Hearts & Minds, award-winning charity and home of the Clowndoctors, is pleased to announce an exciting and fun new programme for special educational needs schools across Scotland.
Clowning Around is an art and play programme specifically designed for children with special educational support needs. Using the art of therapeutic clowning professionally trained artists engage children in play, music, dance, song, puppetry, games and storytelling. The Clowndoctors use improvisational skills and expertise in non-verbal communication and play to create tailored programmes to suit individual needs.
• Clowndoctor on Call: bespoke live interactive sessions delivered virtually by the Clowndoctors to individuals or a small group. • Clowndoctor Personalised Videos: Videos created for individuals or small groups. Tailored to suit the needs and interests of the children/young people.
• Clowndoctor in the Classroom: live visits in the classroom with the Clowndoctors. These will return when restrictions allow. • Laughing Around: Laughter Yoga workshop for staff. This fun practical workshop is designed to relieve stress, lighten the mood, and form positive connections.
Clowndoctor on Call virtual visits were developed in response to COVID 19 as face to face visits in the classroom had to stop and Hearts & Minds were determined to keep the connection with pupils & bring moments of joy and laughter into the classroom.
The virtual visits have begun at Fairview School, Perth where they have been a huge success with staff and pupils.
Leigh Verdot, Head Teacher of Fairview School said: “We are thrilled to still get our weekly fix with the Clowndoctors. It is great to see the smiles and enjoyment from our pupils when they are engaging with the Clowndoctors on the ipads!
“Things are so different with COVID restrictions, so our weekly visits are one of the best parts of the week now. All our staff are learning from the Clowndoctors too. We couldn’t ask for a better start to the week!”
Rebecca Simpson, CEO of Hearts & Minds commented: “I am delighted to finally launch at our new school programme- Clowning Around. With 21 years’ experience of delivering our Clowndoctor programme it is exciting to be developing this work for schools across Scotland.
“The feedback we have received already has been overwhelmingly positive regarding the impact on the children. The programme is full of fun, laughter and creativity and will bring smiles to classrooms.”
The programme is open to all schools in Scotland who have pupils with complex learning needs and the programme can be tailored to suit the individual or a class. The team at Hearts & Minds will liaise with staff to provide a bespoke series of sessions.
Watch out for World Food Day on Friday (October 16). The date commemorates the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organisation by the United Nations in 1945. This year’s theme is Grow, Nourish, Sustain, Together.
This is a great opportunity to do some fun activities at home with your children to give them a better understanding of how a sustainable supply of food relates to their own lives and the local area as well as those in far-away places.
And the event is of particular significance this year because it takes place at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic threatens food security in many parts of the world.
Former primary school teacher Oli Ryan of education resource experts PlanBee reports:
Four great ways to celebrate World Food Day 2020
1. Discover fascinating food facts
World Food Day Facts
Eight hundred million people around the world suffer from hunger.
In parts of the world where hunger is a big issue, life expectancy is shorter, infant mortality is higher, and productivity is lower.
Around the same number of people around the world suffer from obesity due to unhealthy diets.
Obesity kills more people than hunger.
Inefficient, unsustainable food systems harm ecosystems and contribute to global warming. Changing the way we produce food is key to tackling climate change.
As the climate changes, we will have to change the way we produce food: yields will decrease, and new food sources will have to be found.
In developed countries, tackling obesity would save hundreds of billions of pounds in healthcare costs.
In countries where hunger is an issue, eliminating hunger would dramatically increase productivity and national wealth.
2. Make it meaningful.
Food security and food poverty are significant issues in the UK too. It’s a good time to talk about food banks, free school meals and the importance of eating nourishing food for health, happiness and even for effective learning.
What is ‘food security’? Food security means being having access to adequate supplies of food to live healthily. To have food security:
People must have enough money to buy food
Food must be affordably-priced
There must be reliable supply chains for food
There must be enough reserves of food, or reliable enough supply chains for a variety of foods, to ensure that access to food is not interrupted
The food available must be nutritious, so those who consume it can lead active, healthy lives
What are ‘sustainable food systems’? Effective, sustainable food systems affordably provide an adequate amount of food to meet demand while also supporting the ecosystems they rely on for the production of food.
The greenhouses will be heated by warm water pumped from nearby water treatment plants, producing far lower carbon emissions than traditional growing methods. It also reduces food miles and establishes a more reliable supply of food in the local area. Can you think of an example of a sustainable food system in your own area?
3. Link it to your local community
Church of England schools have a long-standing tradition of celebrating harvest festival by collecting store cupboard food items for the elderly and vulnerable in their community. This year, Sukkot, the Jewish harvest festival, is celebrated 2nd-9th October.
