Fostering: With over 600 children in care and fewer than 200 in-house Foster homes more people are needed to come forward to train as foster carers. More information can be found at www.fosteringinsomerset.org.uk or by calling 0800 587 9900.
Route1 Advocacy and Independent Visitors service supports children and young people who are in care or have a social worker. They do this by matching volunteers with young people as either short term Advocates, or longer term Independent Visitors.
The service recently had an independent internal review and was graded as Outstanding; and was shortlisted to the final 3 in the Frontline National Award 2024 ‘Team of the Year’
Route1 helps children have happy childhood memories, and ensures their views are listened to and acted upon.
- Independent Visitors: These volunteers make a long term commitment to one child in care. They visit the child once or twice each month to build a trusting, supportive relationship and friendship that can sometimes last many years. This can bring life-changing experiences and opportunities to a the child or young person – and their Independent Visitor!
- Advocates: volunteers work alongside individual children to ensure their voices are heard, and their wishes and feelings are taken into account when decisions are being made which affect them. Each child’s support is usually short term and there is no expectation of a long term commitment to any particular child.
A recent trainee volunteer said “I started out thinking ‘what on earth can require 5 days of training?’ I now know why and think you have it just right.”
Your life experience will be highly valued and you will be trained and supported in developing key skills. Your volunteering can be arranged to suit your availability.
For more information about Route 1 Advocacy and Independent Visitors, you can contact us by emailing: [email protected], calling 01749 822801 and our website is www.route1advocacy.co.uk
MP urges parents to catch up with measles jab
Sarah Dyke, the Liberal Democrat MP for Somerton and Frome, has urged parents to make sure their child is up to date with their MMR vaccinations, amid rising cases of measles in England.
Sarah Dyke MP said:
“Measles can cause very serious illness and even death in children and adults. It’s vitally important that parents of children who haven’t had two doses of the MMR vaccine get in touch with their GP now, to prevent further outbreaks.”
Appointments for missed vaccinations can be made via your GP surgery.
Following a rapid rise in cases of measles in the West Midlands since October, the UK Health Security Agency has now declared a national incident and has warned that outbreaks of measles will spread to other towns and cities unless action is taken to increase vaccination uptake.
Professor Dame Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of UKHSA, said:
“Colleagues across the West Midlands have worked tirelessly to try to control the outbreak, but with vaccine uptake in some communities so low, there is now a very real risk of seeing the virus spread in other towns and cities.
“Children who get measles can be very poorly and some will suffer life-changing complications. The best way for parents to protect their children from measles is the MMR vaccine. Two doses of the MMR vaccine give lifelong protection and it’s never too late to catch up.
“Immediate action is needed to boost MMR uptake across communities where vaccine uptake is low. We know from the pandemic that the communities themselves, and those providing services within them, will have the knowledge to best support local families to understand the risks of measles, to learn more about the vaccines that can protect them and to enable innovative vaccine delivery approaches. We need a long-term concerted effort to protect individuals and to prevent large measles outbreaks.”
MMR is part of the NHS Routine Childhood Immunisation Programme – with one dose offered at one year and another second dose at 3 years 4 months. Parents whose infants missed out, or anyone of any age who has not yet had a vaccine, are urged to come forward. The free MMR vaccine is a safe and effective way of protecting against measles, as well as mumps and rubella.
Measles spreads very easily among those who are unvaccinated, especially in nurseries and schools. It can be a very unpleasant illness and in some children can be very serious, leading to hospitalisation and tragically even death in rare cases. People in certain at-risk groups including babies and young children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immunity, are at increased risk of complications from measles.
Over 99% of those who have 2 doses of the MMR vaccine will be protected against measles and rubella. The vaccine also provides protection against mumps, which can be very painful with complications including inflammation of the ovaries and testicles, and in rare cases, the pancreas. Although mumps protection is slightly lower, cases in vaccinated people are much less severe, highlighting the importance of the MMR vaccination.
Mells Scouts – volunteers needed – for more details Scouts poster
Volunteer to be an Independent Visitor or Advocate – Children in Somerset