April 2018
December 2018
#CareForMeToo
Merry Christmas from Public Health Network Cymru! Welcome to the December e-bulletin. The focus for this month is Young Carers Awareness Day which will be held on 31 January 2019. Each year Carers Trust organises Young Carers Awareness Day. Being a young carer is a risk factor for the mental health of children and young people. That’s why Young Carers Awareness Day 2019 will focus on mental health. Carers Trust Wales will be supporting the #CareForMeToo campaign. We have a busy couple of months ahead with our Nutrition and Early Years Seminar taking place on 6 February 2019 and our annual conference taking place on 26 March 2019. The annual Research in Wales Showcase Event is being held at Hadyn Ellis Building on 13 March 2019. Details of all these events will be made available soon and will be disseminated to all Network members.
@PHNetworkCymru
Please get in touch with any information you would like to include on the website or e-bulletin by contacting us at publichealth.network@wales. nhs.uk
Spotlight on Young CARERS aWARENESS dAY 2019 The aim of Young Carers Awareness Day is to identify and raise awareness of the 700,000 awareness we hope it will help them to get the support they desperately need.
Over the last year Carers Trust Wales’ has led on key pieces of research for Welsh Governme their voices and concerns recognised by professionals.
In Wales, too many young carers continue to feel lonely and isolated and this is having a neg
Young carers services and other professionals can check out #CareForMeToo for more infor https://carers.org/young-carers-awareness-day-2019-wales
young carers across the UK who are caring for a sick or disabled family member. By raising
ent which have clearly shown that young and young adult carers need more support to have
gative impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
rmation and resources to help you get involved in the campaign.
Young Carers Young carers are children or young people who take a significant role in caring for a family member. The family member could be suffering from physical or mental health problem, a disability or drug and alcohol problems. Children in Wales has been carrying out work relating to young carers since 2002, when we were invited to join the Welsh Governments Carers Strategy Advisory group, to look at how young carers could be actively engaged in the Carers Strategy. Children in Wales believes that work to support young carers is vital as these young people are often hidden. Young carers may not recognise that their role within the family is different to other children and young people, but they often carry significant physical and psychological burdens. Young carers often have little or no “me time” and can appear to lose their childhood. Children in Wales’ current work in this area includes: • Facilitating a Young Carers Network • Sitting on Welsh Government working groups to represent young carers • Supporting projects to work together to develop activities for young carers • Undertaking consultation work for Welsh Government For more information about any of these issues please contact: Lynne Hill, Policy Director, Tel: 029 2034 2434, e-mail: lynne.hill@childreninwales.org.uk.
The Bear who Struggled to Care In September 2017, Bridgend Carers Centre began running a Young Carers Schools Project where they would go in to schools and raise awareness of the role of a young carer. They found that younger children found it difficult to understand what a young carer was. In order to overcome this they decided to use a storybook, but when researching this they realised there wasn’t a book available about young carers. They discussed this issue with the Bridgend Young Carers group and decided that they would write one themselves. Ten young carers aged 9 – 25 worked with an author and illustrator over six weeks to create ‘The Bear who Struggled to Care’. The book follows the story of Ben and Ellie who find themselves taking on a caring role and the challenges they face. The book is now in every primary school in Bridgend and copies for all of the schools in the Vale of Glamorgan have also recently been purchased. The book is available for £4.99 and is available in English and Welsh by visiting the Bridgend Carers Centre website.
Supporting Life alongside Caring – 19/06/19, Bangor Empowering Carers in Education and Employment As part of marking Carers Week 2019, Bangor University and Carers Trust Wales are working to deliver a one day conference focused on supporting carers in education and employment. The event will bring together decision-makers, education professionals, businesses and carers to look at effective approaches to identifying and supporting carers. There will be keynote speeches from academics, politicians and senior representatives from national expert carers’ organisations. This will be followed by practical workshops focussed on tools and approaches for supporting carers in a range of contexts including: Further Education, Higher Education, Secondary Schools and within Employment. The event will be free to attend with places allocated on a first come first served basis. Tickets will be available via Bangor University in the new year.