If there’s not much happening locally, why not arrange to do something to help those less well-off in your community? Find out where your nearest food bank is. Many will list the items they are most in need of each week on their website.
4. Make healthy, nutritious food together
Talk ‘around’ the recipe you choose to follow; for example, you might try to find out about the food journey of one or more of the ingredients.
You can find out more about what’s happening during World Food Day 2020 by following the hashtags #WorldFoodDay and #FoodHeroes on social media.
For more activity ideas and resources for celebrating World Food Day, check out PlanBee’s World Food Day collection.
Former primary school teacher Oli Ryan is a senior member of the team at PlanBee, the education resources and lesson planning experts
The team from the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh has donated a total of £1,500 worth of toys and pyjamas to Cancer & Leukemia Advice & Support for Parents (CCLASP) and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity as part of the company’s global Amazon Goes Gold campaign during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Amazon Goes Gold is Amazon’s annual campaign to raise awareness and funds during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In addition to partnering with hospitals and research organisations around the world, Amazon also wraps a selection of its delivery fleet in gold ribbons during the month of September to further increase awareness across its network. The Amazon Goes Gold campaign was launched in 2017.
Valerie Simpson, from CCLASP, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many of the team at the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh working in their pyjamas in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness month!
“I’d like to thank Rachel and the team for raising awareness through #AmazonGoesGold and for providing us with a donation, which will be greatly appreciated by everyone at CCLASP. We could hardly believe it when the team showed up with all the pyjamas and toys – the children will love them.”
While we’re all facing a global pandemic, more than 300,000 children will also be diagnosed with pediatric cancer this year, and it’s the number one non-communicable disease causing the death of children around the world.
“We’re incredibly proud to partner with CCLASP and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital for Amazon Goes Gold,” said Rachel Seaward-Simpson, Site Leader at the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh.
“We want patients and kids everywhere affected by childhood cancer to imagine the future innovators in themselves. It’s an honour to make a difference for such an important cause that affects families around the world.”
This donation will support CCLASP and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital in their missions to provide practical and emotional support to families affected by childhood cancer.
– 72% of people responding to a survey about their experiences of the Scottish Government and COSLA’s 10 year Strategy for Autism reported that they did not have enough support to meet their needs –
The findings are published in today’s ‘The Accountability Gap’, a report from the Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Autism’s review of the Scottish Government and COSLA’s 10-year Strategy for Autism.
Supported by charities National Autistic Society Scotland and Scottish Autism, who provide Joint-Secretariat to the CPG, a survey carried out as part of the review also found that:
72% of respondents said they did not have enough support to meet their needs
78% of respondents said that it was not easy accessing support locally
50% felt that autism awareness among the general public had not improved
69% said that with more support they would feel less isolated
36% said they received no support within 12 months of receiving a diagnosis.
The CPG on Autism is Co-Convened by Annie Wells MSP and Alexander Burnett MSP, and has a large membership that comprises of MSPs, autistic people, families, organisations and professionals from across Scotland. The group meets regularly looking at issues faced by autistic people and families.
In 2011, the Scottish Government together with COSLA published a 10-year Scottish Strategy for Autism that set out priorities and aimed to deliver strategic action for autistic people and their families in Scotland.
The CPG on Autism undertook its review from May 2019 to January 2020 and heard first-hand the difficulties faced by autistic people and their families in Scotland. It found widespread recognition that the Government’s strategy set out a welcome vision and was well-intentioned however the majority of people who participated said there had been limited impact for many people in a number of areas including autism diagnosis and post-diagnostic support, as well as support in education, care and employment.
It also highlighted how a lack of accountability at local level, is leaving autistic people and families fighting, often with little success, to get the support they need.
The review makes 10 recommendations that aim to help improve the lives of autistic people that the Scottish Government and COSLA should consider when the Strategy comes to the end of its lifespan in 2021. These include:
Solving the accountability gap by establishing a new Commissioner role, whose remit includes ensuing that autistic people and families get the support they need.
Developing a new Scottish Strategy for Autism that is co-created between autistic people, families, charities, COSLA and the Government, is appropriately funded and delivers real sustainable change.
Co-Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Autism, Alexander Burnett MSP, said:“The majority view of the hundreds of people who have been involved in our review is that the ambition and aspiration set out in the Scottish Government’s strategy has not been realised in practice and that many autistic people and their families lack the appropriate levels of support in order to thrive in our society.
