Children

Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Survey

YoungMinds is the UK’s leading charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people.

The charity have just launched Amplified, an exciting national programme funded by NHS England’s Children and Young People’s Mental Health Programme.

They have created three surveys to hear about the ways that young people currently have a say around their mental health, and what young people’s, parents’ and professionals’ views and feelings are on how they should be involved.

The Amplified programme will include a range of support for organisations and professionals working with young people and their families, including practical resources, learning opportunities and the chance to apply for direct advice, guidance and support from the Youth Engagement team at YoungMinds.

They’ll use the information from these surveys to help plan how to develop the participation of young people, parents and carers in all areas of young people’s mental health.

There are three surveys, one for young people, one for parents and carers, and one for professionals (see below).

Here’s how you can help (in three ways!)

• Completing the professional’s survey, here: http://www.surveygizmo.eu/s3/90029241/ProfessionalsInsightsSurvey

• Sharing the young people’s survey here: https://www.surveygizmo.eu/s3/90029017/YoungPeopleInsights

• Sharing the parents and carers survey, here: https://www.surveygizmo.eu/s3/90029122/ParentsCarersInsights

Young Minds want to hear the views of as many different young people, parents, carers and professionals as possible, this is why we are sharing this  –  please do your bit, complete and share.

Young Minds say “Your help is vital in making sure we reach as many people as possible, so that we can deliver a programme that is relevant and accessible to all.

Each survey will take around 20 minutes to complete.  Participants can end the survey at any time and can ignore any question they don’t want to answer.  Any information shared in the survey will be used anonymously in reports to NHS England, and informing the content of YoungMinds learning resources for this programme.  Some quotes might be used in reports shared with the public too. Survey participants can also enter a free prize draw to enter £50 of Love to Shop vouchers if they wish.

We know many of our partners work with a diverse range of young people who, as well as being at greater risk of experiencing mental health problems, also face greater barriers in accessing services.

These include young offenders; young carers; young people who are currently or previously in care; lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans* young people; young people of Black, Asian and other minority ethnicities; young people with disabilities; and unemployed young people.

The survey closes at Friday, 14 April 2017.

www.youngminds.org.uk

Knowsley Community Messaging Service

Knowsley Community Messaging Service is a good way to start keeping up to date with local services/events/alerts and useful information in Knowsley – it’s also a handy little way to share information with other residents too.

Residents in Knowsley can choose to receive local info via text messaging email or a voicemail.

You can sign up for FREE today by clicking this link  which will take you to a contact details sheet – you are only a few steps away from receiving regular information from local partners including Merseyside Police, Knowsley Council, NHS Knowsley and more!

The service is also good for any local community organisations, groups who want to share activities, raise awareness of neighbourhood events or community information days.

The Community Messaging Service is  always open to suggestions of how their service could be improved, if you have an idea you’d like to share  you can email directly to community.messaging@knowsley.gov.uk

For more information about the Knowsley Community Messaging Service please contact 0151 443 2498

Knowsley Parent Carers Voice 2017 Meeting Dates

Knowsley Parent Carers Voice (KPCV ) is an independent, parent led group developed to support local families who care for a child/sibling with a disability. 

It’s their aim as a group is to provide all parents and carers who live in Knowsley with an independent platform to express what really matters to them and their children.

They work in partnership with local disability service providers, raising awareness of what additional services are required, what existing services can be improved and the daily issues faced by Knowsley children, parents and their families and carer’s.

Knowsley Parent Carers Voice have published dates for their forthcoming monthly meetings for 2017 and want to encourage parents and carers who live in Knowsley to come along and get involved.

Their first meeting for 2017 takes place at the Old School House, St Johns Road, Huyton on Monday January 16, 10 – 12pm. All welcome and refreshments will be provided – along with a warm welcome.

CLICK HERE for the full list of 2017 parent carer meeting dates.

As a parent led group they are passionate about children and young adults in Knowsley, and together they believe they can make a difference  – if you would like to find out more about the group, please contact Ian McBrias at Knowsley’s Carers Centre, on 0151 549 1412 or email: deborahsmithkpcv@gmail.com

Knowsley Chemist Opening Hours during the Christmas Period

Please do check with your local chemist for their opening hours over the 2016 Christmas and New Year period. However the following pharmacies in Knowsley will be open over the festive holiday period:

Disabled Facilities Grants – A Knowsley Guide

As part of our user led group activity for local people with disabilities, November’s Public Information Session is a very Knowsley low down on Disabled Facilities Grants. 

Our monthly community talk takes place at the Knowsley Centre for Independent Living, Huyton L36 6HY on Wednesday 2 November 12.30 – 2pm. All welcome

We will be joined by guest speaker Graham Keeling who is part of the Knowsley Council’s Disabled Facility Grants Team, based at the Centre. His talk will answer a lot of common questions we may have, for example who the grants are  for, what they can be used to improve or adapt, is there an eligibility criteria…..and more.

Our community led information sessions are informal and interactive – designed to enable all audience members to ask lots of questions and obtain answers. But if you don’t feel you are able to ask a question at any of our sessions, please speak to one of our group members and we’d be happy to ask a question on your behalf.

Why are we running Public Information Sessions?

We think it’s vital that local disabled people and carers are clued up about what’s out there to help them and what local support is available – there’s a lot of changes to taking place and opportunities available that local people just aren’t aware of.