Looking after someone: Information and support for carers The Carers Wales edition of ‘Looking after someone: Information and support for carers’ is a guide for anyone caring for family or friends. The guide outlines carer’s rights and gives an overview of the practical and financial support available. This edition includes A Carer’s Guide, an illustrated introduction to the challenges of caring, from making difficult decisions to looking after your health and wellbeing. This factsheet contains information on: • Benefits: an overview of which benefits you or the person you care for may be entitled to and information about how to get a benefits check. • Other financial help: including help with council tax, fuel costs, pensions and health costs. • Practical help: including community care assessment, carer’s assessment and direct payments. • Technology: information about health and care technology that could make life easier for you and the person you care for. • Your workplace: your rights at work, from flexible working and parental leave to protection from discrimination. • Other help: how to find other help nationally and in your local community. • A Carers Guide: an illustrated introduction to the challenges of caring, from making difficult decisions to looking after your health and wellbeing. A Carers Guide: an illustrated introduction to the challenges of caring, from making difficult decisions to looking after your health and wellbeing.
Raising Awareness of Young Carers
Ideas for activities and lessons Outcomes for pupils l
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Pupils will understand if they are a young carer and how to get help. Pupils will learn who young carers are and the sorts of caring responsibilities they may have. Pupils will learn the barriers and challenges faced by young carers and the impact, both positive and negative, of being a young carer. Pupils will gain insight into how young carers may feel.
Ten minute activities!
Ideas for an assembly or any ten minute slot! Play lifeinaspin.org/intro. l Run the Young Carer Quiz. l Invite a local young carers service to deliver an assembly or short talk. l
30 minute activities! Use one of the case studies as the basis for short role play scenarios in PSHE/PSE or drama lessons. l Create your own True/False quiz using the Carers Trust resources and the internet. l Read the case studies and/or other resources and write a ‘Day in the Life of a Young Carer’ in diary form or timetable format (06:00 Get up and make breakfast for Mum). Include the responsibilities, thoughts and feelings that a young carer may have. l
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Raising awareness of young carers among pupils may encourage some pupils to consider issues relating directly to themselves for the first time. Carers Trust recommends support is readily available and promoted for pupils if required. By discussing these issues as part of the curriculum, the aim is to create a more accepting and understanding environment where young carers feel safe and confident to share their stories and where they are accepted for who they are and supported by peers. The message that young carers are first and foremost young people and that anyone could become a carer, should be paramount. Young Carers in Schools is a free initiative in England and Wales that makes it as easy as possible for schools to support young carers, and awards good practice. See www.youngcarersinschools.com.
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Life in a Spin game: Our online game to encourage pupils to think about being in the shoes of a young carer. Suitable for individual pupils to play. Find it at lifeinaspin.org/intro. The Young Carer Quiz! How much do pupils know about young carers? Young Carer Case Studies: Real life stories from young carers to promote discussion. Be an Agony Aunt for a Young Carer!: Pupils can read and respond to a selection of problems from young carers.
50 minute activities! Invite your local young carers service to deliver a lesson about young carers. A young adult carer may be able to attend to talk about their experience. Visit Carers.org to find your nearest service. l Create your own infographic or poster about young carers. Use our infographic, case studies and the internet to research information. l Choose a case study, then draw a mind map of the young carer’s family in the centre of a page. In mind map form, write down different challenges a young carer and their family may be facing. Add to the map how you think each family member could be supported. If you have time, watch the Life in a Spin game at lifeinaspin.org/intro to help you, or visit Carers.org. l Research activity. Use the resources and the internet to research and present ten facts about young carers. Include the following: What do young carers do? How might being a carer affect a young person? What support is available for young carers? l Read Be an Agony Aunt for a Young Carer! Choose one problem and write a response to the young carer. l
Information
Watch the film and support Young Carers in Schools https://youngcarersinschools.com/
Carers Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales (1145181) and in Scotland (SC042870). Registered as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales No. 7697170. Registered office: 32–36 Loman Street, London SE1 0EH. © Carers Trust 2018.
