Guidance for families during COVID-19 outbreak
Last updated: 22 February 2021
National lockdown
We are now in a national lockdown. This means you cannot leave your home to meet socially with anyone you do not live with or are not in a support bubble with (if you are legally permitted to form one).
Find out more about our services during coronavirus:
- school arrangements
- school transport for SEND children and young people
- free school meals
- general service updates
The government advice for those who are clinically extremely vulnerable is to continue to go outside for exercise, but to avoid busy areas to minimise the chance of coming into close contact with others. This exercise should be limited to once per day and you should not travel outside your area. Otherwise, please stay at home as much as possible.
For the latest government advice for those shielding and protecting people visit the Council for Disabled Children's website or contact your child’s school.
Read Mencap's easy read guide explaining national lockdown to those with a learning disability.
Clinically extremely vulnerable children
Last updated: 13 November 2020
Parents of children previously identified as being clinically extremely vulnerable received a letter from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 4 November.
The letter provided the latest advice for children and young people who are thought to be at highest risk during the pandemic. In the letter, the government advise that:
- very few children are at the highest risk of severe illness due to the virus
- it is likely that most children and young people previously identified in the spring and summer as being clinically extremely vulnerable are no longer thought to be at the highest risk – and they will only need to follow the general rules that apply to the public on staying safe
- a very small number of children will still need to remain on the shielded patient list for the longer-term and are advised to follow the new guidance as set out in the letter above and they will need to contact their hospital doctor, or whoever usually provides care for their child, to check whether they should still be considered clinically extremely vulnerable (if they haven’t already been contacted by them)
- if a child or young person is considered clinically extremely vulnerable by their hospital doctor or other clinician looking after them, the government advice is that they should not be attending school or college and are advised to follow additional precautions set out in the letter.
If your child’s hospital doctor or other clinician providing care for them has advised that your child is clinically extremely vulnerable, please make sure you pass evidence of their advice to your child’s school.
Read Mencap's easy read guide explaining shielding to those with a learning disability.
Information and support for parents and carers
Our services
- How to look after your mental health and the wellbeing of your family
- Short break activities with face to face clubs
- Our latest service updates
National government support
- Shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19
- Learn what you can and cannot do on the government website
- Home education resources (non SEND)
- Home education resources (SEND)
- Home education resources for under 5s
- Home education resources to support children with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD)
NHS support
- Visit the NHS youth health service for looking after your mental health during coronavirus.
- What is coronavirus? (easy read)
IASK support
Online support
- Follow Kent PACT on Facebook
- Download The Keep Safe easy read guidance posters for families during coronavirus
- The Positive Approaches to Support website is for families who care for children, young people or adults with a learning disability or developmental difficulty (including those who are autistic)
- View the latest government guidance which has sought to balance the need for children and young people requiring Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGPs) to be in their school or college, whilst ensuring that the safety of all staff and pupils has been considered.
- BBC Bitesize have put together some useful tips and guidance to support parents in coping with homeschooling, lockdown and your child's mental health.
- Mencap offer a large amount of online easy read guides dealing with how to cope with bereavement due to coronavirus, and helping someone in hospital with coronavirus.