Tuesday 19 May 2020
This week we're celebrating mental health awareness, and with it the power and potential of kindness.
As we adjust to a very different way of living, being kind to each other and to ourselves has never been more important.
We know from research that kindness and our mental health are profoundly connected. It strengthens relationships, develops community connections and deepens solidarity.
An antidote to isolation, kindness creates a sense of belonging. It helps reduce stress, brings a fresh perspective, it deepens friendships and sees no boundaries.
This week, while we go about our now usual routines, let’s make kindness to others and to ourselves the goal. After all, protecting our mental health is central to our recovery from coronavirus (COVID-19). The psychological and social impacts of this virus are likely to outlast the physical symptoms, so let the kindness we show be our way of coping.
In this update:
 Are you ok?
It's Mental Health Awareness Week this week, so its a good time to remember that taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body, especially during this difficult time.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak means that life as we know it has changed for the time being, and this can understandably affect your mood. It’s perfectly normal to feel frustrated, anxious, stressed, overwhelmed, bored, sad or lonely. Many of us are feeling the same way - you are not alone.
There are lots of simple things you can do to help take care of your mental health and wellbeing.
The Mental Health Foundation has lots of useful advice specifically about looking after your mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
The NHS Every Mind Matters website includes tips to help if you're worried about coronavirus (COVID-19); if you’re looking after children and young people and if you're working from home. You can also start your own online action plan called 'Your Mind Plan' to help you take simple, practical steps to look after your mental wellbeing by dealing with stress, boosting your mood and feeling on top of things.
The government has also published advice on how to look after your mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak as well as guidance for supporting children and young people.
Visit the NHS website to find out the five steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing.
If you feel unable to cope or keep yourself safe, it is important to get support as soon as possible.
 Share your kindness with a #COVID19ShoutOut
 Random acts of kindness
It’s a scientific fact that giving and receiving kindness can improve our emotional wellbeing and physical health.
If you need some inspiration, check out the Mental Health Foundation's list of random acts of kindness, and find out how you can inspire kindness during this difficult time.
- Pick an item from the list
- Take action
- Share the kindness on social media
- Tag @mentalhealth and @DevonCC on Twitter, @mentalhealthfoundation on and @DevonCountyCouncil on Instagram and @mentalhealthfoundation and @OfficialDevonCC on Facebook
- Use the hashtag #coronavirusKindness and #WeAreDevon
 Wellbeing support for NHS, Social Care and Police staff
This is a particularly stressful time for people working in social care, the NHS and the police force. TALKWORKS (Devon Partnership Trust mental health support), recognises the significant efforts being made by these staff on the front line. Because of this, they are offering a priority wellbeing support service to workers in these professions.
If you are a member of staff in the NHS, social care sector or the police force and would like to talk about the thoughts and feelings you may be having as a result of supporting others affected by coronavirus (COVID-19),TALKWORKS is available to offer support that helps you look after your own emotional wellbeing.
If you would like some support, you can find more information and a self-referral form on their website.
Returning to school from Monday 1 June
Some children will be returning to school from 1 June, for the first time since the lockdown.
The school day and the usual classes will look a bit different, as schools follow all the safety guidance.
Not all year groups will be returning to school immediately. The government has prioritised which year groups they would like schools to open places to.
Youth service initiative gives young people the means to stay connected
Since the lockdown, our youth service has been supporting young people remotely, using technology to stay in contact.
But some young people don't have the technology, or they've got patchy or limited data, which means that they can't use the digital platforms in the same way as their peers and aren't getting support when they need it.
We've given them nearly £10,000 towards the initiative. The money might help top up phone credit or increase phone data use. It might pay for headphones or an adaptor. Or it might even give someone a phone capable of connecting online, or a laptop or tablet that they can also use with their school or college work.
It will mean that young people who might otherwise slip through the net, can remain in contact with our professional youth workers.
 How to contribute to the supply of PPE
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is vital to our response against coronavirus (COVID-19).
As the nation faces an unprecedented demand for PPE, there is a limited supply coming into the county for our frontline workers, including social workers, care home staff and volunteers.
Despite the challenges, we are working hard to ensure a broad and diverse supply line so that these front line workers continue to have the PPE they need. We are also committed to supporting other organisations and individual carers as best we can if they are struggling to source their own PPE.
We are receiving lots of calls and emails with offers of help to supply items of PPE, from those wanting to donate items or asking for advice about manufacturing, while others are enquiring about funding that may be available to help businesses or community enterprises that want to make PPE.
We're keen to support those interested in contributing to the supply of PPE and have published some guidance on our website to help signpost businesses, groups and individuals, to information that will help.
 More time to exercise
The government has said that we are allowed more time to exercise, so long as we socially distance and stay alert.
Regular exercise is a great way to improve your health and wellbeing.
By doing a little bit of physical activity every day, you will start to feel an improvement in your mental wellbeing as well as your physical health.
 New symptom for COVID-19
With experience we're learning new things about coronavirus (COVID-19). We've recently learned a new main symptom, to do with our sense of smell or taste.
The main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are:
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High temperature - you feel hot to touch on your chest or back
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New, continuous cough - you're coughing a lot for more than an hour, (or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours)
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Loss or change to your sense of smell or taste - you've noticed that you can't smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal.
Most people with coronavirus (COVID-19) have at least one of these symptoms.
On-street parking enforcement due to resume
With the government encouraging some sectors of the economy back to work, and enabling people to travel more, we're starting to see increasing traffic levels on our roads.
Some of our local communities, particularly coastal resorts, are calling for enforcement officers to help deal with parking issues that are arising from increased numbers of visitors.
They'll not be issuing penalty charge notices this week - they'll just be issuing warning notices to anyone flouting parking restrictions in on-street pay and display, limited waiting bays and residents' parking areas.
That's to allow drivers a grace period to get used to the resumption of enforcement starting ‘live’ next week, from Monday 25 May.
Smile! it's National Smile Month
With dental practices operating differently at the moment, parents of younger children are being asked to pay particular attention to their child's teeth to ensure that they continue to have good oral health hygiene.
To encourage young children to brush their teeth regularly, Libraries Unlimited has launched a campaign.
For children who can show that they're brushing their teeth regularly, they're giving away copies of 'Alan's Big Scary Teeth', by Jarvis.
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