Contact us via the email address below if you have any items to request for inclusion, using the subject line ‘Child Health Tuesday’.

Email us: nencicb.northernchildnetwork@nhs.net

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The 2025-26 Chris Drinkwater Creative Health in Primary Schools Awards – APPLY NOW

The awards are back, celebrating the incredible collaboration between education and the arts to support children’s wellbeing in primary schools across the North East and North Cumbria.

If your school or organisation has been championing creativity to make a positive impact on young lives, this is your chance to shine!

Who can apply?

• We are targeting this opportunity into settings in more deprived communities and where socioeconomic and health inequalities are most prevalent.
• Schools that have been running a creative health project in collaboration with an artist or arts organisation.
• Creative organisations already working within schools.
• We are particularly interested in learning about the outcomes you have achieved, with emphasis on the evidence you have in regards to improving the wellbeing of young people. This means that we want to know about projects that are completed, or have been running for long enough for evidence of impact to have been gathered.

Applications are open now until Monday 2^nd March 2026.

Winners will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday 26^th March 2026. 

Find out more and see the winners from previous years – visit the Healthier Together website.

Interactive asthma webinars for education settings

Monday 2^nd March 1pm-2pm Register here

Monday 9^th March 4pm-5pm Register here

For all involved in looking after children and young people with asthma in an education setting.

Join us and learn:

• the basics of asthma management within school
• different types of inhalers, including new approaches to management of asthma
• sign posting to Tier 1 Asthma Training
• how to become a Beat Asthma Friendly School.

Asthma is a common condition – one in every 11 children in the UK has asthma. It is important to recognise the key role of schools in children’s lives and that education staff should feel confident in the management of asthma within school. In view of the updated national asthma guidelines published in 2024, there have also been some changes in the type and use of some inhalers that may be brought to school.

Everyone can play a part in creating an asthma-friendly environment from parent/carer to the whole school community. Parents should have confidence in sending their child to school and children with asthma should feel safe within school.

Identifying the signs and symptoms of an asthma attack can support children and young people with recognising and initiating asthma relief treatment and to follow their personalised asthma action plan.

Network Huddle: SPACE Pilot

Tuesday 3^rd March, 1pm-3pm

Join this network huddle to find out how the SPACE CYP (Social Prescribing And Community rEsources for Children and Young People) Pilot works. This is a partnership between Ways to Wellness, Great North Children’s Hospital and Newcastle University that supports children with chronic, complex conditions using a whole-family approach to their care. It offers non-medical support to complement the work of clinicians at Great North Children’s Hospital, looking at all aspects of life affecting each individual family member, as well as the family unit as a whole.

Family members are supported to feel more confident in managing their health and wellbeing, looking at all aspects of life, including finances and work. Specialist social prescribing link workers focus on ‘what matters to you’, so action planning and goal setting is guided by the child and their family. Where appropriate, families are introduced to support and services in the community that help them achieve their goals.

This event will hear from a range of speakers who will discuss the impact of the programme so far as well as its influence on practice both in and outside the region.

Register to attend

Lunch and Learn: Newcastle’s Bladder and Bowel Care Pathways

Thursday 19^th February, 1-2pm

How to successfully care for children and young adults with bladder and/or bowel dysfunction and how we can support primary care.

Our clinical leads within Newcastle Paediatric Bladder and Bowel Service are hosting a lunchtime webinar to offer support and advice when children present with bladder and/or bowel dysfunction.

All healthcare professionals in primary care are encouraged to join as a huge volume of children and young people have underlying chronic constipation, soiling, daytime wetting, nocturnal enuresis, urinary frequency etc.

We can offer advice and treatment plans to support this cohort of children.

Register to attend

Lunch and Learn: Common sleep issues facing children

Tuesday 24^th March, 1pm-2pm

A session to discuss common sleep issues facing children led by Paediatric Consultant Dr Liz McLellan.

