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Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families, Vicky Ford has written an open letter to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), their parents, families and others who support them. The letter signposts key Covid-19 guidance published over the past week.

A message from Derby from the Specialist Teaching and Psychology Service (STePS)

The current situation is unprecedented. You may be feeling overwhelmed and anxious for your own family and personal safety whilst also caring for your children 24/7, supporting loved ones and trying to maintain your own mental health and wellbeing. We are all under a huge pressure to help out, support each other and do the right thing. So how can you protect your own mental health and wellbeing and be providing the support your children need? Here are 6 key themes:

• Stay Active: try to keep getting regular exercise and go outside
• Fun, Learning and Doing: take a break from the news and social media and do something you enjoy, learn a new skill, set out to achieve something at home, try to plan in some fun
• Find the Good: ‘every day is not good but there is good in every day’ – write down each day something positive/ good
• Connect: keep on connecting socially with family and friends by phone, text and video call, share birthdays and play games together virtually
• Kindness: helping others is good for our mental health and will make you feel happier
• Control: there are things you can control and things you can’t – try to focus on the things you can control and let go of the things you can’t

All STePs staff are still currently working albeit remotely. If we can be of any help or support to you please do get in touch. You can contact us by phone or email. You can call us on 641400 or email us at stepsadmin@derby.gov.uk and we will try to identify the most appropriate person to help you.

Eleanor Moore – Specialist Teaching Service Manager and Senior Educational Psychologist
Richard Lakin – Principal Educational Psychologist

You will have seen the announcements over the past few days about school closures for everyone except children of critical workers and vulnerable children, in order to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. The government has now published questions and answers about these changes.

The BBC soap opera Eastenders has begun a new storyline that explores what it’s like coming to terms with hearing loss and living as a deaf person, following character Ben Mitchell’s hearing loss.

Derby City Council now has a webpage dedicated to the Coronarvirus or COVID-19. There is also a national Coronavirus Helpline set up by the Department for Education.

Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline between 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday:

Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk