Last week was Health Information Week, and one of this year’s themes is Children’s Health. In this post we’ve partnered with Warwickshire Libraries Librarian, Phil, to highlight sources of trustworthy information about children’s health, their safety and wellbeing. Also with the school summer holiday only a few weeks away there’s ideas for children’s activities in your local libraries.
High quality health information can have a huge impact on our ability to care for our children and manage their illnesses effectively. It’s important, and reassuring, to have online information written by trustworthy professionals so we’ve highlighted a selection of key children’s health websites below from reliable sources.
General medical conditions and health advice
Patient website where you can find information on a wide range of topics about children’s health from vaccines to meningitis and rashes https://patient.info/childrens-health
Common health questions and answers about children’s health from the NHS https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/childrens-health/
Information sheets from Great Ormond Street Hospital on general medical conditions – you can search by keyword or scroll through the leaflets available https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/conditions-and-treatments/general-medical-conditions/
Support for children with longer-term illnesses and their parents
Rainbow Trust – UK charity which supports families with a seriously ill child https://www.rainbowtrust.org.uk/
Macmillan Cancer Support – useful advice on talking to children and teenagers about cancerhttps://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/diagnosis/talking-about-cancer/talking-to-children-and-teenagers
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Papyrus – UK charity dedicated to preventing young suicide and promoting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in younger people https://www.papyrus-uk.org/
Big Deal – website for young people to find information and support related to gambling, either for themselves or for someone they care about https://www.bigdeal.org.uk/
YoungMinds – mental health charity for children and young people https://www.youngminds.org.uk/
Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families – includes resources for young people, parents and healthcare professionals to support mental health www.annafreud.org/
Royal College of Psychiatrists has a detailed section on help for the whole family and provides guidance on all mental health problems and treatments, plus leaflets to download https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/parents-and-young-people
RISE – Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service for Coventry and Warwickshire. Find information on topics such as anxiety, eating disorders and bereavement as well as where to find further or urgent support https://cwrise.com/advice-and-important-information-during-covid-19
Keeping Children Safe
NSPCC – National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children – working to prevent abuse, help rebuild children’s lives, and support families https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/
Child Accident Prevention Trust – UK charity working to reduce the number of children and young people killed, disabled or seriously injured in accidents. There’s lots of practical advice for parents on how to prevent harm from burns, scalds and choking and how to reduce hazards in the home, garden or during play https://capt.org.uk/
In addition to these websites did you know that at your local library you can also find books on many different aspects of children’s health? Here’s a snapshot of what’s available but visit https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/libraries for more information.
Children’s Health Resources available at Warwickshire Libraries
There are resources available for children in Warwickshire Libraries that focus on mental and physical health. The Reading Agency have curated a children’s and a teen Reading Well collection. The books are recommended by health professionals. Find out more about The Reading Agencies Reading Well collections.
https://readingagency.org.uk/adults/quick-guides/reading-well/
Summer Activities at Warwickshire Libraries
If you are thinking of activities for children during the summer holidays, the Summer Reading Challenge is a fun activity for children to get involved in. There will also be activities in branches over the summer that tie in with the Summer Reading Challenge theme, ‘Ready, Set, Read!’ Find out more information on the Summer Reading Challenge:
https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/library-zone
There are also Lego and Duplo sessions regularly in Warwickshire Library branches, as well as Rhymetimes and Story Stomp sessions. View the children events and activities in your nearest Warwickshire library.
We hope this information will be of help but do get in touch with us if you have any questions or would like any further information.
Wishing you all a safe, happy and healthy summer,
Rayanne, Lisa and Phil.