This lunch and learn session is aimed at all healthcare professionals in primary care. It will help you to learn about common sleep disorders, some of the investigations used and some treatment strategies offered.

Register to attend

Children’s Mental Health Week 9^th – 15^th February

The official theme for Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 is ‘This is My Place’

We know that our sense of belonging as individuals, in our friendships, in school, and in communities plays a vital role in our mental health and wellbeing.

To know our place and really feel part of our environment is a basic human need. It can have powerful and long-lasting impacts in lots of areas of our lives, including our physical and mental health, education, employment and relationships. When we feel that we belong, it empowers us to contribute to the world and make a real difference.

This year, Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week will aim to support the groups and systems surrounding our children. We’ll encourage peers, families, schools and communities to create inclusive and nurturing environments, where children and young people feel they belong and can say “This is My Place”.

Take a look at the official:

• resources for primary schools
• resources for secondary schools
• fundraising resources, including a fantastic fundraising pack and resources you can use to help your fundraising
• resources for families and communities, including top tips for families
• posters showing your support of the week
• social media graphics and example posts for you to use on your social media platforms.

Place2Be ambassador Ricky Martin shares a creative Art Room activity all about belonging. Watch Ricky go through how children can design their own belonging map, capturing the spaces and experiences that make them feel valued and understood: This is My Place: Art Activity

A is for Amy film premiere and Q&A

Saturday 7^th March, 7.30pm

Durham Miners Hall, Flass Street, Durham, DH1 4BE

This International Women’s Day, join Changing Relations‘ creative team for the big screen premiere of our brand new stage-to-screen film, A is for Amy.

We’re hugely grateful to the recently restored historic venue, Redhills Durham Miners’ Hall for hosting us as we invite friends and supporters to celebrate this significant milestone.

With the government’s Violence Against Women and Girls’ Strategy (released just before Christmas) emphasising prevention and education, A is for Amy is absolutely on point: this term sees us trialling a learning programme based around it which will support young people to recognise the red flags of toxic teen relationships and understand the pathways to specialist support.

As such, we’re delighted to be joined for a post-film Q&A by:

• Our incredible writer-director, Zoe Murtagh
• One of the educators involved in using A is for Amy as a school learning resource, Val Bainbridge
• Some of the wonderful young people from Creative Youth Opportunities who shaped the look of the film and the objectives included in the learning programme for their peers.

This is a brilliant opportunity to get an insight into our coproduction process and learn about the invaluable resource that will be more widely available in the next academic year.

Harbour Support Services will also be present in case anyone would like more information about the specialist support available for young people affected by domestic abuse in our area.

There will be chance to mingle with like-minded folk both before and after, as the bar will be open from 7pm. The screening itself will start at 7.30pm.

Register to attend

Lunch & Learn: Poverty Proofing in Practice

Thursday 12^th March, 12pm–1pm, online (via Boost)

Join Children North East for the next session in our Lunch & Learn series, where guest speakers share practical experiences of Poverty Proofing® audits within their services.

This session features Victoria Young, Advanced Dietetic Practitioner from the Salisbury Paediatric Diabetes Service. Victoria will discuss the audit process from a service perspective and the actions taken to reduce barriers for families, followed by a short Q&A. As a result of the work, financial screening questions are now embedded in patient reviews, enabling earlier identification of hardship and more timely signposting to support. Victoria reflects that Poverty Proofing® “completely changes the way that you run your practice.”

Why attend?
Poverty Proofing® helps teams identify barriers to healthcare access by listening to patient, staff, and stakeholder experiences, supporting more inclusive and effective service delivery.

“Poverty Proofing® has changed the way we have discussions. It’s as essential as mandatory training.”

Register to attend here: Boost | Learning Academy

For further information contact eva.thwaite@children-ne.org.uk

The Power of People: a celebration of social prescribing across the North East and North Cumbria

Thursday 26^th March, 10am-12pm, online

This year’s Social Prescribing Day is on 26th March – an annual celebration recognising Social Prescribing Link Workers, local community groups and regional and national organisations which support people’s health and wellbeing.

