Interconnections Worldwide

Working internationally to share information, help build knowledge and support teamwork around babies, children and young people who are disabled, marginalised or vulnerable

The home of Team Around the Child (TAC) and the Multiagency Keyworker

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Medicines for Children – reliable information

WellChild have recently launched a new resource called Medicines for Children, in partnership with the RCPCH (Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health) and NPPG (Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group).    

 Medicines for Children provide online or printed leaflets giving free, practical and reliable information on over 100 medicines. Written specifically for parents, they answer the questions which are often a concern, such as: 

  • 'When and how do I give my child their medicine?'
  • 'What if I forget to give the medicine, or I give it twice?'
  • 'Are there any possibly side effects?'

Parents and carers can search by the name of a medicine, brand name of a drug or the disease, condition or infection being treated. There is also a news section and a range of videos showing how to give medication.  All information is written and reviewed by children's doctors, pharmacists, and parents and carers with real experience of the concerns and issues parents face when giving a child medicine at home. 

Parents have been actively involved at all stages, and Wellchild continue to welcome new parents and carers to be involved.  This could be by helping us to make sure all information is helpful and easy to understand, giving us their views on the future development of the resource, or helping us to promote the resource by becoming Medicines for Children champions.   

Go to: http://www.medicinesforchildren.org.uk/

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Publication - Learning Difficulties and Ethnicity: Updating a Framework for Action

The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities has today published its 'Learning Difficulties and Ethnicity: Updating a Framework for Action' report and Checklist for Action.

The report, which is an update of the Department of Health's (DoH) 2004 framework, identifies and addresses the needs of people with learning disabilities from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities, as well as their family carers.

Its central purpose is to draw attention to the continuing relevance of the original framework's key messages, and updating it with new information from sources such as the DoH's Vision for Adult Social Care (2010) report and, in particular, priorities from the work of Valuing People Now– the national programme which set out a vision and active steps for improving opportunities and services for people with learning disabilities and family carers. These priorities are the importance of being in good health, having somewhere to live, being able to get a job, and being an active citizen. 

Go to the report here: http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/content/assets/pdf/publications/Equalities_framework_-_final_combined_report_170512.pdf?view=Standard

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Think HEART campaign for early diagnosis of heart conditions

Children's Heart Federation Think HEART campaign for early diagnosis of heart conditions. 

The Children's Heart Federation is launching a new national information campaign directed towards parents and medical professionals. The Think HEART campaign aims to empower and inform parents, as well as better educate medical professionals about the key early signs of a possible heart problem in children. 

Think HEART provides parents with five easy to spot signs to help identify if their child may have a heart problem. It also gives them the confidence to raise the issue with their doctor or a health professional. 

The Think HEART acronym has five easy to remember steps for parents to identify a heart problem: 

  • H – Heart Rate (Is their heart rate too fast or too slow. Normal rate is between 100 to 160 beats per minute)
  • E – Energy (Are they sleepy, quiet and too tired to feed) 
  • A – Appearance (Is your baby a pale, waxy, dusky, blue or grey colour) 
  • R – Respiration (Are they breathing too fast or too slow. Normal rate is between 40 to 60 breaths per minute) 
  • T – Temperature (Are they cold to touch – particularly their hands and feet)
    Heart problems go undiagnosed in far too many children and Think HEART will increase early diagnosis and help to save children's lives.

Can you help us?  

We need your help to raise awareness of congenital heart problems and to help increase early diagnosis.

You can help us simply by talking to family members, friends and colleagues about the campaign and asking them to get involved too. 

You can also help spread the message to other parents by putting up posters at key places in your local community such as at community centres, Sure Start centres, GPs surgeries, playgroups and primary schools or wherever parents might go and meet.

Download a copy of the Think HEART poster here https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BxDDaen5r3MeMjRHel92TWp4SGc

If you can help with the campaign and you'd like us to send you a campaign pack with posters and flyers please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. call 0207 422 0630 or visit www.chfed.org.uk/thinkheart

Danny Beales

Policy and Communications Manager

Children's Heart Federation

Tel: 020 7422 0630

Mobile: 07791 254 187

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Web: www.chfed.org.uk

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Film: SENTENCE TROUBLE calls for young defendants with communication needs to have an intermediary

The Communication Trust has made this film for youth justice practitioners working with young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).  

Sentence Trouble has been produced to improve the skills and confidence of youth offending teams, lawyers, secure estate staff, magistrates and the police so they are able to recognise SLCN and reflect on their own communication skills.

 It contains the views of experts such as Diz Minnitt from The Association of Youth Offending Team Managers and Haringey magistrate, Linda Logan.

The film makes a strong case for better communication skills within the youth justice workforce and calls for changes in the law to ensure young defendants with SLCN have the same rights as witnesses to an intermediary, who can support them to communicate with a police officer or judge. 

You can view the film here: http://www.sentencetrouble.info/film

share your information  Cartoon © Martina Jirankova-Limbrick 2011