What is Helplines NI?
Helplines NI brings together over 35 helplines operating across Northern Ireland.
The Helplines NI leaflet and website (www.helplinesni.com) provide a directory of
the helplines within Northern Ireland.
The Helplines NI website (www.helplinesni.com) can be used by the public and professionals to find the right helpline and support.
Final 3 weeks of public consultation on services for individuals who have been bereaved by suicide (Easy read version available)
PHA recognise the importance of reviewing current services for individuals who have been bereaved by suicide and most importantly listening to the views of service users, families, local communities and organisations delivering services to ensure an appropriate service model.
Our Public Consultation is an opportunity to have your say on the provision of services for individuals who have been bereaved by suicide.
If you wish to join our final in-person consultation event in Belfast on 21st March, please complete the attached registration form and return to Engage.PL2@hscni.net
You can also share your views by completing an online survey. This survey will be available for 12 weeks from 16th January 2023 until 9th April 2023.
An easy read version of the consultation survey is also available.
All responses to the consultation should be summitted by 9th April 2023 when this consultation closes.
The guides launched on Safer Internet Day (7th February), a day that promotes the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people, were created as part of EA’s commitment to enhancing the support and guidance offered to schools in relation to social medial.
They provide advice to schools, parents and carers on the basics of how TikTok works, the potential risks associated with it and helpful tips on how to best support children and young people on the use of such platforms.
TikTok is a social media application where users can create, share and watch short videos; and which allows users to express themselves in creative ways such as singing, dancing and performing comedy sketches. However the app has brought challenges and concerns for many schools, parents and carers as highlighted by EA’s Elaine Craig:
“The importance of online safety for children and young people cannot be underestimated. While TikTok is a hugely popular platform, potential risks include social pressures, stranger danger, lack of age verification, and access to explicit content.
“We were delighted to work with online safety experts INEQE and the Department of Education on these guides which are a highly useful resource, and which form part of our long-term strategy to keep young people safe while online.”
Cost of living was one of the priorities identified by children, young people and parents that the Antrim/Ballymena CYPSP Locality Planning Group (LPG) have been working on for the last few years. Since Covid and the cost of living crisis, this has obviously become a more pressing priority, therefore some members of the Antrim/Ballymena CYPSP LPG came together to do something to help local families with this.
A decision was made to hold events in Ballymena Showgrounds and Dunsilly Hotel.
The monring sessions brought together staff to network and share knowledge about services that help people make their money go further.
The afternoon sessions “Every Family Counts” brought together lots of different organisations as a means of informing families on services available in the local area to help with cost of living, e.g. Antrim Ballymena Surestart, Employers for Childcare, Northern Ireland Childminders Association, Start 360, Mid and East Antrim Council, Ballymena Baby basics, Ballymena Hygiene Bank, Impact Network NI, Family Fund, Ballymena South Community Cluster, Sensory Kids, Women’s Aid ABCLN, Slemish Credit Union, Mid and East Antrim Community Advice Service, NHSCT Health and Wellbeing, AN council, AN Community Advice, A Safe Space to be me, Barnardo’s, Libraries NI, Parentline NI, CAP and Department of Communities.
At the events there was a free play area, free recipes books, free resources to help with cost of living, NHSCT dietitians talk about how to cook healthy, low cost meals and a smoothie bike letting children create their own fruit smoothie with pedal power!
The events allowed organisations to come together to share knowledge and helped members of the public know what help and services are available round boosting their income and making their money go further.
Approximately 50 staff attended in the morning and afternoon at both venues.
Approximately 50 members of the public attended ‘Every Family Counts’ and learned what is out there to help with cost of living.
Thanks for all the Antrim Ballymena CYPSP LPG members, the co-chairs, and all who promoted the event and were part of the events.
Quotes from public who attended:
Quotes from staff who attended:
For ALL PARENTS, CARERS, GRANDPARENTS (& TEENS):
Check out this choice of 11 different online courses, free to you, designed to make life a little easier!
There is something for everyone. We all need a bit of head space and thinking time occasionally. Our NEWEST course is a 20 min short course ‘Understanding the impact of the pandemic on your teenager’. If you are a teenager check out ‘Understanding your feelings (for teenagers only!)’ which has a module about the impact of the pandemic.