To mark the day in the North East and North Cumbria, VONNE are hosting a free online conference, 10am – 12pm, commending ‘The Power of People’.

We hope you can join us at the event as we celebrate the fantastic work of social prescribing in all its forms across our region.

Our speakers will showcase the power of people to connect, build trust and make a meaningful difference through their social prescribing work. They include:

• Anna Basu, Clinical Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University
• Simon Bromhead, Head of Development at Ways to Wellness
• Sarah Penn, Health Partnerships Support Officer at Cumbria CVS

You’ll also hear from the currently funded Healthy Communities and Social Prescribing projects and see the difference they’re making across the region.

Register to attend

Creatively Healthy Schools Conference – for all Northumberland schools

Wednesday 29^th April, 9am-4pm

Holiday Inn, Seaton Burn, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE13 6BP

Designed for Headteachers, SLT, SMHLs, SENDCos, Creative Curriculum Leads and all those passionate about embedding creatively healthy approaches in school life.

Northumberland County Council invites you to a day long conference to explore the power of creativity to support the emotional regulation, resilience and wellbeing of pupils of all ages and abilities.

Designed with schools in mind, this conference connects the rising needs for emotional and mental health among children and young people, with the growing evidence for the

power of creativity to build healthier, happier lives.

You will be provided with accessible information, case studies and creative exercises by artists, musicians, academics and school leaders, with practical next steps to becoming a Creatively Healthy School.

This conference is fully funded by the North East Combined Authority but places are limited, so please book today to avoid disappointment.

Northumberland schools – register to attend

NENC Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub

Quick, Free & Confidential Support for You!

Free, confidential support for all health and social care staff across the North East and North Cumbria. We aim to offer you an initial appointment within seven working days, followed by up to three additional brief therapy or support sessions. All with no waiting lists! Most sessions are via videocall or telephone, at times that work for you.

Whether you’re facing challenges at work, at home, or both, we’re here to help. Our experienced NHS clinicians are ready to listen and support you with flexible, timely appointments.

Getting help is simple:

Click here and self-refer online with our confidential brief form

Email us: hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk

Leave us a confidential voicemail: 0191 223 2030

Don’t wait. Reach out today!

Wellbeing resource on Boost website

A free health and wellbeing offer is available on the Boost platform for all staff and volunteers across the North East and North Cumbria. It includes resources for emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing, plus resilience tools and useful apps. You can also explore support for organisational change. Perhaps start with the ‘Emotional Wellbeing’ section for quick tools you can use today.

Find out more information

The following messages have been circulated by the Children and Young People’s Transformation Programme team for information and action where appropriate.

National Cancer Plan published

The National Cancer Plan sets out the government’s ambitions on cancer.

Key commitments:

• drive up cancer performance and meet cancer waiting times standards by 2029
• improve cancer survival
• improve quality of life for people being diagnosed with, treated for or living with cancer.

The Plan’s central ambition is that by 2035, more people will survive cancer or live well with cancer, delivering the fastest improvement in cancer survival this century.

The Plan sets out how neighbourhood multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) for CYP will meet the needs of children and young people with cancer and will support earlier diagnosis, among 12 actions and commitments for children and young people with cancer.

Read the National Cancer Plan

King’s Fund innovation programme for care closer to home

The King’s Fund are launching a new multi-year programme exploring how innovation can help deliver on the longstanding ambition to provide more care closer to home.

Through this programme we want to explore how the focus of innovation efforts could be centred more deliberately around accelerating the shift towards care closer to home. We aim to understand what it would take to make this happen, including the practical steps, system changes and cultural shifts required to embed innovation in primary and community care settings. Ultimately, our goal is to help ensure that innovations work for patients and communities – improving outcomes, experiences and equity, while supporting a sustainable health and care system.

Read more