World Wellbeing Week 2023

The 26-30th June is World Wellbeing Week so we thought we would give you some ideas on how to improve yours and others wellbeing.

Let’s start by looking at the Five Ways to look after your Wellbeing.

·       Connecting with others

·       Giving to others

·       Learning

·       Being active

·       Take notice.

·       Connecting with others – Connect with your friends and/or colleagues by going for a walk, going for a coffee, or something you both enjoy and having a good chat. This helps improve your social and emotional wellbeing.

·       Giving to others- Give something to a friend such as a mug, sweets, a plant or even a poem.

·       Keep learning- Have you always wanted to try something but been putting it off? Well now is the time to start trying your new hobby and expanding your horizons. You could try something like mindfulness colouring to help with grounding techniques.

·       Being active- Being active everyday has been proven to help improve your wellbeing physically and mentally. Do something you enjoy or try something new yoga is an excellent way to recharge your mind and body.

·       Taking notice – Taking notice of your surroundings and your own feelings. Different tasks can give you different feelings so take note of this and reflect on how this affects your wellbeing.

Try to do a wellbeing activity every day if possible.

Daily self-care practice is a great way to improve your wellbeing by taking the time for yourself to do something you enjoy such as journaling, yoga, cooking, gardening, walking, or talking with a friend.  

Talk to your family and friends about wellbeing. Starting a conversation about wellbeing is a great way to check on how they are doing and to talk about your own mental health. You can talk to your child about their feelings and help them to understand them. When talking to a child about emotions remember these points below:

·       Create a safe space for children to open up.

·       Be open and honest.

·       Give them time.

·       Reassure them that you are always there for them no matter what.

·       Spend time together having fun.

Let’s improve wellbeing this week for yourself and others. Let us know what you get up to and how it works out.

To find out more about our Mental Health Courses please visit:

https://www.strongrootstraining.com/mhfa

Hay fever season is almost upon us!

Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, is a common condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It is caused by an allergic reaction to pollen.

 The symptoms of hay fever include sneezing and coughing, runny or blocked nose, itchy eyes, throat or nose, headache, earache, loss of smell and feeling tired. The immune system overreacts to these allergens by producing antibodies that trigger the release of histamine and other chemicals in the body. This causes inflammation in the nasal passages and leads to the characteristic symptoms of hay fever. If you have asthma, you may also experience a tight feeling in your chest, be short of breath or have a wheeze or cough.

 What can you do?

There are many treatments and preventative measures available for you to try:

·       Antihistamines

·       Decongestants

·       Nasal sprays

·       Putting Vaseline inside your nostrils

·       Wear wraparound sunglasses

·       Keep windows and doors shut

·       Stay indoors as much as possible

·       Drying clothes inside

·       Not cutting grass

·       Not keeping fresh flowers in the house

·       Not smoking or being around people smoking

·       Allergy shots are also an option for those with severe allergies.

 Hayfever is a common condition that can be managed with proper treatment and preventative measures.

 You can also get advice from your pharmacist or GP.

 To find out more about our First Aid courses please visit https://www.strongrootstraining.com/first-aid-courses

Mental Health in the Workplace

Is your workplace helping or hindering your mental health? Mental Health awareness is so important for individuals and employers. Employers must take responsibility for their employee’s mental health in the workplace.

Some factors that can have a negative impact on your mental health are:

·       Unmanageable workloads, long hours and increasing pressures

·       Lack of control over work and poor supervision from management

·       Bullying, stigmatisation, and bad relationships with peers

·       Lack of involvement when the workplace is undergoing change

·       Inadequate pay, problems receiving pay and lack of reward or recognition

·       Dangerous or poor physical working environments

·       Traumatic experiences

 There is legislation in place relating to mental health in the workplace such as: Health and safety at work act 1974, Mental Health Act 1983, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Equality Act 2010, Date Protection Act 2018 and the Human Rights Act 1998.

 Guidance can be found at www.nice.org.uk and www.hse.gov.uk

 HSE work related statistics show that a staggering 595,000 workers suffer from a work-related stress, depression, or anxiety and 15.4 million working days are lost due to this. The amount of working days lost due to stress, depression, or anxiety accounted for 57% of all working days lost due to ill health.

 What employers can do to help build a positive mental health culture in the workplace:

·       Develop a mental health action plan and implement an effective mental health policy.

·       Provide mental health training including specific first aid for mental health for employees across all levels of the organisation.

·       Publicise the organisations commitment to mental health, as with environmental commitments.

