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Parents/carers – support and advice
Help & Support information We are constantly updating the school website with the latest information and activities, including our ‘Help & Support’ page: http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/support.html
Free School Meals National Voucher Scheme
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Children eligible for free school meals can benefit from a national voucher scheme allowing them to continue to access meals whilst they stay at home. Families of eligible free school meals students have been contacted by school to receive a weekly shopping voucher worth £15 to spend at supermarkets while schools are closed due to coronavirus.
If you have not received an email from school and are a family who is eligible for free
school meals please contact the Finance department (finance@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk). If you have received an email but not yet responded, please do so as soon as possible so the vouchers can be sent out to you.
The vouchers are sent as an e-code which can be redeemed as an e-voucher. The e-voucher can be downloaded to a smartphone or printed to use and can be spent on food at a range of shops including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, Waitrose and M&S. The Department for Education is working to get more shops to join the scheme as soon as possible.
FAQs are provided by the Department for Education and are available on the link below to the school website http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/pdfs/ParentPDFs/DfE_FreeSchoolMeals_ParentCarerFAQs.pdf
Application forms for the We Are Highfields Fund can be requested from the finance office (finance@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk) or by phone (01629 832325), your child’s year manager or website http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/pdfs/NewsPDFs/WeAreHighfieldsApplication.docx.
This is a hardship grant and is considered on a case by case basis. This grant scheme will be paid out until funds are exhausted. To be eligible you must be a parent/carer of a students at Highfields School and have savings of less than £1,000 per person or £2,000 for a family or couple (including rolling bank balance).
Highfields Emergency Childcare
If you require emergency childcare as a last resort for keyworkers, please contact Mrs Leverton by Friday each week with specific details regarding the days and times of the following week that emergency childcare is required (lleverton@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk).
If your child is mature and capable of staying home alone, please consider this to reduce the spread of infection. High quality learning can take place remotely and we are offering basic supervision only in school. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson reminded families that they“should only
send your child to school if you have to, because your work is critical to our Covid-19 response. If you are able to keep your child at home, you should.”
Derbyshire County Council Advice on COVID-19 for Parents/Carers
We appreciate some parents/carers and children may be worried about themselves, members of their family, or their friends becoming ill. There’s lots of advice about how to talk to your child about Coronavirus.
Below is a list of helpful resources:
National Autistic Society – guidance and helpline for parents, young people and staff https://www.autism.org.uk/services/nas-schools/vanguard/news/2020/march/coronavirus- (covid-19)-advice.aspx
Mencap - Easy Read guide to coronavirus https://www.mencap.org.uk/advice-and-support/health/coronavirus
Place2Be – Have a useful guide for helping parents answer questions from their children and to support family wellbeing https://www.place2be.org.uk/about-us/news-and-blogs/2020/march/coronavirus-informationfor-children/
Young Minds - Talking to your child about coronavirus and 10 tips from their Parents Helpline to support family wellbeing https://youngminds.org.uk/blog/talking-to-your-child-about-coronavirus/
Carers UK - Guidance for carers https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/health/looking-after-your-health/coronavirus-covid-19
Covibook is an interactive resource designed to support and reassure children aged 7 and under, designed to help children explain and draw the emotions that they might be experiencing during the pandemic https://www.mindheart.co/descargables
Amaze - information pack for parents/carers https://amazesussex.org.uk/faqs-about-the-coronavirus-for-parent-carers-of-children-with-sendbrighton-hove/
Public Health England
Public Health England have produced an easy read version of their advice on the coronavirus for places of education.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england
You can download a copy from Easy Read Online. https://www.easy-read-online.co.uk/media/53192/advice-on-the-coronavirus-v1.pdf
Derbyshire County Council’s Community Response Unit
https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/council/news-events/news-updates/news/community-response-unitlaunched-to-help-those-in-need.aspx
COVID-19 Chesterfield Support Network
http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/pdfs/NewsPDFs/COVID19_Support_v3.pdf
NSPCC Coronavirus link
The link below is from the NSPCC with some helpful advice on speaking to young people about the Coronavirus. https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/childrens-mental-health/depression-anxiety-mentalhealth/?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Talking%20to%20a%20child%20worried% 20about%20coronavirus%20%28COVID-19%29&utm_campaign=CASPAR-2019-03-30
CAMHS resource
The CAMHS website contains resources and links to support young people and families with their mental health and emotional wellbeing. https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/
Domestic abuse Boots are offering a safe space for domestic abuse victims https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52495434
Online Safety
During the school closures our children will be spending more time online and we are aware that not all parents/carers may be as engaged as they usually are as they try to balance work deadlines with childcare. Screen time is inevitably going to win at some point for most families and it is more important than before that we remind parents/carers of the key role in helping to keep children safe.
The YouTube clip below is to remind parents/carers of the importance of engaging with their child/s online lives during this time. Additional clips will be released and cover issues such as parental controls (and how to set them), which apps have seen a surge in popularity since the pandemic and age specific information aimed at 0-5's, 6 - 11's and over 11's.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhLWwQ4Ay5s Traci Good, Director of E Safety Training Ltd Safeguarding, Derbyshire County Council
Online Prescription Delivery
Pharmacy2U deliver prescriptions to homes for any families unable to get out to the local chemists. https://www.pharmacy2u.co.uk/
Food supplies
Jigsaw Jigsaw food bank have crisis food parcels daily, as well as a 12 weekly delivery on Thursdays. Weekly food parcels will be delivered to families who are referred by a professional.
Food bank There is a food bank based at 23 Firs Parade, Matlock that is very well stocked. If you need this assistance or know anyone that does and might not be aware of it, please pass this on.
John Palin https://johnpalinlocal.co.uk/ John Palin Wholesale is a large independent supplier and distributor of fresh fruit, vegetables, salad, bakery and dairy items.