wATCH, lISTEN and Learn Podcasts
Rising figures for individuals who suffer from mental health disorders at work and the rising costs of these disorders, has led to UK Government initiatives which aim to equip employers with tools to support individuals in work. However, to ensure the best outcomes, these interventions need to be evidencebased to help support individuals in work to thrive. One strategy to increase thriving in the workplace, which is a light-touch population-wide approach to change, is Positive Psychology. Positive Psychology is the scientific study of human flourishing, which studies the strengths and virtues that enable individuals to thrive. Specifically, in the workplace it focuses on two main populations: Absentees and Presentees. Absentees are individuals who are off work long-term due to ill-health, whilst Presentees are those in work, but struggling. One main aim of workplace Positive Psychology interventions is to increase flourishing in the workplace. Flourishing is the realisation that life is more than the absence of mental ill-health. To flourish, Seligman argues that there are five elements to maximising happiness. These are explained in the PERMA model and are: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Meaningful Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishments. One way to flourish, improve motivation, increase productivity, foster resilience and ultimately decrease the number of lost work days is to focus on developing these five principles. Over the last 15 years, Positive Psychology has developed a series of light-touch interventions, which aim to increase flourishing (Positive Psychology Interventions; PPI). One example of a PPI is a diary intervention, where individuals journal their experiences over the course of a week, which have been shown to have profound effects on wellbeing. These have been shown to be effective when focussing on ‘3 Good Things’ that have happened everyday alongside their causal attributions, identifying events that one is grateful for and identifying and using one’s signature strengths. Moreover, a ‘Positive Affective’ diary has also been implemented into the workplace, showing similar benefits. In the School of Psychology at Bangor University, we are working alongside Rhyl City Strategy (RCS), a local social enterprise which aim to decrease workplace ill-health. Over the last three years, together we have built a ‘toolkit’ of light-touch PPIs. These include the aforementioned ‘diary interventions’, which were designed to focus on either the fulfilment of psychological needs to improve motivation, as outlined by Self-Determination Theory, one’s locus of control or anxiety provoking or exciting events. Analysis found that these diary interventions had some beneficial effects on wellbeing, resilience and intrinsic motivation. In addition, a novel 6-week Positive Psychology course called BOOST! was created and implemented in populations of unemployed individuals across North Wales. Specifically of the individuals who have taken part in the course, a proportion have either secured employment or volunteering opportunities, the success of which the participants attribute to their participation on the course. This body of work shows promise for the development of further light-touch interventions as early intervention strategies to combat presenteeism and absenteeism. Kate Isherwood, PhD researcher, School of Psychology, Bangor University
On the Grapevine
A light-touch Positive Psychology approach to improve workplace wellbeing
Time to Talk Day 2019 Time to Change are encouraging as many people as possible to take part in Time to Talk Day (Thursday 7 February 2019). It’s the one day of the year that Time to Change aim to get the nation talking about mental health problems. This Time to Talk Day is all about bringing together the right ingredients to have a conversation about mental health. Whether that’s tea, biscuits and close friends or a class full of students challenging mental health stigma, get your school talking. When 1 in 10 young people experience a mental health problem in any given year – that’s three students in every class – it’s important to continue to support open conversations in your school. Please register your school to receive a chatterbox which is full of useful information and resources. If you sign up you’ll be emailed in January with an assembly plan. Register now https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/order-your-materials-time-talk-day
PUBLIC HEALTH WALES RESEARCH SHOWCASE EVENT
Bringing Together Health and Social Care: A Revolution in Transformation 13th March 2019 09:30 - 16:00 Hadyn Ellis Building Cardiff Public Health Wales' Policy, Research and International Development Directorate are hosting an event that will bring together health and social care research from across PHW, academic sectors and other organisations. For the first time at this event there will be a breakout session where you will have the option to attend a series of talks relating to either 'Digital Health and Big Data' or 'Promoting Healthy Behaviours'. There will be an option to submit a poster abstract at registration! The event is FREE to attend and open to all Public Health Wales staff and collaborators with an interest in public health research.
@PHRWales #RIW2019 To book, please visit Eventbrite by clicking here E: publichealthwales.research@wales.nhs.uk T: 02920104452
The Headlines
Exercise could help reverse frailty: study In the new study, published in the British Journal of General Practice, researchers from Dublin conducted a systematic review on studies on frailty interventions.
Male suicide rates in Wales ‘a national emergency’ There should be as big a focus on mental health and physical health in order to reduce the number of suicides, the health, social care and sport committee said.
Confidence crisis in primary girls stopping them from getting active Data released by children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust (YST) shows a confidence crisis in girls is stopping them from getting active from as young as the age of seven.
Make Your Mark Campaign This year’s Make Your Mark campaign has seen 1,106,788 young people take part, making it one of the largest youth consultations of its kind in UK history, with 1 in 5 of all young people aged 11-18 taking part.
WELCOM Study WELCOM is a study to investigate the links across commuter patterns, travel satisfaction, subjective and overall well-being.
Alcohol cHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE cOMMUNITIES education Environment Gambling Gender Homelessness Lifestyle Maternal and Newborn Mental Health Noncommunicable diseases Nutrition Older People Oral Health Parents People with disabilities Pharmacy Physical Activity Policy Poverty Prisoners Research and Evidence Sexual Health Sexuality Smoking Substance Misuse Unemployment Veterans Violence and Abuse Work
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SAVE THE DATE ‘A Recipe for Life’ – Nutrition in Early Years Wednesday 6th February 2019 9.30-3.30pm Cardiff Metropolitan University (Llandaff Campus)
in the next issue Migrant Health