Simple Signposting to Better Health and Wellbeing
South Cumbria
Self-care and National Support Services
NATIONAL SUPPORT
- Call the free Smokefree National Helpline to speak to a trained, expert adviser on 0300 123 1044. All lines are open Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4pm*
- Better Health quit smoking website which includes information about the benefits of quitting, advice on various quitting aids and a local stop smoking service lookup tool
- NHS Quit Smoking App (Apple) or NHS Quit Smoking App (google/android) - a 28-day programme that provides practical support, encouragement, and tailored clinical advice on your mobile/tablet. Includes a savings calculator so you can see how much money you're saving.
- Get a free Personal Quit Plan Quitting smoking is easier with the right support. Give up for 28 days, and you're 5 times more likely to quit for good – get your plan now!
- You can also speak to your doctor, pharmacy team or local Stop Smoking Service for expert advice on stop smoking medicines.
SELF CARE
- Download the NHS Quit Smoking app from apple or google/android
- Get further information from the National Health Service www.nhs.uk/quit
- Consider using e-cigarettes to stop smoking
- Get daily email support - If you would like some extra support, you can sign up for 28 days of stop smoking advice and tips – delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for email support
- Find your online community - You do not have to do it alone – join others going through the same thing in a friendly and supportive environment. Join the Quit Smoking Support Group on Facebook
Emphasise that quitting will the best thing they will ever do and the NHS Smokefree service can provide the friendly and helpful support they need to quit for good
Local Support Services
Cumbria
Smoke Free Cumbria
Our vision is to create a smoke-free generation in Cumbria by 2030. Our Plan at the council is to support this vision and the National Tobacco Control Plan, we are kick starting our efforts by making 2018 the year when we join forces and mobilise at scale to help Cumbria become smoke free. We would like to see everyone across the public, private and third sector pledging to do at least one thing to help people to stop smoking and help achieve our vision for a smoke free Cumbria.
How workplaces employers can support Smoke Free Cumbria (PDF 1MB)
Support to quit
Why not visit your local Stop Smoking Service and have a conversation with an understanding expert? Find your nearest service or Text "pharmacy stop your postcode" to 80011.
There's more free, proven support for you! Millions have used NHS Smokefree support to help them stop smoking. Choose from an app, quit kit, email, SMS and face-to-face guidance - Sign up to NHS Smokefree.
Self-care and National Support Services
NATIONAL SUPPORT
Do you think you would benefit from some further support to reduce your drinking to 'lower risk' levels?
- Speak to your GP, a loved one or call Drinkline 0300 1231110 (Mon-Fri 9am - 8pm, weekends 11am - 4pm). The Drinkline service provides free, confidential, accurate and consistent information and advice to callers who are concerned about their own or someone else`s drinking regardless of the caller`s age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity or spirituality.
- Want a quick, friendly chat about alcohol? Our trained advisors are on hand to give you some confidential advice. You don't even have to make a phone call. Drinkchat is online between 9am - 2pm (UK time) from Monday to Friday. https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/support-services/chat-with-an-advisor
- Download the 'One You' drinks tracker makes it easy to keep an eye on the booze and take control with daily tips and feedback) available on iTunes or google play.
- Get further information from the NHS www.nhs.uk
SELF CARE
Further tips on cutting down
Make a plan
Before you start drinking, set a limit on how much you're going to drink.
Set a budget
Only take a fixed amount of money to spend on alcohol.
Let them know
If you let your friends and family know you're cutting down and it's important to you, you could get support from them.
Take it a day at a time
Cut back a little each day. That way, every day you do is a success.
Make it a smaller one
You can still enjoy a drink, but go for smaller sizes. Try bottled beer instead of pints, or a small glass of wine instead of a large one.
Have a lower-strength drink
Cut down the alcohol by swapping strong beers or wines for ones with a lower strength (ABV in %). You'll find this information on the bottle.
Stay hydrated
Have a glass of water before you have alcohol and alternate alcoholic drinks with water or a soft drink.
Take a break
Have several drink-free days each week.
Local Support Services
CADAS
Our team is available to offer friendly and non-judgemental advice about drug, alcohol use or addictive behaviour, and can provide more intensive support where necessary. Whether you’re worried about yourself, a friend or someone in your family, we are here to help.
If you would you like to chat to someone about your own drug, alcohol use or addictive behaviour, you’re worried about someone else, or you just want some general guidance on how to stay safe – contact us to talk to one of our friendly advisors:
Free CADAS Helpline: 0800 254 5658 (Mon to Fri 11am-5pm, Wednesdays 11am-7pm)
Email: contact@cadas.co.uk
Reception: 0300 111 4002 (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm)
For immediate online support, contact Talk to Frank:
- Live chat: www.talktofrank.com/livechat (2pm to 6pm, 7 days a week)
- Text: 82111 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
- Email: frank@talktofrank.com
Self-care and National Support Services
Give reassurances that there are lots of sources of support
If you are worried that this person is in crisis, please see section for Suicide Prevention
If no immediate risk take the following steps:
Encourage them to ring:
Samaritans - (All age groups)
Tel: 116 123, open 24 hours a day.
