-ups are open NOW so families can secure their spot. Alternatively, they can start their journey with our online programmes too.

Visit our website for more details.