“Being prepared and clued up on things is a big deal for us – and as they say knowledge is power. But it’s knowing what to do with the information, how to find your way around things, what sort of choices you have and who to go to to ask for help (if you need it). This is why we are running these” MO’S

Our past topics for our monthly information sessions include ‘A lowdown on PIP’, ‘Direct Payments’, ‘Carer Assessments’, ‘Power of Attorney’. We also offer you the opportunity for any suggestions you may have on a topic or issue you’d like us to cover in the future as part of our monthly information sessions.

If you have something you’d like us to cover or to explore, please do get in touch with us at the Knowsley User Led Organisation call Nancie on 07715 392 158 or email:hello@kulo.org.uk

Make Vee’s Place Your Place in Prescot

No matter how old or young you are, there’s something for everyone taking place at Vee’s Place, Prescot.

Whether it’s knitting, sewing, lunch clubs, drama classes or dancing, Vee’s place has a variety of community activities each week for all ages.

Based in Zion Church, 74 Kemble Street, Prescot L34 5SH. Vee’s Place has launched a packed Autumn 2016 community programme of activities and events – and a warm welcome is guaranteed!

Monday’s
10am Coffee morning /12noon Lunch/1pm Socials/6pm Knitting & Crochet

Tuesday’s
10am History/12noon lunch/1pm Sewing, dressmaking/6.30pm Scouts

Wednesday’s
10am Yoga/12noon lunch/1pm Musical socials/6pm Danzaciz  & Performing Arts

Thursday’s
10am groups/12noon lunch/1pm

Friday’s
10am groups/12noon Luncheon Club & social afternoon

Saturday’s
9am Cheeky Monkeys Club (up to 4 year olds) Danzaciz & Perfoming Arts.

*Please note: A small charge is applied to activities listed above (Subs £3 Adults & £1.50 youth)

If you are interested in getting involved with any activities  or would like to start something new, Vee’s Place are always on the look out for even more community activities!

Contact Verity Rhodes, Vee’s Place Centre Manager on 0151 289 3602 (after 11am)

A New Disability Access Guide for Knowsley

DisabledGo is a free accessibility checking website where you can find information for places to go across the UK and Republic of Ireland including hotels, restaurants, shops, cinemas, libraries and more. Most importantly, every single venue on our website has been visited in person by one of our highly trained DisabledGo surveyors.

Knowsley Council and Disabled Go will be holding consultation events for disabled people, older people, carers and disability organisations to seek your views on the new access guide coming to Knowsley.

The DisabledGo project provides in-depth online access information for 700 venues across Knowsley including shops, restaurants, leisure centres, hotels, libraries, parks, and many more which will be available as an on online guide.

The access guide helps increase independence and choice for Disabled people. By providing detailed information on the access features of venues and public spaces Disabled people can make an informed judgment about the suitability of access.

Disabled Go need Disabled people to help identify a range of places and spaces across Knowsley to include in the access guide.

They are holding three consultations for disabled people, parents of disabled children, older people and carers giving them a perfect opportunity to contribute to the project.

If you are interested in work experience opportunities, please stay behind to have a chat with the DisabledGo staff member or click this Work Experience Specification document. The work experience opportunity will involve helping a DisabledGo surveyor collect the factual information publish on the DisalbedGo website.

More information will be given on the day with a short presentation.

When and where?

Wednesday 29th June 10:30am – 12:30pm  

The big hall at the Old Schoolhouse, St. Johns Road, Huyton, Knowsley, L36 0UX

Wednesday 29th June 3:00pm – 4:30pm

Kirkby Leisure Centre, Cherryfield Drive, Kirkby, L32 8SA

Thursday 30th June 1:00pm – 2:30pm

Halewood Hollies Hall, Hollies Road, Halewood, L26 0TE

Swimming Lessons for Children with Visual Impairments

St Vincent’s School are delighted to offer free and supported swimming sessions for children with visual impairments (3 – 14yrs).

The swimming sessions will be led by a fully qualified teacher and take place at St Vincent’s School, Yew Tree Lane, West Derby Liverpool L12 9HN.

Dates for swimming sessions are as follows:

10, 17 and 24 June & 1, 8, 15 July from 1 – 3pm. To register your interest please email Office@stvin.com or call 0151 228 9968

Get Writing and Be a Winner

The Knowsley Writing Competition is open to young people and adults who live, work or study in Knowsley.

Entrants are asked to write a poem or short story inspired by a piece of music, which is between 100 to 1,000 words.

The winner and runners-up in both categories will receive National Book Tokens gift cards, worth £50 and £30 respectively, and there are gift card prizes for promising and outstanding entries.

First prize winners will also receive an engraved shield and have their names added to the Knowsley Writing Competition Shield which is on display in Kirkby Library. All prize winners will also receive a medal.

The closing date is Friday 19 February and the winner will be announced on World Book Night on Saturday 23 April.

It’s really easy to make an entry online through the council website. Alternatively send it by email to writing@knowsley.gov.uk or forms are available from any Knowsley library.

Knowsley Parent Carers Voice

Knowsley Parent Carers Voice (KPCV) is an independent, parent-carer led group developed to support local families & carers of children with additional needs in Knowsley.

The group are hosting their first official Coffee & Cake event in February and it’s your chance as a parent to share and raise issues that matter to you most.

KPCV will be working in partnership with local disability service providers in Knowsley to raise awareness of what additional services are required, what existing services can be improved as well as sharing the daily issues faced by children, parents , carer’s and families as a whole.

The Coffee & Cake event will take place Thursday 4 February from 12 – 2.30pm at the Old Schoolhouse, St Johns Road Huyton L36 0UX.

KPCV have also launched their official Facebook Page – search for Knowsley Parent Carers Voice, like the page to keep up to date with parent/carer news, views and issues.

https://www.facebook.com/knowsleypcv/timeline