Papyrus - (Young people)
Tel: 0800 068 41 41
Text: 07786209697
Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
Opening hours
Mon-Fri: 10am-10pm, weekends: 2pm-10pm & bank holidays: 2pm-5pm
SELF CARE
- Encourage the person to contact their GP. Their GP will be able support the person in many ways
- Mind 'The charity for better mental health' has an extensive range of self help resources available
- The NHS have has a range of self-help tools available
- Andy's Man Club provides a weekly talking group, a place for men to come together in a safe environment to talk about issues/problems they be have faced or currently been facing. Meetings take place regularly in different locations across the region, where applicable these can be found in the local support and contact details section
- For Men -CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer accredited, confidential and free support to men anywhere in the UK through a helpline and web and webchat service. They talk through any issue with you and offer support, advice and signposting.
Better Health - Every Mind Matters
Better Health Every Mind Matters website. NHS-assured information & advice on common mental wellbeing concerns: anxiety, stress, low mood & poor sleep
Tips to manage mental wellbeing based on Mind’s ‘5 ways to wellbeing’.
Plus self-help CBT techniques section Life’s challenges - practical tips on dealing with drivers of poor mental health eg coping with money worries and job uncertainty, maintaining healthy relationships and loneliness
The Mind Plan – free, personalised plan. Answer 5 quick questions on how you’ve been feeling over the last 2 weeks and you’ll get recommendations on practical self-care actions that could help. You can customise the plan and get it emailed to you
Free email support programmes – complete the Mind Plan to sign up for regular emails with further tips on building wellbeing actions into everyday life, or go to the “anxiety” page to sign up for a tailored email programme with expert advice and practical tips to help deal with anxiety
Support Services - Adults
Adults can self-refer to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. IAPT is a national NHS programme, which offers evidence based psychological therapies or interventions approved by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). IAPT is primarily for treating people with mild to moderate mental health issues such as anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
IAPT treatments are delivered via a stepped care model where patients are initially offered low intensity therapies, such as computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) and guided self-help. If these treatments are unsuccessful, or not appropriate for individuals, higher intensity therapies are utilised and include one to one cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or interpersonal therapy (IPT). Please see local support and contact details for further information.
Support Services - Veterans
Veterans Combat Stress is the UK's leading mental health charity for veterans. They offer free, confidential 24-hour support to Service and ex-Service personnel who are experiencing mental health issues, including feeling suicidal.
Tel: 0800 138 1619
Web: https://www.combatstress.org.uk/help-you
Support Services - Perinatal
PANDAS Foundation
The PANDAS Foundation is here to help support and advise any parent who is experiencing a perinatal mental illness. We are also here to inform and guide family members, carers, friends and employers as to how they can support someone who is suffering.
Tel: 0843 2898401 (0900 - 2000 hrs, 7 days per week)
Web: http://www.pandasfoundation.org.uk/
Support Services - Carers
The Carers Trust
It is important that you take care of your own health, even if you are busy looking after someone else's health. Being healthy is not only important for you, but it also helps the person you care after too. The website contains some helpful guides on relationship management and information on self-care and respite care.
Support Services - Children and Young People
Children and Young People can contact the 'The Mix' which is a leading support service that can help young people to take on any challenge they are facing - from mental health to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs.
- Tel: 0808 0808 4994 (Freephone)
- Web: http://www.themix.org.uk/
For Parents
YoungMinds run a free, confidential parents helpline, which parents/careers can call if they are worried about how a child or young person is feeling or behaving. They also run a group called Parents Say, for parents whose children are accessing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
Web: https://youngminds.org.uk/
Talk about the Five Ways to Wellbeing. The mental health equivalent to the dietary advice to have ‘5 a day’ fruit and vegetables for physical health.
1. Connect - With the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community.
- As being well connected is good for your mental wellbeing… Is there anything you could be doing more of?
- Can you think of connections that you would like to make or remake?
2. Be Active - Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity that you enjoy; one that suits your level of mobility and fitness.
- What activities do you engage in on a regular basis? How would I like to develop this?
- Are there any minor adjustments you can make in your life that can help you to be more active?
3. Take Notice - Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are on a train, eating lunch or talking to friends.
- How can you practice slowing down and pausing more often?
- What difference will incorporating this into your daily life make?
4. Keep Learning - Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving.
- What would you like to learn about? What interests you? What do you value? What would you find useful?
- What do you need to do to make learning something you look forward to?