·       Evaluate the possible causes of mental ill-health in the workplace and signify which areas need improvement.

·       Ensure employers and management spend time getting to know employees and communicate with them.

·       Monitor employee performance and provide recognition and reward for achievements.

·       Introduce networks, initiatives and activities involving mental health and communicate this.

·       Offer occupational health services, return to work schemes, employee assistance programmes and allow flexible working hours to help employees meet their responsibilities outside of the workplace.

·       Make employees feel valued by involving them in decision making and managing their own workloads.

 Employees can also build a positive mental health culture in the workplace by:

·       Educating themselves on mental health and wellbeing and participate in workplace initiatives.

·       Make an effort to talk to their colleagues and ask how they are feeling.

·       Don’t be afraid to talk to someone about their feelings and ask for help.

·       Build friendships with colleagues.

·       Make the most of their lunch break- eat healthy, read a book, listen to music, or take a stroll.

·       Take a break.

·       Ensure they have a good work-life balance and don’t overdo it.

·       Have a good sleep pattern.

There are so many benefits of having a positive mental health culture in the workplace if you would like to learn more please visit https://www.strongrootstraining.com/mental-health-first-aid-courses

Pancake Day

Today is Pancake Day and you may have some fun family activities planned including making, cooking and flipping the pancakes. It is important to remember badly flipped pancakes and hot pans can lead to burns so please see the below advice of what to do in case anyone does suffer a burn.

Follow these steps below:

1.      Cool the burn.

Use cold running water for a full 20 minutes (immediate cooling is best but is still beneficial even 3 hours after the burn.)

Avoid hypothermia- cool the burn but warm the rest of the body.

 2.     Remove jewellery and loose clothing.

Do this very gently and carefully, before the area starts to swell. DO NOT remove anything that is stuck to the burn.

 3.     Cover the burn.

Cover the cooled burn with a dressing that will not stick. Cling film is ideal (discard the first two turns of the film and ‘lay’ it on the burn, don’t wrap it around.) Alternatives include a new plastic bag, a low-adherent dressing, or a clean lint free cloth. Do not use cling film on the face.

NEVER rely on ‘burn dressings’ to cool a burn- use cold water for 20 minutes.

If the burn appears severe call 999 for emergency help.

NEVER COOL THE BURN USING ICE, BURST BLISTERS, TOUCH THE BURN, APPLY CREAMS, OINTMENTS OR FATS, APPLY ADHESIVE DRESSINGS, OR REMOVE CLOTHING THAT HAS STUCK TO THE BURN.

If you would like to find out more about the First Aid courses we offer please click here https://www.strongrootstraining.com/first-aid-courses

Natasha's Law

Natasha’s Law: Are You Ready? 

On 1st October 2021, Natasha’s Law will implement new food information regulations for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This law is designed to increase allergy safety and requires catering staff to investigate and document ingredients on certain food items prepared in school. The requirement of Natasha’s Law is that food and ingredients pre-packaged onsite meet all the labelling requirements of the new legislation.

For most schools, this will involve supplier management of external catering suppliers. However, schools have an obligation to evidence that their supplier is following the law. 

What is Natasha’s Law?

Natasha died from an allergic reaction to sesame seeds, which were unlisted in the pre-packed baguette she was eating. The baguette’s packaging contained no specific allergen information and therefore Natasha thought it was safe for her to eat.

Under the new rules, food that is pre-packaged for direct sale (PPDS) must display the food’s name and a full list of ingredients, emphasising any allergenic ingredients, on the packaging.

How will Natasha’s Law apply to school catering?

It’s estimated that around one in five children has a food allergy.

PPDS food is classed as food that is packaged at the same place that it is offered or sold. If schools provide pupils with food that caterers pre-pack on-site, this will need to comply with all the necessary regulations. It applies to food that people can select for themselves, or that is offered from behind a counter, such as sandwiches, wraps, salads, and cakes. 

Action Plan Check List for Treating Anaphylaxis;

• Call an ambulance immediately!

• Who will treat the child whilst waiting for the ambulance to arrive? Keeping staff First Aid Certificates up to date is a legal requirement for all schools. However, good practice is that all staff are aware of Basic First Aid and Epi Pen requirements and usage.

• Where are adrenaline pens kept? ie in a known, accessible location and not locked away.

• Who should administer the adrenaline and how they can be contacted swiftly in an emergency?

• Who else must be contacted in an emergency? Best Practice suggests that the member or members of staff who are on scene have an opportunity to reflect of procedures and debrief.