Author Archives: Valerie

Exploring the emotional impacts of poor food choices in the Southern Outcomes Area

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Following on from the success of the Southern Area Toxic Childhood Conference in October 2016, Bridin McKenna from Life Therapies facilitated a focused ‘Food and Mood’ workshop last month on the connection between our food choices and behaviour with the CYPSP Craigavon Locality Planning Group.

Twenty-two community, voluntary and statutory sector representatives from the Southern Outcomes Area attended the workshop and were informed of the key elements of basic nutrition and the impacts that food choices can have on an individual’s mental health.

 

Click here to read more about the Mood and Food workshop 

Click here download Dr Bridin McKenna’s presentation 

 

Contact Us:

For further information  please contact Darren Curtis, Southern Outcomes Area Locality Planner by email at darren.curtis@hscni.net or telephone 028 95 363 216

 

Changing Childhood in the Northern Outcomes Area

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The rise in addiction to modern day technology and unhealthy food and its effects on children and families was the main focus of a recent Changing Childhood Conference in Burnavon Arts Centre, Cookstown. The conference brought together 90 professionals from community, voluntary and statutory agencies to help provide more support to staff and families dealing with these issues.

Selena Ramsey, Locality Planner in the Northern Area welcomed delegates to the conference and said, “This was a great event and covered many of the topics which we regularly hear children, young people and their parents are facing on a daily basis.  Evaluations from the conference noted that it was very thought provoking and considerable learning was noted”.

 

Read more 

 

Presentations from the conference:

 

Upcoming 8 week Mindfulness Courses with The Happy Warrior

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

Dates: Fridays (6.00 to 8.00PM)  – 23, 30 June 7, 14, 21, 28 July 4, 11 August 2017

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) 

Dates: Fridays (6.00 to 8.00PM) – 8, 15, 22, 29 September 6, 13, 20, 27 October 2017

Click here for further information about the mindfulness courses 

 

CONTACT US:

For further information about the conference contact Selena Ramsey, Northern Area Locality Planner by email at selena.ramsey@northerntrust.hscni.net or telephone 028 2563 6608

 

Belfast Family Support Networking Event

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The lead bodies responsible for coordinating the family support hubs in Belfast were brought together for the bi-monthly Belfast Family Support Hub Network meeting this month.

The event was an opportunity for hub coordinators to discuss a range of issues including; 

  • how the Hubs are working;
  • the interface with statutory organisations; and 
  • any emerging factors that will impact families.

 

They share information during these meetings that will assist each other in order to achieve consistency across the family support hub network in Belfast. The BHSCT Early Intervention Support Team facilitate each network meeting and coordinators also receive information about regional developments from the Regional Hub Coordinator.

 

At the present time there has been a steady increase in self- referrals to the family support hubs in Belfast as families become more familiar with the role of the Hubs and realise this is a place they can go to directly to receive help and support.

 

To contact one of the Family Support Hubs in Northern Ireland please click here

 

For information and referral processes of family support services across Northern Ireland please visit the Family Support NI website at: www.familysupportni.gov.uk  

 

Think Family Social Work Pilot

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The Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership (CYPSP) Regional Think Family Subgroup in partnership with the Health and Social Care Board recently hosted a Think Family Social Work Assessment Pilot workshop in Antrim.

 

The workshop was to give the Social Work staff who are taking part in a Social Work Pilot the opportunity to gain an Intensive Knowledge and skills overview of The Family Model. It provided a forum for dialogue between Social Work staff in adult mental health, Social Services Trainers, Service users and carers and child care Social Work staff and local academics to agree a process to motivate and sustain the social work pilot within current Health and Social Care Trusts.

 

Read more about the Think Family Workshop

 

For further information about the Think Family Subgroup please contact Mary Donaghy, Health and Social Care Board

Email: mary.donaghy@hscni.net

Telephone: 02895 363 255

 

Engaging Effectively with Parents

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The Parental Participation Project in collaboration with Parenting NI Education and Participation Team successfully delivered training on Engaging Effectively with Parents in the Education Authority, Antrim last month. Twelve practitioners who work closely with children, parents and families availed of this training opportunity of which provided them with;

  • An increased awareness of why parental involvement is important
  • The ability to identify barriers to parental involvement
  • Techniques to engage with parents more effectively

 

The training aims to build capacity and further enhance existing skills of practitioners to equip them with the skills to support parents and families. As the practitioners are involved with the parents doing instrumental vital work the training demonstrated best practice when working with parents to improve parental participation.

 

Contact Us:

Please get in touch if you would like to hear more about the training for practitioners or about the Parental Participation Project.

Lynn Heatley, Parental Engagement Coordinator

Email: lynnh@parentingni.org

Telephone: 028 9031 0891