Looking after you & those you care for

Crisis Support – Spider project

Crisis centres Café71 and Compañeros are a safe community space for anyone struggling to cope in a crisis.

Located in Birkenhead, both centres are fully embedded as community crisis-alternatives within Wirral. Support is available to anyone aged 18 and over experiencing or anticipating a self-defined mental health crisis.

Compañeros is located 2a Price Street, Hamilton Square, CH41 6JN open 10am – 10pm, 365 days per year and run by professionals & volunteers

Café71 is located 71-77, St Anne Street, Chester, CH1 3HT open 10am – 10pm, 365 days per year and run by professionals & volunteers

For more information, please visit the website.

Mental Health Support

Samaritans

If you are suffering or struggling to cope, please do not suffer in silence. Call 116 123 to speak to a Samaritan or visit the website.

The Martin Gallier Project

The Martin Gallier Project is fiercely dedicated to preventing suicides, breaking down stigmas & supporting families in the North West, they are based in New Ferry and Chester. To find out more, visit their website.

Every Mind Matters

Every Mind Matters aims to help those who may be struggling and provide advice to those caring for children and young people’s mental health. Please see important links and resources below from this campaign:

Mind plan – A quick 5 minute quiz that will provide you with a personalised plan on how to look after your mental health and wellbeing.

Looking after a child or young person’s mental health – Advice on how to support a child with their mental health, including knowing how to talk to a child about their mental health, and when to spot signs they might be struggling.

Kooth.com – Online support for young people

Kooth offers free emotional support to young people (aged 11-25) in Wirral, their services include; immediate access to online counselling, self-help resources and peer to peer support. The platform also encourages assigning self-defined goals which can be measured to better understand progress/outcomes.

Kooth offers also offers the opportunity to have a text-based conversation with a qualified counsellor. Counsellors are available from 12noon to 10pm on weekdays and 6pm to 10pm at weekends, every day of the year on a drop-in basis.

No referral is required and people can sign up anonymously. To access Kooth visit their website.

You can also view a short video about the service at: https://vimeo.com/318731977/a9f32c87de

Hatch

The leading emotional wellbeing service for young people in Wirral.

Hatch is here to make sure that you have emotional wellbeing support, follow the link to their website for more information.

Open Door

Free, immediate access to a innovative range of creative therapeutic support options if you are feeling down, depressed, anxious or having panic attacks. The Open Door Charity’s programmes support individuals up to 30 years old, visit their website for more information.

CAMHS

This pack contains information about self-help resources, community services, when to refer to CAMHS, when to contact the Early Help Team and what to do if you are concerned about immediate risk or harm.

CAMHS Information Resource Pack

CAMHS Young-People-Resources

Talking Together Wirral

Talking Together Wirral is a free, confidential NHS talking therapy service, available to anyone who is aged 16+ and registered with a GP in the Wirral. Visit their website for more information.

Keeping antibiotics working for those in need

Common illnesses such as coughs, ear ache and sore throats don’t usually need treating with antibiotics, and your child will get better without taking unnecessary medication.

In fact, antibiotics are no longer routinely used to treat most infections, because:

Many infections in children are caused by viruses, so antibiotics are not effective
Antibiotics are often unlikely to speed up the healing process
Antibiotics can cause unwanted side effects for your child, such as rash and diarrhoea
The more often antibiotics are used to treat minor conditions, the more likely they are to become ineffective for treating more serious conditions

Antibiotic resistance

Overuse of antibiotics means they’re becoming less effective against bacteria and this has led to the emergence of ‘super bugs’. These are strains of bacteria that have developed resistance to many different types of antibiotics.

They can be serious and challenging to treat, and are becoming an increasing cause of disability and death across the world.

Find out more about antibiotic resistance and ‘super bugs’ here.

Super bodies preventing super bugs

Our children’s ‘super bodies’ do amazing work against common illnesses like coughs, sore throats and ear ache.