5. Give - Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in.
- Do you notice what it’s like for you when you give to others?
- What else could you give others that you hadn’t thought of before?
Local Support Services
Mental Health and Wellbeing Support for Children and Adults in Cumbria
Mental Health and Wellbeing Support for Children and Adults in Cumbria
Accessing mental health support in the Bay
Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides 24-hour access to mental health care, advice, support and treatment. By calling 0800 013 0710, you can speak to a member of the team where you can discuss your current mental health needs.
Who can access the mental health services
Anyone who lives within Lancaster, Morecambe, South Cumbria and surrounding areas, who feels that they need urgent mental health care or have an enquiry about their routine care.
Areas include the following, but this is not an exhaustive list:
- Barrow in Furness
- Grange over Sands
- Carnforth
- Milnthorpe
- Kendal
- Lancaster
- Morecambe
- Millom
- Ulverston
You can contact us direct. You do not need to have used any mental health services before or previously been diagnosed with a mental health problem.
Not only can you call us direct, a friend, carer or family member can also call the team if they are concerned for your wellbeing.
You can also be referred by your GP, social care professional or a voluntary organisation.
If you urgently need specialist advice, even if you have not been diagnosed with a mental health problem, you can still talk to a member of the team who can advise you. Call 0800 013 0710.
Self-care and National Support Services
Self Care
Get Active - Better Health
The 'Get active - Better Health' - NHS (www.nhs.uk) - website includes access to free online exercise routines you can do at home and offers from approved partners
Active 10 walking app - track your walking habits to increase the number of brisk minutes, which is when the health benefits will be greatest. No Lycra required, and there are lots of benefits of getting out into local green spaces like parks for your mental health too. Available from the App Store and Google Play
Couch to 5k app - easy to follow, flexible programme to get you running 5k in as little as 9 weeks, or longer if you want. Listen to your preferred music player as you run, between motivational messages from your chosen celebrity “coach”. Track your achievements and collect awards as you progress. Available from the App Store and Google Play
How to be more active - Regular physical activity is good for our bodies and minds, but it can be difficult to get started – especially if we're not particularly sporty or have not done any exercise for a while.
Home workout videos - We could all do with a boost to feel better right now – and you don't even need to leave the house to do it! Exercise is great for your mind as well as your body, so clear some space and follow along with our 10-minute home workouts.
Park Run
Why not join a Parkrun in your local area? Did you know that one of the best things about Parkrun and Junior Park run is that you can run, or jog or walk entirely at your own pace. This makes it accessible for those who never could envisage running 2k or 5k and creates an environment where people feel welcome. For those who don’t wish to run, jog or walk there is always the opportunity to volunteer to support your local Parkrun. There is probably a Parkrun local to you…visit http://www.parkrun.org.uk/ for more information.
Active Lancashire
Active Lancashire is the strategic lead for Sport and Physical Activity in Lancashire. We connect with like-minded local organisations and individuals to help bring about active lifestyles. Nationally we are one of the many Sport England-led Active Partnerships that drive a sports delivery system across the country.
We believe that sport and physical activity have the power to influence behaviours and develop skills which can have a broader, positive impact on people’s lives.
Our work in leading and facilitating effective partnerships across the county from key influential decision makers, through to community grass roots organisations aims to encourage Lancashire residents to engage in sport and physical activity and lead a happy, more prosperous life.
Our goal is to embed sport and physical activity into all aspects of everyday life.
https://www.activelancashire.org.uk/
Local Support Services
Active Cumbria have a number of programmes to support your own physical activity and health and those of the people your organisation is working with:
- Active Start for Early Years - We believe that active children are healthy, happy, school ready and sleep better. That's why we work with nursery settings and parents to help them embrace physical activity.
- Active Travel to School - encouraging everyone to travel actively on the school run.
- Activity Finder - Find your sport or activity on our Activity Finder. With over hundreds of clubs across Cumbria from over 40 sports, theres a wide range of activities to get involved in.
- Live Longer Better in Cumbria - a programme which complements our goal to support older adults, particularly those with or at risk of long-term health conditions to be more active.
- Ramblers Wellbeing Walks - find a walk near you. Walk leaders ensure that all walks are short, over easy terrain and allow you to walk at your own pace. Could you be a walk leader and organise works in your community? Find out more
- Street Tag - keep active with the app. A programme for workplaces, community groups, schools and families - in fact anyone and everyone to keep physically active.
- Support for Schools - We provide a range of programmes for children and young people of school age and work with primary and secondary schools across the County to support them with PE and School Sport.
- Travel Actively - everyday active journeys. Walk, wheel or scoot your way to an active day and choose to travel actively.
Equality & Diversity
We believe that Sport & Physical Activity is for everyone and our aim is to make sure that equality, diversity and inclusion run through everything we do.
Activity Finder - Active Cumbria