“We found that there are concerns surrounding a lack of training for professionals, as well as a lack of pre and post diagnosis support across a number of areas 2including social care, education, transition into adulthood, housing and employment.
“In the context of the pandemic we believe the report’s recommendations are more important than ever for Scottish Government, COSLA and partners to consider when planning for what comes next when the strategy is due to come to an end next year.
“Over the years, we have seen numerous reports and reviews on autism, however there seems to be little evidence to suggest any real change is being delivered at a local level.
“This is a system that is repeatedly failing to meet the rights and needs of autistic people. We must therefore focus on systemic sustainable change to enable better access to education, health, social and community services for autistic people and their families.”
Kirsteen, a mother from Aberdeen said:“I have an autistic son called Toby who is now a young adult. When Toby was younger he received support from the school, college and the local authority but virtually stopped overnight when he became 16.
“Toby needs a lot of support and without it we struggled to cope as a family. Ultimately, we reached crisis point and things escalated even to the extent the police got involved as he became very frustrated and lashed out.
“Toby is now living in his own flat which initially I had to pay for as the local authority did not provide anything that met his needs. They had offered a place in a hostel for people with drug issues which is completely inappropriate.
“I’m now selling my place so I can move closer to Toby as I desperately want to make sure he is supported. I do this because my son and daughters mean the world to me but it’s hugely stressful to hold down a full-time career in nursing and provide support for someone with such complex needs.
“I don’t feel things have got better over the last few years and I don’t think they will change unless Scotland implements legislation – committees and reviews on autism make no difference.”
Nick Ward, Director of National Autistic Society Scotland, said: “Today’s ‘Accountability Gap’ report from the Cross-Party Group paints a stark picture of the struggles that Scotland’s 56,000 autistic people and their families face in order to get the services they are entitled to – a struggle which sadly they often lose leaving them frustrated, distraught and often in crisis.
“The Government must now look to build on the 10-year strategy by building accountability into the system so people get the services and support they so desperately need.”
Charlene Tait, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Scottish Autism, said: “We recognise the Scottish Government’s commitment through its 10-year strategy to set out a landscape where autistic people and their families have access to the services and support they need.
“However, there is an evident ‘accountability gap’ between service provision and what is available. The reality is that many autistic people and their families often have to fight to get the vital services and support to which they are entitled.
“Over the years, we have seen numerous reports and reviews on autism, however there seems to be little evidence to suggest any real change is being delivered at a local level. This is a system that is repeatedly failing to meet the rights and needs of autistic people.
“We must therefore focus on systemic sustainable change to enable better access to education, health, social and community services for autistic people and their families.”
AS coronavirus restrictions tighten, charity Children 1st is making sure that parents and carers can always get the support they need through their Parentline service.
Children 1st Parentline helps families with emotional, financial and practical support, over the phone and online. Throughout the pandemic Children 1st have helped families come together, deal with stress and cope through the continued changes to everyday life.
Families can also be put in touch with Children 1st Money Advisors, who help parents and carers deal with money worries and take control of their finances.
Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive, Children 1st said: “Parents and carers are telling us that they feel like they’re at the end of their tether. After so long living with restrictions, they’re exhausted. Many families are struggling to make ends meet and are looking for support to keep the lights on and put food on the table.
“We want families to know they don’t need to go through this alone. Children 1st Parentline is here. Our staff and volunteers give confidential, non-judgemental support over the phone or online. You can call free on 08000 28 22 33 or start a webchat at children1st.org.uk/parentline”
One parent who reached out to Parentline said: “I would have been in a totally different place if it hadn’t been for these conversations.
“No one seems to be there to support the people who are supporting the children. I was really struggling. It’s fine talking to friends and family, but they aren’t in your shoes.”
Another parent said: “It feels really good just to be heard and not feel judged.”
Children 1st Parentline is open seven days a week, from 9am-9pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 12 midday Saturday and Sunday.
If your family are struggling get in touch by calling free on 08000 28 22 33 or visit children1st.org.uk/parentline to start a webchat.
How to help your child find emotional intelligence
The global pandemic and lockdowns on top of all the usual life challenges can affect children just as much as adults. To mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October, former primary school teacher CATHERINE LYNCH of education resources experts PlanBeeprovides six stepping stones, and free downloadable resources, to help parents support youngsters to develop good mental health:
Name emotions and feelings
Until someone has the vocabulary associated with emotions and feelings, they will not be able to explain how they feel or identify how others are feeling. Name emotions when your child experiences them, it might feel like you are stating the obvious, but you are giving your child an important tool to becoming emotionally intelligent.