By preparing ourselves with the information and knowledge to care for them at home, spot more serious symptoms, and know when and where to get help, we can support them to feel better sooner, and without unnecessary use of antibiotics. Find out how to care for your child when they are unwell, and learn what symptoms to look out for and when to get medical help: Super Bodies – NHS Cheshire and Merseyside

More resources

Find more information and support for when your child is unwell:

Alder Hey symptom checker

Find information and advice from Alder Hey Hospital on several of the most common illnesses in children.
Healthier together App

Download the app to check your child’s symptoms and get advice on what to do – suitable for newborns to teenagers.
Think ‘Pharmacy First’

Pharmacists can give you advice on a range of conditions and can offer treatment and some prescription medicine for some conditions.

Veterans in Mind

Support for ex-Armed Forces personnel at Veterans in Mind Cheshire and Merseyside.

The service delivers specialist, high quality, and effective clinical treatment to veterans who suffer from ongoing psychological issues, resulting from their time as a serving member of the armed forces.

Veterans in Mind support those with psychological difficulties. Such as:

trauma related problems
various anxiety based problems
substance misuse
problems with self-management, including anger
depression and problems related to adjusting to civilian life after military service

To refer yourself to this service, please contact single point of access on 0151 908 0019
Alternatively, you can complete the online referral form via https://www.gmmh.nhs.uk/military-veterans-services/

More information about the support that Veterans in Mind provide is available on the below posters:

Veterans in Mind Poster

Veterans in Mind – Trifold Leaflet

NHS Health Check

The NHS Health Check is a health check-up for adults in England aged 40 to 74. It’s designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia. As we get older, we have a higher risk of developing one of these conditions. An NHS Health Check helps find ways to lower this risk. Find out more on their website.

Eye Health

Wirral Community Optometrists – Prompt Access to Local Eye Care 07922 424 502: Wirral Community Optometrists Leaflet

Where can I be seen? Ophthalmology Services

Who gets an NHS sight test?

Find out if you’re entitled to a free NHS sight test or an optical voucher to help reduce the cost of glasses or contact lenses.

Find an optician

Look after your eyes

It’s easy to neglect your eyes because they often do not hurt when there’s a problem.
Having an eye test will not just tell you if you need new glasses or a change of prescription – it’s also an important eye health check.
An optician can spot many general health problems and early signs of eye conditions before you’re aware of any symptoms, many of which can be treated if found early enough.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding Adults

Wirral Safeguarding Children Partnership

I Want to Stop

Smoking: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/

Drinking alcohol: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/

Feeling sad: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/low-mood-sadness-depression/

Gambling: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/gambling-addiction/

Managing Vitamin D

YOUR VITAMIN D IS LOW (DEFICIENT)

Following your recent blood test, we have found that your vitamin D level is low.
We have prescribed you some high strength replacement to collect from the pharmacy to take for the next 7 weeks.
Following completion of this you should take 400iu of cholecalciferol (vitamin D) daily to maintain your vitamin D levels (this can be bought over the counter from the pharmacy).
Please contact us in 3 months’ time to request a ‘bone profile’ blood test to ensure your levels have corrected.

For more information please read this supporting leaflet on Vitamin D Deficiency Leaflet

YOUR VITAMIN D IS LOW (INSUFFUCIENT)

Following your recent blood test, we have found that your vitamin D level is low.
You should now take 800iu of cholecalciferol (vitamin D) daily to replace this (this can be bought over the counter from the pharmacy).
Please contact us in 3 months’ time to request a ‘vitamin D and bone profile’ blood test to ensure your levels have corrected.

For more information please read this supporting leaflet on Vitamin D Insufficiency Patient Information Leaflet

Beat Eating Disorders

Beat Eating Disorders is the UK’s eating disorder charity.

Helplines are open 365 days a year from 9am – midnight during the week, and 4pm–midnight on weekends and bank holidays.

Email support for England: help@beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Tel: 0808 801 0677

Website: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/

Family Toolbox

Tips and tools for family life in Wirral, there are all sorts of topics covered such as

Tricky behaviour – change in behavior, tantrums, worry etc
Child development – ADHD, building confidence, starting school etc
Looking after yourself – young parents, keeping fit, parenting support etc

Visit their website for useful articles and resources.

ZILLO

ZILLO was created by Wirral Borough Council’s Children’s Services in partnership with students and staff from Wirral Metropolitan College. It is a website for young people to come to get the lowdown on the latest events, arts, culture, news and expert health and wellbeing advice.

Get involved in ZILLO’s projects, and see what they have to offer by visiting their online website