21 December 2021
From Monday 20 December, 12 - 15 year olds are eligible to book their second dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Two doses are now being offered to this age groupĀ to give them the best protection against COVID-19.
Most children can get a second dose from 12 weeks after they had their first dose. However if your child has tested positive for COVID-19 and is not at high risk from COVID-19, they need to wait 12 weeks before they can have a COVID-19 vaccine.Ā This starts from the date of their positive PCR test.
Vaccine teams will be back in schools in January to help with the rollout, but you can book an appointment for your child online if they are eligible now, or visit a walk-in clinic.
š¶An online support community is waiting for young people and it's freeš¶
If you're concerned about the wellbeing or mental health of a young person aged 11 to 25 years old, have you heard ofĀ Kooth? It's an online mental wellbeing community that offers free and confidential mental health support to young people in Devon,Ā and really simple to set up an account.
Kooth is accessible to all young people over the holidays, including Christmas Day and New Year.Ā
If you are expecting to receive an email about free school meal holiday vouchers, and it's not in your inbox or junk/trash emails, please contact the team before this FridayĀ (24th December) onĀ 01392 383000 (ask for the Free School Meals team) or emailĀ freeschoolmeals@devon.gov.ukĀ for assistance.
The email will contain a code which you can input to get your voucher from the Select website.
If your child wasĀ was born betweenĀ 1 September 2017 and 31 August 2018, they are due to start primary school in September 2022. For the best chance of getting them a space at your preferred school, make sure you apply by the deadline of Saturday 15 January 2022.Ā
There is lots of information on our education website to help you with your application, including a step-by-step guide, and a link to the online portal to submit your application. If you aren't able to apply online, you can call the Education Helpline on 0345 155 1019 and request a paper form.
We want to keep children safe and pass on key information that allows everyone to understand and act early to prevent harm.
Recently, there have been rises in incidences of both Abusive Head Trauma (AHT) and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in babies across the country. We want to make sure that everyone is aware of the help, guidance and support to cope with a crying baby and ensure safer sleeping for infants.
ICON has been specifically designed to help parents and carers cope with crying baby and includes specific guidance for parents and carers to help you manage.
And for expert guidance on how to ensure safe sleeping for your baby, please visit The Lullaby Trust website.
Additional information, resources and support is available on the Devon Health Visiting website.
Children and young people are being invited to attend holiday-time activities with free healthy meals this Christmas.
It's part of a national, Department for Education-funded initiative to provide free activities and healthy meals during school holidays in 2021.
School holidays can be difficult for some families, particularly over the Christmas period with increased costs, such as food, and reduced incomes.Ā
We've given funds to over 100 groups, to offer activities, events, hot meals and food hampers to eligible families over the Christmas and New Year holidays, from 20 December to 1 January 2022.
For more information about the programme, and details of where the activities are,Ā visit our Holiday Activities and Food Programme webpage.Ā Or email enquiries toĀ childsc.holidayactivitiesfoodprogramme-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
Taking regular lateral flow tests is one of the most effective ways to stop COVID-19 spreading and is especially important with the Omicron variant in circulation.
Please ask your children to keep testing over the holidays, especially if theyāre meeting friends or family, to help keep everyone safer this Christmas. Remember that they will also need to test ahead of returning to school in January.
You can order tests online or collect from a pharmacy near you (using a QR code).
Unsure what to do when your child's unwell? The NHS HANDi App has a quick, easy to use child symptom checker for all types of childhood health conditions and advises on how best to treat them.Ā
The HANDi App provides advice and home care plans for a whole range of illnesses, including diarrhoea and vomiting, high temperature, chesty illnesses, abdominal pain and common newborn problems. You can download it free for Apple or Android devices.
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You can find ourĀ Customer Service Centre's Christmas opening hoursĀ on our website.Ā There's also information about ourĀ social care services over Christmas.
If you need to contact your GP practice please check their onlineĀ services. You can book appointments, request sick notes and order repeat prescriptions andĀ download the NHS App. Alternatively, you can phone them.Ā Most GP practices in Devon are open until Christmas Eve, and re-open again on Wednesday 28 December.
Find your nearest pharmacy onlineĀ and check theirĀ opening arrangementsĀ over Christmas and New Year.Ā By visiting your pharmacy, you can avoid an unnecessary trip to your GP or A&E and save time.
If you think you need to go to A&E, call 111 first or clickĀ www.111.nhs.uk.Ā
If you are an adult and need urgentĀ mental healthĀ support, call: Devon andĀ TorbayĀ 0300 555 5000; Plymouth 01752 434 922 (24 hours). For children and young peopleās support in Plymouth (including for parents andĀ carers) call 01752 435 122.Ā
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