Wellbeing

Your health and wellbeing are very important to us and we will support you to look after both your physical and mental health.

When you turn 17 one of the Children in Care Nurses will work with you to complete your final annual health assessment and do an SDQ (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), to identify any physical or mental health needs you might have. You may also be able to get support from a counsellor from HIVE through a referral from your Personal Advisor (PA).

Usually before you turn 18 you will receive a Health Summary (sometimes called a Health Passport) which gives a summary of your health from when you were born, including immunisations and significant illnesses, if this information is available. In addition, HIVE now offer therapies which can support you in developing strategies for managing things like low level anxiety and low mood.  Again, your PA can make a direct referral for you and the HIVE team are based at the Riverside Centre, so it’s nice and easy near the Lodge.

One way to access some of your personal health information and get general health information and advice is through the NHS App. Download the app, register your details and log in each time you need to look at some of your GP health records.

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/

Don’t forget you have an Ease card!  You and a friend or child can use any of our leisure centres.

  • After you eat, the bacteria break down sugar on your teeth into acids that eat away tooth enamel, causing holes called cavities. Taking care of your teeth helps cavities and bleeding gums (gum disease). Brushing and flossing properly after breakfast and before bed can prevent this.

    As an adult poor dental care can cost a lot of money to fix. It is important you register at an NHS dentist and attend every 6 months to receive early treatment for any problems.

  • Humans have five senses: the eyes to see, the tongue to taste, the nose to smell, the ears to hear, and the skin to touch. By far the most important organs of sense are our eyes. We perceive up to 80 per cent of all impressions by means of our sight. And if other senses such as taste or smell stop working, it's the eyes that best protect us from danger.

    The sense of sight plays a decisive role in relationships. Gestures, facial expressions, and body language make up a large part of the overall impression. Within fractions of a second, people decide whether they find someone attractive or not.

    An eye test every year can find problems early. If glasses are needed there is a wide range of options available.

  • Most people learn about sexuality and sex early as teenagers. You may have spoken with friends or family. Or you may discover it on your own. In school you learnt about gender and genitalia. You learnt about what sex is and the risks it carries. Risks include pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It is important to learn as much as you can about sex. The more informed you are, the more prepared you are to make good choices.

    Communication is important. Talk about your expectations and set boundaries with your partner. Do not let them, or others, pressure you into anything. And do not pressure them to do anything they do not want to do. You each should only do things that you agree, or consent, to do. Do not do something that you don’t want to do or that makes you uncomfortable. If you find yourself in a situation like this, tell the person no. Then leave the situation and tell someone you trust about it. They can protect you and get you help, if needed.

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQbei5JGiT8

    (consent – cup of tea)

    www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/

    The Lodge is now a C-card base meaning we can give you advice about sexual health and safe sex, as well as provide you with condoms and other things.

Get active

You can have an Ease Card for free access to local leisure centres and reduced entry fee to their gym facilities. This is particularly good because you can take a friend with you for free.

  • This card entitles you to attend junior activities at any of our sport and leisure centres for free. This includes access to swimming.

  • Your ease card also entitles you to bring along someone else to take part with you for free. This can be a friend, a parent or a carer. A buddy can only attend the leisure centres for free when the holder of the easecard is also in attendance. If a buddy attends independently from the holder of the easecard, they must pay for and have their own easecard.

  • Once you reach 14 you can also use the gym. If you have never used the gym before you will need to book an appointment for your first visit (called an ‘induction’). This will be with a qualified instructor who will show you how to use the equipment safely and also be able to give you some advice on how to get the best out of your exercise programme. Please wear loose fitting clothing and trainers where possible. It doesn’t have to be hard work and - more importantly - it should be fun!

    You can also join in exercise classes, as long as an adult goes with you, but you need to be 17 years old before you can go to Body Pump, Body Combat or Body Balance). Once you are 17 years old you can attend any of the exercise classes independently. All classes must be pre-booked. Check out the website for how to do this and also information on the class timetable.

Want to stop smoking?

Studies show that you're four times more likely to quit with help. Your local Stop Smoking Service offers free one to one support along with smoking medicines, which are available at the cost of a prescription. If you want any help with stopping smoking, speak to your GP, or your PA and they can help you access support.

You can also get information and advice to help you stop smoking from the NHS website below:

Quit smoking - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Do you need some advice around alcohol or drug use?

Your social worker or personal advisor can offer support around substance use; or they can direct you to North Tyneside Recovery Partnership (NTRP) as a service for anyone experiencing problems with drugs and alcohol.

