If you're struggling this Christmas or someone you know may be finding this time of year difficult, there's a wealth of help ready and waiting to support people through a variety of issues. The list below contains local support along with helplines that are used nationally. The festive season can be a very stress-filled time of year where anxiety levels are raised, some parts can be enjoyable while other parts are not. Some of the links below also contain some incredibly useful tips on how to cope throughout Christmas. Beat Here you'll find support for eating disorders https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/. The website also contains a supportive online community, advice and stories from those recovering from eating disorders. 0808 801 0677 CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) CALM stands with everyone that struggles with life, regardless of who they are, where they're from or what they're going through. They've built supportive communities and have a wealth of support online and over the phone. Their aim is to prevent suicide and help people feel that life is worth living. They've also released a wonderful post which has some brilliant tips to survive the Christmas period https://www.thecalmzone.net/how-to-get-through-anxious-xmas 0800 58 58 58 Childline A well-known helpline for children and young people who are not only available over the phone whenever a child needs them but they also provide resources, toolkits, support and advice online https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/ 0800 11 11 Domestic Abuse Helpine The helpline is a 24 hour helpine offering support and advice, where many couple will be spending more intense time together, the need National DA Helpline this time of year can be a lot higher. Their website also has plenty of information on what an abusive relationship looks like and how to cope with it, with the goal to leave the relationship safely https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/en/How-can-we-support-you 0808 2000 247 Runaway Helpline Their staff and volunteers are trained professionals to support young people through anything they're finding tough. They're a helpline for those that want to or already have run away or for people who know of someone that wants to or already has run away or if they're worried about someone else in an abusive environment https://www.runawayhelpline.org.uk/about-us/ their helpline can be used to call or text confidentially. 116 000 (call or text) Samaritans For anyone that is struggling to cope the Samaritans are there every minute of the day to listen. They aim to not only support in times of crisis but to also prevent the crisis. A wonderfully supportive service for those that have contemplated suicide, without any judgement or prejudice. They've also created a list of tips on how to manage the festive season which includes a video of calm breathing techniques https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/if-youre-having-difficult-time/if-youre-finding-things-hard-this-christmas-festive-season/ 116 123 Shout This is a confidential, free texting service providing people with mobile phones the access to rapid mental health support https://giveusashout.org/get-help/resources/ Text SHOUT to 85258 (Also affiliated with Young Minds - below) Young Minds This service is aimed at young people where they strive to ensure no young person feels alone with their mental health. They have a variety of online sopprt and resources https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/ Use the Shout text service above to access their free support. Young Minds for Parents If you're a parent worried about your child's mental health then Young Minds also offers a confidential helpline and an online chat. There are also plenty of resources for parents to better understand their child's mental health and the importance of taking care of their own wellbeing https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-helpline-and-webchat/ 0808 802 5544 For a downloadable poster of all of the above information please click below. .

Don't miss one of first training sessions with STLS in September, to set yourselves up for the year ahead. The Behaviour Awareness and Emotional Regulation Training will give you strategies and understanding when dealing with dysregulated children. Providing a more stable and calm classroom environment.

For a downloadable version of the flyer please click below:

For an interactive version of the flyer please click below:

To download the full directory of mental health support please click the link below:

This handbook is for families that would like to know more about Autism and ADHD. The sections include where to go for help surrounding health, education and your rights and benefits. There are also tips to help manage your child's behaviour. To download this handbook please use the link below:

This workbook delves deep into how settings can view children differently to have a positive impact on the child, creating a safe and secure environment while they are in your care. It covers appropriate language to use and why this makes a difference, questions to ask other members of staff who regularly interacts with the child(ren). Neurodiversity covers: Autism ADHD Synesthesia Language traits Dysgraphia Epilepsy Dyspraxia Obsessive compulsive disorder Sensory processing issues Post-traumatic stress Multi-sensory William syndrome Down syndrome Dyscalculia Bipolar To download the workbook please click the link below:

This toolkit is suitable for EYFS and childcare settings that have migrant or refugee children attending. The downloadable resource guides early years educators and practitioners with a framework, offering ideas and knowledge with play and sensitivity at the forefront of children’s learning, alongside their family support. The toolkit firstly offers an opportunity to give voice to the hopes, beliefs, and concerns of migrant and refugee children. Second, it identifies relevant and thoughtful themes for practitioners to share with young children in the hope that they can learn together by exploring ideas that expand their repertoire of the possible, and also challenge taken-for-granted assumptions. Third, the toolkit models a process for ECEC staff to engage in positive and strength-based dialogues about the lives of the newly arrived young children. This creative and inspiring toolkit highlights the enormous potential of listening well to young children about their lives and through the play activities it encourages, successfully realises the authors’ intentions of developing a Froebelian-inspired pedagogy which helps children to connect with their inner self in relation to feelings, lived experiences and thoughts and therefore helps them to understand not only themselves, but the world and people around them. To download the document please click below:

Don't miss last term's Newsletter! Pulling all the latest information from the team.

Don't miss out on the upcoming training on the 17th May to Support Memory Difficulties of children within your school/classroom. Memory Difficulties causes weakness in their reading, writing and spelling because the child's brain is struggling to recall the abilities to do all this skills whilst juggling everything they're learning in the classroom. A child that has Memory Difficulties can struggle processing simple tasks and can forget what they've just read or been told. They can also find it difficult to retrieve information they've previously learnt for exams and tests, again, because their brain is unable to juggle the multiple pieces of information they're trying to process. During this training session Sherrie, our STLS Trainer will go through ways to make appropriate adaptations within your classroom to support the children in your class. Alongside the guidance to make the children's environment more accommodating, Sherrie will also delve deeper into strategies to manage a child's memory skills, retaining children's attention and helping them to work independently and confidently within the classroom environment. If you or a colleague would like to book a place on this training please contact lizzie.wells@goldwyn.kent.sch.uk