Join us for our third and final instalment in our series looking at the effects of COVID 19 and lockdown restrictions on the wellbeing of young people. Following our discussions with Professor Tamsin Ford and Doctor Uttom Choudhury, we ask the young people themselves about what it has been like for them since March 2020. Aisling is joined by Nada, Chloe and Richie to discuss their experiences.
Nada- Assistant Psychologist, Luton CAMHS
Richie- CAMHS service user
Chloe- CAMHS service user
In this episode, Niki talks with Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum, Chief Education Officer Ben Pearson, Councillor James Valentine and our Local Offer Officer about the Summer of SEND. After a really challenging 16 months for families and young people, Bedford Borough have organised a fantastic and engaging summer of events and activities. SEND is everyone’s responsibility so listen in to see how you can GET INVOLVED.
Here’s the link to the Summer of SEND page on the Local Offer website:
Bedford Local Offer – News and events for children and young people with SEND in Bedford Borough and their families. RT does not mean endorsement. Replies during office hours.- @bedfordlocalof1
BBPCF – An independent forum for parent carers of children & young people with disabilities or SEN to participate in developing and influencing local services. @BedsBoroughPCF
James Valentine – Labour Councillor for Kempston West, Lead Member for Education & Children’s Services, Bedford Borough Council – @JamesEValentine
The second in a three-part series discussing the effects of COVID 19 and lockdown restrictions on the wellbeing of young people. Aisling and Ava met Doctor Uttom Chowdhury, an expert consultant child and adolescent psychiatric who specialises in neurodevelopmental disorders and works at CAMHS. We discuss how the pandemic has affected people’s wellbeing with a particular focus on tics and Tourette’s and Uttom shares his words of wisdom and support for families.
The first in a three-part series discussing the effects of COVID 19 and lockdown restrictions on the wellbeing of young people. As lockdown restrictions began to ease, hosts Aisling and Ava were joined by Professor Tamsin Ford, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Cambridge and an internationally renowned child psychiatric epidemiologist. Listen to find out what all that means, and hear us discuss the data around how the wellbeing of young people has been affected by the pandemic and the support available to young people.
In this episode, Aisling is joined by professionals and young people to discuss the mental health benefits of physical exercise. We discuss the pressure to exercise in lockdown, some of the barriers to exercise we have encountered the past year and the pros and cons of the options that are available to us online.
Today’s episode is hosted by:
Aisling Callaghan – User participation lead for Luton CAMHS
We are joined by:
Jade Horsley who is the Satellite Club Link Officer for Team Beds & Luton
Rob Lindsay, Sports Development Officer for Bedford Borough Council
Racheall Monton, yoga instructor
Claire Rourke- Clinical Trial Manager, Ready Trial, University of Hertfordshire,
Molly- CAMHS service user,
Sam- CAMHS service user.
Links to the organisations mentioned in this episode..
https://camhsspace.crd.co – CAMHS Space – Delivered by Bedford Borough Council in partnership with East London Foundation Trust CAMHS team and supported by Team Beds & Luton
https://www.teambedsandluton.co.uk/what-are-satellite-clubs Satelite Clubs – Team Beds & Luton-Satellite Clubs are physical activity projects which provide inactive young people between 14-19yrs new opportunities to be active in a fun and social environment, helping to create positive experiences and promote active lifestyles.
So, the time has come to start to return to the ‘new normal’. For many students, this is full of many unknowns that could be exciting and something to look forward to, however, for some, it may be an anxiety provoking time, leading to added stress and worry. In today’s episode, we talk to two young people about their experiences of lockdown an we hear about their thoughs of returning to school. We also have on the show today two of the CAMHS psychology assistants, Rachel Mellor and Sevgi Deveci who will be talking about strategies to help manage a successful return to school.
In today’s episode, we’re continuing the conversation about mental health, lockdown and how to manage during this time.. There’s lots of information in the media about what we should and shouldn’t do.. we see statistics.. we’re given direction and advice.. sometimes it sounds clear to us, and sometimes it doesn’t… we see advice change.. sometimes on a daily basis and this can leave us feeling worried, scared or just plain confused.. but on a more positive note, we’re also hearing about new and inventive ways of living life.. people are coming up with ideas that we maybe wouldn’t have thought of before…so it’s true to say that there’s a mix of experiences that people are having about lockdown.
But there’s one aspect of lockdown that we’ve all had to do… We’ve all had to socially isolate and keep to social distancing… which means limited access to friends and family, and our normal ways of socialising are currently off the agenda.. As a result of this, we’ve seen an increased use of social media. Now, there are lots of us that would never have entertained the idea of talking on screen.. but suddenly we’ve all got to grips with video calling, texting and even learning new dances on TacTic (name changed for copyright purposes..!)
and no, the last bit doesn’t apply to me.
But for some of us, our usual ways of managing health, and in particular, mental health may have become difficult to access.. such as taking exercise, going out and meeting people.. and getting access to fresh air. For those of us experiencing this.., daily life can be difficult… and many of us have increased our use of social media to support our wellbeing. In today’s episode, we’re going to explore how to manage mental health within the current climate…and give tips on how to make social media support our wellbeing as opposed to making it worse.
Today we have Nikki Scott, who is the user participation lead for Luton and Bedford CAMHS and is also a co-host on CAMHS Talk. I’d also like to welcome Lawrence Chung who is on the NHS graduate programme and is working an Operational Lead for Bedford CAMHS.Also welcome to our service users, Jay and Gracie
In this episode, we’re talking about mental health, lockdown and how to manage at this time. Lockdown has affected us all and as such, everyone’s daily life has been significantly affected. Our normal daily routines changed overnight and many of the things we took for granted are things we’re currently doing without. We’ve seen lots in the media about how and when we can expect things to go back to normal, but the messages can feel vague and unclear and lead to lots of debate from those with and without ‘professional opinions’… and no-one can predict what the ‘new normal’ will look like anyway. A decision that has brought substantial change for many is the suspension of education.
At a time where many teenagers were gearing up for exams and getting ready for university.. suddenly.. their education looks uncertain. For younger children who are maybe too young to fully understand what’s happening, this might be a confusing time, being at home with their family and away from their friends.. but for others, it might be a time of creativity and finding things to do with their newfound boredom. But for many, their education hasn’t stopped just because they’re not at school. This temporary ‘new normal’ still has its expectations and demands.. with changes such as work being sent home, video link classes, increased use of on-line learning and being taught by their parents. But for many, in the new ‘classroom environment’ at home, there can be new challenges.
In today’s episode, we’re going to take a look at some of the challenges faced by those in secondary school.. and as such I’m very pleased to welcome today’s guests.. I’d like to welcome: Nikki Scott – service user participation lead for Bedford and Luton CAMHS Lawrence Chung – who is currently on the NHS Graduate Scheme and is working for CAMHS as an Operational Lead whilst studying for his master’s degree. We’re also joined by three of our service users, Wiktoria, Kirri and Lucy who share their views, thoughts and tips.
Now.. as we’re all aware, we’re living in strange times due to the COVID pandemic and this has brought some change to the services that are currently offered by Bedford CAMHS. In this episode, Nikki and I are talking to Ross Truscott, General Manager for Bedford CAMHS about the changes that have been made to make sure that CAMHS can continue to deliver the service to those young people and families that are under their care.
We also have the opportunity to hear about new service developments including the self referral process and the new 24 hour Crisis line that is now available for anyone, those that are already under the care of the service and for those that feel they may need CAMHS support.