Explain the physical sensations linked to emotions and feelings
Help children to recognise how different emotions present in their bodies. Do they normally feel a bit sick when they are anxious? Do their shoulders feel tight when they are stressed? Do they become very busy when they are avoiding something? By helping them notice these physical representations of emotions they will begin to recognise when they are starting to feel something and might be able to react before their brains get flooded with the stress hormone cortisol.
Understand when and why a feeling or emotion is felt
The better children become at naming and spotting their emotions the easier it will become for them to notice the triggers for their emotions. If they always get a knot in their stomach on the way to school and know it is because they feel anxious you can start to explore where the anxiety comes from. Are they worried about the moment of goodbye, is it walking into a formed group of people or is it something else? By pinpointing the cause of the feeling, you and your child will be able to understand it better.
When you and your child are able to notice, name and understand the source of a feeling or emotion you can begin to work out ways to help them regulate. Is a big calming and focusing breath needed? Or maybe a few star jumps? There isn’t one route to regulating the child’s emotions, what works best for your child will be something you need to figure out together.
Rules that maintain safety should be non-negotiable. These will vary depending on the age and developmental stage of a child. When a child is feeling a big emotion, their brain will not be working in the same way it does when the child is calm. Expectations and language may need to be adjusted to help the child stay safe. Rather than seeing a rule as something that a child should be punished for breaking, work with your child to help them succeed in staying safe and maintaining the boundary.
Relate with your child
Once they have calmed down and are able to listen, empathise with your child. Talk to them about a time you felt the same way and what happened. This will help them to understand their own feelings and feel like you understand and care about them.
“I am wondering if you are excited about seeing your friend.”
“Take a deep breath with me.”
“I can see you are finding it tricky to stay close by. Hold my hand as we cross the road to keep us safe.”
“One time I was so excited I had so much energy that I thought I might be able to fly.”
Angry
“I can see you are really angry.”
“Your face is scrunched up and your fists are clenched.”
“I am wondering if you are angry because someone didn’t let you play.”
“Take a deep breath with me.”
“I cannot let you hit me. If you need to get your angry out try hitting this cushion or blowing away the clouds in the sky.”
“Once I was so angry I wanted to throw everything I could see but your grandad helped me calm down by giving me play dough to squeeze.”
Sad
“I can see you are really sad.”
“Your eyes are hidden and your shoulders are hunched.”
“I am wondering if you are sad because it is time to leave.”
“Would you like a hug?”
“It is ok to feel sad. We need to go home now to have dinner.”
“I sometimes feel really sad about things ending too. Shall we make a plan to come back here again?”
As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup, so make sure you are getting the support you need to help you support the people around you.
Catherine Lynch is an experienced teacher, play therapist and senior manager at PlanBee, which creates teaching resources for primary school aged children (aged five-11). The resources have been created to meet the English National Curriculum objectives.
October 9-15th is a very important week in the work of Held In Our Hearts.This is Baby Loss Awareness Week #BLAW and every day the charity will be sharing stories/ videos and podcasts of families and their own experience of loss.
From the workplace to home the families will share about how they have been supported by the charity and how you can get involved. The event will end on 15th at 7pm with a wave of light that will be shared by many.
You can get involved by sharing as much as you can.
14 babies a day die in the UK and as a charity we want to make sure that all families get support. Charities have been adversely affected by the pandemic but we want to make sure that no one sits in silence.
As leisure venues start to adapt to the new norm, Edinburgh Leisure has introduced new Family Swim sessions at their five pools that are open, in a bid to offer activities for all ages and stages.
The Family Swim sessions will be available to book at Ainslie Park Leisure Centre, Drumbrae Leisure Centre, The Royal Commonwealth Pool, Gracemount Leisure Centre and Leith Victoria Swim Centre.
To enable customers to safely enjoy the benefits of family swimming, the pool will be sectioned off into ‘pods’, with each family having their own private area. Each pod will cost from £9.60 – £12, depending on type of membership held.
Members can book eight days in advance or seven days for non-members, with sessions starting from Saturday, 17 October 2020. Booking is now live to members and non-members can book from 9pm tonight (Friday, 9th October).
Customers will be able to book a 40-minute session with a maximum of five people, from the same household bubble. However, customers will need to stick to the existing adult: child ratios*.
This will allow flexibility for how customers use the space – e.g. children from 9-12 years who do not need to socially distance, can book to attend with their friends if they wish. During any one sessions, there will be between three to eight pods to book.