You can also access the below websites for advice and guidance:

Alcohol support - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Drug addiction: getting help - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Helping someone with drug and alcohol problems - Mind

PROPS - Family Recovery Service

Honest information about drugs | FRANK (talktofrank.com)

Having trouble sleeping?

If you have sleep difficulties check out NHS Choices website with lots of information and top tips on how to beat insomnia  How to fall asleep faster and sleep better - Every Mind Matters - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Not feeling ok? Worried about your mood or mental health?

If you are currently receiving support and treatment from CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services) your care may need to be transferred to Adult Mental Health Services. If you are not currently receiving mental health support but feel you might need this, please speak to your GP who can work with you to decide the best route to get help.

Social Prescribing is a confidential support service based in GP's. The aim is to support you to access local services based on what matters to you and can help with physical and mental health difficulties as well as loneliness and isolation. Ask your GP surgery to be referred.

  • These apps and online support can be helpful for your mood or mental health and wellbeing:

    • Qwell- free and anonymous online mental health support for adults. Simple login to access a range of support https://www.qwell.io/health

    • WellMind is a free NHS mental health and wellbeing app designed to help you with stress, anxiety and depression www.dwmh.nhs.uk/wellmind

    You can check your mood using this simple questionnaire and get advice on what might help - Self assessment questionnaires :: Keeping Well (keepingwellnwl.nhs.uk)

    We can also offer you an AskJan membership - AskJan is a 24 hour service for mental wellbeing where there are chat groups, phone calls and even offers of counselling.

  • Your Personal Advisor can also support you with the following:

    • General support, advice and signposting for your health and wellbeing.

    • Support to attend appointments, including GP, hospital and sexual health. This may be through helping you work out travel or how to use your travel pass, providing fares where necessary and occasionally if available providing a lift.

    • Support you to access LGBTQ+ groups.

    • Help to access transport costs when attending health appointments if you do not have a travel pass or the appointment is out of the area.

    • If you are a young parent, support you to find suitable support groups and accessing activities in the community.

    • Link in with Health Visitors and Midwives to support with parenting planning.

    • Support to move from children’s mental health services to adult mental health services.

    • Support around developing and maintaining healthy friendships and relationships.

    • Support to stay in touch with those people that are important to you. This could be those who cared for you in the past, like foster carers, social workers and Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs).

    • Provide access to an independent advisor.

    • Support you with a referral to Harbour for support in relation to Domestic Abuse Home (myharbour.org.uk)

    It is important to look after all aspects of your health; if you have any worries at all, speak to someone. Your PA or a duty worker will be available.

  • The Care Leaver Covenant (external link) is a national inclusion programme that supports care leavers aged 16 – 25 to live independently. Creating meaningful opportunities for care leavers in five key areas and supporting care leavers to access those opportunities.

    • Talk to Frank - 0300 123 6600, open all day every day

    • Samaritans - 116 123, open all day every day

    • Childline (under 19s) – 0800 1111, open all day every day

    • Mind infoline (mental health) - 0300 123 3393, open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays)

    Call 999 if you feel you or someone else is in immediate danger.

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Voice

Worried about a relationship?

Relationships can be difficult but everyone has the right to be treat fairly and with respect.  We are working with Harbour to make sure the PAs are trained to support you in relationships and can help you to access services to support you if you experience Domestic Abuse.  This link provides you with information about Domestic Abuse and where you can get help.  It is really important that you speak to someone and your PA or another member of the team will always be there to listen.

Domestic abuse | North Tyneside Council

Becoming a parent

Being a parent or carer is one of the most rewarding but challenging jobs that you will ever do.

Babies don’t come with a handbook, and it can be hard to know what to expect and what to do with your new arrival.

Babies need lots of love, care, and security to develop as happy healthy confident children and young people.

Healthy relationships between the parents or caregivers are also very important for babies’ development and wellbeing.

We have some online learning that expectant parents and parents can access free of charge and at a time that is convenient for you. All you need is your phone, a tablet, or a laptop to be able to complete them.

Solihull approach training helps you to understand your child’s age and stage of development and how to manage difficult behaviours, whilst our Relationships Matter course helps parents to improve their relationship by improving how they communicate with each other.

Both courses along with information and advice about what activities are available in North Tyneside can be reached by clicking through this link here

There is also a parenting padlet full of useful advice that you can access on your mobile device by clicking through this link here