Angela McCowan, Swim Development Officer at Edinburgh Leisure said: “We are delighted to be welcoming families back to our pools. We know how popular previous family swim sessions have been so opening up our pools to families in time for the October holidays, will mean that more people, of all ages and stages, can continue to get active with Edinburgh Leisure.
”Things may be a little different than before but we have everything in place to keep families safe and most importantly, enjoy making a splash with us.”
Following guidance from Scottish Swimming and from Edinburgh Leisure’s Health and Compliance Manager, Edinburgh Leisure has introduced the following guidelines to keep everyone safe:
All Family Swim Sessions must be pre-booked online or via the Edinburgh Leisure app. To book a session, an Edinburgh Leisure account is required. (This will be in place if a person is an Edinburgh Leisure customer of hold a discount or loyalty card). For customers who do not have an account, one can easily be created by visiting the Edinburgh Leisure website.
Customers are encouraged to arrive ‘beach-ready’, wearing their swimwear underneath their clothes to minimise time spent in changing areas. Lockers will be available for customer use but customers should bring their own token. (These are also available to buy at reception with cashless payment.)
Customers will be asked to follow the COVID-19 guidance, and maintain physical distancing, sanitising hands before and after each session, and following any signage guidance around the venue. Masks are mandatory when moving around public places, unless exempt due to age or health conditions.
Customers are asked to arrive only 5 minutes before their swim time. Any earlier, they will be asked to wait outside the venue, physically distanced in their groups.
No toys or equipment will be provided or loaned by Edinburgh Leisure. However, customers will be allowed to bring their own toys with them to the session, including floats, sinkers, armbands – but they must be washed before entering the pool. Large inflatables are not allowed. There will also be items available to purchase, using cashless payment only.
Once a family session has finished, customers will be asked to exit the pool safely and ensure they maintain distancing from other family groups. Although showers will be available to rinse off after the session, the use of soaps, shampoos and conditioners is discouraged. This is to maintain physical distancing. Hairdryers and costumer drying will not be available.
Customers or any family group/household displaying symptoms of COVID-19 are asked not to book or to cancel any pre-booked sessions.
The number of adults allowed to attend parent and baby groups has been increased, subject to certain conditions, following the publication of updated public health advice.
When all children in a group are less than 12 months old, and other health and safety criteria are met, groups will now allow up to ten adults to be present at one time. Where children are over 12 months, the maximum number of adults allowed will remain five.
Announcing the updated guidance, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We understand the vital importance of parent and baby groups, especially for supporting mental health and wellbeing in the early months after having a baby. That is particularly important just now, as we know the pandemic has the potential to increase stress and anxiety for new mothers.
“We are also, however, trying to keep an extremely infectious virus from spreading and protect the health of families and the wider community.
“I hope that this updated guidance will help us to strike the correct balance. No one wants restrictions in place a moment longer than needed, but until then we are all having to accept circumstances that we would not normally ever want to.”
Subject to content of the guidance and the following conditions being met, the maximum number of adults who can attend has been set to 10:
o where all children in the group are less than 12 months old
o where the space allows for appropriate physical distancing
o where face coverings must be worn at all times by anyone, except when sitting down
o where the service provider meets all the health and safety criteria and can comply with any specific conditions set out by the venue provider at all times
o where the duration of the activity is kept to a minimum and other blended delivery options are considered including use of outside space and digital delivery
o where group attendees and facilitators, as far as possible, are kept consistent and do not change regularly
Scotland must show “bolder ambition” if it is to meet targets for tackling child poverty, a new report by the Joesph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has warned.
Over one million Scots – one in six people – are living ‘precarious and insecure’ lives, according to JRF’s latest Poverty in Scotland annual report – and the situation is likely to become even more critical with the ongoing cornavirus and the imminent end of the furlough scheme this month.
Child poverty now stands at 24% – almost one in four of our children now lives in poverty. The Scottish Government’s target is to reduce this figure to 18% or less by 2023 – 24 -but unless there is radical action this target is unlikely to be met.
JRF’s associate director for Scotland Jim McCormick, who also chaired Edinburgh’s Poverty Commission, said we are at a “crucial moment”.
“The decisions we make will determine whether we reach our ambitious child poverty targets by the middle of the next parliament,” he said. “As the shape of our economy changes, it is vital to do all we can to protect people’s jobs, homes and living standards, so more families are not pulled into poverty.”
The JRF report calls on the Scottish Government to be more ambitious.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said the government is ‘absolutely committed’ to tackling child poverty and said initiatives including Scottish Child Payments, Best Start Grants and Best Start Foods are evidence of this. The spokesperson called for the UK Government to match Scotland’s ambition.
